My 328 has been well used. Not abused, but used. I keep it oiled (and I grease the gears which it has) and keep the lint cleaned out of the bobbin area. I'll sew off a length of stitching on my serger and use that to clean between the tension discs, unless the machine were one that had not been cleaned in a long time. I know what mine gets!

Jeanette

We sure did. :) I have a 1889 machine here in working condition. Or it was before the belt stretched. That's probably 4 or more generations by now.

I agree. They sound and work the nicest and they have battle scars like I do. ;)

I have the ugliest of Singer 99s my DGDs prefer. They use that hands down over something prettier.

It's like the "used hard and put away wet" machines are just that much more likely to finish the job or do it with the least amount of fuss.

OK, I'm going to get my board and nail and shorten Alice's belt. She deserves to be able to show people what a 126-ish yr old machine can stitch like. Had a gal here today to pick up her FW and she'd never seen a VS machine before. I could hear Alice clearing her throat and asking for a belt tightening and some thread and fabric. ;)

if the belt is only a little loose, soak it and dry it. it will shrink a little

Oh sure! The one time I actually get to what I said I was going to do as soon as I posted. ;) I cut right at the staple hole and then punched a new hole. That's probably as close as it can get to "only a little loose". While I have you though, what's your favorite belt conditioner, or do you use one? I'm thinking of digging up my leather protector for my motorcycle gear...

I do not use anything but a damp cloth and the action of use. Every conditioner I have tried resulted in moist chem left behind to collect dirt and become crud on the pulleys.

I bet it's the infrequency of use then that I'm seeing. The belts seem really dry right out of the package and I feel like they're going to tear when I put the nail through them. I'm thinking of trying the leather conditioner on one belt and comparing after some period of time.

I have the same problem with what seem to be new belts really dry and they just don't want to hold up.

I saw a rubber belt for a treadle somewhere. Have any of yall tried them?