Singermania

HI Wiz, thanks for replying. Ok that's fine, its a pretty modest sized instruction manual, probably the shortest I've seen. Unlike the 97-10 and the Pearson it requires quite a bit of ongoing tinkering to keep it nicely tuned. I wont be doing much with it for some time as I've other machines that need attention. Do you know what the link is between Union Lockstitch and Puritan as they are very very similar. Regards Steve

HI All, I've just traded one of my Pearson's for a goodish ULS and a spare parts machine, the spare machine is not complete so would be interested in hearing from anybody that has one in poor order that might part with it, I need some of the bigger castings up the business end rather than little parts that I can make myself. I'd like to thank all that have participated in this discussion as it has really helped me understand more about the machine. I have some Champions, Puritans, Blake and a Randall so have some basic idea of needle and awl machines, but your advise has really helped. The machines came with a little yellow covered book that has about 2 pages instructions and then the parts section, does anyone know where there is a more comprehensive instruction manual than this one? Regards Steve

I made up my own manual a while back, however the original would be even better, I seem to remember telling someone that I went to all the trouble of making my own and then I found the original. But I can't find the original so I must have dreamt it... happens to me sometimes. I know its a big ask, but I'd really love to have a copy of that manual when it comes, happy to pay any costs. My wife and I are trying to put together a museum of leather sewing machines and also trying to get all the manuals too. Best Regards Steve

let me know if you need any info on threading the shuttle etc,

I have a good number of needles in various sizes, however really need them for my own machines. I'd try the German needle makers, they may still do them... there are a lot of these machines out there. Something like Schmetz.

HI, yes these are great machines, I have three, two labelled Atlas and one Drossner, however they also come as Claes and Adler. .... lots and lots of badging back then. They were the leather workers main machine in Germany and France and take quite a long needle and sew up to about 15mm. Regards Steve

The last photo is what I usually call a Koch, however they were also labelled Adler, Claes, Drossner and Wertheim and maybe more.

and here is the one on the unusual power stand...

HI Everyone, When a new shipment comes in I like to take some photos and post them, not to sell them as I'm on Australia and most of your guys and girls are overseas, but just to share some of the interesting variations that these old machines can come in. 8 Pearsons came in this batch, along with a Drossner and other more common machines. Among the Pearsons are 3 with the original Pearson clutch and motor drive systems, 2 with full brass and copper heating apparatus and one on a wonderful old power stand with a wooden flat belt pulley. I've put (hopefully) some photos below.

Hi, nice to hear from you. Yes I love the Pearson no 6 with all the brass and copper still in place. I had two and wanted to sell the other one complete, however the buyer wouldn't pay the extra so I removed all the brass pots and tubing and it sits in its own spot all hooked up like a wiring loom. Will try to get a photo of it if anybody would like to purchase it. I have another 8 machines arriving shortly, some on treadles and some on powered bases that have been designed and made many years ago.....I find in really interesting to see how they did things in the past. Best Regards Steve

Hi, there may be the odd shop out there that has a few stowed away, but the bottom line is that the needle manufacturing for the 97 is over. I have two Singer 97-10 and use the Singer 7 class 1000 needle as Darren has suggested. Some people say they don't work but I've had no problems. The 1000 needle is about 79mm long and the 97 needle about 77mm long, so you may need to raise the needle bar slightly, however I found on mine they slotted straight in without any adjustment. Maybe the needlebars move a bit in time anyway with the heavy leather work. The 97 is a fantastic machine, will an honest 1" of leather. I'm interested in another one if someone as one on the original stand for reasonable money. I believe Darren above should have the1000needle in stock, that's where I get them. Regards Steve

HI Darren, nice of you to bring some of our scrap iron back from China, I expect it will be heading back that way again In a few years ... unlike the Singer 132K6 that will go on forever.....hehe. Judging by the number of people bringing me their leather sewing and stitching machines for adjustments I'd say you are just the fellow that's needed to stand behind his machines and ACTUALLY be able to repair or adjust them if need be. Regards Steve

