Singer FashionMate 252

    Last Saturday, a lady came by the shop with a machine she had tried to sell at her yard sale, then tried to give it away with no takers. She said it was "locked up", which usually means rusted.  Being a sucker for old sewing machines, I gave her $5 for it and took it home. It is a Singer 252, one of the FashionMate series. This one was made in Italy. I have had several FashionMates before but don't remember one with the top lid attaching screw hidden under the spool felt.

    The FashionMates were Singer's entry-level offering. It has only three stitches - straight stitch, zig zag, and blind stitch but that's one more stitch than I ever use and I like the left/center/right needle position, which not all machines have.

    I usually just part out FashionMates but I was in the mood to tinker with a machine and decided to see if I could make it sew well again. With nothing but oiling, it sews like a champ. The nicest stitch quality I have ever seen and not exceptionally noisy when sewing.  So far, I have only used it on quilters cotton, the real test will come when I try something heavier.

    The treasure was in the attachment tray, a straight stitch throat plate, a pack of Schmetz needles, a quantity of original metal Singer bobbins and a Singer seam ripper/needle threader like I have never seen before. The hook is broken off the needle threader but those old needle threaders came with a couple of spare hooks and I think I have a different model with some of those hooks somewhere. I don't know why this seam ripper got paired up with this sewing machine because the machine threads front-to-back. You would need to insert the needle threader hook from the rear and the presser foot is in the way.

Singer 221 Featherweight

Today, a lady dropped off a Singer Featherweight to be cleaned and oiled. At first glance, it looks pretty good - decals are fairly complete, only a few paint chips on the balance wheel, I think it would clean up nicely.

Then, I tipped it over and saw that the bobbin case is missing and the hook is quite rusty.  I tried to turn the motor shaft with my fingers and learned it is frozen.

I took it home and removed the bottom plate and saw that very part made of steel is coated with rust.

When I called the owner to inquire about the bobbin case and to give her the $481 estimate for repair, she told me that the machine had been in her barn for about six months.  I think she needs to recalibrate her calendar. -Ed

Recycled Denim Project on the Morse 4300

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have a fresh pair of jeans to cut up and a new sewing machine to sew on. I have been making these wrist purses to sell at the shop and they are going like hotcakes.

We only have one left in stock that I finished yesterday and orders for fourteen more! I can't make them fast enough.  Rather than wasting time making something for myself, I decided to see how a wrist purse would look in denim.

I was able to cut out all the pieces from one leg. I used the factory hem wherever possible to save time and preserve the authentic jeans look.

I am very pleased with the result, the completed purse holds its shape much better than those made from quilter's cotton.

How did the Morse 4300 perform? I'm not impressed. The presser foot lift was not sufficient to get the required 10 layers of denim beneath; the presser foot pressure constantly need adjusting to feed properly; it is smooth and quiet sewing thin fabrics but protests loudly when asked to sew thicker goods. I will not be keeping this one.

Morse 4300

  A lady came into the shop today with an old sewing machine. She had been trying to sell it, then trying to give it away but found no takers.  It was so dirty on the outside of the case that Kathie told her we didn't want it either, but the lady wouldn't take no for an answer.

  When I lifted the lid, I found that the case had done its job and protected the Morse 4300 inside admirably. I have not found many Morses in this neck of the woods, so it was an unknown quantity.

  There was no rust and very little dirt inside and outside.

  In fact, it looks like the machine has seen very little use. It still has the white spool felts and the original gray bobbin winder tire. It came to me with the full box of accessories and even a straight stitch throat plate.  There is one tiny paint chip but that is the only blemish I have found.

  I suspect that the machine stopped sewing well and was put on the shelf for years or decades. I say that because the needle was installed backward.  I learned a long time ago that a sewing machine sews much better with the needle properly installed.

  A little oil and a fresh needle and the machine sews like new.  All the stitches work and tension is perfect.  I never got in the habit of naming my sewing machines, but if I did, I would call this one Buick Roadmaster - big, heavy, and a ton of chrome!

  An application of Tuff Stuff on the plastic lid brought it back to life in short order.  Next time Kathie sees it, she won't recognize it.

  Kathie tossed out another pair of jeans last weekend, I think it's time for another recycled jeans project using my new Morse.

