The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Vintage Machines => Topic started by: LeilaMay on January 10, 2018, 10:17:02 AM
-
My apologies if there's already a thread on this machine - I just bought one second hand and I've taken the top of -
OMG it's filthy - it's been greased everywhere rather than oiled I think, so all the joints make nasty dry crunchy sounds and there are blobs of harden grease all over.
It's got nasty knock/rattle somewhere at the motor end of the machine. Not entirely sure it's got an original motor in it (more investigation needed) so it might be a 'not quite fitting' replacement.
And dirty, oh gosh. No more machines for me this year, it's take a while to sort out the two I've got on the table. (Who needs a dining table we ask ourselves?)
-
Adding the fist shots of it 'uncovered'
If you've got one (yes Roger I'm thinking of you) I'd appreciate a shot or info about the original motor spec. - this one is perhaps not really right? May be the reason it's got a knocking noise. There was no shaped metal machine plate on the bottom, but I think there's one in the drawers?
-
Oh gosh! Poor you, poor machine!
I’ll get mine open later and get you some pics.
Looks like this could be a year long project... crack open the baby wipes :)
-
Boy, that is mucky! Mind you I haven't looked inside mine. It came from the seller with oil dripping down the needle, so I assumed that it had been lubricated and just got on and used it. Probably not the right thing to do, I know, but it worked fine and I was keen to sew on it. I shall clean it properly......soon -<
What can I tell you? I have a service manual which I downloaded from a website https://sewingdude.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/singer-401-service-manual/ (https://sewingdude.wordpress.com/2012/09/23/singer-401-service-manual/) which might help. If you need any specific info I can take a look at the machine.
-
Thank you very much.
I am now convinced it's got a larger (case size) replacement motor in it.
-
Oooooh Wonderful!!!
Nowt better than a good old grotfest :devil:
<3
-
LeilaMay, I've taken some photos and am about to upload them to the gallery. Hope they help.
The blue masking tape on the dial is to remind me that I've got the straight stitch plate in, to avoid embarrassing zig-zag accidents!
-
LeilaMay, I've taken some photos and am about to upload them to the gallery. Hope they help.
The blue masking tape on the dial is to remind me that I've got the straight stitch plate in, to avoid embarrassing zig-zag accidents!
Ah, that does help thank you. So I might have the same motor as you, but the metal plate next to it has been taken out, perhaps they lost the bolt to put it back. I shall look further.
Many thanks
-
Very dirty, but I have actually seen worse. A lot of the brownish staining can be basic oil, or too old oil being used. When over oiled a lot and it never was wiped off it can end up like that. Some looks very much like grease though, especially a few dots near the cam mechanism?
For the motor, there is an advice to give it one or two drops (!!) of heavier oil down the top shaft. There is a washer and maybe something else that makes a noise and the regular oil points doesn't reach it. I found read this in a very good tutorial on a blog, but I can't find it at the moment. The gears looks unusually dry and clean compared to the rest.
Best of luck, it's one of those machines that always gets my attention :- )
-
Do you still need any pics Leila?
Sorry - had some RL complexities tonight...
-
Do you still need any pics Leila?
Sorry - had some RL complexities tonight...
Nope, don't worry the shots skoutsews put up did the trick, thanks :)
-
Fab! :) I do need to photo the 401 but last night I ended up with no time
-
:vintage:
For me, one of the joys of acquiring vintage machines is the ephemera that you find tucked in with it. Because the 401 came in a cabinet, there were 3 drawers full! :)
These are my favourites its so far:-
* a wonderful (but sadly mostly used up) stocking repair set. I have several different types of these (oh gosh, a sub-collection!)
* some old repairing/cleaning things and a lovely old crunchy Singer paper bag
* a Singer leaflet about cabinets - which has prices written on it in pencil! So in 1963 the '75' cabinet was £25 - 13 - 6. The '363' cabinet (which is what they chose) was £27 - 10 - 6. The other price I think was for the '40Q.A.L.' cabinet (although that's not entirely clear, it could have been the boxy type) was £29 - 9 - 3.
* The original receipt for the machine. 23 March 1963. They traded in an old Singer - got £3 - 1 - 6 in part exchange. The total price, which I presume included the cabinet, was £133 - 1 - 6. That was a lot of money in 1963! They paid £25 up front - perhaps the rest was on weekly terms but there's no more documents about it.
* A hand written recipe for cough mixture was in the same envelope as the receipt :)
The machine belonged to one lady all her life until she moved to a carried home. It was then sold by her daughter to a work colleague. And then to me. It has stayed in the Greater London area the whole time until I brought it home to the West Country.
-
I love this kind of thing too, the history of machines and the funny bits and pieces with them.
They are so well built and passed down/on they all must have some cracking stories.
-
Duh! The pictures . . .
><
-
Oooh! That LA cabinet is just delicious! :loveit: :loveit: :loveit:
I've never seen one for real (in the wild or in a photo). They must not have been very popular and/or durable.
-
The Queen Anne Legs? I've seen them occasionally on ebay >:)
-
I've got one at the side of me now (QA legs), it contains a 201k. Needs some tlc, but originally had an Alfa in it.
I bought it originally to house the Featherweight, but that's just a no-no.
It's a very nice cabinet.
Jessie
-
No, it's not the QA that I'm looking at but the one in the top right illustration. It's labeled "The 'LA' cabinet". It's for a three quarters size machine.
