How To Repair Singer Treadle Sewing Machine
Did yous e'er see a vintage sewing machine at a flea market or thrift shop that fabricated y'all terminate in your tracks and want to take information technology domicile? You can see the dazzler under all that dust and grime, but aren't sure well-nigh what it will have to bring it back to its former glory.
For those of us who stitch, there is a special lure that a vintage sewing machine has that pulls us in to take a closer expect at the craftsmanship, ornate details, and overall simplicity of machines made years ago.
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How my love of vintage sewing machines started
One summer, I saw an old Singer sewing machine at a flea market place – no cabinet, parts all rusted, and totally unusable. And I instantly fell in love with it. I didn't buy it, mainly considering information technology was in terrible condition, but I kept thinking nearly it!
A few months afterward, I saw the vintage sewing automobile pictured above at a local austerity shop. OMG I wanted that machine soooooo bad! It was was over-priced for the condition it was in – and for my budget. But that didn't finish me from taking out my iPhone and snapping a few pics of it!
Practice some preliminary research
I wasn't sure how much it would entail to restore it and didn't even know how old information technology was, so I figured I would practise a little research, and get back to the shop if it was worth buying. What I did know, was that it was a directly drive auto- meaning that there was no rubber belt to make it work – and therefore, a little less that could go wrong.
In-Depth Enquiry on a Vintage Sewing Machine
Armed with the photos from my iPhone, I hopped on the internet to first my research. I knew it was a Singer, that it was a direct drive, and fortunately I defenseless a shot of the serial number.
Using Google for my research, I started past searching "vintage Singer sewing machine" and went to the "Images" selection for a search.
You run across that white toggle switch? From my enquiry, I learned that that item light switch feature – plus the direct drive – identified the machine as a Vocaliser 201-ii. Armed with that, I was able to dig a little deeper on Google.
I site said that this particular model was called the "Rolls Royce of Sewing Machines", due to the fact that Rolls Royce used these machines dorsum in the day to sew the leather upholstery when manufacturing their cars. (Source) So basically, this vintage machine is a sort of precursor to a modern industrial sewing machine.
And exactly what I need to sew leather and heavy upholstery fabric.
I went back to the thrift shop to buy the automobile but it was GONE! 🙁
Searching for a Singer 201-2
Now that I knew what model I wanted to buy, the hunt began. From my research, I found prices on these machines ranging from about $40 to over $400. (Okay, $400 IS ridiculous, just that was the request toll.)
A few weeks later, my friend asked if I wanted to go to the thrift shop with her. (Yes, the austerity shop that had the machine the last fourth dimension.) Not even thinking about the machine though, I went along for the ride. I didn't fifty-fifty see the machine until my friend pointed it out to me. It was tucked in with a row of ugly, beat upwards desks and I went over for a closer expect.
And there she was! THE PERFECT Motorcar!!!!!!
Practice you hear a chorus of angels singing? I certain did, even though she looked more like the first photo – dirty with globs of dust all over the machine and chiffonier.
A Slight Hesitation
Me, not the machine. The request price was $45. Half of what they had priced the offset machine they were selling a few months earlier. And this one was in much better condition.
But how much work would be needed to restore the machine?
Hither's what I based my buy on:
- I do have a working noesis of sewing machines, having started sewing when I was xi years old.
- The get-go auto I used was my mom's onetime, just-sewed-forward-and-backward, all-metal, belt-drive automobile.
- The second motorcar I used was similar, with the exception that it was "modern", chugalug-driven, and had a zig-zag run up.
- I had that second machine for xxx years, and did all the maintenance myself.
So with that, I inspected this newly found Vocalizer 201-2 a piffling closer.
Hither's what I did:
Vintage sewing car checklist:
- Turn the manus wheel – does it move freely?
- Any grinding noises when the hand wheel turns?
- Examine the ability cord for cracks and brittleness.
- Tilt the auto back from the cabinet, and examine the working mechanisms on the underside of the car.
- How yucky does it look? Is it dry out, or has it been greased recently? This is where y'all can gauge whether the motorcar was used fairly recently, and if and then, is probably working okay.
- Does it run? At this bespeak, I asked to take the machine plugged it to run into if it worked.
- Flip the light switch. Does the lite go on?
- Pull down the knee lever, and now for the Big Test:
- Does the motor run?
- And does the motorcar piece of work?
- Hear whatsoever popping sounds or do all the lights in the building suddenly get off? (Yes, this was actually something I idea about!)
The machine passed the first Big test. Now what?
Now that I knew she worked, I inspected the:
decals to make sure they weren't scratched upwardly or missing birthday;
inspected all the engraved parts;
made sure the serial number was legible;
went over the cabinet for scratches, dings and full general stability ;
took off the seat cushion to see if whatsoever of the original parts or manual were in there (they weren't)opened the drawer to await for parts, and to meet if the hinges were okay.
Test Score: 100!
She passed all my tests, and at present she was declared SOLD!!!!! She was all mine.
My friend and I managed to go her loaded into the machine, and get her into my firm with but one small scratch. FYI, bandage iron is heavy !!!
The clean-up
Now that I got her home, my start chore was to give her a bath. Poor baby was musty smelling, and literally caked with greasy dust. A saucepan of warm water and Murphy'south Oil Soap was but what she needed! I washed down the entire cabinet, seat, yucky vinyl cushion cover, and the machine itself. Then I dried everything with a soft rag.
A trivial polishing
Adjacent, I used Olde English furniture shine – the kind with the nighttime stain added to it. I applied this liberally to the cabinet and wooden parts of the seat. OMG that stuff works miracles! Equally I buffed the walnut cabinet with a piece of flannel, all the gorgeous grain began to evidence, and the footling dings disappeared. She was looking gorgeous, and I was getting happier by the second.