Singer 15-75

  I was in a local thrift shop a couple of weeks ago and saw a Singer 15-75. That was only the second one I had ever seen, so they are not that plentiful. The asking price was $75 and I have lots of straight stitchers, so I passed that one by but it reminded me that I have one tucked away that I got years ago.

 The 15-75 has the same reverse sewing mechanism as the 15-91 and the 15-125 EXCEPT that it is belt driven, rather than direct gear driven like its sisters.

  I didn't like the machine originally because it was too noisy but about a month ago I ran across the instructions for adjusting the shuttle cushion spring and I have been checking all my 15 Class machines for excess gap and correcting it.

The space between the tail of the cushion spring and the shuttle is supposed to be .010 - .014 inches, just wide enough to let thread pass through. Too narrow a gap and thread will get hung up; too wide a gap and the machine will be excessively noisy.  Every machine I have checked has a much larger gap and this 15-75 had about .12 instead of the .012 it should have. Adjusting the spring quieted the machine right down and it is now a pleasure to sew on it.

Kenmore 17881

Everyone who regularly reads this blog knows that Italian-made Necchis are my favorite sewing machine. However, a long-time collector like myself needs periodic infusions of new machines to tinker with and the Italian Necchis are now in the 60-year-old range and getting more scarce. To fill the gap, I have been picking up Janomes. Several years ago, my wife bought a Janome 6500P. she was so pleased with it that I bought one for myself. Since that machine has performed so well for both of us, I decided to add Janomes to my list when I am scouring thrift shops and auctions for new finds. While Janomes are not that plentiful, Kenmores having "385" as the first three digits of the model number are also made by Janome.

Pictured above is my latest find, a Kenmore 17881. The photos are a bit fuzzy because I took them in low light with my cell phone. At first, I thought, "this is not a vintage machine" but then I realized it was manufactured around 1988, which makes it 25 years old! That probably brings it just barely into the vintage arena.

The machine was starved for oil and took a fair amount of lubricating and exercise to accomplish a zig zag stitch; the stitch selector indicator needle was bent back 180 degrees so it didn't even show in the window (I still haven't figured out how that could happen); and I am still working to free up the stitch length mechanism. The stitch length is changeable but it's so hard to twist the plastic knob that I'm afraid I will break it.  It also had some small droplets of teal paint in several places on the front, but headlight lens restorer took care of that quickly.

The machine sews smoothly and quietly and forms a perfect stitch. It has a nice size throat opening, both width and height.  I will keep looking for Janomes and 385 Kenmores to fill the gap until the next Necchi shows up.  In the meantime, I have to select another machine from my collection to sacrifice to keep the number constant and my marriage happy.

Riccar Super Lite

  A while back, a lady asked me to look at her 3/4 size Riccar R619. She was frustrated because her thread kept breaking. I checked it out and saw that the upper thread was catching in the bobbin area.
I inspected all the parts in that area looking for a groove or burr that could be preventing the thread from sliding smoothly.
  Not finding any obvious problem, I began changing parts. I changed the bobbin, bobbin case and shuttle but the upper thread was still jamming around the hook.
  I was forced to admit failure and returned the machine to her. That was about a month ago. This week, the lady brought the machine to the shop, said she has bought a new Janome and gave me the Riccar to use for parts.
  Now I am on a mission to figure out the cause of the problem, just for my own education. I haven't had time to fiddle with it yet, someday I will drag it out and see if I can redeem myself.

Singer Futura 900

  I haven't been keeping up on this blog the way I would like, I retired from my paying job on 31 December and with the holidays and preparing for retirement, my schedule has been squishy and some things have fallen by the wayside. days are now spent at the quilt shop, trying to come up with ideas to bring it up to at least the break-even point so my entire retirement check doesn't go to Northcott and Moda.

  Last week, a lady dropped off a Singer Futura 900 that another repair shop said could not be fixed. The warning bells should have gone off at that point, but I thought I would take a look at it to confirm the other shop's opinion or fix it and look like a hero.

