Very useful video. I am currently using a Singer Merritt 1872. I also have a newer Singer Heavy Duty for button holes, but the older machine has a better feel for general sewing. When I come across an old machine that I am interested in at a sale I hand turn the big wheel on the right to make sure it turns easily and moves the feed dogs. If it will not turn or gets stuck there is a good chance at least one of the plastic gears are cracked. They can be replaced, but you are looking at a fair amount of labor. A quick check for bobbin case for models that need it, at least 1 foot, thread spool holder, sniff the motor to see if significant electrical burn is noticeable and needle plate and I have a machine to tinker on until I pass it on to someone else.
I’ve been sewist for several decades. I had one sewing class in high school, and from there, continued to learn, teaching myself on my mom’s old treadle machine (pat. 1862, 100 years older than me.) I also have. Singer 9100, Professional, which I absolutely love, and a Brother machine I bought for my daughter. She used to sew, but got too frustrated with the whole sewing process, even her machine. I just finished up my 4th resizing, rebuilding my personal dress mannequin, ( minus my 135 lb weight loss.) I love sewing and creating new designs, and even just simple projects. Just recently stumbled across your channel. I think it is great. Love all the advice and techniques you share with everyone. Keep up the great work!
Huge congratulations on the weight loss! I've sewn since I was a child, starting with my doll clothes and in junior high I started with my own clothes. I was starting on my second project in 9th grade home economics before anyone else completed their first project. My first one ended up on the bulletin board in the hallway. It had long sleeves and a zipper in the back, and lace down the sleeves. The second project was a skirt that had inverted pleats, waistband and side zipper. I got 💯 on both. It's a good thing, because I still can't cook a decent meal!
Congratulations on the weight loss that’s amazing. I bet you love Sewing now and redoing that mannequin. I wish we would’ve seen that a video on that. I’m thinking about going out trying one of these machines and seeing how hard or easy it would be.
I bought a 1974 Viking in 1989. Still works like a dream. The hardest part is finding shops to do maintenance. These old guys are dying now. We just lost one in a city 90 miles away and it’s a big loss.
It’s great that you rescued the old machine. I love old sewing machines! I have several singers from the early sixties and some treadles. While some of my friends have the new computerized machines, I like machines that I can fix and clean!
I'm Scottish, and I bought my machine when I was 15/16. It's a "Jones". Jones was then bought by Brother. I made shirts, waistcoats, a dress for my friend with it. Then after a new shirt pattern…I barely made clothes again. I managed to do the following: Sew the arms inside out Unpicked the arms Sew the arms on the wrong side Unpicked Sew the button holes on the wrong side of the cuffs (I just left them unopened) For the grand finale, I had assumed it was like the pattern I had used before, which required no altering of sleeve length; so when I tried to put it on, the sleeves were too short. My mum suggested she give me money for it and gave it to my big sister. I was born in 1976, and I would have bought the machine around February 1992 (possibly before I turned 16). 2002 I moved to Germany and brought it with me. 2024 - still got it.
My old Kenmore 158 is a workhorse. Built in the 60s and all iron. I love the workmanship put into it. Thanks for this video, I am going to give her a nice tuneup. 😊
Hello @@rogierius -- In Jewish culture, a mensch is a "good person." A person who does the right thing. A person with a good heart. We should all strive to be a mensch.
I had this machine back in the day! It was a wedding gift my mom got and at some point I was so frustrated with it I decided to buy a new one and had to give the old one away, since we didn't have the space to keep them both. I'm kinda regretting that now
Thanks for this video on resurrecting an older model sewing machine. Funny, I took my over 20-year-old machine and did the same thing to it. Runs like a charm. Keep your helpful tips coming. I love them.
My Christmas present last year was my mom's old Toyota machine, which I am first learning machine sewing on. The machine runs well, but I will keep this video as a reference for maintaining my old machine. Also, as an engineering student, I enjoy sewing machine maintanence.
My first machine was a White Jeans machine I bought in the mid 80's, and I am going to pass it on to my son-in-law, who wants to learn to sew. This video will be a huge help for me to get it in better working order for him. It was a wonderful machine in it's day, that would sew through anything.
I have roughly 40 machines, but my favourites are the Janome Combi machines, of which I have two. They are my every day work horses. I also have a few treadle machines for the power outages, so that I can continue to work.
