Antique/vintage machines

I've been amazed by Bonnie Hunter's interest in old sewing machines. I've searched this forum and found a thread about treadles.
Attachment 62547
This comes from one of my great-aunts. The serial number tells it is from 1924. It is a hand crank, probably the Singer 28 model. The bobbin case looks like a pen (I think it's called a shuttle?) It's full of dirt and spiderwebs, but it must have been oiled to death as the weel still rotates smoothly and all the parts seem to move properly (haven't tried to put a needle and thread it yet, so I don't know if it actually SEWS).
Do you think it is worth the pain and money to have it restaured for use? Do you know if the parts could be found?
Thanks for any advice or comment about your experience in rescuing vintage machines.

Time to bump it up!

I don't have any information for you, but I'm sure someone will chime in soon.

I have been watching Quilt Cam, and following Bonnie's blog. As a result, I have begun to be interested in the vintage machines. They are fascinating....

I hope you will be able to get your lovely old girl up and running... Wouldn't that be gun?

Sandy Navas does a lot of her own restoration work on the old machines. Hopefully she will see this thread.

Search Results - Quilting Board
this forum is really into the old machines. just search restoration, or vintage, and you will find lots of info here.

Yes, yes, and yes. What a wonderful find.

Yes, it can easily be cleaned and made to look better. You will never be able to completely restore it to it's natural pristine state as it has some rust and other damage apparent in the picture.

Clean all the dirt and grime off, get those spider webs and other outlaws out, and then use a light wax or polish on the surface to make it shine. I have used Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to get grime off some old machines and it works really well without destroying the finish. Something like a stainless steel cleaner (even though this is NOT stainless steel) will help clean it, also. Missing pieces can be found - if you will send me the serial number I'll track down a manual and put you on the right path for parts.

Will you ever be able to sew on it? Maybe, maybe not. BUT I would venture to say you probably can get it working to the point that you could at least do one project on it and say you did. If nothing more, you will have a showpiece for your sewing room when you are finished - and a story to go with it.

The most difficult thing with the bullet shuttle and bobbin is loading it properly. I don't see a bobbin winder on this machine, and don't know enough about this Model to tell whether or not it should have one.

Now, before you do anything else, give her a name (perhaps your Aunt's name), give her a cleansing bath (get a couple old toothbrushes and put them to use, don't be afraid of a little soap and water either), and then make her shine. Send me the serial number, too.

Oh, my! Another fantastic new world is being opened to me: vintage machines! Thank you for your help and your infectious enthousiasm! :icon_happy:

I've just had lunch with my aunt and godmother. She is 74 and remembers working on this machine as a kid an teenager, as she was raised by this great-aunt of mine (her own aunt and godmother) that owned it. This lady had been a young widow without kids, her husband had been an ambulant tailor in the early 20th century, carrying this machine on his head! When he died (maybe in the Spanish Civil War, I really don't know) the widow took the machine, needles, and threads left and opened a tiny but prosperous notions store, and called her niece (my aunt) to her side to keep her company.

When this old great-aunt died, her personal belongings went to my grandparents', and this is how I came to the posession of this antique.

That's been a long explanation, so that you know why I'm calling her Veva after the old lady (aunt Genoveva). The serial number is Y-1923923.

There is another machine, similar age, that had belonged to another great-aunt, that I must chase now. It is a treadle, ALFA brand (Spanish clone of Singer's), but as it uses regular bobbins, my mother lent it to a community center for their sewing lessons. I know they don't use it anymore as they received lately more recent machines. Hope they didn't throw the old one away!

Cool, I remember sewing on my Grandmother's machine until 1970 when I got a new machine for my birthday. It had that type of bobbin, long and skinny in a bullet shaped casing. It worked just fine, wish I knew what happened to it.

Two more pics with close-up and first diagnosis.
For what I know, this machine was carried many years in sun, rain, and snow. Maybe it was some kind of wrapped in oil cloth or so, but I don't expect the decals to recover as new. My aunt recalls it did sew very well, and she has had many machines since! Just hoping...
Attachment 62595Attachment 62596

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Originally Posted by Doloris

Search Results - Quilting Board
this forum is really into the old machines. just search restoration, or vintage, and you will find lots of info here.

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This looks like another amazing forum! Many thanks! I'm going to learn a lot. I'm spending the evening with some friends: one is a vintage car freak (he is restauring two that are older than me!). I might get advice as to lubricants, metal polishers, etc.

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Originally Posted by lourixe

This looks like another amazing forum! Many thanks! I'm going to learn a lot. I'm spending the evening with some friends: one is a vintage car freak (he is restauring two that are older than me!). I might get advice as to lubricants, metal polishers, etc.

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if you join and post pics on that forum they will all chime in and tell you anything you want to know about that machine. someone even did tutes on how to restore them and what products to use and which to avoid. They love hand cranks over there. Good luck, you will get addicted to these things.

It's been very helpful.

Knowing this machine had come from America to Northern Spain in the middle 20es led me to think it might have come along the anthropologist Ruth Mathilda Anderson, who took wonderful pictures of everyday life for the Hispanic American Society.

