Questions on old Singer
 

Can any of you tell me anything about this machine[ATTACH=CONFIG]525525[/ATTACH]

It's a Singer model 66-1 (I think) with Redeye decals. It looks to be in great shape. You can get the date it was authorized for production here: http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_mach...-database.html
The serial number is at the base of the pillar.
Rodney

And wow, that machine looks like it is in super shape. Hope it sews like it looks!

Here are a few more pictures. It doesn't work at present but belongs to my SIL. She was going to take it to GoodWill. I thought maybe some of you might have better advice. Will try to post a few more pictures. [ATTACH=CONFIG]525607[/ATTACH]
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[ATTACH=CONFIG]525609[/ATTACH]

NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You can't let her take that gorgeous machine and cabinet to Goodwill. Please rescue it!!!

You have a very nice looking 66-1. It most likely just needs cleaned, oiled and a new belt. Please don't let it go to Goodwill. It's not a particularly valuable machine as there were millions of them made and lots of them are still around but they are very good machines and still popular today.

Cari

Just think how happy a collector would be if they found this at Good Will. I would donate to a thrift shop that doesn't make a profit myself. (Good Will is a for profit store)
HelenAnn

Now that is a good idea .... if you are not going to take it in and adopt it yourself.

Lovely machine. Looks like it's in great shape.

You're in Wisconsin; I'm in North Dakota, an hour from the MN border. I wish with all my heart I could meet you in the middle of Minnesota to purchase it from you. But I can't.

Could you check with local quilt shops or quilting guilds to find someone that would love and use it as it was intended to be used?

It is beautiful. Don't let them remove it from that wonderful cabinet. Don't let them paint the cabinet. Don't let them ruin the machine. I'm sure there are sewists that are aching to own a machine that nice.

Do you know it' history?

I wonder how much a moving company would charge to send it to Larimore, ND?

how close to the Illinois border?? My son is in Lake Villa....that machine just needs loving care

Oh, wow! I would have that machine if I had an opportunity. Why don't you keep it? It is a perfect looking machine. It looks fine.

DON'T TAKE IT TO GOODWILL!!!! That is too nice a machine. It has value. It will end up badly. Please find someone to take it and love it. I am in Tennessee and would love to have it, but it is just too far. Sniff.

The GW stores near me have been known to throw machines away.

Please find a loving home for it. It is far too nice to drop at Goodwill. If you can't or don't want it put it on Craigslist. Someone will want it. I only wish I was closer and I could help you get it sewing.
They are wonderful machines, and it looks like it was well cared for. I just hope whoever ends up with it doesn't want it just to make a table of the legs.

Ethel

Thank you all for your wonderful advice! I wish I knew more about it but don't. I know that the needle up and down movement was smooth and that the lever to raise the foot seemed bound up, I could not lift it up. I wish I knew more about cleaning it, etc. I should bring it home and see what my hubs can do with it. LOL He loves fixing things. There were twice as many attachments in the drawer but I just didn't get a picture of all of them. Need to decide soon what to do with it as they are wanting to get it out of their house. Of course she is not a quilter so has no value to her but the asthetic value. Sharon

This machine looks like the one my mother sew with when I was a young girl. My heart broke when I seen it ,
thinking just how much I miss her. My mom sewed quilts, coats, our cloths. You have a great machine my mom loved
hers.

It's not a terribly valuable machine so far as that goes but it's in lovely condition-both the table and the machine and you have plenty of feet for it too. The back clamp feet like that are harder to get your hands on so for someone who want it this is a lovely package. I am sure it just needs a little help to get things un-stuck, an oiling and a belt and it should be ready to sew.

I am always heartbroken at thrift stores when I see machines that children have messed with and tension parts are removed or destroyed, accessories are lost and manuals carelessly tossed away. It would be better for the machine to try and find a new home without dumping it at a thrift IMO.

