In my ongoing quest to find bits and pieces to complete the restoration of my grandmother’s Singer 99k knee-lever sewing-machine, I have two kinds of lubricant, with which to tantilise you.
When you ambled into your friendly local Singer Sewing Center and left with your brand-spanking-new sewing machine, it would’ve come complete with all manner of wizzlewozzles and doohickies, doodads and thingdoodles.
Today, few vintage machines have these bits and pieces still with them. They’ve been used up, lost, thrown out, broken or just forgotten about, and you can’t just go back down to your local Singer shop to buy them anymore. So instead, you have to seek them out all individually and separately. It’s frustrating because you don’t always know what to look for. But sometimes, you get lucky.
Using the BRK motor-manual which I bought last week (see other posts in this category) as a guide for what to look for, I headed out into the world of the local flea-market. While there, in the pre-dawn chill of a Melbourne winter, with only my torchlight to guide me, I chanced upon this:
Holy mackrel! It’s a Singer oil-can!
After anywhere from 40-90 years, there’s obviously no OIL left in the can. But I bought it anyway, for a couple of dollars, for the sake of completeness. Why did I buy it?
Because, even though it’s as dry as the Sahara Desert, it is, nonetheless, the original style of oil-can that went with my machine when it was brand-new.
This is a a standard Singer bentwood case:
On the inside of that case, on the back left-hand side (if the ‘SINGER’ logo is facing you), is a little bent wire bracket, screwed into the paneling.
If you’ve got a Singer machine with a bentwood case and ever wondered what that bracket was there for…well…take a look at the picture of the oil-can up above. Keep it well in your mind, and then scroll down…
Yup! That little bent metal bracket is to hold the oil-can! See how nicely it sits in there and how HAPPY it is to finally be back home? You can tell it’s smiling. You can just tell.
When oiling your vintage Singer sewing machine, be sure that you oil all the moving parts which are MECHANICAL. That means NO OIL should go into the electric BRK machine-motor at the back/side of the machine. If you do that, horrible things will happen. It will heat up, start smoking and will probably catch fire and blow up, because the oil’s gone all through the motor, interfered with the electronics (such as they are on these old machines) and started an irreversible chain of catastrophic events.
Oil the pistons, shafts, cranks, levers, wheels, hooks…anything that’s mechanical. But do NOT apply sewing-machine oil to the motor. Or you’ll live to regret it.
But hold on. I told you I had TWO types of lubricant!…What’s the other one?
You might remember this manual from a previous posting:
Having read the warning, you’re sitting at your desk wondering “What the hell is this ‘motor-lubricant’ stuff?”
The motor-lubricant, which is the only thing that should be used to lubricate the BRK Singer sewing-machine motor, is a thickish, pasty substance. Originally, it came in this tube, which I purchased today for a paltry $1.00:
The tube is, structurally, in excellent condition, without cracks or leaks, and it’s almost completely full of its original supply of paste! This is the lubricant which you should use to lubricate your Singer BRK machine-motor.
If you can’t find any of these neat little tubes of paste, then nick down to your local sewing-machine shop (if you have one) or hardware store (if you don’t), and ask for good-quality motor lubricant. It should be like a soft, gel-like paste which can sit inside the motor and keep things nice and smooth, but without dribbling and leaking everywhere like oil would.
Once you have it, take it home and apply it sparingly, to the oiling holes either side of your Singer BRK machine-motor. The oiling-holes are these little metallic holes at either end of the motor:
See it? It’s that tiny little steel-lined hole, above the big, fat, black plastic screw-head. That’s why the nozzle on the paste-tube is so small, because it has to fit into that miniscule little opening.
Still hunting for more bits and pieces…
Hi!! I thought I’d drop you a line to say that I’ve been reading your account of restoring a 99k (here and on thefedoralounge), because I’d been searching for one, and recently (3 days ago) picked one up. I’m adding it to my collection (that makes 11 now).
