Sewing Machine Game.....

[bikermutt07]

Ok guys and gals, I had an idea. This could fix a lot of newbie questions (me included).

Please play the game to help us novices along.

Post a few really good pictures of your machine. And even different feet that you use.

Explain what you sew with your machine.

Explain a little about what you like about it, and don't like about it.

If you have more than one machine to brag on, by all means, share about it too.

If you guys are willing to participate, we will have a great thread to point people like me towards.

Thanks everyone. Keep having fun.

[Willie0]

Gosh you might get more feedback on this one than you asked for.  For the big stuff, I have an awesome Class 4 Cobra.  After buying that I got an old Singer 111w155 and added a servo motor.  This machine gets alot of use.  Everything from canvas to light leather, denim and blankets.  I used my dremel to open up the toe of one foot for better visibility.  It also has a Sailrite binder which is attached with an ebay bracket.  Next I have a 1960's Morse for fabric. Also a Singer 66 treadle machine, mainly for fun, but I have sewn on patches with it.  These machines are all wonderful in their own way and highly recommend them all.  Sometime I may replace the 111w155 with another table model that has reverse,

[bikermutt07]

Cool, thanks.

[Chuckydownunder]

looking forward to seeing these replies!!

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

SPEEDBINDER

 

[bikermutt07]

8 hours ago, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

SPEEDBINDER

We have a smaller wimpier version of this at work. Warehouse man uses it to bind rugs.

Can you use yours for leather?

Edited May 20, 2017 by northmount
Removed photos to shorten up thread

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

8 hours ago, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

SPEEDBINDER

This machine when made was about as local yokel as can get here. The Singer Manufacturing Company (Wheeler & Wilson factory) in Bridgeport Connecticut stated making this machine in the late 1800s. Just about all of the parts, components can still be found new. In this case, we can even buy a new Speedbinder hook. Quality of this machine, by today's standards, are very good. That says a lot about what we could do then. It means a lot when you can pick up a machine like this made that long ago and that we can still service it. Especially what people have been doing with them over the many years.

One of the may interesting things you see here on this machine is the eccentric mechanisms that you don't commonly see being used, but work very well. They use a worm gear mechanism to 'push' a spring loaded eccentric. This eccentric uses a check screw. This check screw will limit the maximum throw of both the stitch length and zig zag width, or bight. The the stitch length regulator is the black thumb screw on the end of the hand wheel. The top arm shaft has a worm gear, the thumb screw has a tapered shaft that pushes the regulator more or less, closer or farther to the shaft it is riding on, for lack of better explanation. The regulator shaft, also, has a split. We can use this split to load up the shaft and provide friction so that the regulator thumb screw with shaft does not lose adjustment. It works surprisingly well. The Singer 107W has the same mechanism for the zig zag width on the front face of the machine. This thumb screw that looks exactly the same as the one on the hand wheel. Like many machines, over the years, you see the downside of using some of these delicate mechanisms on this, or any machine. Singer 112W115 comes to mind. Time and time again, the hand wheel and or stitch length regulator takes a fall or a hit some way. What happens is that the delicate worm gear, on the end of the top arm shaft is missing bits and pieces, often where we needed it most. What happens then is that we cannot set the stitch length correctly. In some cases, we would weld the gear of shaft to repair it. A file comes to mind here. Or, in worst case, the top arm shaft had to be replaced. This really became a weakness, over time. It's really one of the the first things anyone should look at when trying to evaluate the condition of a machine that uses a mechanism like this.

This Singer machine in these attached images started out in life as a 107W3. This can be determined, aside from model number, by the stitch length regulator on the back of the arm of the machine. This would allow for a wider zig zag width. This machine also shipped with coarser feed and plate. Newer Singer model 143W is similar to this machine, but the stitch length on this model is adjusted with a push button switch on the front of the face of the machine. 143W was touted as a 'high speed' machine, do to the introduction of ball bearings on this class. Some of the 143Ws we have inspected are more commonly blown out, and the 107Ws worth working with are more abundant and often in better condition.

As far as being local, people in my area of Philadelphia, PA have seen this machine and used in many, various forms. From Singer, by model number, you could factory order 107 and 143s that have factory differential feeds among other things. All of these types of modifications were performed by The Singer Manufacturing Company that were available by subclass. Some were very task specific, and and were high volume production by today's standards.

Others in NY made custom parts and cams for double or triple throw zig zag. Today, many aftermarket spare parts, guides, presser feet, needle/throat plates, various application specific hook types. The kind of things that would lead most mechanics in the area like my Dad and others I can name who have a lot of experience fixing repairing maintaining and modifying these model machines. People I've meet can simply discuss this machine for hours. I mean, the 107W started out with a cloth timing belt with clips and is now 'upgraded' to a neoprene belt.

Thanks for allowing me to share some of my knowledge of this machine, to pass on really, the reverence for both the machine and the people who have experience knowledge and understanding of how it works.

On to the pictures, this Speedbinder to me is the most reworked task specific machine made local that I can think of. The pictures speak for themselves mostly as to how much modification and hand made parts went into this machine. Designed for garment and textile goods, this machine now is doing carpet binding with heavy threads, also now with a dual handmade puller. The puller can be mechanically made to use either one or both metal puller rollers to transport the goods. The knee lifter works for one or both puller rollers to lift the puller rollers, in addition to the hand levers. All the puller parts are in great working order, and the tolerances are not at all lose from what I can see.

Thanks again for allowing me to share.

