Anyone know anything about sewing machines?

My wife has one that scares me. ...................She only uses it to mend things, so it's a 100% overkill for anyone who just wants to fix and alter stuff.

Charles
Ditto

I bought my wife a decent Singer the Christmas before we were married in 1980. She basically wore it out, and I bought her a fancy Viking just a few years back. It's nice, but she wishes she had a brand new Singer like her old one. The Viking is good, but like you said it does a lot of things that basic seamstresses don't need.
 
Yeah.. well one of my machines is a a big industrial unit.. used for upholstery, leather and such.. great for sewing patches on to the back of leather vests if ya know what I mean. That's what I used to do with my old singer... and I didn't have an problems with my buds I did that for calling me a girly man... ;) The industrial one I have now was my Father in laws..

I do know what you mean. My uncle had one for the same purpose when he was riding regularly, and it eventually led to his collecting vintage Singers. (I'd be asking him for help, but he's several states away.)
 
Ditto

I bought my wife a decent Singer the Christmas before we were married in 1980. She basically wore it out, and I bought her a fancy Viking just a few years back. It's nice, but she wishes she had a brand new Singer like her old one. The Viking is good, but like you said it does a lot of things that basic seamstresses don't need.

I'll have to post a pic of the Viking I found. It's a 190--a selector knob for several different stitch patterns and not much else. Last I heard from the repair shop, everything was running well and they just needed a part for the bobbin. Which reminds me, I should probably give them a call...
 
I wouldn't be so sure of that. My wife had her Singer since hgh-school ('70s) and it looks similar to that one. See if the bottom is removable easily and check to see if the gears are some kind of bakelite material.

:no: theres a reason behind this, by the 70's plastic was entering sewing machines, but if this unit appears to be old enough that that may not be the case. A quick check could clear that up. This model looks similar to the modell 500a we have, but maybe down the line. The addition of the winder on the flywheel would make it seem like an older model, since, as far as I know, around '62 the bobbin winder was mounted under the hood on the top, and operated on its own.

Similost said:
Ya'll are making me think I need to take some pictures of the underside of both my old singers and post them... The mechanics of them is just so cool if you like that kind of stuff.. very fine machine work...

Gonna have to beat you too it...but I may add more later, especially since these are not the best photos;

Heres the main guts of the machine, that control the needle. The 500a is a slant-needle machine, as opposed to a straight-needle. The threading diagram is on the left, your machine should have about the same layout. Just open the hatch and check it out.
singer1-s.jpg


A basic over-view of the somewhat similar 500a, this is an "industrial" machine, and is excellent...it has alot more functions, but that's unneeded for the basics. This model in particular has a following, and prices seem to refelect that...its a very desirable model. Thats in part due to it being the last, or one of the last all-metal machines singer ever put out. Made in the usa:
singer2-s.jpg


And here's an undershot...the motor is on the bottom right. Those gears and overall "drivetrain" are all metal, and quite nice...it is very heavy. Just looking at it now, it looks like theres a marking that this was serviced back in '76:scratch2:
singer3-s.jpg


We have a treddle machine upstairs...its beautiful...but a completely different animal.

Even if that singer isnt all-metal, its probably still a very good machine. Though, as mentioned I doubt its bakelite...more than likely its just dense plastic. The viking is a good machine, as well as newer, which in theory should have less issues in the long run...in theory, as stated both are good machines.
 
Yeah.. well one of my machines is a a big industrial unit.. used for upholstery, leather and such.. great for sewing patches on to the back of leather vests if ya know what I mean. That's what I used to do with my old singer... and I didn't have an problems with my buds I did that for calling me a girly man... ;) The industrial one I have now was my Father in laws..

The old, black, rounded Singers will sew leather just fine, for those of us who don't have the space for a big one and don't want to pay the money. I keep a 1933 66-6 set up with upholstery thread, it will punch through 6-8 layers of vinyl or leather without much complaint.

Ditto

I bought my wife a decent Singer the Christmas before we were married in 1980. She basically wore it out, and I bought her a fancy Viking just a few years back. It's nice, but she wishes she had a brand new Singer like her old one. The Viking is good, but like you said it does a lot of things that basic seamstresses don't need.

Just an FYI - another forum I used to be on had a member whose business was repairing sewing machines, and he'd been doing it since the 60s. What he told me was that when the new plastic-geared machines came out around 1965, they got a factory directive from Singer to get people to trade in the old machines...then smash them with a sledgehammer. The new machines were made to wear out in time so they could sell more new machines. The old ones would last through 100 years or more of heavy use. It's hard to sell new many new machines when Great-Grandma's still works just fine.

If you want to get your wife a nice machine that's similar to the one she used to have, look for an early 60s Singer with a built-in zig-zag function but all-steel gearing. Best of both worlds, and it will probably still be working fine when your grandkids have grandkids. :thmbsp:

My dad bought a new Singer for my mom around the time they were married. It's now hopelessly out of time - even a complete overhaul at a factory service center won't keep it working right for long.
 
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If you want to get your wife a nice machine that's similar to the one she used to have, look for an early 60s Singer with a built-in zig-zag function but all-steel gearing.
Wifey learned how to sew on a treadle.:yes::thmbsp:
 
I'm scared to death of 'em. Always figured I find SOME way to sew my finger to whatever I was REALLY trying to sew.....