Just want you all to know that I cleaned, oiled and worked on this machine and it works perfectly!!! It has a wonderful stitch and runs so smoothly. Told my brother I am keeping it and love sewing on it. Of course he doesn't care because he only wanted to get rid of it. Another question I have is that on the advice of someone I used machine oil and rubbed it on the finish of the machine. It seems to be rubbing off the decals a bit now that it has set. It isn't bad but wondering if I can put some kind of shellac on to preserve them. Thanks again for all your help

I am so glad you kept the machine and have cleaned and oiled it and it works well, yippee, that is super neat. There are threads on here that help you with the decals and what to use. Go back to the first page of this Vintage section and there are threads on the top you can read and see what will help you out, I would but I don't know all of that suff:oCongratulations on your new machine and saving it from Goodwill and whatever would have happened with it.

Congrats on deciding to keep it! A newer model 66 helped get me hooked on vintage machines. I'm very happy it won't be going to Goodwill or any other thrift shop. There's a chance the machine might end up as a tractor in places like that.
Rodney

Rodney, just moved it in its place and will be sewing on it today. I understand getting hooked. I have just fallen in love, so to speak, with it. Can't wait until I create something with it. Having to get rid of one so I have room in this small space so letting my Singer touch and sew go. I know it doesn't have a good reputation but this one has been maintained and loved for almost 50 years and works like a charm. Problem was couldn't take it on retreats and didn't use it much. Wondering if asking $25 is too much. Thanks for your help and wisdom

$25 is not too much for a T&S in good condition. I often feel it's equally important it goes to someone who care and appreciate the machine, than what it sells for. I think it's reputation has a lot to do with setting it up correctly, and maybe some of the models had a few issues, but mostly it was about getting to know how the machine worked. The fancy bobbin functions in them was state of the art at the time.

Congratulations on your model 66, it was at the time Singers top model, with the newly developed drop in bobbin case. Some even claim it was Singers first machine who made perfect stitch, it's on the arguable side though :- )

Keep on oiling it often the next few weeks. It takes a bit of time to flush out all old dried up oil and grime and replace it with new fresh. It will make a difference later on.

Best of luck with your new machine

Mickey

Mickey, when you say oil it often would you give me an idea how often. since I have never had one like this I know nothing about them. I put an add in the paper for the T & S asking $50.00 in cabinet with multiple feet, cams, manual, many bobbins, oil, needles. It was mantained yearly and I sewed on it this morning and it run like a charm. I put that much into it at its last cleaning/maintenance. Wondering if you think that is too much or should I go with it and come down if necessary

Since you've always kept it in good condition, had it serviced, etc. I'd go with that asking price to start with. You can always come down later if you don't get any bites. Maybe offer to teach the new owner how to use it?

Cari

A service is easily a $100 around here, depending upon what type of work it is. Price is still on the reasonable side :- )

For the 66: When I have taken over one of these cast iron things, I have sometimes had to clean and oil for up to four days before it ran smoothly. There really wasn't anything wrong, just frozen up and sluggish by dried up oil and grime. I have made it a habit to oil every where every day, even twice a day for a week at least. I run the machine for a couple of minutes now and then too, test sew and try it out. At the end of the week I have often wiped up a second round of brown oil with grime and what not, it has sort seeped out of the inners of joints, hinges and gears. After this first period of tentative oiling and cleaning, the oil tends to remain clear and clean, and I have taken it as a sign the inner most nooks and crannies of the machine are too. You notice as the machine will run smoother and smoother.

After that I get more relaxed about it. I just live with the side effects of over oil in the beginning, for the 66 you have to be carefull and mop up excess oil behind the faceplate and down the needle bar and presser foot bar if you plan to sew anything. I fuzz a bit with oil and have turned to Triflow. Some treadle mechanisms have oil points especially made for oil, some are made to be greased. I have never had a threadle my self, just test driven a few I don't know much about what's under the table, mostly the upper part. Model 66 is made to run on oil, so no worry about grease. Cleaning and oiling is a never ending project, it's shocking how fluff and lint can gather under the needle plate!

Mickey2 - May I suggest trying the solution that they used in the Victorian era for these machines that have become "sluggish by dried up oil.

