I honored sewing machine day by making our older daughter an antebellum costume for dinner theater. Looks bo-peepish to me, but she picked pink eyelet, with a white underskirt showing. Whatever!!

Jelly roll racer, I would not think it was cheating to make a practice one, even undersized to see what you may need to do different. After yall talked about it before, I put the Pfaff 230 up against my 301, and Pfaff was the winner. Just timed myself on both on lap quilt stuff. I know you are doing it for fun, but one thing I learned coaching kids in softball is that you don't have to teach them that losing sucks. Maybe it is a mental thing, but I usually go prepared. Good luck.

Hello, Bezzer here just joined. I do love vintage machines and working on them. I have roughly 20 in the basement that i am going to restore. I sell machines here and there and just picked up my first service job. singer 500a. I have a service manual and just going checking things out and light cleaning. I saw somewheres that you should not run machine without 0 cam. Havent ran it yet but it does not have any cams with it. Customer wants me to get some for it. I am watching an accessory kit on ebay but other than that not sure where to get. Look forward to communicating with fellow enthusiast and sharing my victories and mistakes both for learning purposes for all. Not sure how to post things yet just responding to your post at this time.

Welcome, Bezzer..... There are lots of vintage machine restorers here. Many of us watch this thread for help with our machines and they are always so helpful and willing to give ideas and suggestions. Sew glad to have you join in.

Welcome Bezzer,

I do not "restore" sewing machines, more like I refurbish them. I like to tinker with them and try and figure out what makes them tick.

My favorite ancient machine right now is a Minnesota Mdl ~B~ I got from a forum member. Kinda ugly/cute, sews slow with it's add on friction drive motor and that great giant hand wheel. My wife says it sews way to slow for her.



Joe

Too funny!! Thanks for the explanation, tho....I really thought I had lost it!!

Hey Skip! Question for you.

When you apply wax with steel wool in order to get the satin finish, don't you end up with "steel wool lint" in the finish? I'm not ready to wax yet, but trying to think through the options! :)

I have the basically same machine. Only mine is badged Queen of the West B....& it's a little older because my spool pin is in the center of the top. A little fancier...it has little gold flowers & curlicues on the bed & above the tension. The manual says Reversew. It was made by National in Belvedere, IL. From what I understand, the Eldredge Sewing Machine Co became the National Sewing Machine Co after a merger. They made tons of this model badged differently for various outlets & with different embellishments, but they were all called Reversews. The Eldredge, Queen of the West, Seamstress, etc.

I'm refinishing the cabinet from mine now. Mine was my grandmother's & was made in the mid 30's. It's such an adorable little machine!

Billy - I have an old Pfaff machine and am trying to date it. I went to the Pfaff website but, strangely enough, found only Singer serial numbers and dates of manufacture. My Pfaff was made in Kaiserslautern, Germany with serial number 1330169 and there is a big gold colored "11" on the other side of the machine. I just joined this group and am still learning to navigate the forum.
Many thanks for your help. Sid

Sid, I am not Billy - he doesn't visit here much anymore - but, your machine is a 1914 machine! According to the Pfaff dating site, 1,294,246 thru 1,352,714 with 58,464 allotted were manufactured in 1914. Can you please post a photo of your machine!

Nancy

here is a green brother that looks very similar to melinda's pretty yellow machine.
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/hsh/3060550805.html

wow one couln't ask for a cheaper sewing machine in cabinet. i'm thinking the seller just wants it gone.
http://stlouis.craigslist.org/atq/3069521138.html