HI, I'm over in Australia so wouldn't be much good for supplying you with the machine you want, however I have them in stock and so can recommend them to you and you should find something locally. I don't recall there being a needle feed 45K, there are several walking foot (jump foot) models available. Two of my favourites are the 45K58 which is a walking foot flatbed with reverse and the 45K89 which is the walking foot, cylinder arm with reverse, both these machines are fabulous quality and worth looking for, they sew to around the 12mm mark. In Australia a good 45K25 (that the basic roller foot machine) sells for about $1200, the 45K89 being the bells and whistles version for about $2250. Best Regards Steve

Here now is the machine back together along with some shots of our parts machines also being restored.... the last photo shows the machine stitching, a far cry from its more recent ability where 30% of major and minor parts were missing and what was in situ was rusted, worn out or smashed pretty badly with hammers. I'm going to suggest to Begsy that whilst I'm really pleased with the restoration and it works perfectly, that I would be happier if he took one of our other machines and we kept this one here as a demonstrator. It's been hit so heavily with steel hammers that shafts had to be filed and reamed, shafts had to be straightened, there was also significant rust in the bearing surfaces....I'm not confident in the strength of the main casting of the carcass. The parts on this Pearson and Bennion machine are also slightly different to other Pearsons.

some more shots of components being made.... in the first photo this part was cut from a solid block.... rather than trying to cast it. The next shots are of new shuttle cover plates (right and left) made from steel plate, brass from water pump and brass screws inserted by Trevor Barlow, our tame engineer.

but wait there's more

Some more photos as we progress

New arm made in-house, new one on the bottom new arm on bottom another new arm, needs a bit of grinding yet.... this is the next arm to be tackled.....

HI, a Google search will bring up plenty of 29K manuals, they wont tell you how to sew with it though or what it can do. Basically its a shoe patcher for mending shoe uppers. Its not a general leather work sewing machine.

HI Paul, thanks for posting a comment. I'd like to hear more about that garage full of obsolete machines!!! Like you I am building up a cache of tools and machinery to remanufacture parts, however its still slow. Have contacted a few engineers but they always seem to be reluctant to do 'one off' parts, I usually leave their premises and do the job myself. No there are only a few new spares available for Pearsons, some in Canada and some from ourselves, we do replacement flywheel handles, needle plates, under plate drives and rein rounder sets. The two larger parts needed I am making now, to get a short run of a dozen of each made would mean carrying the other 11 parts for hundreds of years, as these parts are never ordered, and so would represent a big loss financially. The Pearson no 6 is so robust that it appears self perpetually at times, most machines don't wear out or break in service, its mostly in shipping that they come to grief, ie hit by fork lift tynes, dropped or backed into by heavily plated vehicles. Regards Steve

Progress continues... we repaint with rust preventative primer and then black rust inhibitor gloss topcoat. Pictures show our two spares machines and the other foto is a line up of the three handwheels, notice that Begsy's is the Pearson and Bennion, ours are the British United and the Paris United machine wheels.

The restoration continues and we've decided to take the opportunity to also restore our two parts machines at the same time... job is becoming bigger everyday. So far we've cleaned up Begsy's machine, ie removed a century of dirt and grease, finally after several hours removed seized shafts and started repainting parts that don't need mechanical restoration. Later will show some photos of all 3 machines during restoration.

HI All, we've just taken on the full restoration of Begsy's (Gary Begley) of Burrum River Saddlery & School fame's Pearson and Bennion No 6 harness machine. Its a great honour to take on the restoration of this machine for such a well known Australian iconic business, also a bit worrying as the results will become known Australia wide.....gulp.... better do a good job!! I'm going to show photos along the way and try to give a step by step description of its progress. Two of our 18 Pearsons are parts machines, our usual practice is to strip parts for parts orders and then rebuild the machine again so that they are always complete and in good running order, however most parts orders consist of springs, screws, rollers for the flywheel cams, needle plates and lower drives etc. On this occasion Begsy's machine is missing major structural parts too, such as the boomerang shaped arm and roller that lifts the foot for each stitch and the shaft and arm that facilitates the thread draw off for the shuttle. Ordinarily a machine missing these parts would be shelved and become a parts machine itself, as these parts are not available, especially when it is also missing pretty much every spring, roller and plate.