Anne Bonnys Locker

I have just finished my first "special" base for a 132k6 - with no pattern - and for a paying customer!! Take your time, sketch it out and work out what is going to be your reference point. I used the centreline of the belt slot but something else may jump out as being more logical to you. If in doubt then do one in heavy cardboard so you can sit the machine in the mounting hole and put the motor upside down on the three bolt holes so you can check the alignment of everything. Come to think of it that may not be a bad way to start the process!

All are good machines. I would make my first criteria "what do people say about the backup and service from the dealer I am considering" If you are buying from a dealer on here then it will come down to exactly what you will be getting for your money.

ooops, no it isn't a needlefeed!

The Mauser looks very like some Union Special chain stitch machines so would suspect that there is some tie-up along the way there. As a lover of sewing machines and armaments there are some evocative names on that list!!

Needle feed machines are good for thin slippery materials and possibly light leather but not great for the heavy stuff.

I was fairly sure I was asking that question in the right thread

I know that cup-seamers are used on some fur and leather but can anyone enlighten me further? I am asking mostly because I have one to sell with no idea who is my target market!

Thanks guys. I am fairly conversant with Singer Nomenclature and I have dozens of machines about the place. Theoretically every series starts with "1" and works its way up sequentially and SV7 should mean that it is just a Special Version of the variation seven but for whatever reason some variations of the machine do not appear in the literature, possibly because they were very low volume. By the late 1930's Singer only had one mainstream domestic model (the 96KSV7 is Industrial) with reverse - the 201 - although I think the 15 with reverse also dates from around then. The link is to the "66" which never had reverse even though it soldiered on until the early 1960's. The 3/4 version - the 99 - did get reverse in the very late 1950's. Singer was terrible when it came to offering machines with reverse.

I was given an old machine today in poor condition but it will sew again one day. It is a 96KSV7. I cannot find any reference to any 96-7 or 96K7. Obviously it is a "shirt sewer" and this one dates from the 1930's but it has reverse (what will SInger think of next?). Has anybody ever seen a 96-7 or 96K7 before? Was reverse standard?

I have a fresh new box of 100 and they are probably comparable to what Raphael would offer.

OK, I am sort of pushing my own cart here but some of the ones on ebay are pretty rough looking. A seller outside the US might have better looking ones and even including freight they might be cheaper.

I know bobbins are available as I sell them and would have to do some research to confirm that the hook and shuttle are similar to others but that is about it. Organ and Singer still list the needle as available but whether or not they actually make them is another question.

Do you really need to pull out the top shaft? I generally pull of everything that cones out easily including the oil pump and use a plastic tub lined with muslin or fine cotton fabric for cleaning. Pour copious quantities of kerosene through every hole and use a variety of brushes to loosen things up. After about 2 pints of kerosene I take the machine out and look at what has collected don the cloth. If there are no metal particles - use a magnet - then there is probably minimal bearing damage. Clean the cloth and repeat until there is no more gunk coming out and the handwheel turns when gently rotated. Oil heavily. Next clean all the bits that came out, paying particular attention to the oil pump and what comes out of it. Unless there is movement in places that shouldn't move then ask yourself if it needs to be replaced and therefore pulled apart. Remember to use plenty of oil as the kerosene will leave the bearing surfaces dead dry on startup. The less you have to strip the easier it goes back together and a digital camera is a great tool for aiding memory. As for the wicks, order replacements for the nearest similar machine. I am sure Bob Kovar or any of the other dealers can help out and the cost will not be too high. This is just my opinion, others may differ.

Hey Nick, A good place to look is the Singer parts lists as they talk about what the machine is designed for: http://parts.singerco.com/IPpartCharts/44-1_2_3_8_9_13_17_20_22_23_24_28_29_72_74_75.pdf The description for this machine is "Drop feed for general cloth work". 12mm is unlikely.

They do make three larger versions of the machine: a 2" post bed, an angled up bed and a really long stroke version that takes a needle that does not exist outside of China. I have a sample each of the long stroke and the post bed as I was hoping to try some odd applications with them but they are "difficult" to work with. The post bed might have some applications with milliners although it uses the 794 needle system. Thanks Steve.

I will have to make a clear needle plate to really see what is going on but it isn't the timing as such - more the thread path on the bottom end. I will get it working eventually!!!!!!!

Number one demonstration machine has been through about 5000m of thread, it lived in the back of my wagon, has been dropped many times, has been rained on dozens of times and is full of dust yet it keeps going. The only part broken was the needle bar driver (they are out of a Singer 15) and that was because it dropped onto concrete. Of the 300 machines sold I have had 8 warranty returns, two due to customer error and the remainder either transport issues or faults in my testing and setup process. When demonstrating the machines I sew through heavy canvas lined horse rugs, two layers of 8oz veg tan or two pieces (4 layers) of heavy canvas fire hose. They seem to hold up well . I do make a few modifications to the basic machine and the only reason I sell so many is because I take them out to horse events and other places that potential users gather. The treadle is a prototype and I don't actually expect to sell many (if any) but it helps show off my abilities and prove I do more than just shift boxes. I probably should have put the time into more profitable ventures like the 29k automatic bobbin winder that is all but ready to put to market but this was fun to do.

Behold the latest from the Anne Bonny's Locker/Able Sewing skunkworks! The picture quality is not great but then I wouldn't want somebody to pinch my technology

Thanks Wiz but that project is about to be binned as I am having consistency problems. Two out of three machines work fine but the third will only work 70% of the time (just like a 29 clone out of the box - if you are lucky) regardless of what I do to the timing, needle bar etc. It is driving me NUTS. I might put it aside for a month or so and have another go but I think it is an intrinsic problem with the shuttle design. In other news: the treadle version is up and working YAY!

Neon Green is used in the safety industry so it is made. Whether you will find it in 277 or similar bonded nylon is another question but High Tenacity Polyester is a possibility. Amann Serafil in 10 or 15 ticket will come close.