Eeeek!!
It’s alright. Don’t panic…It’s just a sewing-machine.
A while back, I wrote this article about a Singer 128 handcrank sewing-machine that I bought in London for a song.
Well, the machine arrived home today, and I spent the last few hours cleaning it, oiling it and lubricating it. It sews, it runs, it works!
And I even found a replacement slide-plate for it. This is before:
And this is After:
Ain’t it purdy?
The eagle-eyed among you will notice that the two slide-plates do not match…
I could purchase an ORIGINAL Singer 28-series slide-plate. I could even buy a brand-new reproduction one. But I found that one in a box of sewing-machine nicknacks which I purchased for the heady price of $10 at the flea-market. One piece out of probably a hundred attachments, nuts, bolts, springs, feet and god knows what else…it cost me probably one cent!
Not bad!
Going against my own advice in my sewing-machine posts, I actually went ahead with my needle-nosed tweezers and ripped out the old, red felt wick which, as you’ll recall, is inside every bobbin-mechanism, to stop friction and abrasion, and to keep the mechanism lubricated.
I did this for two reasons:
1. The old felt was completely TRASHED!
2. It’s very easy to replace the felt wick on old Singer 28-series machines like this.
All you need is a TEENSY scrap of fabric, or some cotton wool. Roll it into a little ball or sausage, and then just stuff it into the hole where the felt wick goes. You may need to use your needle-nose tweezers or a chopstick or something, to shove it down the hole properly, but it’s not that hard.
So long as the replacement wick (made out of whatever material it was you chose) is sufficiently absorbent, you can replace the old one with no problems at all!
The only thing I need to do now, is to buy a new case-lid for it. If I can find one anywhere!
The old vibrating shuttle machines have a magic all their own. This is the type of machine I learnt to sew on in the 1960s. I think the slide plate you have as a replacement is from a German machine, with that slit in it. Have a look at the Naumann machine I have posted on my blog today – the slide plates might look slightly familiar.
Love,
Muv
Hi Muvvy!
My dad and I found this machine at the Camden Lock Market in north London. I got it for 15 pounds sterling. The guy was desperate to get rid of it (he had like four or five other machines there, all taking up space). We pulled it apart and carried it home in pieces, and then reassembled it when we got it home.
The replacement plate was one that I found in a big box of random sewing-attachments at my local flea-market. I knew I probably wouldn’t find another one like it, so I snatched it up then and there. Yes, it’s not an exact match, but it does the trick and doesn’t look too much out of place 🙂
The old vibrating shuttle machines have a magic all their own. This is the type of machine I learnt to sew on in the 1960s. I think the slide plate you have as a replacement is from a German machine, with that slit in it. Have a look at the Naumann machine I have posted on my blog today – the slide plates might look slightly familiar.
Love,
Muv
Hi Muvvy!
My dad and I found this machine at the Camden Lock Market in north London. I got it for 15 pounds sterling. The guy was desperate to get rid of it (he had like four or five other machines there, all taking up space). We pulled it apart and carried it home in pieces, and then reassembled it when we got it home.
The replacement plate was one that I found in a big box of random sewing-attachments at my local flea-market. I knew I probably wouldn’t find another one like it, so I snatched it up then and there. Yes, it’s not an exact match, but it does the trick and doesn’t look too much out of place 🙂
I have got a singer 99k machine I have been told it’s a semi industrial sewing machine if that is so will I not be able to use it on any other materials other than leather ect.
Whoever told you that doesn’t know his sewing machines. The Singer 99k is a DOMESTIC MACHINE for everyday sewing. I know because I have one. Anything from cotton to wool to silk and anything else that you can put under the presser-foot. Denim, thin leather, canvas…it’ll sew it up, no problems. An INDUSTRIAL machine is MUCH larger.
The one I have was inherited by my grandmother. She used it for 50 years to make dresses (she was a professional dressmaker by profession).
Thanks for that info it’s just a matter of changing the needle and stich size for different materials is that right
Stitch-size is up to you. Needle-size and foot/thread tension is more important. You want heavier foot-tension for thicker fabrics/more layers, and lighter tension for lighter fabrics. If the foot-tension isn’t right, the needle tugs the fabric up whenever it comes out again, and that can pull things the wrong way.
Thanks for the info I have never used a machine before so not sure about the different tensions
Look for a PDF of the manual. There are loads of free ones online. After years of stringing up gran’s Singer for her when I was a child, I had to refer to a manual on how to do it again for the first time in 10 years. I’d completely forgotten!
Ok thanks
I have got a singer 99k machine I have been told it’s a semi industrial sewing machine if that is so will I not be able to use it on any other materials other than leather ect.
Whoever told you that doesn’t know his sewing machines. The Singer 99k is a DOMESTIC MACHINE for everyday sewing. I know because I have one. Anything from cotton to wool to silk and anything else that you can put under the presser-foot. Denim, thin leather, canvas…it’ll sew it up, no problems. An INDUSTRIAL machine is MUCH larger.
The one I have was inherited by my grandmother. She used it for 50 years to make dresses (she was a professional dressmaker by profession).
Thanks for that info it’s just a matter of changing the needle and stich size for different materials is that right
Stitch-size is up to you. Needle-size and foot/thread tension is more important. You want heavier foot-tension for thicker fabrics/more layers, and lighter tension for lighter fabrics. If the foot-tension isn’t right, the needle tugs the fabric up whenever it comes out again, and that can pull things the wrong way.
Thanks for the info I have never used a machine before so not sure about the different tensions
Look for a PDF of the manual. There are loads of free ones online. After years of stringing up gran’s Singer for her when I was a child, I had to refer to a manual on how to do it again for the first time in 10 years. I’d completely forgotten!
Ok thanks