-
No, it's not the QA that I'm looking at but the one in the top right illustration. It's labeled "The 'LA' cabinet". It's for a three quarters size machine.
Ah. I've not seen one knowingly either (sorry was on full-sized mode)
Perhaps they go under the radar as telephone tables or something, and you wouldn't know it was a machine table unless you looked carefully? A new quest! :)
-
Oh, you guys!!! ;) Just when I'd convinced myself that I was happy with what I had and that I definitely didn't need anything else..... :devil:
-
:vintage:
For me, one of the joys of acquiring vintage machines is the ephemera that you find tucked in with it.
It's fascinating and reminds me of a book I read recently, 'The Sewing Machine' by Natalie Fergie https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sewing-Machine-Natalie-Fergie/dp/1911586041/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sewing-Machine-Natalie-Fergie/dp/1911586041/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=)
It's got lots of sewing machine history (Singer factory at Clydebank) and is mostly set in Edinburgh, so it was close to home for me.
-
The cough medicine recipe, when deciphered, turns out to have opium and laudanum in it :o
-
When did cough medisin enter the picture? I know perscription cough medisin still contain opium or morphine derived substanses. A few oddities have turned up on the web, two or three years a go there was a picture of an apothecary bottle with a lable showing content; I think cannabis extract, cloroform and opium, standard ingredients 100 years ago. It's been all over the web several times by now, I don't know if it's a fake or a real lable (http://rebrn.com/re/cough-medicine-from-back-in-the-day-it-will-get-you-so-fucked-up-162393/)?
I don't think we are that much better off these days. Recent reports on Paracetamol are more than slightly worrying. A friend I met on new years eve are on some kind of morfine patches as pain relief (?). Last summer there were a lot of talk about oxycotin, and how it's marketed as a general perscription free pain relief many places in the world. Here we go again!
On the other hand, how is the 401G sounding today? I assume the gears and joints are all been given a round of oil and greas, I think the experts recommend a light teflon grease on some of the gears on this model.
-
I notice that back in 1963 a fancy cabinet didn't stop cats "helping" with sewing :meow:
-
When did cough medisin enter the picture?
On the other hand, how is the 401G sounding today? I assume the gears and joints are all been given a round of oil and greas, I think the experts recommend a light teflon grease on some of the gears on this model.
There was a hand written recipe among the bits and pieces with the machine :)
I haven't runthe machine apart from an initial test - it is going to be a while in the cleaning phase :)
-
So I've taken the bottom off the machine, and my first and most obvious question:
The lining of the metal base plate - perhaps originally some kind of industrial felt? Well now it's so oil and grease sodden it's like a fire risk! it's black, semi-liquid almost, stuck in various places and oozing gunge at the edges. So I've got to strip it off, I really have.
Should I replace it? Was it there to soak up excess oil? To keep the noise down at the bottom of the machine? What might I replace it with?
Suggestions gratefully received - it can't stay!
ETA - okay I see it's called a "felt drip pad" and I could buy one or a featherweight :) Off to search for one for a 401 . . .
-
LM, on some of my machines I've used leather. I had an abundance of upholstery leather given to me, and I've used some of it for this purpose - used with the suede side up.
I would think any stiffish porous fabric would do the trick.
Jessie
-
I was just thinking you could get a bit of felt and cut it to the right shape. As long as it’s absorbent and stops the oil leaking you should be fine:)
-
Thank you both - I think I shall do something like this. :)
(It's so grungy - I go and look at it, and twiddle a bit, and then leave the room again LOL)
-
Baby wipes they’re amazing on grunge!
They shift it off metal like nothing else :)
And freshen your machine too...
-
Right now I'm carefully scraping grease out of all the oil holes :( Then I'll oil it.
:sew:
-
Tooth picks and spray can oil? It should help dissolve things, a drop or two of white spirit in the right spot can safely be used on all metal parts. The risky thing is the beige paint, it had to be done carefully. You might have something usefull on a shelf some where..
For stubborn stains I have used warm soapy water and microfiber cloths, it works well and my 201K23 turned out clean and shiny after. It should do a good job. For the inside where there isn't any beige enamel paint you can sort to stronger stuff.
-
How’s it going?
Is the grunge coming out ok?
-
It is coming along. Wet wipes, and for the most stubborn patches cotton buds soaked in nail varnish remover, wiped of quickly.
But other things take over at the weekends I will get parcels sorted out this coming week as well as more work on the machine :)
-
Fab! I’m glad you’re slowly recovering it from the grunge!
I hope it’s a lovely sew for you!
-
Some dire wire alteration deep inside the machine has necessitated the removal of the motor.
They appear to be low level resistors?? Was wrapped around with sticky tape :(
Checking out whether we can buy a new wire with the two pin female connector on the end (it's a sealed block) or will have to do much better repair, taking out resistors - they are not shown on original wiring diagram and we can't think what good they are there?
-
That doesn’t look good!
I was surprised anyone had bothered the motor in it... the motor on them is pretty inaccessible being all internal.
Glad you OH is good with electrics!
Good luck!
-
Taken a long time but the 401G is finally back in the cabinet and moving smoothly :)
I've still got tension stuff to sort out - having had both the bobbin tension and the machine tension in pieces, but it's looking good and one less in the "to do" list :sew:
-
im really glad to hear that!