Was just given this machine by a friend who found it in a house he bought. From says HomeMark 775490 JA26; bottom says Brother M6826. Came with a box of cams (one missing), a manual that never mentions a model, and assorted sewing "stuff" I haven't messed with. Can't find much info so anything appreciated. [ATTACH=CONFIG]498040[/ATTACH]

It was built by Brother in the late '60s, not much more to tell.

Cari

Wow! Miriam thanks for sharing, I love the first one - may have to take up collecting vintage machines myself!

When your going thru hell - keep going Winston Churchill

You won't find a manual for a specific machine most likely so you are right the manual is even generic. Brother badged a lot of machines. Some times you will see markings on the bottom. I have an Electro Grand with 'Brother' cast in raised letters on the hand wheel it's inside where you can't see it. Usually there is some indication of the maker on the bottom of the machine. I saw a new one the other day it said Dragon.

The two buttons on the front are there to hold the zig zag lever in place if you want uniform stitches or if you want you can move the zz lever back and forth and modulate the stitches but you have to have perfect timing for it to look like much. The big button is reverse - outside it is a stitch length dial. Often I see the reverse button frozen up. It isn't the button frozen it is the works behind it inside the machine.

Thanks for the quick responses, Cari-in-Oly and miriam. I only just got it yesterday afternoon. After oiling it up, it does appear to be functional, but I'm going to have to work on some tension settings before I try anything significant (or play with the fancy stitches). It's in pretty good shape for having been abandoned in a house that I've been told was in really bad shape. The "Brother" label is on the workings underneath, not actually on the body of the machine (all the other stamps are in the metal, and the JA26 is hard to read; someone has marked over it--may be a 28).

I've seen a couple references to a list in the Yahoo group for dating Japanese badged machines; how do I find it?

I think I may be getting addicted to old machines myself...I have a Singer Featherweight that was a gift and a Singer (model 99, I think) from the 40's (I have the info. at home).

That's a rebadged Brother Charger, perhaps a Charger 651. 1960s machine.

It sure looks like one; only the stitch selection area looks different. Thanks!

It sure looks like one; only the stitch selection area looks different. Thanks!

Also looks like the "Project" machines, it's real close to my Project 651.

Cari

No, not for dating them, there are no records for Japanese machines like there are for American machines and some others. The lists are for using the JA and JC numbers to possibly figure out the manufacturer. In your case it wasn't needed. No question who built it.

Cari

How do you navigate the yahoo site?

I've enjoyed looking through this thread. I'll add one of my Japanese ZigZaggers:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]498239[/ATTACH]
Coronado was a badge sold by the Gambles department store. Gambles was a mid-west (US.) department store which went out of business in the 60s or early 70s. The brass badge on the pedestal says 'Standard Sewing Equipment Corp' around the edge of the badge. Within the middle it says 'Model SAZ-2 Deluxe' followed by 'Automatic ZigZag Japan'.

It was a Craigslist find and it's a high shank. It came without a manual, cams or any attachments. I had to do some research to figure out how to use it and determine what cams would fit it. I love the teal color.

I found on Yahoo's Vintage Japanese Sewing Machine group a photo of the same machine with a Universal badge. The owner had included a photo of the cam compartment with a cam inside. The cam had the stitch pattern embossed on it along with the number 15. I searched Ebay until I found a box of cams with a #15 cam that had the same design. I purchased it hoping it would fit my Coronado and it did.

I posted some photos of the Coronado in the photo album of the same Yahoo Group and low and behold someone recognized the cam compartment and told me the machine was the same as a White 231 and the manual to the White was on a Singer website. She was correct! I was able to download the White manual - it is a match to my Coronado machine.

I'm not sure if the White company made the Coronado and Universal machines in Japan or if another Japanese company made a machine that was badged White, Universal and Coronado (and perhaps additional badges).

do you mean Gimbel's?

Nope, it was Gambles. Gimbles was another store.

SusanMarie, now here's where I'm gonna muck the history up a bit. Up to 1954 Coronado machines were built by National. After that they were Japanese built. Before I ever saw one like yours, I had assumed that Brother built all of them after 1954. Now I believe that the Brother built Coronados came sometime later in the 50s or possibly the early 60s because yours is definitely an earlier machine than the Brother built ones.

I've never been able to keep the White/Standard/National connections history straight in my head so I won't even try to explain why your Japanese built machine with the Standard badge has a White manual. Whew, now I have a headache.

Cari

Not sure what you're asking Miriam. Are you trying to find the Yahoo groups? I've been using Yahoo as my "home page" when the computer first turns on since I started using a computer in 99. On the left side of the homepage is a partial list of Yahoo sites. At the bottom of that is a link for more sites. Click that and you'll find the link for the Yahoo groups.

Cari

Interesting. I've never heard of Gambles. I've seen machines with the 'Gimbel's' badge and I've seen Coronado sewing machines but never freezers or other appliances.

you must be too sheltered

Slightly off topic, but partly on .... huh ?

