rchappell

This is my first post and I hope someone can help me. I have a Singer Improved Family and want to restore it, however, it is missing the bobbin winder. Can anyone guide me as to where I might find one or does anyone know if there are other model machines whose bobbin winders are compatible with my machine? Any help/information would be greatly appreciated.

Mickey2

This is from a 15-26 and looks close enough to fit an improved family, but its' a wild guess and you have to take measure. Sooner or later a parted up machine will turn up on ebay or some where else. You probably should only have one spool pin, maybe two on some versions, there rest of them are oil points. One of them should be on the bed for the bobbin winder. Here's a large picture of an improved family, the bobbin winder shows the fitting screw and shape. Improved Family went through some changes too, so there's a lot of details to get right.

OurWorkbench

Welcome.

From a discussion I had on Saturday, the Improved Family bobbin has a smaller diameter hole to go onto the post of the bobbin winder. Consequently, the bobbin will not wind on a 'normal' 15 class bobbin winder. Perhaps a metal spindle could be milled to fit the smaller diameter hole???


Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

leonf

Welcome aboard. I think some Igor helper has placed spool pins in your oil holes. I sometimes use the cheap plastic sidewinders to wind bobbins. It's spindle is plastic and could maybe be modified more easily..unless you are going for authenticity.

OurWorkbench

Now that you mention it. I'm thinking the cheapo sidewinder has a spring on the spindle. I don't have a IF so I'm unsure of the diameter. I'll try to remember to check that out. I know I wound a Junker & Ruh (similar to the W&W donut bobbin) bobbin on the sidewinder without any problems.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

OurWorkbench

Even as good as I am at researching, I cannot find the inside diameter of the hole for the Improved Family bobbin. I did find the bobbin number for the bobbin is 2073 and will also work with Singer models 17, 17U, 18, 18U, 18-22, 18-35, 18-36, 18U222, 68 Class machines. I did take my calipers to my Sidewinder and found the diameter of the bobbin spindle to be .205 inch. That does not include the spring. There is a wire spring that will hold a regular size 15 bobbin which has a hole that is .245 inch in diameter. Please note the decimal point.


Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

rchappell

Mickey2, Thank you for replying. I was able to remove one of the spool pins but someone pounded the other one into what I think is an oil hole and so far I have been unable to remove it. I have found various photos of the Improved Family, some that look like mine with the bobbin tension spool on the base of the machine, others without so I am confused as to which one I have exactly.

rchappell

Yes, I think some Brute decided to pound that spool pin in there before I acquired the machine. So far I have gotten only one of them out, the other one is going to take another Igor helper to get the other one out!

rchappell

There was a bobbin in the machine. The inside diameter looks to be about 6mm.

Macybaby

this is the only picture I could find that I already have showing both bobbins - older on the left, newer on the right



If I get a chance to run out to the machine shed, I'll get better pictures.