Old Hobbies Die Hard - Pfaff 1212 Garage Sale Find

I thought I was doing pretty well in keeping my sewing machine purchases pretty much non-existent lately, now that I'd cleaned out the basement of 100-something sewing machines. Alas, a garage sale did me in. The sticky note on the sewing machine said, "Needs Service $15." I'm a sucker for a good deal, and even more of a sucker for a good deal that needs some tinkering.

 

Shoe Mender / Leather Stitching Machine

Several days ago someone who's channel on Youtube I'm subscribed to posted a video of a leather stitching machine he bought for $115. If you're interested in watching the video, here is a link (Chris Zeppieri of Make Everything):
Leather Stitching Machine

Intrigued, I went on Amazon and started doing a bit of research into these interesting machines. Well what do you know, there they are, with many different names and prices. I happened to find one for $99 plus a 5% discount, totaling $102 and change including tax (free shipping). After a week or so of patiently waiting, it arrived today on the UPS truck. Below is a photo after I assembled the contraption.

Farewell To Another 40-some Sewing Machines

Today was a big day. Forty-plus sewing machines left the building. The new owners had to make two trips to get them all hauled off in their minivan.

Ten Sewing Machines Take A Trip South

For a second time, I got rid of a passel of sewing machines. Maybe ten isn't so much a passel as a small group, considering the passel of 42 I got rid of previously, and considering I have a passel of machines remaining.

The ad showed a number of machines waiting patiently to be purchased by some as-yet unknown sewing machine aficionado. I'd priced each machine separately but then put a better price if someone wanted to take them all. Well, the nice person that showed up from Olympia didn't want many of the ones I'd pulled out but I did tell this person that I had more I wanted to get rid of. We rummaged through my stash and came up with ten nice machines.

Yet Another Singer 66 - Why, oh why do I keep buying these things?

Yep, another Singer 66. *sigh*
Straight stitch, no reverse, no real redeeming qualities. Ok, maybe that last sentiment was uncalled for. After all, it does look kinda nice even with the layers of grime, dirt, and crusty varnish. I guess it's called "patina" these days. And ooh-ooh, "barn find"! Yes, I can call it a barn find, right?! And it's old - from 1912.

So, an honest-to-goodness 106-year-old anty-que, with the "early" 6-spoke hand wheel, high-mount "treadle" bobbin winder, rear-mount foot.

Sewing Machine Stitch Length - an unscientific evaluation

A friend was wondering about which domestic sewing machine might have the longest stitch length. So I thought, hmm, I have a "few" sewing machines that I could test out to find an answer. And let me say right off the hop, I have no formal sewing machine training, so any opinions I might have are strictly from my own observations.

That being said, I was a bit surprised at one of the test subjects I used for this evaluation. But you'll have to read on to find out. Here are the results. DUHNNN.. DUH-DUH-DUH.. DUHN-DUHN-DUHN-DUHNNNN! And the winner is......

SewMor Class 15 clone (1950s, straight stitch, cast iron):

Singer 306K - Freeing up zig zag and needle position L-C-R levers, and eliminating clacking sound

I picked up this Singer 306K a little over 4 years ago. The thing actually showed up in a *free* ad! It was, however, in much need of some pretty serious attention and was missing some minor bits (one of two locking thumb screws on zig zag assembly and the stitch length stop, from what I recall). Oh, and the bobbin case lever was snapped off. Not sure how that could happen.

Be that as it may, I was still up for the challenge. Here the condition, before doing anything to it:

Downsizing...... a LOT.

I remember reading Ed Lamoureux's "Sometimes You Gotta Let Go!" blog a number of years ago, when I was but a novice sewing machine buff.
http://sewing-machines.blogspot.com/2010/01/sometimes-you-gotta-let-go.html

In his blog in 2010, he reposted "The Phases of Sewing Machine Collecting" that he mentioned he'd written around 2000, when he was at Phase 3. It was accurate in many respects and humorous, although I didn't have the wild dream of retiring in luxury after selling my collection to a museum. I was probably nearing the end of Phase 3 when I came across Ed's list, since friends knew of my affliction. Between them and the local thrift stores, I was amassing a great empire in a hurry.

Alas, times change. I have achieved Phase 7, and have started to "dispose of [my] space-hogging old sewing machines". In other words, craigslist was my friend.

Singer 319W - un-sticking the hook shaft and hook timing.

I was fiddling with my fairly new-to-me green 319W and it seemed to be running fine, but then all of a sudden it tightened up to the point that the motor would no longer operate the machine. I wondered if a piece of thread had bunged up the works but on inspection I didn't find anything. I ascertained that the lower main shaft (Singer terminology: "rotating hook driving shaft") was somehow the culprit, and from there I narrowed it down to the shaft going into the hook gearbox on the left end. At least, I hoped that was the problem because it was a major endeavor to pull the gearbox.

So......

Elna Supermatic Beige/Brown

I dragged out this machine from the far reaches of a basement corner and dusted it off a couple days ago. Don't know why, I guess it just looked dejected. When I bought it, the front needle plate and two itty bitty bobbin holder screws were missing. I also have an Elna Transforma that is the straight-stitch version of these Supermatics, so I thought it might be better to get the nicer Supermatic going by cannibalizing the parts I needed from the Transforma.

As I've said before, I like the look of a green machine. - Elna Supermatic

As I mentioned in the previous blog post, the gentleman I bought my latest Singer 319W from also threw in an Elna sewing machine for free. And it was a Supermatic to boot. Score!

