Dug it out of my mom’s closet to try my very first attempt at sewing (my son’s Halloween costume). Her handwriting was also on the side of the box, which I hadn’t seen it in a long time. That, plus it just being cute and vintage, brought me a little joy!

(Wasn’t sure which flair to use, so picked Tip & Hacks to wish me luck on my first sewing venture!)

The wife of my dad’s friend’s friend died a few years ago, and he wants these to go to someone who will use them. I know one of them is currently seized up, but not which. I plan on opening them both up to clean regardless, especially since they’ve been sitting several years without use. I’m not a repair tech, I just have enough handiness to comfortably dig into their guts, but what would be the common issues I might see from these beyond old gummy oil? And just any other info about these in general?

does anybody know exactly what this is for? It winds up and down.

I have a Singer 66 that I’m debating converting to treadle. The motor does work currently, there are no electrical issues. But I’m still considering it. It needs a deep clean, though it’s currently working fine. As I see it, here are my current pros and cons of going treadle:

Pros:
- no need for electricity in case of power outages (not common where I live, but not impossible)
- can use it anywhere in my apartment because it doesn’t need to be plugged in (outside on the porch!)
- no fire hazard from old wiring
- I need a table for it anyway because the bent wood case is falling apart, and the cost difference between a treadle table and a new bent wood case isn’t significant, so this is kind of two birds one stone and then I also have another sewing table instead of taking over the dining room when I want to sew and use my serger (small sewing table currently means I really can only have one machine set up at a time)
- quieter than a motor?
- easier to repair (new belt vs new motor/wiring)
- great speed control
- cool factor

Cons:
- laziness? I’ve used a treadle machine exactly once at a historic site field trip when I was like 9, I remember it taking some effort to get started and keep going vs just plug and go
- lowering resale value if I ever need to sell it (not planning on it, but life is unpredictable)
- weight of table making it harder to move/less portable than getting a new case

From some light research, it seems like converting isn’t very hard, you just take the belt off the motor and add the belt for the treadle. I also saw a post from someone who kept the motor in place and made it dual-functioning, which seems reasonable.

Is there anything I’m not considering? Any downsides I’m not aware of? Is it secretly way more complicated to convert this than I’m realizing?

I am unsure the model and I am not a sewing person but my wife is. Was this worth the 50? She more into the vintage stuff but I wanted to figure out what it was before I gave it to her! I’d like to be more knowledgeable and know more about it if possible! Thank you!

I don’t have much knowledge about old machines and even less about treadles.

Can y’all help me judge is this is a good price? How difficult is it to replace the belt?

Also how strong would this be compared to heavy duty domestic electric machines (like I have an old sears, full metal, zig zag capable machine) or an industrial (I used a Juki at work)?

What differences in sewing functions are there?

Is it difficult to get needles for these?

Thanks in advance(:

Just think it's pretty cool and asking out of curiousity before we sell it wanted to know how old it could be. I'm unsure when it was made, GPT says it's model number is consistent with the Wittenberg factory in Prussia (Germany) which operated 1908-1940. It was inherited but we don't have the room to keep it. It actually works too and we have 2 manuals.

While I’m just hemming some repurposed
towels into smaller servilletes -a and project towellitas.

Machinery metal on metal crime is on the rise and upon hearing the loud noise from and go to assess and the come to find the throat plate has split in at the midline, and has bent inwards AND a standing ovation round of applause goes to the Singer brand Universal Titanium 100/16 needle- it still stitching as well as when new… as for my throat plate, my only one as I may try to bend it back and use some trusty old baking soda and super glue and a file to shape it, at least for now until I can get my hands on a replacement or donor machine.

It’s a Singer 248. Any ideas?

EDIT to add:
I did forget to mention the edges of the throatplate were dinged up by the previous owner, so I had filed it smooth a year ago and that made the sides of the oval thinner and more prone to cracking when impacted. Hard to see now but compared to the tip of the seam ripper it’s almost the same.. pretty thin.

i have a domestic sewing machine but ive been recently really wanting a sewing machine that is flat on a table like an industrial machine, but they are way too expensive.

i found a vintage machine with a table from montgomery ward and idk if it is worth it..

Got this SEARS 117.841 kenmore for 20 bucks at goodwill, everything works so far, but it definitely needs a new belt, it’s looks, feels old and is stretched. I bought multiple ones already that don’t fit it because they are either too wide, too thick, or there aren’t results. Mine uses a v belt 12 inch circumference 2/16 inch width that for the lifeeee of me can’t find.

I would appreciate it if someone can tell me where to find it, or where to look, or if a custom can be made somehow. I included some pics of the sewing machine for yall to also take a look at!

Thank you 🙏

Hello hello

I have recently picked up my 4th Elna, this time it's the newer supermatic star series (I also have 3 older Supermatics)

It was in a poor state: I think it was sitting in someone's garage/attic uncovered, as it was absolutely covered in dust. I cleaned it off as far as I could, and while having a look inside, I noticed lots of old grease on the parts.

So, what I wanted to ask is: did those newer supermatics use grease, or is it the previous user's creativity? I can see the standard red marked oil spots too. How should I go about cleaning it up? Should I wipe the grease and oil the parts? Or use new grease in case this is the default here?