Veva could have been a fellow traveler of these ladies, also carried on the head or shoulder of her owner:
http://www.disquecool.com/wp-content...a-Anderson.jpg

My grandmother didn't sew as her sisters in law, she was the family's weaver. She would have looked pretty much like this one, working at linen bedsheet or seed sacks from their own grown flax:
http://www.editorialcanela.com/udeco...en%20Lopez.jpg

You should post your pix here too: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...thusiasts-f22/ they would LOVE to see them too...
your Y-1923923 is probably a model 15k 'born' 1921 -- I got that info here: Y Serial Numbers - Comprehensive Singer Sewing Machine Serial Number Database

I love these old girls!

Hello from Spain
she already posted over there and has gotten lots of help

Yes you can get replacement parts.. Just post at the link above... quilting board.
You will need to replace the bobbin winder. There should be a belt for a pedal machine if you find a good cabinet with the iron legs, petal plate and wheel. On the back side of your machine, there should be a plate covering and that is where an electric motor can be installed. That era of sewing machines were sold all over the world and needed to work with or without power.

I have a vintage machine, circa 1901. It is in good working order and I have been able to sew a seam or two with it. Read all about my find HERE

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Originally Posted by jingleme

You should post your pix here too: http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...thusiasts-f22/ they would LOVE to see them too...
your Y-1923923 is probably a model 15k 'born' 1921 -- I got that info here: Y Serial Numbers - Comprehensive Singer Sewing Machine Serial Number Database

I love these old girls!

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Another lover of these old girls sees this:

Y-

1918801

1933800

28K

15000

May 7

1924

Thanks to all: the machine seems to be a Singer 28K. This is the thread I opened about it in the other forum. It has been very helpful. Now I must do some shopping for chemicals to have it cleaned and parts, specially new bobbins and a bobbind winder to replace the missing one.
There was another vintage machine at home, a treadle from another great-aunt. My mother lent it to a community center, but last news were they didn't use it anymore. Maybe I can get it back. My mother liked it better because it used regular bobbins instead of the long ones, but my aunt says it didn't sew so well as the one I already have. So I might shift the 28K to the cabinet, if I can manage to recover it.

I love the antique machines! I do all of my sewing on 1930 Singer handcrank . It is a model 99. I have even sewn leather without any problems.
I also have a 1933 Frister and Rossman handcrank, it is a German machine with a shuttle bobbin. It also sews great and I have made a few quilts on it.
I also have two antique electric machines: 1952 model 128 Singer, with the vibrating shuttle. It has the black matt finish. And I have 1957 Singer Featherweight, it was my Mother in law's.
I just got great grandma's 1934 Singer model 15 treadle. I have to put a new belt on it and it will be ready to sew!
All my machines have the original instruction manuals and work great.
I hope you enjoy your old machine!

Vintage/antique machines are so funly wonderful. I too enjoy them, lourixe, and am glad you posted about yours. I'm reading over the responses now but it does not appear that you've named him/her? If so, what did you come up with?

Oh QuiltingRN, would you consider posting a pic of yours? I have one also. It is the first hand crank I have used so I can't compare but I love it. Yes, I heard it can do leather. How cool is that?

I am wondering though, seriously, what is it like to sew a quilt on a hand crank? I am truly not looking forward to it which is why I am pushing myself to actually use my treadle. Being new to quilting I am thinking I'll need both hands to deal with the fabric versus turning the crank.

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Originally Posted by QuiltingRN

I love the antique machines! I do all of my sewing on 1930 Singer handcrank . It is a model 99. I have even sewn leather without any problems.
I also have a 1933 Frister and Rossman handcrank, it is a German machine with a shuttle bobbin. It also sews great and I have made a few quilts on it.
I also have two antique electric machines: 1952 model 128 Singer, with the vibrating shuttle. It has the black matt finish. And I have 1957 Singer Featherweight, it was my Mother in law's.
I just got great grandma's 1934 Singer model 15 treadle. I have to put a new belt on it and it will be ready to sew!
All my machines have the original instruction manuals and work great.
I hope you enjoy your old machine!

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Ok here are the pics of my antique machines.
As far as quilting, it doesn't seem to be a problem feeding the quilt thru with one hand, the fabric tracks well so I don't need two hands.

Uwwwww, sweeet, QuiltingRN. What great eye candy.

I don't have the necessary things to collect, but boy I can sure Pinterest and enjoy others' supply. Really, I can't complain with two Sears Hand Cranks and one treadle in my presence. Just think, as of a couple years ago I had neither. Humph, come to think of it, who's to say what the future holds, may acquire other nice treasures in the antique sewing machine arena.

The bottom right one appears to have silver decals. Uwww, yummy. What are their names? I wonder if many members name their babies. My hc is called "Tabitha" and the Minnesota treadle is "Dorcas". I chose those names because Dorcas was known for giving and helping others in her congregation (Hebrew Scriptures). Then, I learned "Tabitha" is the Greek form of the name Dorcas. Plus, Tabitha is such a cute name; sounds better than Dorcas, LOL. My goal is to use my girls to help others somehow.

Thanks. All the decals are gold, it is just the lighting that makes it look silver. The one on the bottom right is my main machine. I don't have any names for them, just never thought of it! I mostly refer to them by their model number...99, 128, 15,

http://forum.missouriquiltco.com/mem...ollection.html

All mine have names, but having recently moved a bunch of things around and having consolidated, they are in various places in the house. I do believe I have added one more to my collection since this album was posted - Doris has been with me less than a year - she's a treadle who hums like a true Singer.

nice machines Sandy! I will have to take a picture of my Featherweight, it is a 1957 and was my mother in laws. I don't have room for any more machines, but I would love to have another handcrank!