New Home Light Running

The other day, I was digging through my parts bins for something to list on Etsy and came across a New Home buttonholer.

 I have never owned a New Home and probably never will so that buttonholer is excess.  The problem was with the configuration of the attaching point. Presser feet and other attachments are not attached to the side of the presser bar, they are attached to the bottom.

I have no machines with that particular configuration and had no way to test the buttonholer before sending it to a buyer.  Karma kicked in and what should walk through my door but a New Home Light Running machine!

A lady bought it at a flea market and left it with me to check it out for her.

I had to use the instruction manual to figure out how to thread it.

The machine is in very good condition, all I had to do was clean and oil EXCEPT the New Home Light Running uses the rubber-pulley-against-the-balance-wheel type of drive, not a belt drive.  The rubber motor pulley was hardened with age and had pieces chipped out of it and flat spots.  The machine sounded like the neighbor's Harley.  Miraculously, replacement pulleys are still available and cheap!

 I was able to put the machine into smooth-running, quiet operation in no time after receiving the new pulley.

The best part was that now, I have a way to test that buttonholer!

The problem is going to be needles, this machine uses a CC1221 needle considerably shorter than the standard 15x1 and that needle is no longer available.  Internet research told me that 206x13 needles can be substituted but the eye is in a different position.  I installed a 206x13 and had no problem with the sewing.  Further internet research tells me that a better substitute can be obtained by grinding down the shank of a 15x1 needle to make it the same length as the CC1221 needles specified for the New Home.  If the owner experiences any problems with the 206x13, I will grind down a few 15x1's for her.

Back to the buttonholer.  Before returning the NHLR to its owner, I attached the buttonholer and attempted a buttonhole. Even without the feed dog cover or interfacing, I got an acceptable buttonhole.

The Singer That Should Be Forgotten

Actually, it’s a whole family of Singers: models 206, 306, and 319. These were Singer’s first attempts at zig zag machines for family use and I personally think they missed their target. The machines are noisy, clumsy to use, and rotating and oscillating machinery is exposed to catch long hair or thread. These three models require special 206x13 needles. As far as I can tell, 206x13 needles are only available in sizes 12, 14, and 16, so if you are doing work that requires a size 11 or 18, you’re out of luck. I doubt that you will find 206x13 needles at your local sewing machine dealer, be prepared to special order and pay about four times as much as standard 15x1 needles. The 206 and 306W use standard industrial bobbin and bobbin case. Once you know that, bobbin cases are easy to find and cheap. However, if you need a bobbin case for your 306K or 319W, that will be tough to find and will probably cost more than you paid for the rest of the machine.

I tried my best to bond with the machine in the photo and just can’t do it. I changed out the motor to get rid of the motor noise, but there is still so much rattling in the sewing mechanism that I always feel like I’m sewing on some cheap piece of junk. I’m glad that Singer realized the error of their ways and redesigned their machines for the introduction of the 401.

For those who like this series of Singers, I will try to keep a stock of 206x13 needles in my Etsy shop, just click on the link below.  All I can find are size 12 and 14 at this time.

206x13 Needles

More on Needles

There are four vintage Singer sewing machines that use needles that are slightly different than the standard 15x1 needle used in 99.9% of all home sewing machines. The models are Singer's first domestic zig zag machine, the 206 and its successors, the 306, 319, and the rare free arm 320. The correct needles for these models is the 206x13. Here is a photo of a 206x13 needle (on the top) and a 15x1 needle (on the bottom):

The first thing to notice is that the two needles are the same length from top to the eye. This means that you could insert a 15x1 needle in a 206/306/319 and the machine will sew, because the hook-to-eye timing is identical. However, it is obvious that the point of the 206x13 is much shorter than the 15x1. What happens if you sew with a 15x1 needle in a 206/306/319 is this:

The point of the longer needle strikes the bobbin case and damages both the bobbin case and the needle. Surprisingly to me, you cannot hear the needle strike the bobbin case, so you don't even realize what is happening until you change the bobbin.

The other problem with using the wrong needle is that, because the point is longer, the needle could be still in the fabric when the feed dog begins to move the fabric. This can mean skipped stitches, puckering, and possibly a bent or broken needle. I can see no problem with using a 206x13 needle in a machine designed for a 15x1 needle, except that the 206x13s are considerably more expensive.

For those who like the 306 Class machines, I will try to keep a stock of 206x13 needles in my Etsy Shop, just click on the link below.

206x13 Needles

Ed