My wife tells me she used her grandmother,s treadle machine to sew a granny dress in the sixties during that era and she loved it. She said you develope your own foot rhythm …..
I sewn my prom dresses and other things on treadle machine. Great machine. I have an older kenmore I see on that one Can’t beat the machine Better then the newer ones
I'm on my second Singer. I watched my mother dressmaking as a child and had to learn how at high school. Started by hand on a gingham apron for cookery. Then we were taught to use handturned machines. Found the glory of using both hands for fabric with treadle machines, before finally making something from commercial patterns on basic electric machines in the 70s. Bought my first machine in 1984. Basic forward, reverse, zig-zag that saw solid service until the motor burned out 25 years later. Bought my next and only 14 years ago. Singer Confidence with computerised stitch patterns and letters. Best feature? The inbuilt needle threader. Lol. I've had to replace that part this year. I already open the needle end of the body for cleaning but didn't have the confidence to touch the other end. Thanks for this video. Different model but I know what to look for now. No one within 70 miles does servicing in my part of the world.
Great video! I think a lot of folks don't realize most modern entry-level machines sold now have a lot of plastic gearing that tends to fail early due to warping. Your rescue of this machine (and promotion through education of doing so) is wonderful. I learned to sew on what I think was the model or two before this one, and it was sturdy. I currently sew on similar age machines and could not be more pleased with using such reliable tools. Great find, and I wish you many miles of consistent seams together.
I’ve rescued several machines from 1902 to 1973. I love them all! We need to learn to do some basic maintenance because we don’t have many repair people anymore. RU-vid is a great resource for repairs on old mechanical machines. You can throw the computerized ones in the trash, in my opinion. They’re not designed to last more than a few years anyway. Learned that lesson the hard way. I don’t think that particular machine was worth saving though.
I had a 1945 Pfaff that I sold to get a brand new computerized brother... I loved that machine but only lasted a few years, then I had problems with the sensors, plastic pieces broken that needed replacement, tension problems, needed to download new firmware... so on and so forth. It feels like giving up your wife of 50 years for a 20 y/old gf and then she dumping you and you miss the wife.... I miss my old Pfaff, it even had the mechanism to work without electricity 😢
@CorneliusQuiring She was the only owner & I'm the 2nd. I have all the attachments. Some of them are so helpful others, not so much . They made a zigzag attachment, but it's in the not so much class. Lol
Love your jokes and your spirit, also the way you explain evrything. Been flooding here literally, many killed and you lift my spirit, hoping for better days. ❤
Thank You for all the helpful info in this video!!!! RE: My sewing machine stash ... I just turned 65 - woohoo - and I have been sewing since my aunt gave me a beautiful new ivory Singer Featherweight in the early 1970's. I appreciate anf enjoy using good tools. About 30 years ago I became a tad bit obsessed with antique sewing machines after I purchased an antique German hand crank machine in a lovely wooden case at an antique dealer near my stained glass shop at tge time. That machine uses shuttle bobbins, and I havent been able to find more of the correct bobins, so far, but now I know where i might find some,eventually. I also still have my nifty ivory Featherweight, and a 20 year old Janome thats my main machine, plus my Mother-in-laws electric retrofit Singer from the 1920's, another old Singer in a very nice sewing cabinet from the 1930's that I purchased at an estate sale, and my beloved treasure, a treadle Singer 115 with a beautiful intact Tiffany decal. Yeppers, I need a 12-step program for sewing machine addiction. So many awesome antique machines, so little time. 🥴
That's an old Singer School model. Very easy to use and usually holds up for general household use. Great for the 4H sewing group if you have one locally.
Be still, my heart! That is the very same model of the first sewing machine I ever bought for myself. I’m still beating myself for giving it away when I got a fancy computerized Viking. It was a brilliant machine. Great score!
I have a Singer industrial 72W12 Hemstitching machine that I'm working on getting operational, it is exciting! I found 10 bobbins on Etsy, 100 needles (#130-3 size 16) at sewing machine parts on line (they are back ordered) and 80 wt. Quilters Select thread at The Quilt Show shop. I looked up the ISMAC number and she was manufactured in Bridgeport, Connecticut in 1942! Its amazing how well machines made so long ago still sew.
