Singer sewing machine fanatics

[Muscovy Wunda]

Hey guys! So I thought it'd be nice to start a thread for all the singers. Feel free to share your machines, and ask the community questions (this is what I'm hoping to do)

I've been using singers since I could sew but today after 10 years I finally pulled out my nanas old 114G Singer, and its beautiful! I think part of the bobbins missing but haven't found a whole lot on it.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Hi, fellow machine addict here.
I have several vintage models of Singers, and one older Kenmore, plus an array of new machines I use regularly, but they are not Singers.

If you are needing a manual on your model above you might try Manuals Library-
https://www.manualslib.com/It's an excellent free manual resource and I've been able to find not only find manuals on all my vintage girls, but also service manuals and parts schematics for some of them.

My vintage girls are-
Singer 201-2 from 1940
Singer 99k from 1956
Singer 221 Featherweight from 1948
Kenmore 158 from 1974.
All my vintage girls run smoothly and make beautiful stitches, though I need to work on the Featherweight a little more as I just got her a few months ago. Below are stock photos of the exact models I have.

201-2, mine is in a cabinet very similar to this one-

99k, not in a cabinet-

221 Featherweight-

Kenmore 158-

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Beautiful machines! I think the 99k looks like the model I learnt to sew on originally, it was a cabinet one

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Thank you. I love my sewing machines.
My 99k had a wood base, but it was in such poor shape that I got a cheap table from Goodwill and cut a hole for her to sit into when I use her. She's a complete workhorse and the first vintage machine I got.
Over the years I've picked up many Singers more similar to yours and have fiddled with them and fixed them, if they were fixable, and then found them new homes. I like to tinker.

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Thank you. I love my sewing machines.
My 99k had a wood base, but it was in such poor shape that I got a cheap table from Goodwill and cut a hole for her to sit into when I use her. She's a complete workhorse and the first vintage machine I got.
Over the years I've picked up many Singers more similar to yours and have fiddled with them and fixed them, if they were fixable, and then found them new homes. I like to tinker.

I like tinkering too, but I don't normally tinker with machines. Am I correct in thinking my bobbin case is missing?

 

[SnapdragonQ]

I'm not sure your machine uses a traditional bobbin case. Based on the bobbin assembly picture, showing the tension screws and the thread finger, it appears your machine has the type of bobbin assembly that the older models use, like mine.

Is yours a slant model? I'm not able to tell from your pictures but a quick google search shows the 411 to be a slant.
I'll do some poking around when I'm more awake (still working on my first cup of coffee) and see what I can find out.

 

[SnapdragonQ]

Here is a copy of the manual. On numbered page 14 and 15 is the bobbin information. It does appear to be a drop in bobbin like some of my vintage girls.
411 manual
You'll need to check around further in the manual to see which class of bobbins it takes. Some of my vintage girls are said to be able to use the newer plastic bobbins (in the correct class) but metal bobbins are easy to find so I use those.

And here is a page from Old Sewing Gear, which is also a great site for info. Around the middle of the page has some good pictures of the drop in bobbin set ups-
Bobbins

 

[Muscovy Wunda]

Oh awesome thank you! (Sorry I was never alerted to your reply) I'll go through those today. Thats such a relief it's a drop in, means I'm not missing anything

 

[Blooie]

I love old Singers…..and I use them. We just moved into our new house, so I don’t have all of my stuff here yet. I still need to put the leather belt on my treadle machine, and I have tons of accessories for my Singers, including one original wooden accessory box that opens like a puzzle. We just got my treadle machine and two of my Featherweights brought in from storage today, so they are sitting out open to allow them to warm up slowly. The table the Featherweights are sitting on is an original Singer Featherweight table. The machine snaps into an opening (closed at the moment by it’s little fitted cover) so that the operator has a bigger work surface. I also have original manuals for them. I’m hoping to get the rest of my accessories and my last Featherweight here later in the week.

As I said, I use every one of these 4 old Singers on a regular basis - at least I did until they went into storage for the last 3 months. I don’t think you can get a straighter, more even seam than these old workhorses sew. I also have an Elna Quilter’s Dream but I seem to park my hiney down in front of my old Singers more than I do the Elha. So glad I found this old thread, pun not intended.

 

[Blooie]

Pair of Featherweights…one is missing. This table is a Featherweight table - you can see where the cover sits over the opening that the machine drops down into. I have the cases for these two…the third machine is an orphan so that’s the one that always sits in the table.

Old Faithful. I have pieced more quilts on this machine than I can probably count. Gotta get the leather belt put back on and let her warm up, and she’ll be ready to go again.

Can’t wait to get my sewing room put totally together again. This is actually the guest room in our new house, but we only have company on rare occasions so I decided this room would do double duty.