Singer 111W155 age ?

[Silky]

Hi folks.

I just found, and bought a SInger 111W155.

I'm curious of the mfg. date but see nothing online other than it was made in CN.

Serial # W1415235

18" x 48" table with step pulleys and clutch / brake at the upper ones.

Pretty nice shape.

I'm guessing 40's ?

Thanks

 

[Constabulary]

Gregg from Keystone Sewing once posted this sheets - looks like yours is 1953/54 made.

[Silky]

EXCELLENT !

 Thank you !

[Silky]

Now I am missing the hinge parts that poke into the base of the machine.

Are these the right ones ? Are they available ? or should I make 2.

Thanks.

 

[rburson]

Yes they are available I bet Cowboy Bob Toledo Industrial Sewing has some if not google part number easy to find. Bob is an advertiser and great help here on the site.

[Silky]

Hey thanks, I'll check with him later today.

Another question .... or few.

Does this stand look like it may be original to the head ? or older ?

Maybe these were cobbled together over the years ?

I am considering restoring the stand and top and also maybe the knee lift, reduction pulleys and such. It has a neat clutch/brake built in.

I will need the missing step pulley from the motor shaft. I guess they were cut for round belts as they are a true V with no flat in the bottom. I like the size of the table too. It is only 18" wide. NIce compact unit. I'll ask Bob about the pulley too but if anyone else has an outlet, please post.

Thanks again,

 

[dikman]

Interesting stand, appears to be made from pressed steel and welded, whereas the old Singers were cast and bolted together. My 51W59 stand was pressed (heavy) steel but was still bolted together, not welded. I had a similar pulley stack/clutch on one of my machines but I ditched it for a servo motor. The original motor, in my case a Singer, was very old and so was all the wiring and I considered it a safety hazard!

I doubt if the motor's original or that it came with a step pulley, my Singer motor didn't, you just adjusted the motor position if changing speeds.

The timber top looks solid and it might be worth sanding/cleaning it.

Edited April 23, 2020 by dikman

[Bert51]

Silky, I have a motor and transmitter like that on my Singer 31K47 and I also have a 16K113 that had that setup on it, but it is not set up like that. If you look near the thread stand base I think you will find some holes, that is were the motor should go. I run mine on leather belts as they are the easier to replace, but they can be a pain to set up.

I feel it maybe easier to replace that with a sero motor, you can get them for 100 bucks on ebay or Sewing Australia sells the better one for just over double that.

I love your table top, it looks like it's solid wood, not particle board like one of mine and look great like dikman said.

I love these old tables, I did up my 132K6 table and cleaned up the machine and it looked like a different machine and setup.

Bert.

[Silky]

I'm pretty sure this one would have had a step pulley on the motor as there is no way to easily

move the motor to tension the belt at different positions. Its bolted on rigid in slots. Its a Ridgidframe, Delco Appliance motor, 1/3 hp. and runs good. The wiring was cracked up though so I replaced it.
I'll probably just choose the most comfortable ratio and stick with a single pulley at the motor ...

like was evidently done previously.
I put a DC gearmotor w/controller on my 211G and it is a treat to run. That drive combo is pricey to

buy new, worth far more than the typical servo, but I had it on the shelf.
The table is nice but has a 3/8" twist in it from one end to the other. Probably set into it from

setting on a dirt floor in a barn for who knows how many years. Otherwise, it is quite nice looking. I

scraped the nasty finish off of it and hit it with a belt sander then put a quick coat of

polyurethane/stain combo on it just for kicks. Pretty patina ... if that's what you like. It is a pale, very

soft, light wood. Not Poplar or Pine, maybe Basswood.
The only welds on the frame are at the 2 horizontal pieces at each leg assembly, all the rest is

bolted together. And, it is only 16" wide, not 18 as stated earlier.  
More questions to come, I'm sure as I get it back together and, hopefully, running.
Thanks much !

[dikman]

The tabletop certainly has some character! Looks good to me. I'm still not convinced that the motor is original equipment or would have had a step pulley fitted, I think they just used the pulley that lined up best with how the motor fitted.

Still, you've got a 155 and an interesting project with that stand.

[Bert51]

I love the patina of your table, like dikman said, Character.

The motor you got with the table runs all the time, the three speed pulley system is your clutch, if you move the motor and need to change the belt size, they can be a pain.

I used this system on a 31K47 and I think it's okay, but I use leather belts on it,  they used to click on the hooks all the time, but I fixed that.

Have you acquired the hinge part yet?

Bert.

[Silky]

Thanks for the tips.

The more I look at it, the more I'm liking the top myself.

IT"S ALIVE !     Ran 3 bobbins through and it never skipped a beat ! Even on the slow pulley, its too fast for me. I stitched the belts together ... but they still click. The top one is a V belt and the bottom one is a round leather one.

I am putting a parts list together, then I will contact Bob. I just put a new belt on it and it looks awful sloppy loose. I don't like it. I've inquired in another post. If no response, I guess I'll have to get on the phone or email. You guys ever put one on these similar models ?

Regards,

 

 

[Bert51]

Sorry Silky, but I am yet to play with this type of machine and I am no help for you, but with luck some one will speak and help you.

Postage from the U.S. of A is the biggest expense and if you use paypal, they rip you with a low exchange rate.

Bert.

[NenaX]

Oooo could you tell me the age of my singer? 
Singer 111w155

Serial #pa737145

[Ironmountain56]

@NenaX I’ve been doing research on two 111w155’s I recently acquired from the same place. #1 has a w1xxxxxx serial # which makes it manufactured in Bridgeport Conn. #2 is a 111w155 ( same tag ) but has the PA 740xxx serial # . My research found that it was manufactured in Wittenberg Germany in 1954. Hope this helps. All the parts are interchangeable on my machines as the previous owner at 93 had taken them completely apart and then assembled both as he saw fit.