AlamoJoe2002 Report post Posted April 8, 2023 I used a quart of mineral oil to unfreeze a 1920 Singer Industrial 78-1. Rust, gunk and dust...do I use compressed air and more oil or a vacuum and more oil to clean it up? Joe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted April 8, 2023 You posted this question in a post from 2011 that had nothing at all to do with this model of machine. I split your question into a new topic. That's the proper way to ask an unrelated question. Or, you could have posted it under your previous topic about this 78-1. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quade Report post Posted April 8, 2023 I took my 211 apart, blasted it down to bare metal then powder coated and re-assembled. If you're just looking for a machine to use, I probably wouldn't go that far. It depends on how far it's gone though. "Evaporust" will just melt any rust away. I don't see a problem with using compressed air on it. The older machines weren't particularly delicate. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlamoJoe2002 Report post Posted April 8, 2023 Thanks Wizcrafts! I think I will keep scrubbing with mineral oil. I don't want to disassemble anything yet. I think I want to get everything moving correctly then attempt to see if the machine is still timed correctly...or that is one of the plans. The other plan hasn't been developed yet. -JOE Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlZilla Report post Posted April 8, 2023 2 hours ago, AlamoJoe2002 said: Thanks Wizcrafts! I think I will keep scrubbing with mineral oil. I don't want to disassemble anything yet. I think I want to get everything moving correctly then attempt to see if the machine is still timed correctly...or that is one of the plans. The other plan hasn't been developed yet. -JOE If you don't *need* that machine right away, that's a great plan. I acquired a 111W about 6 or 8 months ago that had been sitting for north of 10 years. I've been on and off tinkering, cleaning, freeing it up, replacing this and that and now I'm stitching 138 top and bottom quite nicely. And I've learned a lot along the way. Keep at it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlamoJoe2002 Report post Posted April 8, 2023 I'm going to take this in small bites...and see if I can have a little tinkering fun! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quade Report post Posted April 8, 2023 Quote I don't want to disassemble anything yet. Mechanically they're pretty simple. If you do decide to disassemble just take lots of pics. The one issue with these machines is they use non-standard threads so, fasteners can be hard to come by if you break one or have to drill it out. I switched some threads to metric. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlamoJoe2002 Report post Posted April 9, 2023 I put the bobbin case (224841) and the shuttle (37854) or assembly (37855) in zip loc baggie and tucked it away in a safe place. I swear I'll get religion today...Passover and Easter all in one shot...if I can find it. However, I have the parts book printed for the 78-1 and am looking for the parts. What other singer machine has compatable shuttle bobbin case and shuttle. The 78-1 uses M sized spools (2996). I might be off on the part numbers. Any assistance is appreciated. Is this the same assemble for the 31-19 and 31-47? Any recommendation on where to procure? I'm looking at ebay. Joe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
AlamoJoe2002 Report post Posted April 9, 2023 I'm confused by the layout of the older singer manuals. Is the class 15 bobbin case and shuttle lock the same for multiple Singer vintage sewing machines? I read the bobin was a "size M." How many bobbins and bobbin case and shuttle lock should I have on hand? Two would be better? Any guidance on this baby step to my 1st sewing maching would be appreciated. Now remind me why I bought a 103 year old top/needle feed jumping foot (walking foot minus the bottem race track) again as my 1st maching? I think I'm getting into learning about the fine workmanship and engineering from when we were a world at war. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Quade Report post Posted April 11, 2023 (edited) I use two bobbins typically but there's no upper limit. If they require the M the type-15 won't work. Quote Now remind me why I bought a 103 year old top/needle feed jumping foot (walking foot minus the bottem race track) again as my 1st maching? I think I'm getting into learning about the fine workmanship and engineering from when we were a world at war. I had a 110 year old American lathe for awhile. The problem was it was always one part away from scrap. You needed a second lathe to make parts for the first lathe. Everything was non-standard sizing and manuals didn't exist. The closest thing you had to a manual was the patent documents. The singer manuals are typically not much better. It's made me leery of buying things that are that old anymore. The worst part is the non-standard thread pitches. Now I have a lathe made in the '60 it's not as nice as the first one but I can get parts for it and it uses standard everything. Even the spindle bearings are still available. My sewing machines are from the '60s and newer too. I took it as a life's lesson. Edited April 11, 2023 by Quade Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
