Anybody Else Collect Sewing Machines?

[LizzieMaine]

Trying to replace the woven cloth cover isn't something that can be done -- most people just wrap it up with electrical tape and hope for the best, but usually when the cloth covering gives way, the inner conductors go bad not long after -- the cord is rubber-covered, and that rubber will eventually crumble and the wires will short. The best way to go is to replace the entire cord. Vintage radio supply places sell two-conductor cloth-covered power cord, and period-appropriate plugs. It's not a difficult job to do -- you just remove the cord from the switch terminals and solder the new one in place. About a ten minute job once you figure out where it connects.


Here's an example of the type of cord you'd need. It's $6 American a foot, so it's not cheap, but it's high quality and it will last because the inner conductors are insulated with vinyl instead of rubber.

 

[Shangas]

I was never very good with electrical stuff. I suppose I could do it if I tried, but I'm not sure if I want to risk it. There is a shop in the next suburb which does sewing-machine repairs...

 

[1930artdeco]

I just joined the group of Singer owners. I bought a Model 99K today, just like the OP first pic. (will post pics tomorrow). The only problem is that the machine itself does not turn. It seems to want to but is binding somehow. I assume that it is just clogged with lint and string. The guy who is selling it took it to a shop and her recommendation was that it needed a tune up-I should be able to do that. The other thing that it needs right off is a bobben, which I think I can get fairly easily. It comes with a box full of attachments, the case and the bent curved piece (not sure of the name or function).

Mike

 

[Shangas]

The bent curved piece is the knee-bar. You stick it in the hole on the right and that turns the machine on when you plug it into the wall.

Cleaning up a sewing machine is pretty easy. There's a how-to guide for that on my blog:

http://scheong.wordpress.com/2012/05/20/how-to-service-your-vintage-sewing-machine/

That'll give you all the info you need on a mechanical level. Electronics is outside my purview.

 

[1930artdeco]

Shangas, thanks for posting the link, I was going to ask about that or your post here. I knew it was here somewhere. Yeah I think it will be pretty easy to get her going again. Fortunately the motor still works, I think she is just gummed up inside with felt.

Mike

 

[Shangas]

Oh that's easy to fix. And it's quite fun, too. But make sure you take the needle out before you start, or you'll be having a very painful experience.

 

[1930artdeco]

O.k. here it is. It was listed as a 1920 Singer 99, but according to the serial number they were off by 10 years. That is o.k. as it is as old as my car and 40 yrs. older than me. Now i just need to get some oil, grease, the manual and a bobbin.

 

[1930artdeco]

Well, got some oil and started to open her up to clean it out and lube it today. She is actually pretty clean. However, it is still locked up tight as a drum and I can't seem to figure out why. It is like something is manually locking it up. Any help? Also I noticed that I am missing the front thread tensioner. Does anyone have any suggestions to where I might find one?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[Shangas]

Hi Mike,

You're missing the front tension-spring. It's a spiral-coiled piece of wire with a hook on the end (which the thread goes through). I daresay you could probably make one yourself, but you have to know what it looks like, first. This is my Grandmother's 1950s Singer 99k:



What you need is the coiled up spring next to the front-plate. I don't even know if you can buy them separately. But I suspect you could probably make one yourself.

To clean the machine, you must pull it apart and clean out ALL the gunk EVERYWHERE.

Remove the faceplate and pick out all the gunk inside. Remove the bobbin-plate and clean out all the stuff in there (LEAVE THE RED FELT ALONE).



The red felt is at the bottom of this picture. Don't touch it. It's there to act as a wick for the sewing-machine oil.

Then, remove the balance-wheel at the back and clean that, as well.







Then, open the sewing-machine and tip it backwards...



Then clean out this:



Best tool to do all this with is a pair of needle-nose tweezers. A vacuum-cleaner will be useless.

Once you've done all that - you may start oiling all the moving parts with a bottle of sewing-machine oil. Don't be scared about using too much oil - so long as it doesn't get into the electrics, it won't damage the machine at all.

Oil it, and turn the wheel by hand. Oil it some more, and keep turning. And keep oiling. And turning. And jiggling it back and forth.

By the way, those holes on the top of the machine (with "Singer Manufacturing Company" across them), are oiling holes. Drip some oil down there as well, to lubricate the crankshaft.

This can take ages. To get the machine in those photos working took me nearly three hours. When I hauled it out of the basement, it didn't move at all.

