• Home
    • Recent
    • Calendar
    • Register
    • Login
    Iron Heart Forum
    Iron Heart Forum

    Iron Heart Fall/Winter 2025 Collection Preview - Now Live

    IHUK - A day in the life of….

    General Chat
    184
    2.4k
    751.7k
    Loading More Posts
    • Oldest to Newest
    • Newest to Oldest
    • Most Votes
    Reply
    • Reply as topic
    Log in to reply
    This topic has been deleted. Only users with topic management privileges can see it.
    • GilesG
      Giles
      IHUK Crew
      Joined:

      My mother gave that one to me on my 21st birthday…..

      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
      • ChrisC
        Chris
        Raw and Unwashed
        Joined:

        Looks like it's in good shape. I love those old Singer machines. If you didn't know this already, you can determine the approximate age by looking up the serial number in this database.  It wouldn't surprise me if that one is pushing a hundred years old.

        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
        • GilesG
          Giles
          IHUK Crew
          Joined:

          Thanks Chris, I'll do that next time I'm in the office…

          "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
          • SimonS
            Simon
            Joined:

            What’s wrong with the walking foot machine then Giles?

            Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities - Frank Lloyd Wright

            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
            • GilesG
              Giles
              IHUK Crew
              Joined:

              I think the bobbin tension is screwed.  It throws a random birds nest on the underside of the fabric every so often.

              If I did not have an alternative, I'd spend more time trying to fix it, but I actually prefer the end-result on the old Singer. And, it's very Zen using it…. 🙂

              "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
              • L
                Lowlander
                Haraki san Expert
                Joined:

                Thank you for that website, @Chris! I just looked up my own Singer, and found out it was built in March 1906. It's still working too! Amazing things…

                Verstuurd vanaf mijn SM-A520F met Tapatalk

                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                • AetasA
                  Aetas
                  見習いボス
                  Joined:

                  Same here. Thanks a lot @Chris !
                  Always thought we have a Singer from the late twenties.
                  Data base says: Model 15K from 1906. Astounded.

                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                  • ChrisC
                    Chris
                    Raw and Unwashed
                    Joined:

                    Nice! Glad you guys found it useful.

                    Mine's a relative infant- built in 1930, model 31-15. I have a couple more, but they're still in bins, waiting for me to clean and organize my shop enough to find a place for them.

                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                    • SimonS
                      Simon
                      Joined:

                      @Giles:

                      I think the bobbin tension is screwed.  It throws a random birds nest on the underside of the fabric every so often.

                      If I did not have an alternative, I'd spend more time trying to fix it, but I actually prefer the end-result on the old Singer. And, it's very Zen using it…. 🙂

                      I doubt its the bobbin tension. It will Probably be an issue with the upper tension, either its too low (I suspect not as you will have checked this first!) more likely its the little pin that releases the upper tension to allow thread to run through the tensioner on the downward stroke of the needle, when it gets jammed the take up lever pulls from the spool rather than locking the stitch, leaving a loop under the material, which then bird nests. Can’t hurt to try a few drops of oil on the tension release pin, you could also look for a tread jam in the upper tensioner?

                      Give me the luxuries of life and I will willingly do without the necessities - Frank Lloyd Wright

                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                      • GilesG
                        Giles
                        IHUK Crew
                        Joined:

                        Thank you very much Simon.  Will take a look tomorrow….

                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                        • motojoboboM
                          motojobobo
                          啓蒙家
                          Joined:

                          @Simon:

                          I doubt its the bobbin tension. It will Probably be an issue with the upper tension, either its too low (I suspect not as you will have checked this first!) more likely its the little pin that releases the upper tension to allow thread to run through the tensioner on the downward stroke of the needle, when it gets jammed the take up lever pulls from the spool rather than locking the stitch, leaving a loop under the material, which then bird nests. Can’t hurt to try a few drops of oil on the tension release pin, you could also look for a tread jam in the upper tensioner?

                          This is SO COOL! All my respect for your knowledge and helpfulness troubleshooting long distance @Simon

                          The journey is the objective.

                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                          • GilesG
                            Giles
                            IHUK Crew
                            Joined:

                            ( @Simon  lives about half a mile from me  😃 😃 😃 😃 )

                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                            • Paul9221P
                              Paul9221
                              啓蒙家
                              Joined:

                              I'm pretty out of shape with this quarantine. Half a mile seems pretty long distance 😉

                              Blanket-line all the things!!!

                              last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                              • GilesG
                                Giles
                                IHUK Crew
                                Joined:

                                Amazing - 1901…...

                                "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                • GCG
                                  GC
                                  Joined:

                                  Blimey, that must be great to finally know Giles.

                                  Not sure a thread exists for this, so apologies for tagging on the back of the current theme. Coincidentally I have been looking lately at getting a second hand machine, mainly to learn a new skill on and to ultimately attempt the odd alteration of the wife's dresses/kids clothes. (WTF has WFH done to me)  😃

                                  Given the multitude of choices, should I…
                                  (A) walk away from the idea and just let the pro's do their job.
                                  (B) venture into old or new Singer machine territory.
                                  (C) Consider something like a Frister + Rossmann Cub 7? (the later I spotted was engineered in Germany, made in Japan, which ticks a lot of reliability boxes for me)

                                  If anyone in the know has any advice I'd be very grateful.

                                  Insta @eaudepetroleum

                                  last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                  • KasiK
                                    Kasi
                                    見習いボス
                                    Joined:

                                    @Giles
                                    Can’t check mine my mum, till I go over back to the villa

                                    The world's insane
                                    While you drink champagne
                                    And I'm livin' in black rain 4Q 🖕

                                    last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                    • GilesG
                                      Giles
                                      IHUK Crew
                                      Joined:

                                      @gc I'm a little biased.  I learned how to sew on my Singer.  I've made trousers, shirts, hats etc etc…..It does the job (though nothing fancy like buttonholes, blindstitch etc etc, but you can do those by hand if needed) and is very satisfying to use.

                                      "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                      last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                      • GilesG
                                        Giles
                                        IHUK Crew
                                        Joined:

                                        Just looked at some of my others.  These were all gifted to me or I found in skips…The first one posted below is in absolutely immaculate condition...

                                        1950

                                        1925

                                        1954

                                        Late 50's/Early 60's

                                        "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                        last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                        • GCG
                                          GC
                                          Joined:

                                          @Giles:

                                          @gc I'm a little biased.  I learned how to sew on my Singer.  I've made trousers, shirts, hats etc etc…..It does the job (though nothing fancy like buttonholes, blindstitch etc etc, but you can do those by hand if needed) and is very satisfying to use.

                                          @Giles thanks. You biased, really  😃

                                          I'm more likely to cherish something old over new, fleabay here we go.

                                          Insta @eaudepetroleum

                                          last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                          • GilesG
                                            Giles
                                            IHUK Crew
                                            Joined:

                                            Yesterday and today Les built us a new Mezzanine.  We need a ladder and balustrading (and racking and decent lighting yet), but is going to be dedicated boot storage.

                                            We have a guy from the racking company that we have always used (ever since I bought my first single rack, installing it into `a bedroom at home and thinking I'd made the big time  😃 ), coming in on Thursday to audit our storage space and how we use it.  Then we get the lighting sorted out.

                                            Dangerously close to getting profeshnial (sic)….

                                            "OK face up to it - you're useless but generally pretty honest and straightforward . . . it's a rare combination of qualities that I have come to admire in you" - Geo 2011

                                            last edited by 1 Reply Last reply Reply Quote 0
                                            • First post
                                              Last post
                                            Copyright Iron Heart 2025.