I've been sewing since I was twelve. I HAVE sewn my left hand middle finger before. Mom had to take pliers to get the needle out! :no:

One thing I would highly suggest is to take the machines to a reputable repair person and have them "overhaul" the machines, grease, lube, oil, that sort of thing. Might set you back $49.99 each but very worth it! General maintenance can make a world of difference. If they've been sitting for a time, the tension may be out of whack and that's the worst problem you could have. And it would be a good place to keep them until Christmas too! :thmbsp:

....And I have a 1890 something Singer treadle that still works too :)
 
And here's an undershot...the motor is on the bottom right. Those gears and overall "drivetrain" are all metal, and quite nice...it is very heavy.
Looks just like the machine I had to replace the gears on. Check those crown gears again. They look like some form of phenolic material to me, and exactly like what I had to replace. I bought them on-line in original Singer packaging but replacing them wasn't the problem, it was finding someone who could re-time the mechanism after it had slipped and after replacing the gears. Three times I paid for adjustment and lube and very shortly thereafter it was bumping into the bobbin, again. Three strikes and I quit, and this was a local pro in the game doing the service, though he admitted to having no repair manual to go by. The local Singer repair center wouldn't even touch it! Yes, it was a slant-needle model. :dunno:
 
Looks just like the machine I had to replace the gears on. Check those crown gears again. They look like some form of phenolic material to me,

Nope, just checked, 100% metal...I may take another photo. If you look under the chassis, those crown gears have machining marks on them. I think that's right, but I may look into it some more. It does need to be cleaned actually, it has some grease buildup and dust...

The tolerances on the gear connections is phenominal, very exact...yet another item I would love to see the assembly line/manufacturing of.

I'll look in the service manual for the 500a to check those gears, but they do appear to be metal. Supposedly this was one of the last all metal machines, right before they started adding plastic.:scratch2:
 
Looks just like the machine I had to replace the gears on. Check those crown gears again. They look like some form of phenolic material to me, and exactly like what I had to replace. I bought them on-line in original Singer packaging but replacing them wasn't the problem, it was finding someone who could re-time the mechanism after it had slipped and after replacing the gears. Three times I paid for adjustment and lube and very shortly thereafter it was bumping into the bobbin, again. Three strikes and I quit, and this was a local pro in the game doing the service, though he admitted to having no repair manual to go by. The local Singer repair center wouldn't even touch it! Yes, it was a slant-needle model. :dunno:

I think you're running into the built-in wear-out of those machines. I stripped, cleaned, re-assembled and re-timed my 1931 66-6 with nothing but a parts schematic. On the other hand, my mom's late 60s-early 70s Singer won't stay in time no matter how many parts are thrown at it by "properly trained" technicians.
 
I would let my wife pick it out for herself. I have done a lot of sewing myself but do it so seldom that when I have a problem with the threading I have to ask her WTF is the deal. Strange yea, men have machines and electronics like stereos, vcr's,DVD's, TV*s, etc.. But the Sewing machine, well,.. She is the "profi" The older machines are prefered by a lot of women, and then again some hate them.

Just my two cents!
 
Wifey has a 60's vintage Singer, made and sold only in Japan, a Baby-Lock serger, and a wonderful Pfaff 360 that only had 20 hours on it when it was given to us with all the manuals and attachments. The Singer slips timing occasionally; I'm looking for someone locally (Atlanta) who can show me how to re-set it. It's the only thing that goes wrong with it and is other wise a great machine.

I will say this; if you opt to do your on lube-jobs, use only the finest synthetic oils available, and never the 3-in-one garbage.
 
Wifey has a 60's vintage Singer, made and sold only in Japan, a Baby-Lock serger, and a wonderful Pfaff 360 that only had 20 hours on it when it was given to us with all the manuals and attachments. The Singer slips timing occasionally; I'm looking for someone locally (Atlanta) who can show me how to re-set it. It's the only thing that goes wrong with it and is other wise a great machine.

I will say this; if you opt to do your on lube-jobs, use only the finest synthetic oils available, and never the 3-in-one garbage.

If that Singer is a later 60s model with any plastic gearing inside, there isn't much hope for it IMHO. They were intentionally built not to last - the older all-steel models lasted so long (some were nearing 100 years old and still working fine at that time) that the company almost went under.
 
The threading diagram is on the left, your machine should have about the same layout. Just open the hatch and check it out.

this is an "industrial" machine, and is excellent...it has alot more functions, but that's unneeded for the basics.

No.. that's not an industrial machine mate, THIS is an industrial machine..

Was my father-in-laws Singer Walking Foot.. .. mine now.. . I put my hand in there to reference the size of the motor that runs it.. and also notice the industrial on off switch. Once you turn that on, then there is a knee pedal you use to operate it..

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This is my oldie but goodie. The ol' gal still purrrrrrs!
 

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I've got a singer similar to that but not as ornately painted. It's electric though.. :(

That's perty!
 
No.. that's not an industrial machine mate, THIS is an industrial machine..

Was my father-in-laws Singer Walking Foot.. .. mine now.. . I put my hand in there to reference the size of the motor that runs it.. and also notice the industrial on off switch. Once you turn that on, then there is a knee pedal you use to operate it..

Ah, you got me there:D one beautiful machine, heck of a motor. While I probably over-stated mine being "industrial" is was at least heavy-duty, especially at the time. However, yours is insanely industrial, must have been built for at least a century of service. We have a 1929 tredle machine upstairs that still runs, has a great ornate pattern as well...up until pretty recently, I don't think singer put out a bad machine.

BTW to the OP.. How did your wife like the machines you got for her?

+1 inquiring minds want to know! :yes:
 
Viking, at least according to every woman in my family... Singer is for Sailors, and I can say that... Navy Corpsman... Sew sew sew.... Semper Fi!
 
Simi that looks like my moms industrial machine. I haven't seen it in a while but remember it looking very similar. And I'm sure the motor has to be at least a 3/4 horse or better.

It's kind of funny because all you guys talk about your wives knowing how to sew. I must be too young because I think I have done more sewing than all of the girls I have met combined. It seems like they don't even want to learn how to sew. Wtf is up with that?
 
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