I have to admit to loving this DIY "tune-up"! I have this model and can brag having done this process since it was given to me over 20 years ago. The going rate in my area for this kind of service that is generally a yearly recommendation starts at $100.00. Saved myself a bundle!
I got my first and only machine back in 2020 from my grandma. It was her first machine that she bought before getting married. A good old Singer 500A. Works great and I'm happy to have gotten that machine from her. It got tuned up before I got it, but it is probably due for clean up and be oiled.
Great timing. I am new to sewing and bought a used machine because i was unsure if i was going to like sewing and didnt want a huge commitment. I spent 3 weeks fixing timing issues before getting my first good stitch.
Oh no - never never never oil or grease the belt! It can slip as well as deteriorate. Having worked on several machines and researching restoration, a clean belt or a new belt never needs lubricant. Great find!
Other than routine hand mending and buttons I haven’t sewn since the 1970’s. My trusty Kenmore is packed in its box and I’ve never been tempted to part with it. Now I know what to do when I go back to it, what a great video. Thanks!
I have a Singer Stylist 534 free arm machine I bought in early 1976. I was quite poor so I didn't get the extension table or case. Over the years it's been a trusty partner in my infrequent sewing projects. I use it more now. And I've never missed not having the extenstion table.
I have 2 Husqvarna vikings. A Designer Topaz 40 and an Emerald 116 as a backup for when the Topaz needs service. Oddly enough, I prefer the emerald over the designer as the designer is computerized and heavier. The emerald is less complicated. I find it is more reliable too. Loving your videos.
Thanks for that information on the sewing machine supply parts, the tool box bed on mine vanished when I moved home 15 years ago I don’t know why but I found all the tools in a plastic box the other week but not the bed-box part 🤔will check it out in the morning after I get some sleep 🙀😳it’s 3:30am oops. I have an old singer that’s only a few years younger than me. It’s my Moms 2nd ever sewing machine it has these discs that you pop in the top of the machine and then it will sew fancy stitches made in the late 60’s and it still works.
Thank you, Cornelius. My wife purchased an older model Janome in a table a while ago and I need to go over it. I'm not a sewing machine repair guy, so I will be following the steps in your video. I know I need to find a new spring to hold the plate in place as one side it the existing one has broken; so I'm grateful for the sewing parts online link. Wish me luck.
Your video has reminded me to see if the needle alignment on my singer 6106 is fixable. I’ve also got my great aunts 185k (made in Kilbowie, Scotland) and that handles anything I give it.
My favorite machine I’ve had for about 30 years, it’s a 1914 White Rotary treadle. My second favorite I just picked up a few months ago, a Singer 401a. Both wonderful to sew with.
I just got my mother's old Singer 5050 dusted off and running again this week! It runs better than I expected. I had a similar one at the same time and its plastic gears broke. I was prepared to ditch this one, but after I went back to the manual and found I was skipping a turn in the threading it began to sew great. It's comes with two plastic stitch cam stacks and makes twice the number of stitches your model does. I also sort of collect old Singers. I had always wanted one like my great-grandmother's so I started off getting a couple of treadles, then a "portable" 99, then a 401A for the stitches, then a 237 for the simplicity of just a straight+zigzag stitch. There's a 15 and a 221 in there, too, because the price was right, and now I'm not getting anymore. I promise.
Wow! Interesting video. What’s also interesting is finding out from the comments that I’m not the only person who has multiple sewing machines. I’m looking forward to viewing more of your videos.
I bought a fascinating vintage machine from the early 60s a while ago. A Singer 411G. It has a surprising amount of decorative stitches, which you 'activate' by inserting various plastic disks. Like a first generation 'computer' basically. It can also switch to doing a chain stitch! Very cool. It apparently sat unused on an attic for many years, but when I had a tentative look inside (fearing the worst), it actually looked clean and well oiled everywhere. The only thing I don't like about it, is the ugly, hospital beige color. But I might change that since it's not a coveted collectors item I mean, I know some people object to changing up the appearance of vintage objects, as they are only so many of them still around...but I intend to actually use it as my main sewing machine and it just isn't pretty at all.
It's you machine and so I say do with it as you please! Making objects our own is the best way to ensure we put the time and effort into get the most out of them :)
Nice! Thanks for the bit about adjusting the timing, I didn't know that (only the problem). I bought an old machine off mercado libre 2 years ago, I had a good feeling about it. Took it for a full service and clean by a professional and then it purred like a contented kitten again. Looked it up online - it's 26 yrs old! And runs a lot better than the much newer one I replaced. Anyway, thanks for the vids!