Singer 319W - What a cool 50's machine!

I already have one Singer 319W but it is not the most attractive of colors. It's a beige crinkle finish, but it was the color that came up for sale when I was looking for a 319W a few years back. Here's a photo of it.

Recently though, this mint green 319W showed it's face on Craigslist (yeah I know, why do I keep looking). Shiny two-tone mint green is much more pleasing to my eye.

Finally bit the bullet and got a Featherweight - Singer 221-1

Like many people that find sewing machines fascinating, the Singer Featherweight 221 is among those machines near the top of the list for acquiring. I'm no different. What to do, what to do....... Yes, I finally did the dastardly deed and bought one off Craigslist. It's hard finding a good one with a case for under $300 but in my case, patience paid off.

Singer 50D - SewHandy Electric

I've gotten to the point that I don't buy every cheap sewing machine I come across. There are exceptions though, and here's one I couldn't pass up. A Singer SewHandy Electric model 50D, for the princely sum of $4.99 plus tax.

My newest acquisition - A D9

I know what you're thinking. Isn't a D9 a Caterpillar bulldozer? Well, yes it is, and I'm sure if you did an online search, the first photo to pop up would be a very large shiny yellow bulldozer. But I digress. This isn't a heavy equipment blog. Although Heavy Equipment Nut does have a nice ring to it. But I digress even further.

The D9 that is the subject of this blog is a Wheeler & Wilson from the early 20th century. There is a fair amount of information online regarding the W&W D9. One fact that I read is that it was about 1905 when W&W was bought out by Singer, so any W&W D9s were most likely produced prior to that date.

Here is mine:

RAGS........ 401A

This is sort of a continuation of the last blog posting. And the title probably gave it away (for those sewing machine nuts out there - you know who you are). Here is my second purchase at RAGS.

So there my wife is, standing guard over two sewing machines on the floor at the Rotary Auction Garage Sale, one of them being the Spartan I blogged about yesterday, and the second one is today's subject. A Singer 401A from the late 1950s.

You see, a 401A is one of those sewing machine models that many people think is one of Singer's finest machines ever made. It has many features that make it so desirable, such as a direct-drive gear-drive motor, steel gearing (not belts or cams), rotary hook, hardly a plastic part to be found on it, a host of stitch patterns, and many more. So let's get to the one I picked up for $5 at RAGS.

The outer case is quite a mess, and one latch is broken, so I think this case is a total write-off, but that is one reason it was so cheap. I can look beyond the carrying case.

RAGS........ 192K

I think it's such a clever acronym - RAGS. It stands for Rotary Auction Garage Sale. And fortunately for me, it is an annual event, held in the Kitsap Pavillion.

So there we were, the lovely wife and myself, aimlessly wandering the aisles. My wife spotted a sewing machine case on a table. A lady had her arm on the case so we wondered if she was buying it. She took her arm off it and moved on. Ok, time for me to dive in. Twenty bucks. A little outside my price range. I popped the top and it was a Kenmore, about 1970 vintage. I wasn't interested. But wait, there are two more next to it. Hmm, they look like 70s vintage, a couple Singers. Both $5, and after a little inspection, both in need of repairs, as in they had things broken off. That put a damper on it for me, even though the $5 price for each would probably still be a good buy since they both had motor controllers and they may not take much to get them going. I put up a good fight with myself in my little pea brain though, and persevered. I walked away from them all.

Being just a slight bit disappointed, I started looking around again and just then the dear wife called out my name from a couple tables away. Oooh, what has she spotted but two more sewing machines on the floor under a table and out of people's sight. I like it.

I zipped over and had a look at the cases. They were quite the worse for wear. Here's the first. You can't see it but behind the handle is a large hole. There are also a couple large cracks across the top of the lid. Not to worry, though.

Merry Christmas 2015!

"For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." Luke 2:11

So, today started out a little hectic. The wife and son are in the emergency room. Son has either appendicitis or (hopefully) something less serious. Blood work seems to indicate it isn't the former, praise the Lord.

Now on to things less important. A good friend's daughter is renting a place and offered to clean out the basement for the owners. She ran across the items below, which made their way to me via a Christmas present. How cool is that!

All these things are for a Class 301 Singer, of which I just happened to pick up not too long ago.
(click here)

First up is a Buttonholer:

Broken timing belt? We have a solution - Singer 111W155.

When I arrived at the 111W155 sewing machine seller's home to take a look at it, she said right off that "the belt broke". I naturally thought it was the main drive belt, not the timing belt. But alas, it was the timing belt. I assumed the upper main shaft had to be removed from the machine to get a new belt onto the shaft. I was taking a bit of a chance buying the sewing machine, not knowing how difficult (or easy as was the case) it would be to replace the timing belt, but I decided to take the leap. Below is a photo of the broken belt.

I ordered a new belt from an eBay seller for $19.95 with free expedited shipping. I got the new belt in 5 or 6 days.

Industrial Strength - Singer 111W155

It's been a long time coming but I finally got my first real-life honest-to-goodness industrial sewing machine. And as the title states, it's a Singer 111W155. This machine weighs in at a portly 61.5 pounds. Yes, that is only the sewing machine head unit. The table/motor is probably another 80 or 90 pounds, although I didn't weigh it. Here she be in all her glory ('scuse the previous owner's dust).

I've sewed through a lot of heavy duty things on my domestic machines such as leather and canvas, and they do quite well, but having a true industrial..... well, it's just cooler to a sewing machine nut such as myself.