Billy, we all should have learned in school all about 'Plagiarism."

Nancy

Ok, I will get off my soap opera on the 9W! Love that machine! I need to get my granddaughter's halloween costumes done before halloween!

Nancy

Thanks Nancy! Do you know of a resource for needles for the 9W? I hate to use the only one I have esp. since it is a Singer 127x1.
I keep eyeing my machine trying to figure out where to start cleaning.
Beth

Beth, go to e-bay and do a search for 127X1 needles and you will see a guy that is selling Schmetz new needles 10 for $8 that he says works on the 9W. I have not tried them.

Also, if you do a search on e-bay for "needles 9W" you will find vintage/original 127x1 needles for the 9w, 3 for about $10. I almost bought some a while back that were 10 needles for $50, but you can get them cheaper than that if you watch e-bay.

Billy and Charlee are also working on an industrial needle that will work on the 9W.

Nancy

August 1955, I believe. I have just found a site that says they have needle plate screws - I hope they will send overseas. Now I need to find out why my machine decided to try and sew by itself when I went to answer the door a little while back! Of course, I had neglected to pull out the plug, but then I have never had a machine decide to sew on its own, without my foot on the pedal. I suppose there is a wiring problem. That will be the next thing to investigate.

Lacelady, there has been some discussion of the 'sewing on its own' problem lately on the featherweight site. I believe it was a wiring problem in the pedal.

On another note, it is so interesting, following this thread. I am learning a lot about the old machines. Thanks, everyone, for sharing your knowledge.

I've been following that too - the most recent one was on a White FW pedal, which is different (I have one of each - I know, lucky me). I need to replace the little rubber feet on the bottom of the pedal, so I'll wait until I get those, and then try and adjust the pedal at the same time as fitting the feet.

Here is an interesting tidbit for you vintage sewing machine people. Taken from the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Society, the "first Singer machine was $125," which was a year's salary for some people. They were "expensive to repair, not very reliable and not available in large quantities." "Each one was fitted up by hand and the parts were not interchangeable." It was during, because of, the Civil War that the interchangeable manufacture really began with the arms industry, thus new production facilities became available and "in the 1870's, the average production cost of a machine dropped to $12, though it still sold for $60." Again, so we will not be accused of plagiarism, this is information from ISMACS International!

So you guys that are lucky enough to own a pre-1900 machine may have a machine that was hand fitted because those machines were fitted "at the bench," which means fitted by filing to jigs and templates by hand and parts were not interchangeable.


I am on a quest now in our estate and yard sale hunts to find one of these vintage pre 1900 machines.

Nancy

Oh another interesting fact taken from ISMACS International, "In 1857 Edward Clark (Singer's partner) came up with another good idea for increasing sales. He announced a 'liberal plan of exchanging Singer's new and latest improved sewing machines for old or unimproved sewing machines of every kind.'

Meaning he started an exchange program to get people to buy Singer. They would bring in their old machines for part of the cost of a new Singer. When the old machines were traded in to Singer they were "immediately broken up and destroyed." So "from the collector's point of view the offer led to the destruction of most of the early competition and robbed us of many desirable, but now unrepresented, machines."

Wow, this makes it even more fun to find one of those 1800's machines!

Nancy

http://sacramento.craigslist.org/atq/1980671028.html

Here is a Wheeler & Wilson sewing machine. Since, Wheeler and Wilson sold to Singer in 1905, this machine has to be older than 1905?

Does anyone on this forum have an actual Wheeler & Wilson as opposed to a Singer 9W Wheeler and Wilson?

Nancy

Well Lisa and I have one together ;)

And there are several W&W #8's on this thread some even in their Parlor Cabinet. I see the early W&W's all the time so they are out there. What I am looking for are a few of the Antebellum machines to add to the collection.

Billy