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    IHUK - A day in the life of….

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    • 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.

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      • 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

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            • 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

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              • 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.

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                • 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.

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                  • 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.

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                        • 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

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                          • 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!!!

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                            • 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

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                              • 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 🖕

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                                  • 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

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                                          • SeulS
                                            Seul
                                            Joined:

                                            Excellent display of efficiency!..

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