Love the rescuing of older machines :) I have a 1950s "deluxe" that was made by Toyota. I researched it and it's not considered a "clone." It's straight stitch only and it keeps up with the thicker materials better than my modern Brother NQ900.
@CorneliusQuiring I am doing great! Not sewing as much as I have kids in my life now, but living in New Brunswick. Made a ball cap recently with a properfit pattern and used my cricut to make cardstock pattern pieces.
Perfect timing for this video! 😃 I just inherited my grandmother's old Montgomery Ward (the one I learned to sew on). The one I use most is a Janome treadle. I was using my great-grandmother's '40s Domestic 153 "Godzilla," but when I found out how flammable that solid magnesium machine is...😅She had a lot of trust in that electrical wiring to use it for so long!
I have a used Singer that i purchased approximetly 50 yrs ago. I've never had it serviced. The service man told me if it starts acting up to set it to zero, then start sewing on scrap fabric intil you get the stitch you need. My son now has the machine and he oils it n cleans it n he sews with it.
Last week I was browsing in our local Thrift Store and was so shocked to see several sewing machines (2 old Pfaff, 2 Elna as well as a Singer and Brother. It took all my will power not to buy them. I already have 2 I use regularly in my smaller home- both are Singers (one was new in 1981- a Singer Diana 860 and the other a new Singer Heavy Duty model) LIke you I wanted to rescue, clean up and oil (assuming they were operational). Thank you for presenting this video -- you make it easy to understand how to revive wonderful older machines!
It's difficult to leave them behind, isn't it? I'm constantly seeing machines in my local thrift store and each one of them seems like it'd be worth the save :)
I love my old machines. 1942 Bernina 117, 1959 Husqvarna, 1963 Pfaff 360 and 1970 Bernina 730 record. All work after much oiling and suntanning. The newest machines are 1985 Pfaff 919 Hobbymatic and 1985 Elna Carina - both positively light weight in comparison to the other 4.
Vintage Berninas are a delight to revive! I"ve unceased and own a 1943 model 117 (which is great for patchwork), a 1954 Record 530 a 196something model 700 and a 1972 Record 830. Still on my must have list are the Record 730 and Record 930 (and I wouldn't mind a model 121 either...) Along the journey of reviving those machines I learned something very important that isn't mentioned in this video: open the motor compartment and check the carbon brushes and capacitor first before plugging it in. (This is especially important with the older vintage models. I probably wouldn't have done that either with the particular Singer in this video TBH...) There can also be a huge build up of dust there that might interfere with the electric current and cause a short circuit. So first check motor, then plug it in. I didn't do that for my Record 830 and just a few seconds after I plugged it in the capacitor blew and smoke came out of the motor compartment. I immediately unplugged it. I unceased it, and then took it to my authorized dealer (to have him sort out the motor issue, and it had some issues with the decorative stitches too.) The technician told me I had the right reflex to unplug it immediately. Chances are that if I would have engaged the pedal after the capacitor blew, the motor would have been lost forever... So I dodged a bullet there. It sews like a dream and is my go to machine for most of my sewing projects. For the other Berninas I own, it was just a matter of unceasing them, letting them sit with a drop of fresh oil for a few days and that was it: none of them needed to be brought to my dealer.
Nice. I’m currently using a Singer 500 “Rocketeer” I love it! I was going to have it serviced to see if I can’t get it to be a bit more predictable, but think I’ll follow your steps first, maybe save some money.
i had a singer, then went to a baby lock brilliant. And I have my sisters old old machine, one of these days i will see if it works. Thanks for the instruction
@CorneliusQuiring I'm guessing it's just dumb luck on my part combined with only minor occasional use. It's some no-name brand machine from a high street store I got for Christmas when I was 13!
Very useful information, but what a lot of people don't understand. Don't realize. Is that white? Grease is oftentimes white lithium grease and it will withage turn to cement turn to glue. You want to remove that as much as possible and replace it with new grease because eventually it will cause you issues and they can be pretty bad issues q-tips and a little bit of alcohol a lot of times. We'll remove that grease without a lot of issues as long as it is as it is in this video. Once it hardens, sometimes you have to use something a little stronger like a penetrant oil or something like that. Something to rehydrate the oil or the grease. Just information for anybody who's trying to fix one of these machines up
I have an old Singer 347 (the famous in metal blue color) ❤ my favourite. It never let me down. I had even a new style Singer Symphony but this last often need service repair 😢.
