Vintage Sewing Machine Shop.....Come on in and sit a spell

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09-29-2010, 01:46 PM

#5651

Lacelady

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Location: Ireland

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Quote:

Originally Posted by purplefiend

Lesley,
Is your 222 is good shape and survived its ordeal?

Here she is (no name yet) - I was so worried when I carried it in, as I could here it rattling in the box. The carry case was packed in just two layers of carboard (one box inside another, no packing in between). There were a few squares of bubble wrap inside the box, one of which was wrapped around the foot pedal, and that was it. I have had a message now from the seller, and he says he will get me a bobbin case and forward it as soon as he can. I suspect it will be a replacement one, rather than an original, but if it works, then that will do for now. After all, I got this baby for not much more than $350.

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09-29-2010, 01:58 PM

#5652

Miz Johnny

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Join Date: May 2010

Location: Lexington, KY

Posts: 1,222

Quote:

Originally Posted by BoJangles

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lostn51

That is my 9W.

Billy

Wow, we have a start! Billy knows his 9W is a 1910 model. His serial number of 3138585, (actually I think it is 3138385 according to Needlebar) Beth's machine #3149690, and my machine #3171412 have only a 22,827 difference. Normally, I think that small of a spread would mean all 3 machines were made about 1910 based on Billy's 1910 9W.

It intrigues me that Singer did not do the serial numbers the same on the 9W's as the other machines they made? I did some research and found Billy's 9W on Needlebar. Needlebar also explains that when Singer took over the Wheeler & Wilson Bridgeport factory they used the Wheeler & Wilson parts to make a batch of machines. Those machines had a '"W" (like Billy said) in front of the number. I guess after that Singer just made their own version, which they called the Singer 9W, using the exact same specs as the Wheeler & Wilson machines. Why Singer did not list those serial numbers, nor even use the serial numbers like the rest of the Singer machines with a letter in front -- I don't understand. I searched far and wide and can't find anything to explain what the reasoning was to made a Singer 9W and not log the serial numbers like all the rest of their machines? From what I can gather Singer only made these Singer 9W's until about 1913 or 14 when they started mass producing the 66's.

Billy, Miz Johnny, Charlee, can you explain the lack of documentation on the 9W's? They seem to be the orphan child of Singer.

Nancy

There are gaps here and there throughout the dating, not just the 9W. Records get lost for lots of reasons.

09-29-2010, 03:25 PM

#5653

Lostn51

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Location: Bikini Bottom

Posts: 5,652

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miz Johnny

There are gaps here and there throughout the dating, not just the 9W. Records get lost for lots of reasons.

Chrys Gunther has quite a few of the records that were lost by Singer at her home. She is without the doubt the most knowledgeable person on the planet about the Singer Corporation. They call her a lot of the time asking questions about their own company. And she was instrumental in writing the Needle book that the Needlebar put out.

Billy

09-29-2010, 06:22 PM

#5654

purplefiend

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Location: Round Rock,Texas

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lacelady,
I'm so glad she got there all in one piece. I see you're on Featherweight yahoo group too.
Sharon W. in Texas

09-30-2010, 03:01 AM

#5655

Lacelady

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Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: Ireland

Posts: 12,281

Quote:

Originally Posted by purplefiend

lacelady,
I'm so glad she got there all in one piece. I see you're on Featherweight yahoo group too.
Sharon W. in Texas

I've only been on that a little while, and still manage to mess up with posts sometimes - they don't seem to have an edit facility as this board does - at least, I haven't found one.

My seller has come back and said he will organise a bobbin case for me, and in the meantime, I have borrowed the one I have in my white FW. The B case carrier wasn't positioned correctly, so I managed to get that in the right place, with the 'finger' pointing up, and I tried a few experimental stitches just by turning the wheel by hand, but it only made a stitch about every quarter of an inch. I am guessing at a timing issue, and I don't know if I am brave enough to try and put that right, plus the diagrams I have are for a 221, not a 222.

In the course of putting the finger in the right place, I had to take off the needleplate, and discovered that one of the screws is missing. Mine has three, two smaller, near the needle, and a larger one near the pillar. Its one of the smaller ones I am missing. Does anyone have a spare I can buy? I'll also ask on the yahoo group, there must be one kicking around somewhere.

09-30-2010, 05:06 AM

#5656

Lacelady

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Join Date: Apr 2009

Location: Ireland

Posts: 12,281

Update on my 222 - I have oiled, fiddled, replaced the needle, and it stitches! I am so relieved that I don't have to try and adjust the timing, cos I couldn't get out a crucial screw. Now I don't feel as if I bought a pup any more.

I would still like to get a new screw for my needleplate sometime - I'd be happy to buy or swap for fabric or something if anyone has one. Thanks for putting up with my rambling.

09-30-2010, 05:29 AM

#5657

BoJangles

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Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Rescue, California

Posts: 4,585

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlwaysJustBeth

Getting bummed now, lol!! My machine might not be an antique anymore if it newer than 1910!! But really tho, in the last few days I have found out more about it than I ever thought I would from this shop. My new belt arrived today but have class tonight so I didn't start playing. Tomorrow!!
Beth

Billy, Miz Johnny, Charlee, can you explain the lack of documentation on the 9W's? They seem to be the orphan child of Singer.

This board confuses me. My last post ended up in the middle of the last quote section. I'll figure this out!
Beth

Beth when you do a "quote reply" if you "preview" your answer before you send it, you won't end up in the middle of a quote. I did the same thing until I finally figured out how to preview the message first. Remember, when you do a preview the part in quotes can't have a "quote" notation in the middle of the message or it won't appear as a quote; and everytime you change something you will have to do another "preview" for the message to appear changed.

Nancy

09-30-2010, 06:03 AM

#5658

BoJangles

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Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Rescue, California

Posts: 4,585

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miz Johnny

There are gaps here and there throughout the dating, not just the 9W. Records get lost for lots of reasons.

Yes, Miz Johnny I realize there are gaps, but no where on the Singer site do they even mention the Singer 9W, Wheeler & Wilson type machines? I could not even find it when I looked up how to determine the model of a machine. At least not that I could find. Doing some more research I have discovered that Singer actually used the Wheeler & Wilson serial numbers even when they started actually making the Singer 9W, which is a Wheeler & Wilson, but with the name of Singer on the machine.

Anyway, history intrigues me. I sent a message to Singer asking why there is no mention of the 9W. If you look at history, until Nathaniel Wheeler died around the end of the century and his widow sold the Wheeler & Wilson plant to Singer in 1905, Wheeler & Wilson was the largest manufacturer of sewing machines in the mid to late 1800's.

All the information if so fun to find for me -- love my treadles and love history!

Nancy

09-30-2010, 06:05 AM

#5659

BoJangles

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Join Date: Apr 2010

Location: Rescue, California

Posts: 4,585

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lacelady

I would still like to get a new screw for my needleplate sometime - I'd be happy to buy or swap for fabric or something if anyone has one. Thanks for putting up with my rambling.

Very nice featherweight Lacelady. What year is your machine, or did I miss that post?

Nancy