I have a 1950s Singer 99K that was a mess when I got her. I bought her because of her attachments and thought I would use the rest of her for parts. My husband had other ideas. Her case was totally shot. He is a maintenance man by trade and a woodworker for fun. He rewired her one evening while I was at work. We bought a new throat plate for her. And, he made a new base for her.

http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/a...36IMAG0117.jpg

The dark line you see half way back on the new base surface is a piece of inlaid walnut to make a pin stripe. He also thought it needed drawers.

http://i962.photobucket.com/albums/a...36IMAG0120.jpg

I know it isn't practical for carrying around but it sure is pretty to see. He did make the base longer on the left because he likes how my FW and 301 have that work area and thought this one should, too.

Hope you enjoyed seeing her as much as I enjoy looking at her.

Mary

Mary, I love the base your DH made. It's great.

I too love the base. Is there an online source for bases? I so wish I could do woodworking!

I bought a hand crank Spartan from my friend this weekend. It has the black Bakelite base. I love it! I sat in my chair last night and did a paper pieced block. She made such pretty, even stitches. I also got the motor and power cord/foot pedal so if I ever want to convert her back I can.

Suze

My blackside 128 and my Leader made by National, plus a comparison picture. They both still need cleaning. The 128 has a bentwood case in pretty good shape. The cabinet on the Leader isn't bad - just some cosmetic stuff.

miriam, how small is the Aldens - is it the size of a 99?

Mary, I love that base!!

I won't post pics of mine, as all three have been represented already....a black Featherweight, a 1915 Singer 28K handcrank with Victorian decals, and a 1924 Singer 99.... :)

Mary, Your husband did an excellent job with that base. I love the drawer that he made for all your attachments and feet for that cute 99. Enjoy!

Irishrose, That Leader is gorgeous!!

The Aldens and the Singer 99 are the same size base - the Alden is a bit heftier looking to me. I should put them side to side and shoot them again.

MaryLane that base is to kill for.

Charlee you may not have put your pics up but you can tell us any stories you might have.

What size is the base on that Leader, IrishRose?

I have a Spartan also-no light on mine-but I love it anyway and use it all the time. I would like to get a featherweight one of these days.

The Leader's base is 6 1/4 by 15", but it only stands 8" tall where the 128 is 10". Such a cute little machine. I told her she had to be rehomed when I got my Redeye, but she's still here. I miss the New Home (Ruby Rustbucket) that I gave away. It treadled much easier than the Leader.

The leader must not be a 3/4 size machine. It is too long if it is 15"

Over on the shooting forums we occasionally discuss the ones we let get away. Weather we sold them or traded them or gave them away almost every body has regrets about those they no longer have.

So I've come to the conclusion that since I develop an attachment to the guns or machines I work on and use, I just keep 'em. We can always "make" room for one more.

Joe

Oh, I think the Leader is a 3/4 size machine. The company just made a longer footprint to give "Grandma" more work space. From the outer side of the pillar to the needle area is only 9 1/2". She's much smaller than the 128 as shown in the comparison picture.

Mary, the base your DH made for you is wonderful. And, I love those little drawers. Beautiful!

Thanks, everyone. The little drawer on the right is the correct size for holding bobbins and packages of needles. He really did a fantastic job. I told him about some of the compliments on here. He just grinned.

Being the frugal (tightwad) people we are, I had some scraps of fleece binding from another project. We glued that on the bottom along the front and back so that the drawers open freely and it doesn't scratch whatever surface it sits on.

one more picture, this is the "wrong" side of my latest 128 (my BIL took the picture as it is at his place right now )
hopefully this one will clean up nice for my 9 Y.O. Daughter.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]327101[/ATTACH]

I love my 3/4 machines also. Besides 2 Featherweights I have a green 185j and a Singer 128 - both have been pictured already and I also have my much loved little turquoise Nellie that was gifted to me on last New Years eve. I have already posted a pic of her but since she is different than what has been posted in this thread I will post that photo again....and she is one of the two in my avatar, her big sister in front went to my daughter this wknd.

Joann

Did you paint her or is she a no name? Looks like a 15 clone. Nice hefty machine.

The paint and decals on this machine are just about pristine due to a heavy layer of clear cote. Her colour leans toward green whereas the full sized machine leans toward blue and didn't have any decals. There was no plate on this one other than the paper Elna sticker on the front which indicates it was distributed by Elna Canada.

J

My "new" machine is quite similar to the one posted by JMCDA. I bought it a few weeks ago but just got her cleaned up and oiled yesterday. I tried her out today and it sews so-o-o quietly and smooth :) .

I'm pretty sure it is a 3/4 sized machine because it seems so little compared to my other bigger machines. The second picture more accurately shows it's pretty blue color.

Here's my 99K, from 1931. When I bought this machine, it originally had a 220 motor and no foot pedal. I think that's why the decals are in such wonderful condition, it sews wonderfully and didn't take much to get it sewing.
Sharon W.

Just some rambling thoughts from a rambling (with no place to go) mind.

The usage of "full size & 3/4 size" are twentieth century designations. They have been traditionally been used for Singer machines and “clones”. Prior to the first class 15 machine sizes were all over the place. There were miniatures with 3” x 2”(ish) footprint. The New Englands with a 7” X 3 ½”(ish) footprint . The Saxonias with a 10” x 5”(ish) footprint. I’m not home to accurately measure any of my machines, so I’m sort of using my memory to guess at these footprint sizes.


