A number of years ago, I watched a farm wife sew patchwork, using a hand crank, while operating a wheat harvester. The harvester used GPS & the only operator assistance was at the end/beg of a row. BTW I love my 15-91 but lust for a hand crank. There are/were a number of "restored" hand cranks coming from Italy on Etsy. Some (Singers) were manufactured as late as the 1950s.
Hooray for you for saving a lovely old machine. I resurrected a "Lotus" 66 that appeared to have been stored on its nose in a wet environment. The hook assembly was full of rust and muck. The needle mechanism was slightly better. Needless to say it took a long time and used up donor parts from other 66's....just because I had to have a working Lotus. I have both the original and reproduction hand cranks. The originals as you say are smooth as silk. The clones are clunky and noisy, but they do the job just fine.
I hope to see more on rust removal-- I have an old model 27 which was kept in a barn, and it is rusted solid. Restoring the cabinet was hard enough, but I finally got that part done. I would love to get the machine running again!
I have collected alot of the old sewing machines. And have helped the come back to life. Now i just have to sell them! My husband says I have to many. Lol
Wonderful machines - looking forward to your videos on this one. I've learned so much watching your videos and now repair and restore my own - with no help from my 3 cats other than their commentary when I work past their mealtime. :)
I'm looking forward to watching you unlock and restore it. I hope you do anyway. I didn't think much of the 66s until I got one. My thinking was why use a 66 when the 201s and 15s were said to be so much more capable. Now that I have one, I get it. 66s are so simple, reliable, easy to fix and maintain. When Bob Fowler said they were his favorite, I had to reevaluate my opinion and take a look for myself. I get it now. There is a reason Singer made these machines for so many years.
Living in the UK I'm very lucky to come across hand cranks all the time. BTW the little piece of leather that is on the end of the hand crank, that sits between the spokes is called an "antitingting" ❤
I love 66 machines: they are simple to service and operate, they sew a wonderful stitch and they are making the cutest little "tktktk" sound while they are sewing. The original hand crank machine is always a great find! Can't wait to watch you restoring this machine!
I believe with this stitch dial they call the 99s 99-13. There is a really cute and free manual with 20s style art work in it floating around the internet
I wa given 3 old machines in similar condition. One hs the spoked flywheel which id like to remove of the machines are beyond repair. I'm loathe to give up on them so I will be watching your progress with interest.
Hi I’m new here! I got my grandma’s to restore and I’m enjoying your videos so much. Is there one where you show how you clean up rust without ruining the carvings & polish? Thank you so much 🫶
I have a 99 hand crank just like that! I got it on eBay from England very cheaply. I love it. It’s super powerful. I use it all the time. have two other electric machines and a serger but I use it often.
I just bought a singer 99k from 1942 for $30. It was a bit stiff, I oiled it and now it feels brand new. It's missing the bobbin plate and the thumb screw on the front cover but other than that it's perfect!
I would love to see more of your kitty. We have an all black little girl, and her very long hair tuxedo brother. They were rescue babies and were foster cared for from 2 weeks old. They are now a year and a half old and keep us on our toes! Very loveable grandchildren.
I love this video! I am using your 185j overhaul videos right now to get my late grandma's machine running smoothly again. I love your content and I am hoping to see you get this 66 unstuck. Also, I just came across a vintage singer buttonholer and was wondering if you had any insight about it. Thanks!
Love this one, hope to get some tips. I have 2 maschine with handcranks, one has the issue that the wooden handle is rusted stuck and can not turn. It still works for sewing but it's a little uncomfortable for your fingers after a while. 😊 You may have some ideas how to fix that?
Thanks to you, I restored a Red Eye a few years ago. She does not have reverse or a numbered tension dial, so I use her for quilt piecing. I bought a reproduction crank and that was fun…for about half an hour. 😂 Good luck with the rust.
Wow - your 66 looks like the 66 I just found in a pile at a thrift store. So locked up with rust, oil gunk, GA red clay, dirt dauber nests, mouse nests, spiders & who knows what that it is still in the soak stage. I hope to get this ol' Red Eye to stitch again & teach me a thing or 2. Hope to see ya soon in a video & show progress! 😊
I recently inherited a Singer 27 treadle that belonged to my great great grandmother. It was in a house fire about 25 years ago and since then has sat in my grandfather’s garage pretty much untouched. It comes with a couple of unique problems from having been in the fire that I’m not sure how to go about dealing with. For one, it’s caked with hardened black soot. So much that I at first believed the decals to be gone, only to find that they were hidden beneath the black layer as I began to clean it. I’ve been having a heck of a time trying to remove all of the soot with machine oil. (Ofc if this is the only safe method I’m willing to put in the time and elbow grease) But I’m curious if there are any products that could remove the soot more easily that wouldn’t harm the decals. Secondly, I noticed that on part of the bed, the fire melted away a good bit of the lacquer, leaving the metal exposed. Any ideas for what I should do about this? Leave it alone? Coat it with something for protection?
Wow. A great heirloom you now have. The clear coating was the chief thing that protected the decals. I have tried, with 'some' success, at using hand cleaner creams often sold in auto supply stores. (See my CLEANING SERIES videos). However, as always, you want to try any cleaning substance very carefully in the most inconspicuous area to test your machine's tolerance first. NOTE: BE SURE to only try hand cleaner creams that are NOT made with Pumice. The one I use is Pumice-free but some contain pumice which, while great for cleaning grease off of your hands, would strip and heavily damage any paint surface.
I broke the wheel off the machine. Not sure how to describe it but it cracked right off and I wondered if I can glue it back and what would be the best glue?
I am desperate for a little little information on my sewing machine, I want to use it but am not sure how to find the serial number I found a metal tag with a number, but can't find it means anything
Hello. Just bought a house and they left behind a Singer 66.1 1913. Wanted to reach out for your advice on what we have. I would appreciate any help. Jason
That machine was in production for MANY decades and parts are easily found if needed. NOTE that this machine along with Singer 99 and 185 models must have a carry case base or table in order to be used for sewing. Your 66 has a wider working space (AKA Throat or Harp Space) than most machines. Also, there 'may' be a red felt down in the bobbin area. This is not lint or broken thread and should not be removed as it is used for lubrication. See a Singer 66 User Manual or PDF copy of one which is important to have as you learn the machine. FYI, most Singer manuals are available as free downloads online.
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage wow great info thank you. This is something my wife and I are looking to sell. Is there a market for these things? Where in your opinion should we start advertising. Not looking to gouge anyone just want it to go to a home where it’s used and appreciated
