Singer 128

[Jimbob]

Question:

Friend of mine has a singer 128 with so called bullet shuttle....I have a Singer 99K and some other Singers witht the standard rotating round shuttle.....these two systems seems to have been produced side by side for many years....we are now wondering what is the reason for that....?

Does the bullet style shuttle has any advantige to the rotating shuttle.....? Was it cheaper to produce or meant for more heavy dudty work??

Just a few thoughts from two Hobby sewing machine freaks...hahaha...

Thanks for the input!!

Jimbob

[Anne Bonnys Locker]

The main benefit of a vibrating shuttle over a rotary or oscillating is that it is less prone to tangling when run in reverse. This of course makes it perfect for treadle applications.

The Singer 15-1 was a round bobbin, long beak shuttle machine (as used later in the 17/18 series) and was released before the vibrating shuttle 27 and 28 series. The 27 is the full size machine and the 28 is the 3/4 size. The 127/128 are later versions which include auto tension release when the foot is lifted.

Singer were great at producing obsolete machines. The Model 48 is a classic example as it was a version of the German high arm transverse shuttle machine developed many years after this style was waning in popularity and already obsolete by two decades.

Question:

Friend of mine has a singer 128 with so called bullet shuttle....I have a Singer 99K and some other Singers witht the standard rotating round shuttle.....these two systems seems to have been produced side by side for many years....we are now wondering what is the reason for that....?

Does the bullet style shuttle has any advantige to the rotating shuttle.....? Was it cheaper to produce or meant for more heavy dudty work??

Just a few thoughts from two Hobby sewing machine freaks...hahaha...

Thanks for the input!!

Jimbob

[CowboyBob]

The first machines in the 1850's were all bullet shuttle until Wilson invented the rotary shuttle,which is faster & smoother running than then the bullet style,as to way Singer made them both I'd say that he felt that's all some people would buy since that's what they are used to & then some people are open to the lastest & greatest.

Singer ended up buying out Wison & refined his machine & that is how we know have the 111w ,144w & countless other models.

[Trox]

Thanks guys for the history lesson,

Sewmun you certainly know your Singer History.

So this is the reason my Singer 144W- 305 has a “made in USA” and is of a much better quality than my Other Singer made in Scotland.

When you look at the difference in tolerance and precision on parts, it is hard to believe they come from the same company. Many companies produce there products in different countries, but the product is always made to the company spec’s. Here they are not.

Trox

[CowboyBob]

Trox,

Years ago we used to import 45K's & other machines from England & they seemed to be of good quality.Maybe some other models were made in lower quality factories?

[Trox]

Hi Sewmun,

The machine I refer to is my 29K- 72. (Silver color)

I bought this machine cheap from a school for physically retarded people.

The machine has a 1450-rpm clutch motor with out reduction and a modern stand. It was almost new, no wear or signs of use.

However it would not turn freely, so I guessed it was full of old hardened grease. I oiled it with petroleum and run it on full speed for a while. It was a little better, but still it was too hard to turn.

So I took it apart and found the main pulley had small holes, for broken off pieces inside. It looked like some retard has used on full speed it without oil or grease when it was new. Instead of running it in on slow speed.

It looked like the holes were made of extreme heat. The rest of the machine looked like new, no damage or signs of wear inside. However, inside the body, there were big pits in the casting with missing material. Many faults from the casting process everywhere. Too much material in some places that should have been grinded off, too little other places.

The machine had a very tight fit, they maybe are?

The needle bar driving lever to name a few, had to be polished, it was made to big. Without the use polishing paste instead of oil, it is no way this part would be run in by it self.

When you look inside a German machine, you will see that the part is made with micrometer precision; this was made with precision of an inch.

It took me a lot of polishing to get the machine in running condition. I do not use it every day so it still is tight, with some years of wear it will be like my Adler 30, smooth.

(It maybe a luxury problem to have some extra material to wear off)

The 145W- 305 on the other hand, is a old used machine (grey color), but it has a precision of a German machine, no faults inside the body there.

When you open it, it is like a Swiss watch, bigger but the same looks and smell of quality.

I do not know maybe my 29K was made on a Monday or a Friday afternoon. It sure looks like it was made in a hurry.

Trox

Trox,

Years ago we used to import 45K's & other machines from England & they seemed to be of good quality.Maybe some other models were made in lower quality factories?

[Anne Bonnys Locker]

Hi Trox,

What is the serial number of the machine? Being silver I suspect it is late production from just before the Kilbowie factory closed and this could account for the poor quality.

Hi Sewmun,

The machine I refer to is my 29K- 72. (Silver color)

I bought this machine cheap from a school for physically retarded people.

The machine has a 1450-rpm clutch motor with out reduction and a modern stand. It was almost new, no wear or signs of use.

However it would not turn freely, so I guessed it was full of old hardened grease. I oiled it with petroleum and run it on full speed for a while. It was a little better, but still it was too hard to turn.

So I took it apart and found the main pulley had small holes, for broken off pieces inside. It looked like some retard has used on full speed it without oil or grease when it was new. Instead of running it in on slow speed.

It looked like the holes were made of extreme heat. The rest of the machine looked like new, no damage or signs of wear inside. However, inside the body, there were big pits in the casting with missing material. Many faults from the casting process everywhere. Too much material in some places that should have been grinded off, too little other places.