 

[1930artdeco]

Shangas,

I pulled the face plate off and cleaned around and then oiled that part. It was actually quite clean, as I did not see any clumps or large amounts of fuzz. I took the hand wheel off down to the axle shaft-clean there. The only part I have yet to clean is the bobbin area-namely I don't have a 90 degree screwdriver yet. Thanks for the tips this may take awhile to get going. I just got onto the sewing forum so I will see if they have a lead on a tensioner.

Mike

 

[1930artdeco]

Update! I used the American method of fixing things, use a bigger hammer! Actually, I had the wheel off and put a small screw driver in the drive slots of the axle and she broke free-yippeeee! So, I re-oiled her again ran her at various speeds stopped and oiled again and now she runs great. So I just need that thread tension adjuster and I can learn how to sew.

Mike

 

[Shangas]

Here's a photograph from the blog of a lady who is very knowledgeable about this stuff (I know because she answered a lot of my questions about old sewing-machines!). This is a tension-spring for a Singer 128. But yours will look very similar:

 

[1930artdeco]

Shangas, that looks likes mine. A few more tweeks and I can start practicing on real cloth.

Mike

 

[1930artdeco]

What bobbin do I use on this machine? I have some model 66 bobbins that are supposed to be for this machine but they don't fit well, the are VERY tight. But then again they are made in China so maybe I need to get originals?

Mike

 

[Shangas]

They take steel, Model-66 bobbins, if your machine is a Singer 99. They should fit perfectly. But if they're made in China...well...You may have problems.

The bobbins cannot be too tight-fitting inside the bobbin-case. Otherwise, they won't spin when the machine runs. Then the thread snaps, and you're buggered.

These are 66-bobbins:

Any of these should fit your machine perfectly. I use the same type in my own machine.

 

[1930artdeco]

Shangas,

They are made in China so you know what means...I will have to hunt down some Singer USA ones as I am not good enough to grind them down by hand, any ideas? Right now I have one stuck in the machine which I have to get out.

 

[Shangas]

Open the slide-plate next to the feed-dogs. There's a little cross-hatched button next to the bobbin-case.

Press that down and the bobbin will pop right out.

 

[TackCollector]

I was never very good with electrical stuff. I suppose I could do it if I tried, but I'm not sure if I want to risk it. There is a shop in the next suburb which does sewing-machine repairs...

http://www.vandykes.com/rayon-cloth-covered-electric-cord/p/202161/
Cord in black, gold, white, brown and same place also sells Bakelite plugs. Not sure whether they ship to Oz, though.

 

[TackCollector]

Well, got some oil and started to open her up to clean it out and lube it today. She is actually pretty clean. However, it is still locked up tight as a drum and I can't seem to figure out why. It is like something is manually locking it up. Any help? Also I noticed that I am missing the front thread tensioner. Does anyone have any suggestions to where I might find one?

Thanks,

Mike

Here's the manual: http://www.singerco.com/uploads/download/451_99.pdf 66 and 99 are identical except for the scale (99 is 3/4 size)

Where a 66 or 99 is seized is always under the bobbin case. I'll have to take a picture b/c I can't locate one online that shows the detail that I need. But there are two roller things under there and it's almost always them that are binding up the rest of the machine. Sometimes you can even make them move but they squawk like a dry bearing kind of noise. Also, there's a piece of felt that is in that bobbin case looking down from the top side of machine, and that is to be oiled and left in place to oil the bobbin case.

eta: I see that you got it loosened.

Okay, this will do. The part is in the bottom left and is t-shaped. It's labeled Feed Bar. I'm looking at the part that is about 2" long, it's directly underneath the bed, and runs east-west in that pic, and the left end of it attached to Feed Rock or Feed Rack Shaft. Oil that Feed Bar at both ends and remember to oil it occasionally. It's almost always what squawks or binds. It's also usually the problem on any shuttle machine like the Singer 127/128 or practically any.
http://www.oocities.org/heartland/plains/3081/cut-66.jpg

 

[1930artdeco]

Hi Tackcollector,

Thanks for the advice on that piece. She is oiled oiled up so much now I had to put paper towels underneath her to soak it all up. But she runs super smooth now. the only 'issue' that I have now is that there is supposed to be a 'neutral' on the machine so the needle will not move but the hand wheel will. I believe you are supposed to turn the small silve knob and it is supposed to disengage the needle from the up/down mechanism. I am not sure that I need it and if I do, gow to fix it. any ideas?

Mike