Wow, great video ! My only sewing machine is a Singer 9410 bought new in 1997 and.......hmmm, never serviced. It is incredibly similar to the machine in your video so I am confident that I can clean it and tweak the timing (the zig zag is a little off). I love your style and just subscribed after watching a few other videos. You rock !
Great entertaining and educational video. I have a modern Brother sewing machine. The instruction booklet says that it should never be oiled because it already contains the perfect amount.
@@CorneliusQuiring I assume that it has something to do with modern synthetic oils not being as likely to dry out. Or maybe they just don't expect the machine to live very long.... hmmm.
I got lucky last year, went to our local tip to get rid of trash and there sitting on the wall next to the sign was a sewing machine box, with the machine, it’s a singer not sure of the year but it could be 70’s 80’s as it had its own box bag just needs a new zipper for that and a new strap, back in the day the machine would come with its own bag, not sure of the machine, one part is cracked so now that I know of that sewing machine company I might now have a chance at fixing it after all. Not that I need another machine but if I can get it fixed it would be great for a teenager who wants to make his/her own clothes.
My old machine will only sew backwards at the moment, so will be having a little look. Like many people are saying, the older machines seem to have a better feel somehow. But i couldn't do without my automatic needle threader now.
Thank You for this video on rescuing an old machine. My five thread serger stopped working. Would you happen to have a video on that or maybe consider doing one?
I have too many sewing machines, lol 😂. Six industrial and about 8 home machines. Since you like making clothes I'd like to suggest a Juki 8700 industrial. Your stich quality will improve to a point people won't be able to tell your clothes are home made. People can do a wonderful job, but the stich quality always tells the story.
Hello Cornelius and thanks for posting. I just took up sewing and went on offer up and got a Brother CS5055 and also bought via Ebay a Husqvarna Iris embroidery sewing machine. I have watched many of your videos. I am still not to clear on tapering pants and adjusting the rise. I am a short rise and every pair of pants I buy is at 12 or 14 inch rise which I have to take to tailor to shorten. I bought sewing machine so I could learn how to do this and save thousands of dollars (cumulative over the years :)). Do I taper both sides of the legs or just one side? I have a 10.5 inch crotch rise.
I personally find it's best to taper on each side of the leg to keep them consistent. However, if you have a wide stance, maybe taper more on the inside and vice versa.
Well...where do I start...my original machine was a Janome 4618QC. Then we rescued and restored a Singer 66 for my daughter, now we also have a Singer 99K, a Singer 201K treadle and another 201K electric, a Juki Baby Lock serger, a Singer 319K, a rusted-on-top Pfaff 30-31 and I'm about to go pick up a Singer 411G 😁 I think I need to start sewing classes with all these machines
Singer has a manufacturing list for their sewing machines on their site. So if you ave the model number one can see and find out the year it was made. ❤🎉
An added note on the bottom that big wheel that drives the belt that he said you would loosen and move to put it back in time. Those pulleys have a tendency to break with age and there's no replacements so just be aware if you open up the bottom of one of these machines and you see cracks or pieces missing out of that pulley but the machine is still working. A failure is coming soon and the only replacement is actually getting another machine which is going to have the same problem or a similar problem eventually these are machines that will sew. They will work, but if your pulley this pulley that I'm talking about here is broken or cracking or you very likely will have to consider the machine a loss and not repairable. Unless you can get another one of these pulleys off of a donor machine. But as I said that same pulley is going to be very likely cracking or failing at some point
@@mitzigaynor-rz5zn Yes they can be 3D printed but you have to have somebody that has the skills and the ability to make one of these gears and usually they have to have an intact one to model from and then a machine to test it on. I don't know if anybody's done that for one of these. I have not seen one of these pulleys. I've seen some of the 3D printed gears for the Kenmore machines that had plastic gears that were breaking. I also have seen the 3D cam 20 for Kenmore machines. I have one works good and I would like to see some more of these things that are there and available to be replaced to keep these old machines working. I think these older machines in many ways are better than the new machines
Don’t blow into the machine. It pushes dust further into the machine. Use a brush like you did and a tiny vacuum to pull the dust out. Also use a piece of old t shirt to wipe the inside parts. It is lint free.
