Singer 66
09-09-2020, 11:04 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Wanamingo, MN
Posts: 476
Singer 66
Bought this Singer 66 in a plain cabinet yesterday from a dear old man whose wife had died. Serial number AL267100 indicates it is from 1952. Will be fun to clean it up and use.
09-11-2020, 06:05 AM
#5
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: South of St Louis
Posts: 822
I am currently under orders to reduce the number of machines in the house, and after I saw this post I was looking at all the machines covering almost every surface, including the 66s, and thought that I would keep only 2, both 66s and both with back tacking, leave one electric and turn the other into a hand crank, I really have liked the simplicity of them, and working on them, more than all the others.
10-13-2020, 06:55 AM
#9
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2020
Location: South of St Louis
Posts: 822
I'm guessing you want it to look something like the one in the picture. You will need two things: 1. a spoked hand wheel, 2. a hand crank. You will want to decide if you want to try to get original Singer parts or if after market parts are acceptable.
The one in the picture has an original Singer spoked hand wheel; I think there are a several different spoked hand wheels though, and I do not know which is which. This one also has an after market hand crank, as an original Singer hand crank would be expensive but not so easy to find, and there may be different Singer hand cranks as well.
The second picture is a Singer 15-90 made into a hand crank with both the aftermarket wheel and crank, from Central Michigan Sewing Supplies. You can probably find them other places as well. The parts fit right on, although I used a very fine grit sandpaper (220) on the inside of the wheel hub before sliding it on, to smooth it out; the first time I tried one of these aftermarket wheels I did not do that and it didn't turn so well. Sanding was followed by wiping it out with a cloth then oil.
I sold the pictured Red Eye yesterday to a nice young lady who sews ball gowns and period costumes and wanted to move away from plastic machines; she bought 5 other machines also and is not officially a vintage sewing machine collector.
The one in the picture has an original Singer spoked hand wheel; I think there are a several different spoked hand wheels though, and I do not know which is which. This one also has an after market hand crank, as an original Singer hand crank would be expensive but not so easy to find, and there may be different Singer hand cranks as well.
The second picture is a Singer 15-90 made into a hand crank with both the aftermarket wheel and crank, from Central Michigan Sewing Supplies. You can probably find them other places as well. The parts fit right on, although I used a very fine grit sandpaper (220) on the inside of the wheel hub before sliding it on, to smooth it out; the first time I tried one of these aftermarket wheels I did not do that and it didn't turn so well. Sanding was followed by wiping it out with a cloth then oil.
I sold the pictured Red Eye yesterday to a nice young lady who sews ball gowns and period costumes and wanted to move away from plastic machines; she bought 5 other machines also and is not officially a vintage sewing machine collector.
10-13-2020, 07:44 AM
#10
Super Member
Join Date: May 2016
Location: near Topeka kansas
Posts: 4,524
Welcome aboard flip flop gardening. When you take off the disc balance ( hand) wheel) you will find this lobed washer under the stop motion ( or clutch) knob. make sure you keep track of which way it goes one. the way the two center prongs hit the main shaft. If you get it upside down , it can drive you crazy. example below
https://www.quiltingboard.com/members/leonf-u169597-albums19738-576744.html