To clean the engraved metal and other metal parts of the machine, I used Totally Crawly concentrated cleaner. Like the name says, this stuff is totally awesome for removing grease and grunge.
The final function to clean was the bandage iron machine itself. I sprayed a petty Armor All onto a cloth then buffed the auto with a make clean piece of flannel.
Examine the mechanics
Now that the outside of the automobile and cabinet were cleaned up, I tackled the mechanical parts. Annotation: exist sure to apply the right size screwdrivers when removing screws, and then you don't strip them!
Fortunately, with half-dozen ten working sewing machines on manus, I had a whole pile of screwdrivers to choose from. (Guess you lot could call me a sewing motorcar hoarder, huh?)
I took off the plate over the bobbin case and cleaned out the mess that was in at that place. In that location must take been a yard of thread all caught up in the bobbin case! Some long handled tweezers, sewing car brush , toothbrush and cotton swabs came into play to get all the innards cleaned up.
The yucky vinyl seat cushion re-practise
The last thing to tackle was the horrible, pea green vinyl seat cushion. I took it outside considering information technology was and then stinky, and worked on my gardening potting bench.
I used a sturdy screwdriver to pry up the staples, and then pliers to pull the staples out of the wood. The underside was stamped "Fabricated in Yugoslavia", which y'all can sort of meet in the top right in the in a higher place pic.
New batting
Once the vinyl was off, I peeled the musty one-time batting off the woods and gave everything some other wipe downwards with Potato'south Oil Soap. Afterward the wood dried, I cut a double thickness of quilt batting to supercede the old seat batting.
No need to spike the batting to the forest, as information technology easily stuck to the unfinished wood. A little trimming with scissors was all that was needed.
A little upholstery
Adjacent upwards was the finishing touch of some nice upholstery. I had just gotten some cool pieces of upholstery at another thrift shop a few days before, and found the perfect piece that fit the seat and matched the decor of the room where I was keeping the machine. The slice of material was in a pile of stuff I bought that was being sold for $ii/pound, so the material for the seat only toll $1!
I cut the material so at that place was at least 3″ all around and started on i side using only 1 staple. So I pulled the fabric tight, and used 1 staple on the opposite side. Since I had never done this earlier, I took my time, and didn't trim the fabric too much.
When I got to the curved corners, I snipped off some textile then information technology would fit snugly into the seat frame and not exist all bunched up. A few staples secured the fabric in each corner, and I worked my style around the cushion frame pulling the fabric tight and securing with a staple.
Once the fabric was stapled all around, I trimmed it closely to the wood.
The seat was now reupholstered, and I am loving how it looks!
But will it stitch?
At this point, I didn't even have the machine threaded or had tried sewing on a slice of scrap fabric. I think I was afraid to do it! What if the auto didn't sew? Well, at least I had a lovely piece of antique furniture, right?
Detect the possessor's manual
The next thing I did was search the internet for an owner'south manual. SCORE!!! I found a site that had a pdf photocopy of the original transmission. Non only that, but from the serial number I institute that the machine:
- was built in 1936
- in Elizabeth, New Jersey
- and is one of 8,000
How absurd is that?
Make a new bobbin
The first thing to practise was to pull the one-time thread off the existing bobbin (there was only one in the drawer) and air current a new bobbin. Unfortunately, the bobbin winder office of the automobile (pictured in a higher place) needs to be adjusted in order to work, then I wound the bobbin on ane of my other machines.
The manual didn't bespeak what size bobbin to use, just my Ninja sewing skills tell me that it's a Class 66 because it is curved instead of flat similar the other classes of bobbins. Great, considering I have about l spares to utilise that are from my oldest working auto! Putting the bobbin into the case was as easy equally whatever other sewing machine, so that was a plus.
Side by side, I changed the needle.
E'er. Change. the Needle.
Even if you think it looks fine, change it!
I got a spool of thread, and threaded her upwardly. Very straight-forward method of threading, but no modern needle-threading lever to rely on, and so out came the magnifying/reading glasses to tackle threading the center of the needle.
And I swear I was belongings my breath every bit I put the fleck fabric under the needle and pushed against the knee lever to get-go the test sew.
SHE SEWS!!!!!!
Not just does the machine sew, but the motor sounds almost like information technology is purring. No clunking, grinding, or loud sounds – merely a contented purrrrrrrrr.
The stitches are perfectly even, and I didn't even take to adjust the tension. Someone evidently used the machine, and took skilful intendance of her.
How she got her proper noun
While I was cleaning out the footling drawer of the chiffonier, I establish a plastic bag with some one-time buttons. The proper noun "Elaine" was written on the pocketbook, and I am guessing she must accept been the former possessor of the machine. So I decided to telephone call the machine Elaine.
Elaine even so needs a few more finishing touches. Just this morning, I read that I tin try car wax on the cast iron to actually brand it glow. And and then in that location is the bobbin winder to adapt, but the how-to is all spelled out in the owner's manual.
All cleaned up
Here is Elaine in her new dwelling house – all cleaned upwardly, smelling much better now, and looking lovely. Look at the wood grain on the cabinet drawer!
I consider this automobile, cabinet and seat to be a steal , and full cost with cushion reupholstering was…..
drum roll….
$46.
Yep. 40. Six. Dollars.
Isn't she gorgeous?
How near you lot? Do you have a vintage motorcar that y'all have restored? Was information technology difficult?
Do tell! I want to hear all about it in the comments below!
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Source: https://doityourselfskills.com/restoring-a-vintage-sewing-machine/
Posted by: welchercland1951.blogspot.com
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