Kenmore with cast iron base - need part for rare bobbin winder
 

Here's my sweet little "Kenmore" with a cast iron base. AFAIK it was made by the Standard Sewing Machine Company and is the "Arrow Series", the latter according to Needlebar.Org:
http://needlebar.org/cm/displayimage..._display_media

QB member SteveH has one (Link to photo)
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...ml#post6831969

and so does QB member XXXXXXXXXX (link to photo):
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...ml#post6832031

Each of the 3 is different. Steve's has the same cast iron base, but the head's shape and the bobbin winder are different because it is driven by a tire rather than a small wheel with sprockets.

10X's and my machine are almost identical, except his lives in a wooden box with a dome lid. And -- my machine, unlike his, can potentially be used as a treadle: there is an extra wheel for the treadle belt.

Below is mine:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]519443[/ATTACH]

As I was cleaning the machine, I sadly noticed that the bobbin winder is not complete. The text of the ad said the machine has all its parts, so I didn't remember to check... I was just glad that they agreed to hold it for me over the weekend. My husband picked it up when he drove through Portland, Or - we live approx 3 hours north of there....
It was my Bday present and I had meant for my husband to use it in his collage art classes (for adults).

The part that is missing is the small lever that makes the thread go back and forth.
Needlebar has a photo of it, and I have enlarged it, see below.

incomplete assembly:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]519444[/ATTACH]

complete assembly:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]519445[/ATTACH]


Does anybody have the missing part or the complete assembly perhaps?
Does anybody know the manufacturer of this particular bobbin winder so that I can make more direct inquiries? I compared this assembly to Singer and Franklin winders but found no match.

Any help is much appreciated. We had meant for this little machine (and the head is 1/2" shorter than my Singer 99's) to be another example of early engineering and durability, to be shown to and used by many of DH's students, incl. some high school students in Seattle.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]519446[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]519447[/ATTACH]


Thanks for looking and for any help. :-)

Sabine,

I think quite a few of the arms were discarded if they didn't wind an even bobbin or springs broke, etc. You can still guide the thread by hand until a replacement part is found. Personally, I would scour ebay for a loose Standard bobbin winder that parts can be taken from. I have an early Minnesota A which the same part is missing and I've been satisfied with hand guided bobbin winding like they did on the earliest machines.

Good Luck
Jon

You may might have better luck looking for the whole bobbin winder.

Neat machine! I'd go with what Jon said. It may have been removed on purpose if it was winding poorly.
I hope you find a workable one.
Rodney

I have a Singer #128 on the bench and the part you are missing looks the same. I am not sure if they will interchange
but they look the same to me. It would be something you could check out.

I'll look when I get home, I've got a whole bag of VS bobbin winder stuff.

Thank you for your replies jlhmnj, HelenAnn, Rodney, KenZ and Macybaby :-)


KenZ, I have a Singer 27 here. The bobbin winder arm is shaped differently, and the bobbin is shorter on the Kenmore than on my 27. It would help if they were interchangeable so I could at least wind some decent bobbins.

Speaking of which -- jlhmnj, winding by hand would be 2 person job. I'd have to frank with my right and I'm hopeless with my left. Maybe it's a matter of practice though....

HelenAnn and Rodney, thanks for the positive comments.

Thanks Macybaby/Cathy -- I had/have hopes that you may have something in your stash :-). Thanks for taking the time to look.

Best, Sabine

Took a picture from my Standard VS (also 3/4 size, but not on a base) and this does look like the same as what you need (at least those parts). So now I know what I'm looking for.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psqrxohfiz.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...pshbmtltw6.jpg

did a quick look and did not see any like that. it's very unique having the hole for the thread to pass through. Most have a hook to catch the thread and then feed it up to the guide.

One of the problems with this - Standard made a lot of Rotary machines, and not near as many VS machines as companies like National or New Home.

Here's one on eBay - but it looks like the guide finger is bent.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Arli...item58c45e7a04