Many of the early machines came with two "oil" cans. one is for oil the other for kerosene. If a machine is stuck or sluggish, perform your typical oiling process but use kerosene. it will break down the old dried oil. then do the process two more times, both with oil. the first oiling flushes out the kerosene, the second oils the machine.

I have used this process on over a dozen machines and it so far has worked every time.

Thanks SteveH, I shall remember you advice. I've never used kerosene. I have some times used thin spray can oil, it dissolves muck and dired up oil well and penetrate super fast. Regular oil seems to do the trick too, but it takes a bit more effort and patience. That said, I have never had the very dirty grimy machines some have. They have been dry and needed a good cleaning, but seemed to have been cared for up until they went into storage in the back of a cupboard.

Thanks for your advice. I sewed on it yesterday and it ran so smoothly. Did wipe up some gunk with oil residue so will oil again. I guess I can't see how it can run any better but know that it sat several years and probably has muck that I can't see. You guys/gals are so wonderful. I almost didn't take it because I didn't think it would ever work.

It sounds as your machine runs all fine by now, but as mentioned it can take a few rounds before all the gunk and grime comes out of the inners of joints, gears, and hinges. When everything is flushed out it will run another notch smoother. With a bit more oil and sewing the next few days I'm sure you will wipe off clean oil by the end of the week :- ) You mostly notice if the machine stand for a while, this gunk is what makes an oiled machine sluggish and sticky again if left alone for a few days.

Does your machine have the red oil felt near the bobbin race? On my model 99 which is about the same, the felt bit is missing. It should be held in place by a tiny spring. I need to find a way to fit a new one.

I know it's not my machine, but please take that clamp off the arm. It makes the beautiful machine look as though she is being choked!!! I have no idea why someone would put a clamp there.

I'm so happy you are keeping, using, and loving this Red Eye; it is so beautiful.

I also think you are NOT supposed to get the Kerosene on the outside of the machine. So be careful also.LOL

The clamp will probably damage the decals. I've seen a lot of older machines with a piece of fabric around the neck there, used as a pin cushion. That might be the explanation. It's was and still is a bad idea for those of us who want to keep the paint and decals in good shape. Pins scratch, and so does the clamp, especialy with no fabric between.

No, it's okay. Some people actually use a kerosene dunk to clean totally frozen machines. It's alcohol you don't want to drip on a Japanned machine.

Cari

The clamp may have held a makeshift pin cushion but I've also seen after market lights held on by clamps like this.

I did take the clamp off and it did leave a few small scratches on the neck. I had no idea what it was there for. I have been using it and it sews like a cadillac. Love it!

i did take the clamp off. I had no idea what it was on there for. Thought maybe it served some purpose and needed to be there but a friend told me it was not necessary and was covering the red eye. I took it off and it did leave a few small scratches.

I just read your question, have been out of town, but I will look tomorrow and see if I can figure out what you are talking about. This machine is so new to me that I hardly can take it all in. Wish I was more of an expert with the cleaning and keeping the decals as pristine as they are. Guess I will just use it and pass it on to my neice when I am done with it. She is the only one who sews from my brothers family so she will inherit it when I am done with it since it is her dad who gave it to me.

It's small thing really, I just go on and on about it. By just using the machine and care for it, it all will gradually come to you. It's an easy well behaved machine. The only thing that took me a while to pick up on was the insertion of the bobbin, it has to be done the correct way from which it is wound, or the tread will jump out of the tension spring. I was used to vertical bobbin cases, not the drop in kind.

Rodney and anyone else who gave me such good advice on the Singer model 66-1. I have now got it cleaned up and running perfectly. Made a small baby quilt and a table topper for my sister-in-law who initially owned the machine. They want me to have it and down the road when I am done with it pass it on to their daughter who is beginning to do some quilting. Win/win all around. I just wanted to thank everyone who was so kind as to help me with this. Grammasharon

This machine is in near perfect cosmetic condition. Don't throw it away and that would be Goodwill or a thrift store. Put it on Ebay or another trading site. I wish I could come get it, but it is too far. I already have one, but it is way too nice to go there. Can't someone on QB or VSS take it?