  Machines this modern are beyond my comfort zone, but the lady is a long-time friend. My first challenge was removing the top cover. I found the screws in the lid, but after they were removed, the lid wouldn't come off and I couldn't figure out how to get the end cover off. A trip to the T and T repair website (http://www.tandtrepair.com/index.html) netted me an instruction sheet telling how to remove all the covers and I was able to open the machine up.

  It didn't take long to find the problem - the plastic balance wheel had cracked and the crack was so large that one of the teeth on the toothed motor belt was riding on the lobe of the pulley, This raised the belt far enough to bind against the frame. So now, I am on the search for a Futura balance wheel.

  When I find one, I still have another challenge. To remove the balance wheel, the instruction sheet says to remove the phillips screw that holds on the balance wheel - I have spun that thing around a dozen times and see no screw or other means of fastening the balance wheel to the shaft. I guess I will work on that issue if I find a replacement balance wheel.

Finding and Buying an Old Sewing Machine

A nice lady call me a few days ago asking my advice on buying a vintage sewing machine that she could use for every day sewing. She kind of caught me off guard and I’m afraid I didn't provide a very good answer so I decided to put it in writing so I could organize my thoughts. Here are some things I consider when I am looking at old sewing machines:

    Before you go out looking for an antique or vintage sewing machine, you must first think about how the machine will ultimately be used.  If you are buying strictly for display or for resale, the condition of the paint and decals will be more important than the mechanical condition.  On the other hand, if you intend to use the machine for sewing, the mechanical condition will be more important.  The relative weight of the following factors will vary and they are presented in no particular order, just that they are factors you should consider.

Intended Use -
Display
Occasional Home Sewing
Frequent sewing/professional sewing
Sewing Heavy Goods (upholstery, canvas, etc.)
Resale

Condition - The first thing is to make sure that a machine has no rust. Thread has to slide over several surfaces under the bed of the machine and anything that roughens the thread path interferes with the passage of the thread. Other than that, cosmetic condition is inversely proportional. If a 70-year-old machine is pristine in appearance, it means it has not been used very much. Oil is likely hardened, rust may be forming, and the moving parts have not worn in. A well-used machine was probably regularly oiled and worked well or the owner would not have worn the paint off with prolonged use.

Paint & Decals - Paint and decals cannot be renewed without lowering the value of the collectible sewing machine.  Except for the Singer Featherweight, I have never seen reproduction decals for sale, so if you decide to repaint, you either have to be content with no decals or try to make Featherweight decals fit your 3/4 or full-size sewing head.  Carefully inspect for chipped paint around the edges of the bed and for worn paint and decals in front of the needle where fabric would rub.  If you are buying the machine to sew on, damaged paint and worn decals can be pointed out to drive the asking price lower and don’t affect the operation of the machine.

Dirt - Most old sewing machines have decades of dust, smoke film, and dried-up oil masking the beauty beneath.  Some kinds of dirt can be cleaned off and other kinds have worked in so deep that you will destroy the paint and decals trying to remove it.  I know of no reliable way to determine beforehand whether dirt can be easily removed, you are just taking your chances when you buy a dirty machine.

Missing Parts - Some parts are easily found and replaced.  Tension assemblies, presser feet, spool pins, and bobbin winder tires are common and cost little.  There are reproduction bobbin cases, slide plates, power cords and other common parts available from any sewing machine repair depot. Some other parts are hard to find and one small part could cost more than you paid for the machine!

Country of Origin – The U.S and Europe probably made the best machines up until World War II. If you are looking at 1900-1950, I would stick with machines made there. After WWII, Japan converted armament factories to make other products and produced some of the highest quality, lowest cost sewing machines ever made. To compete with the Japanese machines, The U.S. and U.K. manufacturers turned to cheaper manufacturing methods and quality suffered. The European manufacturers (Pfaff, Elna, Bernina, Necchi) kept up their quality but had to raise prices to keep up with labor costs. If you are looking in the 1950-1970 range, I would recommend Japanese or European, other than U.K.  Around 1970, Taiwan came into the market with even cheaper machines. These were low quality but forced all manufacturers to come up with even cheaper methods to compete in price. This is the time that sewing machines became stamped out of plastic. Today, sewing machines are made in China for the most part and those machines are extremely low in quality.

