Singer 101 With An Odd Attachment
 

I recently got an aluminum 101, with a serial # from 1924. It was in a bentwood case (clearly not the original) which had some rough holes drilled here and there to reorient the wiring for a Bakelite foot controller. The motor does run, but the sewing mechanism barely moves, so I have some work ahead of me.

As I'm beginning my inspection of the machine I'm baffled by an...an...an I-don't-know-what-it-is just above the medallion. It's right where every photo of a 101 I've found online has a large screw (right next to the screw to remove the motor).

It kind of looks like maybe a lubrication port, but I've never seen one on the side of a machine. I probed the hole with a jeweler's screwdriver, and it hit something soft, like maybe a wick? When I pulled the screwdriver out, it had just a little bit of black oil on it. So, maybe it is for lubrication. However, looking an Instruction Manual I just got today for 101-3/101-11, it doesn't say anything about adding oil there. And, the illustrations are too small for me to differentiate whether it is showing this round thing with a hole in it or a large screw.

Any idea what this is? [ATTACH=CONFIG]620803[/ATTACH]

I'm thinking that it was probably normal for the early 101s to have the hole, rather than a screw. My guess is from 1920-1924ish.

I believe that possibly it is for the gears from the hand wheel to the back of the motor.

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