‘Unless you pay, you don’t get your name on ANY of these videos!’ :: falls off his bed laughing :: Duuuuude! Hahahahahaha! Also… My sewing machine (a workhorse Kenmore from the 90s) named Brutus Mangler wants stickers!
My reverse button falls off...not sure why. Never did before. 😕 It was a rescue also. I did have to take it in to timing fixed, I screwed it up worse trying to fix it..
Thank you! You have been a very great and helpful find for me. I appreciate the help and guidance. I find myself doing a lot more sewing lately on a regular basis (prop fabricator, I weld, sign shop.... a lot actually). I need to upgrade to a more industrial machine for thicker materials like vinyl. However, I also print and sew a lot of 9oz. Polyester backdrops. Anyway, I am not sure whether to buy a serger machine or single stitch machine. I do however find myself doing a whole lot of quadruple stitching, which takes a lot of time. Do you have any recommendations for me, Cornelius? Thanks again so much for the great content. I love how you present it too!
If it's for business, a serger is a great investment and should pay for itself in time saved. A quality used one can be bought for a couple hundred bucks. In general, these basic machines are readily available and for a cheap price. I'm not sure how to go about doing a quadruple stitch. That's something new to me. Thank you for the kind words.
@@CorneliusQuiring You rock! Thanks for the fast reply (and recommendation). LOL.... not using the right sewing term when I said quadruple stitched. That translates to four single stitches for hem, is what I meant. As you can imagine, on a huge theatrical backdrop, that takes a real long time. BTW.... you taught me some really cool hems in another video. I can do enough sewing to get it done, but with as much that I am doing any more for the business I am really trying to learn more and also truly educate myself on many levels. Thanks for be nice to a newbie (LOL). In regard to a serger machine, that seemed like the logical route. I just needed some guidance (and permission to spend). I will probably be looking at a Juki, but if you have other recommendations I'd love to hear about those as well (same with content). Thanks again for being so accessible here. I appreciate you!
I have an 80's Singer that's been banished to the Shelf of Shame cause it likes to spit the thread out of its tensioner and make terrycloth loops on the bottom... it made me hate sewing for years... I have a 1970's Kenmore (I'm only a little older than it) that had solidified lubricant in it, I got it professionally cleaned so I now have straight and zigzag stitches but something's still pretty borked for a lot of the other stitches (the technician said they could put more hours into it and maybe get more of the nifty stitches back, maybe not) and after I broke a needle, it refuses to do anything thick without snapping the thread so that needs to be looked at again... I have a 1960's Universal machine that should be wonderful but somehow has become misaligned after I tried to sew something it didn't approve of, so it doesn't catch the bobin thread and misses stitches a lot. That one's probably the better candidate, though its motor is old and well-used and may not tolerate a whole lot of long seams, but I'm ok with that, I sew pretty slowly with a lot of breaks... so thank you for the hints about timing, and I'm going to go watch your other video on sewing machines in the hopes that I can get the Kenmore or the Universal behaving in time to try to make swimsuits for end of July... hopefully I can avoid having to haul out the Singer from Heck. I also have a treadle machine in the basement from the 19-teens that I haven't gotten a band for yet but I'm going to get it working when I get my sewing room set up... My main machine right now? A 1914 Jones Family hand crank machine. I adore it. It's just my speed, though I do get a sore hand from one-hading the fabric if I'm doing anything intricate or a lot of sewing... And I also very much enjoy hand sewing. Then there's nobody to blame but me. Picking up hand-sewing again during lockdowns made me enjoy the process of sewing, where constant battle with the Singer from Heck was making me hate the process even if I liked the prodct... now with a machine that doesn't fight me every step of the way, I'm enjoying machine sewing almost as much.
That's a great and diverse selection of machines you've got there. Hopefully you can get the swimsuits made indeed. Thanks for watching and happy sewing.
I have a 60 year old Singer Model 40K handcrank sewing machine. I am gifting it to my granddaughter. The timing appears to be off as the stitch finger does not pull the thread down to form the chain stitch. Is there a way to adjust the timing?
