Auction 201 Update

Progress has been slow on the 201 because we are gearing up for craft show season. I spend the majority of my spare time making wrist wallets and table runners and get very little time to tinker with sewing machines.

I learned that the bobbin winder kickout spring is broken and the bobbin winder rests on the balance wheel all the time.  I didn't have a spare spring but they are available on the internet for $4.25 plus shipping or $9.99 with free shipping.  The price was a little bit of a deterrent, since I only paid $12 for the machine, I hesitated to spend another $10 on a measly little spring but the  major issue was that I would have to wait for it to be shipped.  The spring is a very simple affair, just three coils of spring wire with a bend on one end and a 1.25" leg on the other so I surfed the internet for instructions how to make a spring.  Lowe's sells a package of four assorted sizes of spring wire for $2.98 and I picked up a pack.

. Each piece is only 6 inches long and I needed 4.5 inches for the spring, Knowing I would only get one shot, I got some fishing tackle with piano wire at Wal-Mart to make some prototypes by winding the wire around a bolt..  

  The fourth prototype fit but the piano wire is not strong enough to keep the bobbin winder suspended when the machine starts running. This evening, I made a spring using the Lowe's spring wire and it works fine.

  While unsuccessfully searching my spare parts boxes for a kickout spring, I encountered a stroke of good luck - I found a 201 terminal block!  I was already prepared to manufacture a box to contain the light switch but the switch I got at Lowe's fits just fine in the 201 terminal block.  I got this box of 201 parts about 20 years ago from a lady who had parted out some 201s and wanted to reclaim some space in her garage. That's why I hate to throw anything out, you never know when you might need it.

 

  I was pleasantly surprised when I installed a fresh needle and the machine made an almost perfect stitch on the first try.  A little tweaking of the upper and lower tensions and it now sews like a Singer 201 should. 

 When it's running, it still has a little buzz that shouldn't be there but seems to be lessening with use.  If it doesn't go away soon, I will break out my mechanic's stethoscope and track down the source.  Here's the almost-finished product.

Now that I see the photos, it appears I still need to do some more cosmetic restoration (cleaning). Honestly, it looks better in person.

Singer 201

There is an auction held about 20 miles from here every Friday. The auction house has a website where they post photos of items in the upcoming auction. I saw this picture

and knew from the potted motor, lack of tension on the end cover, and light shade that this was a 201 and there was also a 66 Redeye in the same auction. Now, I have too many straight stitch machines but I REALLY like the 201 and I need a Redeye to install in my parlor cabinet so I headed to the auction.

I had figures in mind for both machines before I went to the auction but when I got there, I saw that the 201 was missing the terminal block

 and part of the tension assembly,

 so my mental number decreased. I should have tipped it over and seen the rust underneath but didn't want to appear too interested.  When the bidding was over, I walked away with it for the princely sum of $12.

The wires are hooked directly to a two-prong plug so as soon as the plug is energized, the light comes on and the motor runs full speed.  I don't believe anyone sewed on it that way.

Surprisingly, the motor did run and the needlebar went up and down, so I set to cleaning and lubing.  A few squirts of oil and the speed increased but the machine was quite noisy for a 201. One look at the gears told me why - they were totally dry, looked like they had never been greased.

  I spent an enormous amount of time trying to remove one of the rusted screws holding the cover over the gear set below the hook. I used liquid wrench, heat, vibration and finally ended up drilling the last screw out.

The terminal block is going to be a challenge. I have a terminal block from some machine I stripped in the past but it doesn't have the box for the light switch.  Lowe's carries a switch that looks very much like the original (although silver vice white) with enclosed wiring.

 I will need to fashion an 'L' bracket to mount under the terminal block to hold the switch.

 I didn't stay at the auction long enough to bid on the Redeye. The photo showed just a table top and the sewing head but when I got there, it included the rest of the treadle stand and cabinet - all in pieces - so I thought the price might go higher than I was willing to pay. Besides, it was going to be one of the last things to go up for bids and I didn't feel like waiting that long.

Here is one of the photos for this Friday's auction. In the early days, I would have been salivating all week but now, I think I'll skip this week unless something more interesting comes along.

Much of my collection has come from local auctions. Probably the best was a nice Pfaff 130 in a cabinet with the chair for $5! I love local auctions.