The machine had a very tight fit, they maybe are?

The needle bar driving lever to name a few, had to be polished, it was made to big. Without the use polishing paste instead of oil, it is no way this part would be run in by it self.

When you look inside a German machine, you will see that the part is made with micrometer precision; this was made with precision of an inch.

It took me a lot of polishing to get the machine in running condition. I do not use it every day so it still is tight, with some years of wear it will be like my Adler 30, smooth.

(It maybe a luxury problem to have some extra material to wear off)

The 145W- 305 on the other hand, is a old used machine (grey color), but it has a precision of a German machine, no faults inside the body there.

When you open it, it is like a Swiss watch, bigger but the same looks and smell of quality.

I do not know maybe my 29K was made on a Monday or a Friday afternoon. It sure looks like it was made in a hurry.

Trox

[Trox]

Hi, It is FA329069 Thanks

Trox

Hi Trox,

What is the serial number of the machine? Being silver I suspect it is late production from just before the Kilbowie factory closed and this could account for the poor quality.

[Trox]

Hi Darren, I see the FA series starts as early as 1935, but when it ends I do not know. From http://www.singerco.com/support/machine-serial-numbers

Trox

[KAYSER]

On 9/11/2011 at 8:12 PM, Jimbob said:

Question:

Friend of mine has a singer 128 with so called bullet shuttle....I have a Singer 99K and some other Singers witht the standard rotating round shuttle.....these two systems seems to have been produced side by side for many years....we are now wondering what is the reason for that....?

Does the bullet style shuttle has any advantige to the rotating shuttle.....? Was it cheaper to produce or meant for more heavy dudty work??

Just a few thoughts from two Hobby sewing machine freaks...hahaha...

Thanks for the input!!

Jimbob

Jimbob, have you used the 128 with leather?  How does it sew, what weight of leather is it capable of sewing?  Thanks for any info you have!

[Evo160K]

On Monday, September 12, 2011 at 3:30 AM, Anne Bonnys Locker said:

The main benefit of a vibrating shuttle over a rotary or oscillating is that it is less prone to tangling when run in reverse. This of course makes it perfect for treadle applications.

 

 

Does that mean the 128 will sew in reverse using the treadle?

@ Kayser  If it helps, we just tried a piece of 10 ounce veg tan in my wife's K28 hand crank, and it sewed no problem.

 

Edited March 20, 2017 by Evo160K

[Wizcrafts]

10 hours ago, KAYSER said:

Jimbob, have you used the 128 with leather?  How does it sew, what weight of leather is it capable of sewing?  Thanks for any info you have!

Since you woke up this old topic from 2011, I will answer your question about the thickness a Singer 128 can sew.

In mid-2016, I sold both a Singer 27 and a 128 from my shop. Both of those machines were from the turn of the 20th Century and sewed perfectly on denim after I did my magic with them. The feed dogs are really aggressive on these machines. This helps feed difficult material, like veg-tan leather belts with smooth or pasted backs.

I was curious about their capacity too, so I brought the 1902 Model 27 into the work area, wound the bobbin with #69 bonded nylon thread and threaded the rest through the top tension path. I let the stitch length knob out for the maximum feeder travel inside the throat plate cutout, giving me 5 to the inch. Then I grabbed a spare piece of 9-10 ounce Q-Tan bridle leather and tried hand wheeling into it. The Sumbitch sewed the bridle leather like butter and fed it without dragging (because of the large teeth on the bottom).

I plugged in the aftermarket motor and after starting it with a quick spin with my hand, the machine sewed by its own power. I did fishtails and circles, sewed back over existing stitches (Poor Man's Reverse) and it didn't miss even one stitch. The Model 128 did just as well. Both machines were portables in wooden Singer carry cases.

I've bought and sold dozens of old domestic sewing machines, but none could match the Models 27 and 128 for sewing 10-12 ounces of bridle leather (that was as thick as they could sew and hold down the leather). I I did manage to get the Model 27 to sew with #92 thread on top, using a #18 leather point needle, but had to crank down the foot pressure spring all the way to keep the leather from lifting with the needle.

[KAYSER]

Thank you very much Wizcrafts and Evo!  Good to know.  Any idea of how frequently either of these machines come up on the market?  Seems price has risen on these?

[Wizcrafts]

5 hours ago, KAYSER said:

Thank you very much Wizcrafts and Evo!  Good to know.  Any idea of how frequently either of these machines come up on the market?  Seems price has risen on these?

I've only had two of these machines and sold them for $200 each, with a Singer carrying case. You can scrounge through antiques stores to see if anything like these show up. I see lots of other models of Singer sewing machines in the booths surrounding our shop (I am located inside a huge antiques mall).

[KAYSER]

5 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

I've only had two of these machines and sold them for $200 each, with a Singer carrying case. You can scrounge through antiques stores to see if anything like these show up. I see lots of other models of Singer sewing machines in the booths surrounding our shop (I am located inside a huge antiques mall).

I see a lot on our used/2nd hand market, but never the leather capable ones.  I think the leather crafters have snatched them up, and locked them down!  Thanks again!

[Wizcrafts]

A lot of potential buyers avoid the Models 27/127 & 28/128, because of the funky bobbins they use. The long cylindrical aftermarket bobbins available from the Orient don't have end holes for securing the starting thread. So, winding a bobbin is an art form in itself.