I am new to this community. I have been scouring the internet looking for answers and not finding what I need. Let me start with a brief history of my two machines. My Grandmother gave me her 1955 Singer 15-91 when I was about 9 or 10 years old. I used to sew barbie clothes on it and sadly that was the last it's been in action until recently. Now I'm 40 and working on getting this beautiful and sadly neglected machine up and running again. I've also acquired my Grandmother-In-Law's 1954 Kenmore 117.552. It has been in a nicotine tomb for 60 years. The cabinet is in the progress of being cleaned and I've just completed cleaning the sewing machine itself. Who knew the machine was a beautiful dark green-blue?!! SOOO here is my question...

Where can I find wick replacements for this machine? What kind of grease should I use? And how much grease should I use? I removed the grease caps to see what if anything might be lurking in there. I found original wicks and not a lick of grease. I am going to assume that the motor hasn't been greased since the factory.

I have replacement wicks for the Singer that I bought from Sew-Classic. I have not greased it yet either, not knowing what kind of grease and how much to apply.

If anyone has some insight for me, I'd be most appreciative!

Welcome Shannon!
Someone else will pop in shortly and answer your questions. Please realize most of us are enablers here when it comes to vintage machines. I do want to say that both of your machines are awesome ones.

Chris

you can use Vasoline for the grease - it is about the same - this has been discussed somewhere on QB previously.
What parts are you needing?
Rain Noe has a good description of how to for the motor on his blog: http://vssmb.blogspot.com/search/label/Rewire

Welcome to the board! Thanks for doing a lot of your homework in advance!!! (sorry, not much help, My entire collection has only one motor in it....)

Welcome Shannon! The melting temperature of the grease is important. It needs to be fairly low and most modern greases melt at a higher temperature than the old ones used in sewing machines. Vaseline melts at roughly the same temperature as the old greases that were used. Nova Montgomery sells a grease that is supposed to have the same properties as the old Singer motor lube.
http://www.novamontgomery.com/module...hSubmit=Search
I haven't used it so can't say for certain how good it is.
Rodney

Welcome Shannon! I'm sorry I don't know the answer to your questions. Most of my vintage machines are treadles.
Sharon in Texas

So I'm doing routine lint removal/oiling for my jean repairing/mending machine & thinking how absolutely wrong the sales lady from the beauty supply place was about the mascara brushes. She had said that curvy brushes don't work any better than straight mascara brushes and consequently I was wasting my money on buying the more expensive very curvy brushes. I politely said that I liked the curvy brushes better. I was right - those curvy brushes truly get into places that straight brushes can't reach in a sewing machine. Maybe if she had known my intent, she wouldn't have been so vociferous about me wasting my money. Oh well, cannot take the time to educate everyone. :D

I learned something new. Goop, the hand cleaner, can mold and become very liquidy. A long, long time ago, a member recommended using non-pumice Goop to clean up sewing machines because it left decals intact. That last part is NOT true. Anyhoo, had some Goop and a particularly ugly, tarnished faceplate to clean so pulled out the Goop and discovered it had grown mold (black), changed color and was almost a liquid in essence. It also smelled. Didn't use the Goop but did clean up the faceplate.

Appropriate discussion for this morning... At 6am Heather went to the kitchen to make our 1st cup of coffee and our older Husky Gwen (14) came in to say high, and then with no real warning hit the floor and went into convulsions. This is the second time. The last was a few months ago. So painful to see her lose control and get so confused and stressed. Luckily she does not get aggressive during this experience. So I just cuddled her with a blanket until it passed. (about 1 or 2 minutes).

She was able to stagger upright fairly quickly and within 10 minutes was walking around, slowly, but fairly stable.

I am at work now, but the family is at home keeping her company and making sure she is ok....

Long morning....... (thanks for the vent)

Has anyone on the board visited the web site April 1930's Featherweight specialty shoppe? They have fatherweights for sale and have some parts. Also gives hints on how to take care of the little ones. They have up for auction now what they call a crinkley, wrinkley finish featherweight.