I found with the last machine (a Centennial 15-90) that I did restoration work on that the grease hole was actually clogged with old grease. It seemed like it took some grease in, but didn’t.
When I ran the machine, I noticed that it was too slow, and the belt was the right tension, so there wasn’t an obvious (external) reason for it.
When I took the grease tube out, (easier on the one I have, because it’s an external tube – yours is similar to my featherweights’ grease holes), there was grease wick in there, but it wasn’t being particularly effective either. I ended up greasing the armature shaft and bearing directly, washing the wick (let it dry overnight), cleaning the tube and reassembling.
The motor smelled better, and after a minute or so of running the machine in, it picked up speed to rival the fastest machines in the house.
The information is on my site if you’re interested in reading about it. I don’t want to see you run into an issue of “under-greasing” the motor, like the one I have.
Hi!! I thought I’d drop you a line to say that I’ve been reading your account of restoring a 99k (here and on thefedoralounge), because I’d been searching for one, and recently (3 days ago) picked one up. I’m adding it to my collection (that makes 11 now).
I found with the last machine (a Centennial 15-90) that I did restoration work on that the grease hole was actually clogged with old grease. It seemed like it took some grease in, but didn’t.
When I ran the machine, I noticed that it was too slow, and the belt was the right tension, so there wasn’t an obvious (external) reason for it.
When I took the grease tube out, (easier on the one I have, because it’s an external tube – yours is similar to my featherweights’ grease holes), there was grease wick in there, but it wasn’t being particularly effective either. I ended up greasing the armature shaft and bearing directly, washing the wick (let it dry overnight), cleaning the tube and reassembling.
The motor smelled better, and after a minute or so of running the machine in, it picked up speed to rival the fastest machines in the house.
The information is on my site if you’re interested in reading about it. I don’t want to see you run into an issue of “under-greasing” the motor, like the one I have.
Just discovered your blog and it’s great! You are right, that oil can does look happy to be home. I love the 99s but usually convert them to handcranks for kids to sew on.
I’d love it if my gran’s 99 was a handcrank, but I’m not so lucky…
It’s an easy conversion and I posted a tutorial about it on my blog: http://dragonpoodle.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-convert-singer-99-to-hand-crank.html
Just discovered your blog and it’s great! You are right, that oil can does look happy to be home. I love the 99s but usually convert them to handcranks for kids to sew on.
I’d love it if my gran’s 99 was a handcrank, but I’m not so lucky…
It’s an easy conversion and I posted a tutorial about it on my blog: http://dragonpoodle.blogspot.com/2012/04/how-to-convert-singer-99-to-hand-crank.html
Great photos and terrific style of writing. I enjoyed my cyber-visit. Thanks.
Why thank you! I”m glad you liked it.
Great photos and terrific style of writing. I enjoyed my cyber-visit. Thanks.
Why thank you! I”m glad you liked it.
I’m a sewing machine virgin :), just bought a 201k. (First machine I’ve owned) had a crash course
off sister in law, and loving it. Not made anything yet but lots of practice on bits of material. Found your blog while searching for lubrication instructions for the motor. Thank you for the answer I was looking for….The other great thing about the singer is it makes a beautiful piece of industrial art when not in use. :).
Hi Stephen. I agree, these machines look beautiful just sitting there. Not something which can be said of modern machines.
I’m a sewing machine virgin :), just bought a 201k. (First machine I’ve owned) had a crash course
off sister in law, and loving it. Not made anything yet but lots of practice on bits of material. Found your blog while searching for lubrication instructions for the motor. Thank you for the answer I was looking for….The other great thing about the singer is it makes a beautiful piece of industrial art when not in use. :).
Hi Stephen. I agree, these machines look beautiful just sitting there. Not something which can be said of modern machines.