 

 

Edited May 20, 2017 by northmount
Removed photos to shorten up thread

[bikermutt07]

Thank you, Gregg.

[Constabulary]

aaaahh - well - folks - if you quote a post it would be good you´d remove the pictures from the quote - this makes a thread annoyingly looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong w/o giving new information... I´m not a mod but I think you know what I mean... - no offense!

The pictures Gregg posted now appear 3 times in one thread - does not make sense, or does it?

[bikermutt07]

Sorry.

[Rockoboy]

My 201P.

Details below are my understanding of actual facts. Anybody with a different interpretation please let me know, I would be interested to hear if/where I went wrong.

For those who do not know, the 201P is identical to the rest of 201 series which were assembled in the UK.

The 201P was assembled in Penrith, New South Wales Australia from parts produced in the UK. There were a couple of cosmetic differences, colour, the timber carry case and cover were made different to appeal to the Australian market.

This machine is only a light domestic duty machine, which I have not used yet. I plan on using it for sewing some fish skin leather soon, and maybe some 12oz canvas.

It is only a light duty machine which did not work when I bought it, but for $60AUS, how could I lose?

Thanks to a good mate, it now works after a bit of lubrication.

 

[Gregg From Keystone Sewing]

3 hours ago, Constabulary said:

aaaahh - well - folks - if you quote a post it would be good you´d remove the pictures from the quote - this makes a thread annoyingly looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong w/o giving new information... I´m not a mod but I think you know what I mean... - no offense!

The pictures Gregg posted now appear 3 times in one thread - does not make sense, or does it?

I don't know what to do to clean this up, sorry for the page.

[mikesc]

Mods!!.."thing" ( "splinch" ) in aisle 5..

Edited May 20, 2017 by mikesc

[dikman]

4 hours ago, Constabulary said:

aaaahh - well - folks - if you quote a post it would be good you´d remove the pictures from the quote - this makes a thread annoyingly looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong w/o giving new information... I´m not a mod but I think you know what I mean... - no offense!

The pictures Gregg posted now appear 3 times in one thread - does not make sense, or does it?

I was about to say the same thing, Constabulary. I've seen it happen many times in forums, people need to keep this in mind when replying. That aside, fascinating stuff, Gregg, quite a mechanical contraption .

[rodneywt1180b]

The Singer 201 is one of the best domestic sewing machines Singer ever made.  They also saw a lot of commercial use from tailors and dress makers.  Great for fabric but not necessarily a leather machine though they should handle garment weight leather just fine.  We don't see too many of the newer style like that one here in the USA.

Rodney

[Evo160K]

Mods!!.."thing" ( "splinch" ) in aisle 5..

Clever, Mike, I learned a new word.

[Constabulary]

9 hours ago, Gregg From Keystone Sewing said:

I don't know what to do to clean this up, sorry for the page.

I don´t wanted you to remove the pictures of this interesting machine entirely. But people (too) often quote posts just because they want to notify the original poster that they have answered a post (I think) but this only works when notifications are turned on (AFAIK). That for sure makes sense (sometimes) but quoting a long post incl. all pictures just makes the threads annoyingly long. I´d recommend editing a quote text to a reasonable minimum and remove all pictures except the member has a question that requires a certain picture in the quote. Thats all I wanted to say.

Just my 2 cents.

[Rockoboy]

11 hours ago, rodneywt1180b said:

The Singer 201 is one of the best domestic sewing machines Singer ever made.  They also saw a lot of commercial use from tailors and dress makers.  Great for fabric but not necessarily a leather machine though they should handle garment weight leather just fine.  We don't see too many of the newer style like that one here in the USA.

Rodney

Thanx Rodney, that was my main interest in buying this machine, along with it only costing $60. This machine gives me something to play with, using cloth and garment leather, until I can find a decent leather machine at a suitable price.

 

[cjartist]

Ha ha ha.  Problem with a thread like this is there is always commentary that slows it down.  Kind of like this post, which frankly has no purpose.  You need to start one and ask for:

• Picture of favorite machine
• What you use it for
• NO commentary or other posts that don't contribute to the catalog

Sorry I just wasted another six inches of this post

[bikermutt07]

6 hours ago, cjartist said:

Ha ha ha.  Problem with a thread like this is there is always commentary that slows it down.  Kind of like this post, which frankly has no purpose.  You need to start one and ask for:

• Picture of favorite machine
• What you use it for
• NO commentary or other posts that don't contribute to the catalog

Sorry I just wasted another six inches of this post

That's what I was hoping for....

[jasonpotts42]

This is a Chandler TDU-N62, same as the Rex 26-188. Made by Nakajima and you will see other branded machines just like this under various names and usually a model number similar to the two I have posted. These have two feed mechanisms, the drop feed and alternating presser feet, there is no needle feed. I don't think these are in production any longer but there were a lot of them made. I see them with some frequency in the Kansas City region.

[jasonpotts42]

[bikermutt07]

Thanks for sharing. 

[Dwight]

Mine is a Tippmann Boss, . . . love the thing, . . . my website shows some of my work, . . . all done with it.

Picture shows the first belt I did in my new shop, . . . fixed a flat table I can slide on the machine, . . . or slip it off and not use the table.

May God bless,

Dwight

[jasonpotts42]

Consew 389RB-2

Post bed, Three feeding mechanisms, alternating presser feet, drop feed, needle feed. Two needle, adjustable width with parts, extra large bobbins. This is great for uphostery, top stitching french seams and I use it for top stitching down legs and sleeves and getting down into bags and such.