An unexpected win, and another project
 

I just received a Singer 101 allotted in 1925 that’s in a bentwood case and uses the knee bar system from GW.




Strange thing about this machine is I bid on it and was outbid. Usually end of story. But some time later we went into the system to check on another auction and there was the billing notice for this machine. For far less than I had bid on it. So we emailed GW to make sure this was correct and it turns out at least two other bidders had backed out. OK, so we paid for it and it got here last Thursday .




The case bottom was falling apart in the pics and the slide plate was AWOL but those are not major problems. I hoped the knee bar would be in the case top, but it wasn’t . All the brackets for the oil bottle, accessories box and bar are still there, but nothing in them. I’m going to reglue the case bottom today, as I can’t really put it back in the box in pieces and I don’t have much time to work on it now.




Here’s a pic of the machine.



[ATTACH=CONFIG]519206[/ATTACH]




The knee bar is the early version and should have a round hole on the end with a pointy part that engages the clutch on the controller shaft.




It may have another problem but I'm not sure about it. When you turn the hand wheel forwards everything turns, except the armature. If you turn the hand wheel backwards then the armature turns. That may just be the way of it because when I turn the armature the hand wheel and everything else turns. Probably the way the clutch is set up.



So another project on the work bench that I really don't need right now. I'm burried in things to do.

Oh and if anyone has a lead to one of these knee bars and or a slide plate please PM me. So far my searchings, eBay and other places, has come up empty handed.

Joe

Neat machine Joe! I have a fondness for 101s. A 101 was my first ever vintage machine. It's my daughter's now.
I'm not familiar with that style case. Probably because I'm used to seeing cases for 99s and 128s, not full size machines.
I think that's the first portable 101 in it's case that I've seen.
Rodney

Rodney,

The case is pretty neat. The bottom is basically 4 solid pieces, the ends and sides, and a plywood bottom. Then the internal parts.
All of this held together with wooden pegs and glue. The plywood bottom piece is held in with tiny nails and glue.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]519208[/ATTACH]
Basically on this one the glue just gave it up. I've got it apart, got a piece of 3/16", I think, dowel for the new pegs and as soon as we get done with some errands, ( cats to the vet ) I'm gonna glue it back together.

The top isn't really anything out of the ordinary, except the key for the latch is about 4" long. Weird, never seen one like it before. No pic of that part yet.

I've got to find a service manual or an owners manual for the 101s though, I need to figure how to service the motor, gears and moving bits.

Joe

I don't know about the service manual but Singerco.com has a free owner's manual. It does show how to service the motor and gears.
Rodney

It's wonderful to have friends on the forum. Macybabys husband just emailed me a User Manual and a parts manual for the 101, just exactly what I needed.

There is a lot of things to be oiled and greased on that machine, let me tell you. This will be a great machine to test Nova Montgomery's Singer motor lube on.

Joe

Joe,
i have a 101 mounted in a cabinet that was a great mahine until it started sewing slower and slower until it stopped... I really only bought it ($27.00) so I can put my 301 in the cabinet. I am starting to downsize and you can have the head if you want it. However, it will probably be late summer before I can get it out of the cabinet, packed, etc. - dealing with some serious family issues right now. DH wants to just "put it on the curb" but I can't bring myself to do that!

I'm in the process of packing for moving myself. I have no idea where I will be in a month, let alone late summer. So lets put this machine thing on hold until then.

Now, after looking through that owners manual I'll wager if you serviced that machine with thorough cleaning, oiling and greasing ( LOTS of places to grease on 101), and clean and check the brushes it would sew just fine. Also make sure there's no thread jammed up in places it shouldn't be.

I also have a second 101 that's boxed up waiting for an electrical connector block. It's a cabinet machine and it should work good if I had the connector block. I already have an extra cabinet to put it in.

Joe

My daughter's machine is really slow too, even after a thorough cleaning and lubing everything. There are a lot of oil points and it's one of the most complex early Singers I've seen. I think that's why they weren't made for very long. They had to be an expensive machine to make.
I haven't tried to find why hers is so slow yet. I'm hoping it's something simple.
Rodney

Well, maybe it's meant to be slow. Kind of like a truck with a compound low first gear. It will pull tree stumps, but forget going fast.

I dont' really know. When I get this thing up and running, I'll learn something then.

Joe

great for you on winning the bid, great new machine