The Sewing Place
Machine Talk => Vintage Machines => Topic started by: Gernella on October 21, 2020, 10:25:26 AM
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I've seen quite a few Singer sewing machines for sale since I started sewing again and everybody bangs on about them, but they all appear to have the round bobbin.
The Singer I first sewed on didn't have a round bobbin, it was a long spool about 2 inches long, what year was that from. It was my grandmother's sewing machine so must have been early 21st century and of course with the handle. It was a beggar to wind, hence the first electric sewing machine I got for my 21st birthday was total luxury, and it did zig zag. 0_0
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That’s what I learned to sew on.. My Grandmothers Singer Sphinx boat/ bullet shuttle machine. I used it until The 70s, the machine has long gone but I still have the treadle part in the garden.
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I think the long shuttles were phased out in the 1930's as my first machine was an old Singer treadle with a round bobbin which was made between 1937 and 1939. It cost me £16 which was a month's pay in those days.
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There are still quite a lot of shuttle machines around. Without being specific about the different models the clue as to whether it's a shuttle machine or a round bobbin machine is the format of the cover plates.
Shuttle machines have two long plates going from front to back like this.
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Round bobbin machines have a squarish plate with a D shape plate next to it like this.
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Shuttle machines are very unlikely to have an electric motor, they would have been hand cranked or possibly treadled. A lot (but not all) round bobbin machines were electric, or have been converted to electric.
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Round bobbins are easier to souce and generally hold more thread than a long shuttle spool.
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We used to service shuttle machines. But it’s very difficult to get the bobbins for them now.
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You can still pick up long bobbin machines :)
These two pages show pictures of the long bobbin types - with some date - so perhaps you can spot the one you remember and get an idea of it's age?
Best wishes
Leila
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/12
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/28
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Sorry @LeilaMay , lots of water under the bridge since then. It was black with gold embellishment and had a handle. It could be a cranky as well, probably user error, fortunately my dad, amongst the 21 jobs he had before he was 21 (including rear gunner in a Lancaster bomber), had been a sewing machine mechanic, so I got lots of assistance.
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Well the earliest were available in UK about 1858, and the later type with long bobbin was made right up to 1960 (whilst making lots of other styles too).
So that's as close as you'll be able to get - sorry. :vintage:
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There are good reproduction shuttles and bobbins available on Ebay as well as NOS sometimes and used but good sometimes. Vintagesingerparts.com also has loads of parts available for them.
I have a 1912 Singer 27. Makes wonderful stitches. Straight stitch only and no reverse. Wish it were still in the treadle table it originally shipped with. It was electrified sometime in the '40's near as I can figure from the motor and wiring and is now in a portable case.
Without knowing the serial number, you won't do well at all figuring when it was made. If it had the mounting boss for the electric motor on the upright, under the hand wheel, it was 1901 or later. Fiddle base ended, I believe, somewhere around 1890. The model 27 started in 1889 and was produced to 1941. The 128K was the latest vibrating shuttle machine produced 1912 until 1962.
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I wonder if this was the machine?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Antique-Singer-127K-Full-size-Heavy-Duty-Domestic-Sewing-Machine-1912/383780481176?hash=item595b196898:g:Hg8AAOSwE-tfKXNS
Or maybe not, this has a lot gold on, granny's only had a bit on.
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Hiya, will most likely be one of the following models in my opinion; 27 / 127 or 28 / 128. If it was a hand crank machine then i would lean to the 28 / 128. Can you remember if the bobbin winder location was near the machine base or up closer to the hand wheel? I have a treadle version of the 27 (works but ornamental use) and an early electric 128 (which is pulled out and used semi-regularly). Provides a smile when using these oldies :thumbsup:
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No the long piece of nuisance was at the needle end @HooliganHeart . I ought to know more because I used the dam thing from about 15 to 21 at which time I got the super duper Brother with a zig zag stitch. Actually when I think about it, it wasn't that long and then it went into a shiny shuttle cover.
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If you think you would like to look at all the variations of the gold decals, in case you spot something familiar, here's the page - different patterns went on a variety of machines, so ignore the machine shapes for now and just enjoy the patterns :)
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/decals/domestic-decals.html
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Wow that is a lot of machines and variations @LeilaMay .
If I had to go from what I think it was, and I think it would be a bog standard machine I would go for the Filigree 1911-1940 - There was certainly nothing that stood out about it to make it attractive, what you might call the cheapest model, and I suspect was not bought new. During his many jobs before he was 20 my dad had worked as a sewing machine mechanic so that's probably how it was purchased for his mother, certainly not my mother who had no skills in sewing other than repair jobs.
You can just imagine someone buying a machine based on what it actually looked like with the gold scrolling on it.
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No the long piece of nuisance was at the needle end @HooliganHeart . I ought to know more because I used the dam thing from about 15 to 21 at which time I got the super duper Brother with a zig zag stitch. Actually when I think about it, it wasn't that long and then it went into a shiny shuttle cover.
You misunderstood me i think, i know you are speaking of the bobbin itself but to help identify the model of the machine, the position of the bobbin winder is relevant :thumbsup:
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No idea other than left of the handle and wheel. I've looked at this video but it doesn't ring any bells and I must have done it but it doesn't ring any bells.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4PhAT--SKM
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Do you remember if the bobbin winder drove off the belt or had a rubber tire on it and drove off the handwheel?
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I've looked at few videos on this (whizzing through) and at a guess I would say a rubber wheel. I don't remember whether you had to knock the machine out of gear to do it.