Garage Sale Score!

[phil]

im always amazed with old machines. how they considered the beauty and longevity and continued with designs with the intention of supporting the old ones and changed the design as technology advanced but not just for the sake of making a new design.

seems like everything pre war was like that and then post war they all wanted to make everything constantly different.

the reason it bugs me is that its so wasteful. especially with the way cars are made and consumer items. we could do so much better at not creating trash, look how many printers we manufactured for instance.

I have this Cuisinart coffee pot. I think it even won some design awards because it sort of has a retro design look to it. but if I fill the pot with water and try to pour it in the top it spills water all over the counter because the spout on the pot is designed poorly. everyone that uses it spills water and comments on how it just spills water. If you pour really slowly it doesn't spill but its frustrating to fill the water tank at half speed. It bugs me because its such a stupid design flaw that could have been improved through testing, but the shape of the thing is what sold it not functionality.

the old singers by contrast were really robust, built to last, the company really did a good job of supplying parts. look how many lasted way beyond expectations and continue to be used and enjoyed and appreciated for their nice design and workmanship. White, Bernina and many others also followed suit with good designs.
My mom kept buying them we must have 20 up at her place at the lake. I think they fell into an almost worthless value but itll probably return eventiually because of the cheap junk they make now and the electronic gizmos that dont really improve how it works much.

[phil]

Thanks, Phil! There is a length of plastic-y red cable in one of the drawers, so maybe the lady I bought it from intended to replace the belt but never got around to it.

that sounds right. try wrapping it around to see if it's the right length. to join the ends try using a razor sharp knife and cut both ends on a 45 degree angle. I suggest trying to make a joint longer first then if it goes ok shorten it to the right length but Id just try a trial joint first. use crazy glue. If that wont work there may be other methods heat or other glues, but Id just try that first then give it a tug to see if it seems to make a strong bond.

you might try to pin it to something to hold it tight while the glue sets. Id leave it overnight even though the glue dries pretty fast.

If you want to make crazy glue set up fast you can put a bit of baking soda on it. that makes it set up.. its weird stuff. don't get it on your fingers.

crazy glue is a brand and there are many formulations and types of super glue now so maybe there are others that work better but if you have a bit of extra length you can perfect your technique before you do the last one where it's cut down to final length.

some glues like wood glue work by going into crevases and making a bond. others sort of melt the plastic. they kind you want melts the plastic.. similar to plumbers glue. bu there are different varieties of plumbers glue depending on the type of plastic.

there is one plumbers glue called transition glue. Its used to join different types of plastic pipe. Its white in color. sometimes I use that for plastic repairs. You can weld plastic too. similar to welding metal you can use plastic rod and a heat gun. there are several types of plastic so there is a bit more to it. sometimes I need to join flat belts like for conveyors and there is a special glue and a thing that heats the belt and clamps it. I guess its a bit like using an iron on patch. it makes a really permanent joint.

[Corsetière]

I love antique sewing machines.

I've got dozens - like, space-problem dozens, an issue which will have to be resolved in the upcoming months.

You may enjoy one of my favorites, a Wheeler & Wilson No. 9, made in Bridgeport, Connecticut. It was an award-winning machine (they used to give awards for design, quality and performance) and a worthy competitor for Singer until that company bought them in 1905. The machine was so good, they kept the design intact until 1913 and only changed the company and model (9W) decals on the arm.



Well made? A century later, all it needed was a little cleaning up and a few drops of oil to get it running perfectly again. I have a sneaking suspicion that the plastic machines of today will not hold up as well. But then, the W&W couldn't embroider perfect little computerized duckies at the touch of a button.

Nice! I am still looking for a Wilcox Gibbs or one of those neat serpentine ones from Jones!

[Manalto]

I am still looking for a Wilcox Gibbs or one of those neat serpentine ones from Jones!

My Willcox & Gibbs is an electric, dontcha know.



I've only seen Jones machines in photos; I don't think many made it across the pond.

[Corsetière]

Beautiful!

[Neighmond]

Singer bought that wheeler and white company because they wanted their model 66 class machine, with the oscillating horizontal hook and drop in bobbins. They got all those patents when they bought it, and if you look at the 66-1, the very first 66 with a singer brand on it you'll see that the presser foot attachments all go on from the back like the wheeler and white did. On subsequent models they put the lock screw for the presser foot attachments on the left hand side where it is on most singer machines. It speaks volumes when you take into consideration that is singer class 15 needle, and bobbin for that matter, was kind of the industry standard for home machines and as far as I know 15 class needle is still the most common execution on the majority of home sewing machines today.

I've got a singer 15 - 31 that was made in 1922 in Elizabeth New Jersey and it just about looks like the day it was made!

One of the other ones I always like was that model 1 1 5 that singer made look like a 15 class machine but had a full rotary hook on it. The only thing I didn't like was the bobbin housing because the tension spring had a weekend on it.

[phil]

I've got a singer 15 - 31 that was made in 1922 in Elizabeth New Jersey and it just about looks like the day it was made!

One of the other ones I always like was that model 1 1 5 that singer made look like a 15 class machine but had a full rotary hook on it. The only thing I didn't like was the bobbin housing because the tension spring had a weekend on it.

I assume it was a typo and you meant to say weak end on it.
often i have to fix stuff with broken springs. usually the end look breaks off. If that happens, take a pair of side cutters, grab the next loop down and just squeeze it a little. once that last loop is bent away enough to get a grab on it then form the spring end by holding it with two pairs of needle nose pliers. if you dont want a closed loop you can cut a bit out.

Ive got a special tool which has a fine hook on one end and the other end is flat with a notch in it . one end for pulling one end for pushing.

you might substitute a rug hook or simply use a bit of bent wire to pull it into place. sometimes the fine ones are easier to handle that way. If you use a length of wire doubled over you can usually pull it free once the spring is hooked in place. an easy source of fine wire to pull them into lace is in a bread bag tie thing, just remove the paper.
for heavy springs use thicker wire and you can make a handle to pull them from almost anything with a hole in it .
I have a spring kit with a big assortment of springs so if I need to I select one that is as close as possible and I cut them down to fit.

some springs are like a coiled up loop and you might use a part of a safety pin if that fits. the wire is usually hard enough that it will snap if bent sharply but you can usually form them a bit before that happens.

if its a super fine and proprietatry spring you might need the original part but usually I can make one work with a method like this.

flat springs like the ones used in a phonograph or a pull start usually break right near the end where they form a U sometimes I heat them to take the hardness out to anneal them , then form them then try to heat and quench to restore the hardness. usually you can use the old spring again if they break and are made of unobtanium.

compression sprngs usually dont break , when they do it's somewhere in the middle.

I got a fold down murphy bed that had really heavy return springs to pull the bed back up. I found a few about the right size and used most of the old ones over. some were all stretched out of shape so I shortened them and looped them together like a chain and discarded the stretched out portions. otherwise the bed was like new so I got it fixed up and it's fine. never use it but its there if I have a guest and it was extra tall so it's a useful thing, beats occupying a whole room just for an occasional overnight visitor.
I know sewing machines have weird shaped springs. like to hold the thread tension and some of those might be critical and or a special shape. you can probably get them. You might be able to use two pairs of fine pliers to re-shape them a bit if that is all they need.

I think I remember. take it with a pinch of salt, but I remember a point that the difference between singer and white is that some are threaded through the back of the needle and some go through the front of the needle and if you get that wrong it won't work right. I'd need to consult the original manual because I'm really not that familiar.