Wow I just cant believe my luck today. Went to a thrift store and walked out with a $5.00 yes five dollar, sewing machine in its cabinet. The cabinet is a little rough but fixable. Plenty of presser feet, bobbins and needles. Pics later.

Fantastic bargain. I wish I could find a treadle.

WOW!! :shock: That IS a GREAT find :D:D:D

Wow! Congratulations on your great score.

well I got to go threw the drawers a little bit more and was wondering what blackside attachments would be doing with a 1938 machine. Well I am going to attempt to add my pics so lets see what happens.

I had this exact same machine and treadle base. I still have the treadle, but I gave the machine to my grandson because it had the RAF decal on the bed of the machine.

This looks like it's going to clean up beautifully. :)

I was sure that this machine was a 15-30. Have you looked at the manual carefully to compare it to your machine? Either I was given the wrong model # for mine, or a former owner of yours bought the attachments and manual for the 15-96/98 because they were close enough to work. (The 15 has been in production for over a hundred years, in various iterations! Pretty cool, hm?)

I just ordered some Dr Woodwell's elixir to use on some of my cabinets that have this kind of damage to the finish. I hope it works as well as they claim. I just finished cleaning and waxing a 1950 15-91 that looked even worse than this when I started, but now gleams like a gem! I used Goop waterless hand cleaner (without pumice) to get the grime off, then waxed it with TR3 Resin Magic.

I would saturate those bandaids with sewing machine oil and let them sit until the adhesive dissolves. You might be able to get them off without pulling up the decals.

The decals look really, really good on this machine - you're going to be absolutely enchanted with how pretty it is when it's clean and shiny! :) Lucky you!

Well on the singer look up site it said it was a 15-96 the 97 and 98 were motorized. I dont know any ifo would be helpful. I love the bird on the bed of this machine. In the 15-96 book it does not show any graphics on the bed.

I found a copy of the 15-96/98 manual on the Smithsonian site and it's clearly the same machine as ours - same stitch length selector and same decals on the arm of the machine. Learn something new every day - and all this time, I thought it was a 15-30!

It's curious, though, that Singer would have made the 15-96/98, then later, they went backwards in numbers while adding features to the machine. (15-88/89/90/91) Not as nonsensical as Kenmore numbering, just a little quirky. :)

Have you oiled it up and sewed with it yet? Sometimes, it takes very little to get these old gals sewing again. And they sound so happy when you put them back to work! :mrgreen: You have a real treasure, there!

It looks like mine. Love it.

Wow! great find.I finally got me a treadle, but paid alot more for it.I learned to sew on a treadle!

No I have not sewed with her as of yet. I have a 15-91 and a 401A that is up and running. I think I am gonna try Lost51's tutorial for cleaning her first as all seems to move as it should just a little tight. Seeing that this girl was born in 38 and me in 64 she's got some age on her and I know how my joints feel. LOL

The first thing I did was go to the Singer site to look up the serial number and all it said was that 50,000 of model 15 were born on April 13 1938. It did not state models 91, 30, 96,97,98 or anything else just model 15.

So does anyone know what the graphics are called??

I am a little less knowledgable about this machine what does RAF decal mean. Thanks

Lucky Lucky

Well, I was told that the bed of the machine has the RAF decal (Royal Air Force - British)

But, I was told it was a 15-30, too! :mrgreen:

Ok got her cleaned up and put back together. One problem can someone tell me where the extra screw goes. I have gone back over her a dozen times and can not find where a screw is missing and I knew this was gonna happen,

Congrats! You have your work cut out for you. Don't forget to post the before and after pics.

That RAF model is special... Not super duper rare, but like the Centennials... it's a gem. WOW... Great find!

I really like the RAF decals and your machine is so nice looking!! The decals got its name because it look so much like the Royal Air Force insignia. And the gentleman that designed the decals lived in Britain at the time.

Billy

Thanks Billy, can you tell me where the extra screw might go? I know I took pics, but the camera died before I could get them on the computer. So I know I didnt clean as good as I should have but didnt want to forget where everything went. Everything went back together and I have 1 screw left. Where might it go?

Now waiting on belt and rubber bobbin tire and then should be able to sew. Penetrating oil and a toothbrush cleaned the old oil off nicely. Maas on the chrome and its shinin. No gojo and no wax as of yet.

Ok got some cleanin done this morning and some wax. WoW what a diffence.

Whoo-Hoo!

Here is something really neat, you want to see what the decals looked like when they were on the sheet before they were put on the machine?

Billy

Oooooh, that's very cool! Wish we could still buy these decals.

hossrider, can you post a picture of your extra screw with something in it for reference? (like a needle plate screw or some other known screw)

Yes. Please post a picture of the screw. Somebody will now where it goes once we see it. The machine is gorgeous. I can't believe you only paid 5.00! I want to go thrift shopping with you!

NICE Find! I love the RAF decals.

The original RAF decals were designed in 1931 by William Hopper of Scotland, who worked at the Singer Kilbowie factory. Collectors started calling this decal design RAF because of the similarity of the bed decal to the RAF badge of that era.

Thanks Billy love the graphics wonder if I can quilt that. I will see if I can get a pic of the screw. Duh I guess that would help figure out where it might go. Thanks all. :thumbup:

ok here goes again tryin for the extra screw.

Sounds like you are the newest member to join the Vintage Sewing machine shop. Scroll to the bottom of the home page and then click on the Vintage site. Then choose the "Vintage sewing machine shop, come on in and sit a spell. Check out all the photos and the conversation, post some of your pics and there will be lots of help and advice coming!
And besides, we're friendly :)

That looks like the clutch screw from on the hand wheel.

Mitch's mom would that be the one that holds

OK. What about at the base of the face plate?

I don't see any openings at the base of the face plate.

All of my 15's have that screw at the top of the faceplate and the thumb screw on the inspection plate at the rear of the machine.

Do you have a presser foot on?

If you don't have the thumb screw on the presser foot at the moment, this little screw probably goes on the face plate and the thumbscrew that's on there now goes on the presser foot.

I'm out of ideas after that - and I just finished re-assembling a 15, today. Shows you how short my memory is! ;)

That is the faceplate screw that is loose. I have never seen a 15 with a thumb screw on the faceplate.

Also if it was the stop motion knob screw it would have a shank on it.

Billy

Congrats!

I am working on reproducing them as we speak...... ;-)

Billy