Hi there, I too have inherited my grandmother’s singer 99. I want to fix it up and use it for my kids clothes. I am in the process of rewiring the motor, light and knee switch and I am stuck on two parts. Perhaps you and your highly coveted motor manual could be of assistance? First, how do I get the grease wick out and then back in again. Those silver grease holes don’t seem to unscrew. Do they just pull out? If so how? Second, is there a particular way to remove the commutator from the windings?the windings seem to be in the way to pull the commutator out toward the fan and the fan doesn’t seem to come off to go the other way. Also the windings seem to block that way as well. I am worried that if I put too much pressure on the windings something will break. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated . Philip
Hi Phil,
The grease-wicks unscrew from the motor, from what I remember. There’s two big screws on the underside of the motor. Get a flathead screwdriver and some grease. Unscrew them and they should just pop out.
Hi there, I too have inherited my grandmother’s singer 99. I want to fix it up and use it for my kids clothes. I am in the process of rewiring the motor, light and knee switch and I am stuck on two parts. Perhaps you and your highly coveted motor manual could be of assistance? First, how do I get the grease wick out and then back in again. Those silver grease holes don’t seem to unscrew. Do they just pull out? If so how? Second, is there a particular way to remove the commutator from the windings?the windings seem to be in the way to pull the commutator out toward the fan and the fan doesn’t seem to come off to go the other way. Also the windings seem to block that way as well. I am worried that if I put too much pressure on the windings something will break. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated . Philip
Hi Phil,
The grease-wicks unscrew from the motor, from what I remember. There’s two big screws on the underside of the motor. Get a flathead screwdriver and some grease. Unscrew them and they should just pop out.
Thank you writer, thank you vewy vewy much. I think…..I love you, now if anyone has a repair manual for a Magic 22(8222), of which I found on a council throw out (I love those things), and in need of some serious attention, I will love you too :). Parts that are missing – Reverse button from stitch length dial, screws x 3 from back cover. Mechanical problems are as follows, top tension very tight (will only feed on zero), took it out, clean as a whistle, needle arm vibrates like crazy on a slow speed. the machine itself is very clean inside, with no signs of rust, however some moving parts are so dry I dehydrate just thinking about it. So, a manual will assist me in pulling it apart totally, and then of course, reassemble it, no prob (hahahaha yeah right). I also found another singer machine but there doesn’t seem to be any numbers on it, definitely no name badge. It is a gorgeous machine despite it’s Mobile grey color (Mobile as in petroleum). Cant wait to get this metal damsel working. Where was I?, that’s right, Magic 22 service manual.
ps. the magic 22 is the first sewing machine I have ever owned, touched, plugged in, and pulled apart, hence the reluctance to disassemble the older one, I say older because it’s metal, not sure if it is or not, certainly smells old.
Thanks in advance, sorry for the rant
Thank you writer, thank you vewy vewy much. I think…..I love you, now if anyone has a repair manual for a Magic 22(8222), of which I found on a council throw out (I love those things), and in need of some serious attention, I will love you too :). Parts that are missing – Reverse button from stitch length dial, screws x 3 from back cover. Mechanical problems are as follows, top tension very tight (will only feed on zero), took it out, clean as a whistle, needle arm vibrates like crazy on a slow speed. the machine itself is very clean inside, with no signs of rust, however some moving parts are so dry I dehydrate just thinking about it. So, a manual will assist me in pulling it apart totally, and then of course, reassemble it, no prob (hahahaha yeah right). I also found another singer machine but there doesn’t seem to be any numbers on it, definitely no name badge. It is a gorgeous machine despite it’s Mobile grey color (Mobile as in petroleum). Cant wait to get this metal damsel working. Where was I?, that’s right, Magic 22 service manual.
ps. the magic 22 is the first sewing machine I have ever owned, touched, plugged in, and pulled apart, hence the reluctance to disassemble the older one, I say older because it’s metal, not sure if it is or not, certainly smells old.
Thanks in advance, sorry for the rant