Never Planned to Do This!
 

I love reading this forum, but I never planned to enter the vintage machine fray myself. The best laid plans...

I have been given a machine. It doesn't work, it was free, so I figure, "What damage could I do?"

I am having some trouble finding info, but I'm still plugging away (searching "free" as in the Free company, is problematic--I keep getting "free" as in no cost!).

I will post pictures as soon as she agrees to a photo shoot. :) For now, she was manufactured by Free, electrified by Westinghouse, and badged "The Lark." I have a number from a plate, but I don't know if it is model or serial. I'd like to get her working and maybe mount her as a treadle--I'm no electrician!

Thanks for all the info here--I'm so looking forward to cleaning her up.

Sounds like you got bitten by the Vintage bug, just know that if you scratch, the collection will spread from room to room.

If I had a really old machine, I'd consider posting to the victorian sweatshop forum. They are really good with the old stuff.

bkay

Boy, do I understand about searching for info that has kind of a double meaning.
Here are a couple searches that are site specific about the sewing machine.
for quiltingboard <hot link
for needlebar <hot link
There are quite a few results on the above links, a lot to wade through, but at least they are mainly about "Free" & "Westinghouse"

and then here are a couple at ismacs specifically for Free
http://ismacs.net/free/manuals/freevs-c-e-ce-manual.pdf
http://ismacs.net/free/home.html

The stickey about cleaning
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...v-t167789.html basically is wiping with cotton balls and sewing machine oil. Some patience may be needed to get it going again, but cleaning and oiling is a good start.

I did see that "Lark" was a badged name for both Free and Davis on Needlebar. I didn't see with a quick glance through the search results for pictures of the Free Lark.
Have fun getting your machine going again.

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

My cousin just found a manual! Yay! We aren't sure just who this belonged to or when--I feel like Miss Marple!

Thanks so much. I'm in new territory here. (And if I stutter, it's the *blessed* autocorrect.)

I know--one more virus I REALLY don't need! :) But, she is so pretty!

Sounds like you have something close to this by Free:

https://offerupnow.com/item/detail/1...g-machine-Lark

I have a Waltham M that is the same model and is missing it's shuttle. If you could take a pic of the shuttle when you get around to taking pics I'd be grateful.

Jon

I 'obtained' a Free sewing machine last year from friends. It's ser is 890292. Apparently I also didn't find much info on it as I tagged it as pre 1930, long shuttle and peacock decals. It was a nice addition to my collection.

I see we are both in SW MO.

If you look at my sewing machine pics on my profile you can see my Free Westinghouse. I haven't touched it yet. Other machines had pressing needs. I did spiff up a Free treadle machine, too.


Leonf in E Ks.

I posted the Free treadle head there just now.

You sound like me. I have 2 of the singer 99's. I know they both run, but I have not tried to use them yet. I guess this is what I get when I received my featherweight 221. It sews so beautifully. I will one day soon get them out and tinker with them. I just don't know when.

Haha!!
You sound just like me!!
I have been bitten by that same bug, TWICE - for "real" machines and for the "toy" machines!!

Let me warn you ahead of time - do not - DO NOT - go on shopgoodwill.com if you want to have any hope of recovering from this virus!!!!!!!! (Ask me how I know!!)

I believe that Lark is the "New Royal" class made by free - so it takes a different shuttle than "regular" style Free machines.

These are the two I have of that class - and I've got lots of extra shuttles. Boye #19 -older ones take needle # 24 while newer ones take #16. On the Boye case it says "New Royal Old Style" and "New Royal Latest", however the case is from around 1910 -1920 . . My oldest case only has "New Royal" listed.

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

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps7rth232f.jpg