Manufacturer - Singer machines are reliable, low in cost and it's easy to find instruction manuals and service manuals if you want to work on it yourself. Japanese machines are pretty much generic, many important parts are available but documentation is difficult to find, so you should be thoroughly familiar with sewing machines and able to operate without an instruction manual. The machines from European manufacturers (Pfaff, Bernina, Durkopp, Elna, Necchi, etc) use many unique parts that are hard to find and expensive. Instruction manuals are available but service manuals are scarce.

Configuration - in my opinion the most reliable machines are those where the bobbin loads on the end of the machine on the left side as the operator is facing the machine.  That type of machine was normally timed at the factory and then pinned so that they could never go out of time.  You never have to worry about adjusting the timing

Does It Sew? - If you are not mechanically inclined and you intend to use the machine for sewing, rather than just display, this may be an important factor.  I prefer a machine that DOESN'T sew because I enjoy tinkering with old sewing machines. It is preferable to meet the machine in person, if at all possible, before adopting. It is preferable to meet the machine in person, if at all possible, before adopting. Carry with you some samples of fabric and thread that you intend to sew with on the new machine.  It would also be a good idea to take along a spare needle because the one installed on the machine could easily be 20 years old, bent, and rusty. If you are buying from afar and can’t see the machine be prepared to either spend some time cleaning and lubricating or roughly $75 for professional tune-up.

You might want to consider those that were marketed by department stores - Sears Kenmore, Wards Signatures, Western Auto Wizard and there are some others that stores put their own name on.  The stores did not want their names associated with low quality merchandise so they made sure that those machines are of higher quality.

Where to find: Local auctions – the lowest cost option in my experience, I have picked up many old machines for $5 to $10. I got a Singer industrial machine for $25 that sells on Ebay in the $400 range.

Thrift Shops – Price varies with the experience and knowledge of the manager. Many are overpriced, many are under-priced  You just have to keep checking back. Some stores put the foot control and accessories under the counter so they won’t get separated from the machine. If you don’t see them, ask. The majority of my machines came from thrift shops.

Used Furniture Stores and Antique Shops – Too expensive for my blood.

Yard Sales – Vary by area. When I lived in Virginia and Seattle, I often found machines at yard sales. They are usually in better condition than those at other sources. However, where I live now in Southern Maryland, I have NEVER seen a sewing machine at a yard sale. Here, yard sales run Saturday morning from 8 AM to Noon and sell only children’s clothes and toys.

Online Auctions – Price is competitive, but the cost of shipping these heavy beasts has driven me away from Ebay as a source of sewing machines.

Sewing Machine Dealers - Dealers often accept trade-ins to encourage new business. I have found that they do not want a machine hanging around that is not the brand they sell and price them to move out. I bought a Bernina from a Pfaff dealer for $20! These will be the best condition machines because the dealer's reputation is at stake and he wants you to come back in a few years to buy a new machine from him. They will also be cleaned and lubricated so you don't need to worry about spending money for that.

I will probably think of more on this subject and, if I do, will return and edit this post. For now, I believe I have given you enough to think about. - Ed

Necchi or Alco? (UPDATED 26 August)

  In the thrift shop the other day, I saw what I considered to be an anomoly - a sewing machine with the names Necchi and Alco, both on the same machine.  I had been under the impression that the Alco and Necchi names were connected through the same distributor, but this is the first time I have seen one with both names on it.

  This one is a 524FB (FlatBed), made in Taiwan. Sales documents that accompany the machine indicate that it was purchased in May, 2000 at one of those "Liquidation Sales" in Florida.

 I thought the 524FB was considerably older than that, my old Blue Book shows production beginning in 1991 and models usually become obsolete in about 7 years.  I guess this one could have been old, unsold stock and that's why it was dumped at a motel sale.

  This machine was touted as a "Sew and Serge" machine.  The "serge" function is merely a zig zag or overcast stitch plus a bolt-on cutter that is powered by the needlebar to give the impression of an overlock stitch.

UPDATE:

  The machine was sewing okay but making a buzzing sound that I didn't like. I removed the end cover, thinking that the motor bearings might be bad. I took off the belt and ran the motor by itself and it didn't buzz. When I put the belt back on, I noticed that one of the motor mounting studs was in a position where the cog belt was rubbing against it.

  Repositioning the motor cured the problem.