I have a National machine at home that has a 15” long bed, but the head is clearly trimmer than the Singer 99 (¾ size). So is it a full size as defined by length or is it a ¾ size as defined by the head size and looks?

I think that we should not get too caught up in trying to put our machines into a rigid category.

Personally I love any small machine, as I equate small with cute.

Just my thoughts,
Cathy

Cute nothing... my small machines will sew through fabric like nobody's business just like the big guys. I don't know about the Cinderella yet though. My GDs think cute = for them. I gave Miss G a Spartan and she is very happy sewing on it. The littler girls haven't seen Cinderella or I'm afraid they will be begging for that one. Cinderella needs Glenn's treatment method for sure. The finish is awful. We had good results on the Vindex Special. I'll post pictures when I get Cinderella fixed up. Back to cute. I think the kids do need something cute. BUT they need something that sews well. There is nothing worse than getting frustrated with a machine. Those old ladies sew just fine.

I like cute! I need cute to satisfy the little girl in me that learned to sew..when she was a little girl!

my 3/4 machines all have a 12" bed which was what I thought was fairly standard for the smaller machines..and of course the body of them is proportionally smaller than the full sized.

Joann

I think your Cinderella is adorable....it's on my wish list along with a Diana (my best friend since we were in 8th grade) and a Raymond (my youngest son). Who would think that there were so many vintage machines named after people.

I have to laugh at your granddaughters begging for the Cinderella. My youngest kids "call it" when I bring a 'new' machine home...."I call this one!!" :D When I bought my pink Atlas machine I thought I was going to have to sleep with one eye open....my 9 and 10 yr olds were arguing over who was going to get it when I died!!! :shock:

I'm fairly new to the vintage machine world, please let me know what a "Godzilla" machine is? Would that be the Singer blackside machines, the machine only a mother could love?

Christine-
I currently love a Singer 15-91 in a fabulous table, a Bernina 640, SWF-1501 compact and a Tin Lizzie 26" long arm.

You got it - kind of a crinkle finish - as in UGLY. Love those 15s. Don't know much about the rest.

Wow, it's lovely! Did you keep the electric motor? I see the sewing guide on her, you must use her often, huh? I use my 15-91 sometimes and it's such a great feeling using a machine that is 60 years old. My 15-91 is a centennial.

What was the reasoning behind the crinkle finish? I remember during WWII they used black instead of chrome on parts, etc because of the shortage to metal during the war. Was the crinkle finish made during the war?

Well, I just cleaned up a 99k and it appears to be working, but where do I find this "method" that people talk about for cleaning and restoring the black finish.

Never mind, I found the link on page two of this thread, Did it ever make it to a tutorial/sticky?

I think you just hurt my feelings ;-) Don't let my trio of lil monsters hear you call them Ugly.
and to the originator of this question, post #26 in this thread shows some 128's in Godzilla, or krinkle finish, and there are better pictures of them in my Album. I happen to find them "purposeful and understated" and you don't have to worry about restoring the decals or smoothing the finish on them.

Dan

here is a "hybrid" i made with "Khrome and Krinkle"
[ATTACH=CONFIG]327336[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]327405[/ATTACH]Wow, you guys I love all the 3/4 sized machines! Especially, the little 3/4 sized Japanese 15's!

Alright, I won't show all of mine since most have been shown here already, but I have a Spartan, Singer 99, several featherweights (which are really 1/2 sized) a 128 with Victorian Decals and two others (a little 99 made in Occupied Japan that I need to take a photo of) and my little New Home T No 3 - I think it is a 3/4 size! I will go measure it!

Nancy

What about the little Wilcox and Gibbs? They certainly aren't full sized![ATTACH=CONFIG]327403[/ATTACH]

Welcome Christine-! Hope you feel right at home here.
:)

Nancy, I love your little New Home T, number 3. Have you made anything with it? Your Wilcox and Gibbs is darling too!

Wheeler Wilson 9 Handcrank
 

Here is "Half Pint", my half size Wheeler Wilson 9 hand crank machine. It is made where it could be placed in a treadle and used as a treadle machine as well. The base is 10-1/2" x 6-1/2". The throat is 5" long and 5-3/4" tall. The overall size of her carrying case is 15" long x-1/2" wide x 12" tall. The machine and base weighs 20 lbs. She was made before 1905 when Singer bought out Wheeler Wilson.
One picture shows her sitting by a Featherweight that I am restoring.

Texas Jan

Is that Wheeler & Wilson a needle feed? Can't be - I see feed dogs. walking foot? It is an odd foot on there. I enlarged the pic by holding down the control key and hitting the plus key a couple times - I would love to play with that one. (You can shrink the screen back down by holding down control and hitting minus as many times as you hit plus)

That Wheeler and Wilson is adorable sitting next to the FW!!

I'm enjoying seeing the smaller machines, especially the 15 clones. I have only had a few 99s cross my path, one I gave to my sister. I have another in the process of being fixed up, cabinet and machine are in rough shape. I intend to make her into a hand crank, but it will be quite a while until she's presentable. The one that got away for me was a little 128 in a treadle. I should have listened and jumped on that one! (As if I don't have enough to keep me occupied). :)