My other great grandmas singer
 

It is missing the bobbin cover and is rusty...and I have no attachments for it. I am going to have to try to find a serial number. Not sure where to find it yet. [ATTACH=CONFIG]571544[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]571545[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]571544[/ATTACH]

This one is either a 66-1 or a 66-4 Singer with Red Head decals. It could use back clamp feet or low shank feet.
The decals look to be in pretty good shape.

The serial number is located where the red arrow is, and probably starts with "G" I would put some sewing machine oil on a terry cloth and rubbing just the brass plate or maybe just oil it and let it sit before wiping off.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]571546[/ATTACH]

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

You can get a replacement plate at http://shop.sew-classic.com/Slide-Pl...-192-32569.htm and if no manual you can find one at http://www.singerco.com/support/instruction-manuals Just put 66 in the search box and I think they might have a few one of which might be 66-1. Any of the 66 manuals will show how to install the bobbin cover.

I just went to look, the plate looks like it is totally gone. All rusted away and nothing is there. Could it have been removed or is it stamped in the machine in one piece? I wish it was still there. I will go look more. Thanks for the tips on where to get the parts and what it is. Would you guess about 1915 or so?

There is no brass plate. Singer stamped the serial # onto a flat spot right there.

Cari

Cari, thanks. I forgot. :o Some that I have worked on seemed to have kind of a brass finish.

You may be surprised, but indeed it does look pretty rusted. If you can, maybe some 0000 steel wool and sewing machine oil over the area might bring out some of the numbers. I'd still be tempted to let some oil sit on it for a while.

My 1912 66 had/has a different hand wheel and the low shank foot. I don't think that it originally had those. According to ISMACS the decals were used from 1902 to 1923. Also, ISMACS seem to indicate that the low shank started in 1923. Without the actual serial number, it could be anywhere in that time frame. I'm guessing that many may have come with the back clamp had the presser bar switched to accept the more prevalent low shank. I'm also not sure when the machines started to have the motor boss became standard.

At least yours still has the original hand wheel.

I'm not sure if you have read about using Tri-Flow, but it is highly recommended. I usually start out with regular sewing machine oil. I progress to Tri-Flow if I have a troublesome spot.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

The 66 was introduced in 1900 I think, and yours could very well be 1915 by the looks of it. I think they stopped making the more elaborate decals some time in the 1920s. There serial number is usually embossed in the metal, when dirt and rust come off there's often enough left to identify the numbers. Be carefull, when scraping off the rust; this part once had a layer of transparent shellac too. If you have a tub of Quick-Glo it does a good job on this type of rust, it's gritty enough to scrub it off, at least partially.

I hope you will post pictures after cleaning and oiling too :- )

Thank you all! I will let it soak and maybe find some quick-Glo and I will read up on Tri-Flow. I rubbed it a little with a cotton ball with oil on it. I think I could see a few numbers on the right side, I had my daughter look and she just said nothing there...maybe it was my imagination. ;) Thanks again! I hope my husband does not get jealous! :o

Quick-Glo is a good polish and cleaner for metal. I used it to polish up needle and presser bars, chromed plates should clean up nicely. It removes rust better than the average polish, but steel wool with soap will get you there too and no need to go buy it if you happen to have some thing similar.

I don't think there's much advantage to soaking the spot in oil since a bit of scouring and hard rubbing is much speedier and needed to polish it up any way. There is stuff like evapo-rust but again, only if you already already have it. I'm just going on and on about the very basic stuff, but rust is this odd thing, very porous and loose compared to the intact steel and cast iron parts. Oil losens the rust and when joints, hinges and moving parts loosen up, it gradually flushes out. It can take days and weeks for rusty parts to run smoothly again, but they will. Your machine looks nice though, just in need of a good cleaning and a touch up of the finish here and there :- )

Thank you! I appreciate the help and encouragement!!

I am also glad that I don't have to buy expensive needles, right? haha!