I said when we took over the quilt shop that I hoped it would bring me some interesting machines to play with - here is the first one. It is a Kenmore 117.560 made by White. I have always been intrigued by the rugged appearance, brown wrinkle paint, and octagonal shape. There isn't a curve anywhere visible on the machine, except the balance wheel. Every surface is flat. I have seen them before but every one I saw was either in too rough shape or too expensive for me to pick up. This one is in excellent condition didn't cost me a cent!
The machine appears to be very well-made and very heavy. The owner said that the machine was slipping when she tried to sew patches on a leather motorcycle jacket. She had to "help" the balance wheel by hand at times. My first thought was that the belt was slipping but that possibility vanished when I learned that there is no belt, the balance wheel is turned by means of a friction wheel. Looking at the friction wheel, I noticed that it was positioned so that only a small amount of surface was contacting the balance wheel. No wonder it was slipping!
I repositioned the friction wheel and dressed the rubber to make it conform more closely to the edge of the balance wheel. Hopefully, she won't have that problem again.
I see these things on CL often, they are seriously ugly, however, anything designed by White must be a pretty good machine.
ReplyDeleteMy grandmother had this model! My mother subsequently made all my clothing and most of hers on it up into the 1990s. She taught me to sew on it and it survived a 7-year-old trying to make slippers out of corduroy and shirt cardboard.
ReplyDeleteAfter my mother passed away, I inherited it and got it tuned up because switching to Reverse messed up the thread tension. Now it's as good as new!
ugly NO i looks better than my wife's new one . now i have one of these . i would like to know what year they come out . this one works well and . was going to use . however thought some one might want it in mint condition . they look to last forever . i am scientist a knowledge geek love to learn about things and older things last longer and work better. the sewing machines we have to day will burn out . like vacuums i had one that floated over flor not touching ground no weels floated on air exhaust. looked flying saucer used for ten years after that went thru four in two years . how much is it worth and whgat year did it come out
ReplyDelete@ aunun ally :
ReplyDeleteAccording to a web site the production year was 1955. Just inherited my mother's. Needs servicing I am sure. Last person to sew on it was probably me in high school. I can assure you that was many years ago. The cabinet is in really good shape for its age. Can't decide what to do with it as I have a more "modern" one.