Anybody Else Collect Sewing Machines?

[LittleMissPussyCat]

I have 23 (possibly more) vintage sewing machines, mainly hand cranked, but also two treadles and two featherweights.

 

[TackCollector]

Pics, pics!

Hand cranks are fun. I have an old Singer shuttle treadle head from the '20s that's worn and battered, so I put a hand crank on it and it traveled with me to horse shows, etc. for emergency repairs. It was great, because it could be set up anyplace. After I got out of that, I kept it on my desk at work. It restitched a couple pairs of pants and some other stuff at lunch while it was there, lol. I have one gorgeous old British handcrank that's still in commercial storage. I can't wait to get it back. I love the decals on it.

My recent $20 Ward's 1980 B runs great. And I found out (after scrubbing) that that last $20 500A is like new, and the attachments were clipped up in the lid of the case. So, all that it's missing is the manual.

I really need to re-home mine. Salvaging and cleaning and adjusting them is at least 3/4 of the fun for me. I wear uniforms now, and live in a very small town, so unfortunately I don't do even 1/4 of the garment sewing that I used to do. That may change after I move.

I keep reading that lots of young people are getting into sewing now. I keep saying WHERE, WHERE? Not in this town, for sure.

 

[Derek WC]

That's the one. Here's a bigger picture of mine though (Pardon the size, I kept it big to show the detail):

What seems to happen is when I thread it how I would thread most any other machine, once it starts going it goes around the bobbin, accumulating spool thread and starts getting bunched up and jamming.

Edit: Well, geez, it made it smaller than the actual picture.

 

[TackCollector]

I forget what causes that, and I don't have time right now to research b/c I am in the midst of getting ready to move. Either that, or go look for a job, lol. Join the vintagesewing forum or whatever that non-Singer forum was that I posted a while back, and someone there can help you. I think that Franklin you have might be made by National.

 

[TackCollector]

the pink Brother / Atlas

Here at last are the pics if my pink Brother machine, that looks cooler and is probably rarer than those ones with the scroll-y "Atlas" badge on them. Mine is Deco all the way, bay-beee.

Pink motor, pink foot control, pink attachment box, and the case is pink and charcoal gray. Atlas himself is that decal on the bed.

Needs a new toothed belt, and also new wire for the foot control b/c the insulation is breaking off. This is a very smooth-running beastie, and will be great to stitch on when refurbished. The Japanese clones of the Singer 15 were better than the actual Singer 15s, I think.

These were taken at night in a Victorian house with 11' ceilings and that room is lit by two 40 watt bulbs 'way up there. So, the tint is off. I jsut had time to scrub the worst of the dirt off and snapped a few of pics for fun.

 

[BoPeep]

Sweet little machine there, TackCollector. Watch it though, putting your Brother up against Singer. There's quite a following out there...

 

[HepKitty]

I have two from dear Grandma, here is one:

 

[BoPeep]

^^ that one looks well loved! haha But definitely worth a bit of TLC and place of distinction on the shelf!

 

[Foofoogal]

http://www.tias.com/stores/relics/?bc=1
This is a fellow dealer. One can pretty much find any manual here.

 

[Jish1969]

I got this 1949 White Family Rotary from Amvets(my local thrift store) with boatloads of attachments all for 25 bucks about six months ago. Its in great condition and even came with an extra belt and the manual. It also has the cover case, I just neglected to take any pics of it. Right now I am attempting to learn how to use it to put new rank badges on my Navy uniforms, but there is a curve(for me at least). If anybody would like me to scan and upload the manual to this thread just let me know.
-Jish

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[PoohBang]

^^^are you sure that's a 1949 White? Looks much earlier to me.

 

[Jish1969]

Yes I'm pretty sure; I emailed Viking, the company that now owns White with the serial number and that's the year they gave me.

 

[Duck]

One of my favorite threads! Don't know how I missed it for so long. I love the old Singers and collect a few of them. I have models 15, 66, 99, 127, 201, 201k, and Featherweights. I fixed up a Bel-Air for my granddaughter and it sews great. It looks like a Singer 99 and is stamped "Made in Occupied Japan". Love the history with these old machines.

 

[Foofoogal]

Picked up the cutest ever Singer Sew Handy machine from 1955 according to my research. Adorable. Not sure if this is a toy or real one.
I also found Touch and Sew accessories and manual for a Singer Model 648 and Buttonholer for Slant needle zig zag sewing machines from Singer whatever that is with manual.

 

[Methuselah]

I don't think I count as a collector as I only have 1 vintage sewing machine: A Frister Rossman model K dated 13/11/1930.
I picked it up from a local charity shop recently, I've got it up and running after a lot of de-fluffing!!!
Does anybody know of a source for the manuals?
I've worked out what most of it does, but I'm not sure what some of the adjustment screws do.

I'll post some pictures when I get a chance.

 

[Foofoogal]

http://pages.sewing-machine-manuals.com/173/PictPage/1922517729.html
Fellow dealer on Tias has just about every manual made.

 

[Methuselah]

Close, but no cigar (I'd already checked that site) - no model K, I think it's also called a Transverse Shuttle machine.

I do actually have the manual, it's just that it starts on 'figure 3' so presumably something is missing...

I'm just wondering what the adjustment knobs on the end of the upper arm (i.e. over the needle) do - I know the front one is the top tension adjustment, but have no idea about the other 2???

 

[Foofoogal]

I really think if you sent this information to this dealer they could help you with it. Possibly.

 

[Methuselah]

Thanks for the link. I actually found roughly what I wanted here:
http://needlebar.org/main~nb/manuals/fandr/index.html
-not exactly the same as mine, but close enough

 

[Derek WC]

Aha! Thank's to you guys, I have learned to thread my machine.