I also have a Gambles Coronado Princess.
It's a light green clone, made by Brother.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]498290[/ATTACH]

On the badge on the upper left corner of the arm is a crown.
In the crown in very small letters is the name Gambles.
So although a straight stitch clone, the name does fit with the ongoing conversation.


Joe

Yes, it's enough to give anyone a headache. To muddy the waters further I read a theory somewhere that the company name on the distinctive oval brass badge (Standard Sewing Equipment Corp) was the name of a distributor, not the name of the company that actually manufactured the machine.

I was in the old part of Wabasha, Minnesota a couple of months ago and saw an old Gambles store front. The store was of course closed but the logo sign was still up on the store front. It took me back a few years.

It's been fun to see everyones' machine pictures!

OK, here are a few of mine...

The Belvedere is sewn off and ready to sell, but I don't have cams for it.

The Dressmaker needs work. I have the cams for it, but not the reverse button.

The New Home, I bought clean, but haven't had time to play with it yet.

The Riccar is just a fun package! The case has these spring-loaded bars on each side that you turn, then push in to release the cover. Then the one side comes off to reveal a storage space: one side for bobbins, the other for thread spools, with one small box for accessories and the other for the cams. The cam door is in the front, and flips up. Down side is that it has a broken driver gear. I have a replacement, just need to put it in.

your Belvedere looks like one I have and needs cams too I'm thinking mine says good housekeeper - I'm also thinking it had a broken plastic gear and it was replaced. It did not zig and zag right. Does that Riccar have a cleated internal belt?

The broken drive gear seems to be a common theme with Riccars. I have one with a broken hook drive gear. Different model than yours though.
Neat case on yours. Mine has an integrated case that folds down with built in storage on the ends. It looks like a suitcase when it's all folded together.
Rodney

Those are nice machines, Annette. I especially like the New Home and Dressmaker models. Someone likes green. :)

The design on the case and the hidden front cam door, kinda makes me think of spy stuff. LOL! I think the engineers on these cool cases were having fun.

Not sure on the cleated belt. I'll have to check when I get home from work. Those cleated belts give it a little more power -- I like that in a machine!

Green is good!

Bradford Deluxe (W.T. Grant) Model #950 - Manual Available Anywhere?
 

Hey all.... newbie here, and newbie sewer, sort of. My husband (the true sewer of the family) and I acquired this machine. I have gone through this 'thread' in hopes that someone might list a place to get a manual. I've scoured the internet to no avail. Is there anybody out there that could help us with this, please?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]508419[/ATTACH]

Thanks in advance for your help!!

Manuals for the exact machine can be hard to find. You might get lucky and someone here might have one. I'm not familiar with the Bradford brand. Anyone with enough money to buy the minimum order could have whatever name they wanted put on a machine. It's very possible you can find a manual for your machine under a different name too. It's very common for the same basic machine to be sold under several different brands.

SewUSA sells a lot of different manuals. If you email them a picture of your machine they may have a manual that will work but under a different name.
http://sewusa.com/Sewing_Machine_Ins...on_Manuals.htm
Rodney

are these needed in a digital file?

Hello I am a newbie to the boards and I have enjoyed going thru all these old photos I have one of my own I acquired recently. I am looking for more information on it if anyone has it. I am in the process of cleaning it up it came in a hard plastic case that was well gross. That cleaned up beautiful I have cleaned up the interior of the machine and working on the exterior it runs like a champ. It has a Aldens plate on it but no model number just a serial number on the base. I have tracked down that it is similar to the Dressmaker s2400 and the Morse 2400 would there be any other machines that this would have been named. I would love to find the cams to this as it sews beautiful.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]521700[/ATTACH]

somewhere on here is a cams info thread - I don't know where right now. It can be very frustrating tracking them down though. I've gotten some I thought were right but were missing a little lip or some that were right but were slightly too small or sold some then found a machine that needed them.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...d-t252968.html

Hope this helps.

Thank you I will give it a look I did not see that thread. I think I am starting a collection of sewing machines while picking back up an old hobby lol.

A companion for GiGi
 

I just helped my wife purchase a plain older version of his that does straight stitch only. After falling in love with the dressmaker line, I am in the process of rewiring the old motor and looking for a zig zag stitch companion like this machine or the atomic burst version to go with the one my wife affectionately call GiGi. Might this machine be available or might you have any leads?

There are some model of Dressmaker that are cheaply made.

Does anyone know the model number for this one? I own the same one
 

Does anyone know the model number for this one? I own the same one

Would you care to tell me the model number of the Dressmaker? I have a set of cams in a box that looks just like that. A photo of the cams would be terrific, too!

Thanks,
Crystal

Dressmaker Vintage Sewing Machine
 

I just got this sewing machine. my daughter just bought a house and the people she bought it from left this machine I wonder if anyone could tell me how old it is. I really don't know much about it. I think its a very pretty machine.

Vintage Dressmaker Sewing Machine
 

More pics of my Vintage Dressmaker Sewing Machine.

Vintage Dressmaker Sewing Machine
 

Here are more pics of the sewing machine