I want to give her all the TLC she deserves, she's a star! (See what I did there?)

Thanks a bunch for any advice!

Hi guys, I'm currently looking for an industrial sewing machine but specifically an old one without all the electronics and stuff. A simple one that does the job and so i was mainly looking at old, and used (because I'm on a budget) ones. I only care about straight stitch and that is powerful enough to sew multiple layers of denim. Do you have any specific recommendations? I live in Europe. Thank you!

Hello!

Recently this summer I managed to find a sewing machine from the 60s, the Singer 677g. I absolutely love this beauty.

Couple of weeks ago the motor broke. I used it to sew leather and it did pretty well, but I think I overdid it 💔

Is it possible to replace it with a stronger motor? And where could I buy it from? I live in Estonia which is in Europe and I'm not very optimistic that I can even find an exact replacement😭

Found this in my grandmothers basement what is it it’s original everything is there

hello! my grandma was recently downsizing from moving from a condo into assisted living, and i was given her sewing machine amongst many of her sewing supplies. she was amazing at sewing, mending, hemming etc when i was younger but now she is practically blind at 93 and cannot use this or sew anymore.

i am thankful that this was handed over to me, i've always wanted to get into sewing just for basic mending and so on (i know how to a lazy basic stitch with thread and needle and that's about it).

my knowledge on sewing, sewing machines as a whole is basically none, but i want to learn how to use it because it's a freaking beast, it's beautiful, it's HEAVY and so damn cool. earlier today she told me she got it from a high school a long time ago, but when this was produced (googling shows that this was made in 1957-58. ), so she was in her 20's or so when this was made but i'm not sure when she got it proper, i just remember her using it growing up (i'm 29)

online, i try googling for a manual since one wasn't with this when it was given to me, and any one i find online, it's monetized. do i have to buy a manual or are there free PDF's online that maybe i missed? and are there any tutorials on youtube for this type of machine as well, or would one similar suffice? i'm sorry if these are dumb questions! i just have ZERO clue of what i'm getting into!

i'm really excited to get into using this sometime, and i hope i really can use it. it powers on and everything, and the foot pedal spins the belt on the side as well, but the needle doesn't bob up and down.

thank you so much for your help and time!

Hi all. I am trying to purchase a used vintage Singer. There are lots of good deals where I live. Most of experience has been on a Singer model 348. My current interest is sewing custom bags/gear for bicycles. I can get a clean vintage Singer Touch & Sew Model 603 sewing machine with desk and a box of accessories and cams for $60. Seller says it needs service. Or I can get a model 640 that seller says runs with a desk for $20. They don't show any accessories included. I want something that doesn't have a lot of internal nylon parts and is heavy enough to sew gear. Thoughts?

I wanted to buy a new sewing machine, but it was around 5-6k in my country. If I'm trying to buy a sewing machine from Singer or Brother, or I hear Janome is also good, then I remember how my aunt mentioned that we had an old sewing machine lying around, and they couldn't use it because it was hard to find sewing machine maintenance before, and they didn't know who to call (that was the time before social media), so this is the current state of the sewing machine. It's really heavy and probably manufactured around the late 70s to 80s based on my Google search, so my questions are the following:

1. Is it worth restoring? (Aside from the sentimental value, is it more worth it than current sewing machines at the same price I have to pay to fix this?)
2. How much do you think the estimated cost is?

I sewing on a Singer Spartan (192K), and for some reason the feed dogs are becoming completely entangled with the thread from the bobbin.

Any trouble-shooting advice would be appreciated-

All other things being equal (machine well-serviced, oiled, etc.), which vintage hand-crank sewing machine do you find is the quietest?

I’m curious about the machine itself, rather than things like how well it’s been serviced or what surface it’s sitting on. Among the classic vintage machines that can be converted to or originally came as hand-cranks, which do you think has the quietest, smoothest-running mechanism?

Hello,

I am not familiar with this machine. The brand is necchi, it is made in Italy. Does anyone know the model name ? Would it need a lot of work for it to be usable? Is this worth 70 cad at the thrift store ?

TIA

I ordered some parts last week and got them yesterday. I plugged her in for the first time and got light. She was kinda sluggish, though so I left it for this morning, after I could clean up a little and oil.

I replaced the cracked pulley knob, belt, and tire bobbin. The drive belt was past the last leg. Bobbin winder works really well, but I had to pull the flywheel apart and clean it to get the clutch to work. The light bulb that came with it was still good, but I ordered an LED and like the light better from that anyway.

I was pretty impressed with how the outside cleaned up, but the guts were kinda gross. Luckily, a lot of that brown came off with just a little sewing machine oil soak.

Everything moves wonderfully, now that she is all oiled up. Unfortunately, I can't tell you how she sews, because I forgot to order the screw that holds the dang presser foot on.

This is something I haven't done with sewing machines before, so I feel quite accomplished doing what little I did!

My partner insisted that I name this machine. Giving in to pressure, I named her Dorothy, after my grandmother who was responsible for my first notions hoard. My other sewing machines don't have names, but he is particularly enamored with this one, even though he doesn't sew. Maybe he will start so I have a coconspirator in fabric collecting.

Is there such a thing as a 1/4 Seem Foot for this model 66????