Singer 12K I received today. Beautiful piece of history, nearly 140 years old and still working great!

I bought an Elna SU (in addition to old dark green Supermatic I'm still working on) which was supposed to be in full working order, but it really wasn't. Only straight stitch worked; I spent several evenings figuring out what was wrong, and I had to almost completely disassemble it and then assemble back and adjust.

I would never be able to do it without the guide from the Youtube InStitches channel, but even with it it was hard because I never worked with sewing machines before. I'm very proud of myself!

(My cam gear was fine, the problem was with dried oil that glued parts of the machine together).

I think my tension needs some further adjustment (top thread tends to break when I'm using double disks) but overall everything works now and I'm so very happy. Now I can sew and mess up next many things!

Pretty much the title. I have a 201 (currently disassembled as I decided I don't have enough projects 😅) and it came with a number of different feet. I'm sure I won't need or use them all, but was curious if there are any specific ones that you think are super worth having or that make your projects that much easier/better.

My projects are typically garments, and a straight stitch is more than sufficient, but why stop at sufficient?

Also open to any machine accessories that you've found to be a worthwhile addition!

Can anyone advise me on where to get a walking foot for my Kenmore 158 with (I think) super high shank? Will an adapter work? Must I find an original? There are some on Amazon claiming compatibility but I'd rather not spend a lot experimenting. Much appreciated!

Hello!

I recently purchased a bunch of antique/vintage feet for my model 66 sewing machine. I really was excited about the ruffler foot in particular.

It’s branded Greist USA and nothing else. I was able to get it on my machine and it looks to be working (haven’t sewn with it yet as I need to finish my current project) when put through the motions with no fabric.

I wanted to find what all the adjustments do and while I know the ruffle/stitch one obviously I’m having a hard time figuring out what this specific screw does.

Looking up others online they either don’t have this adjustment and it’s just a rivet or people do have it and never mention it ever in the videos or articles.

The knob should be how “much” ruffle you get per ruffle, but the screw looks to effectively change how long the arm is doing the ruffle. In theory this would also adjust how much ruffle you get?

Does anyone know what this is for specifically?

My leading theory is that the three settings are
- ruffles/stitch
- ruffle fullness
- ruffle depth?

hola, necesito ayuda algo muy urgente

tengo una máquina singer multipunto modelo 666, está modernizada (le agregaron motor y luz)

es como de 1970, no quiero ir cada media semana al técnico por algún problema nuevo, ya fuí por que el soporte de la aguja estaba salida, rompió ya una aguja por eso

era ajustar una parte de adentro, lo aceitó, le puso una nueva aguja y me cobró 8 mil pesos argentinos 🫩

y eso que tengo garantía mecánica, osea creo que no me cobró la mano de obra, sino los materiales

ahora es el pedal 🥲

es original, tiene madera en la parte inferior y los cables estan pegados con cinta aislante

asi que creo que es algo del motor o los cables, por que el que va directamente a la corriente eléctrica funciona de maravilla

I have a new(old) Singer 237 and I'm working my way through the manual. The section on oiling specifies that "Singer lubricant" should be applied to the gears instead of oil. Nothing called "Singer lubricant" seems to exist anymore. What was it, and what can I substitute it with?

So I got gifted this for free from my brother in law. This was his grandma's. The last time I used a sewing machine was in 6th grade. I'm 28 now and want to start altering my own clothes and making thrift finds into my own flare. I've looked up this model, and know it's from the early to mid 70s. I don't have a pedal so I'd have to find one. And I can't find a video anywhere on how to use it. Does anyone have knowledge of this machine?? I don't even know how to thread it. Should I give it back to him and buy a more beginner friendly machine? Or keep trying to learn how to use this one? Would I be able to find a pedal for it? Please help!

This is a Singer Merritt 2112 sewing machine and the place where the spool pin attaches to the housing is busted. I've been trying to search for a replacement part for this but it's not easy to find. The spool pin itself is fine, it's the part that attaches it to the housing that's broken. Any ideas for what this part is called and how to find it?

I found this antique A.L. Conwell tailoring system at a thrift store a while ago and thought some of you might appreciate seeing it! The original pieces are made of thick cardboard with numbered perforations, measurement guides, and detailed instructions for drafting clothing patterns. Someone had framed the pieces together, which is how I found them. I haven't been able to determine exactly how old it is, but I think it's a fascinating piece of dressmaking history!

I have never owned a treadle or sewn but recently got a hyper fixation, I’m trying to restore it but mechanically it seems great until today when I tried to wind the bobbin. Lord have mercy!

From the video you can tell it doesn’t stay upright, I’ve tried to see if I can tighten something nothing moves.

It’s a Harris number 33H, mostly import from other white labeled factories I think!

The wheel for the actual winding doesn’t seem to be moving great either is this fixable or am I doing smth wrong?

I have a 15-91 that I restored myself and I absolutely love. It sews like a dream.

I peruse vintage machine listings because I'm on the lookout for a zig zag machine (particularly a Necchi BU), and I came across a 221 Featherweight for a good price.

I don't *need* another straight stitch machine. But I know that the featherweights are deeply beloved, so it caught my I. I do travel fairly often (dogsitting and housesitting) and am bummed that I don't have my sewing machine with me. So I like the idea of a portable vintage machine.

I know this machine is particularly beloved by quilters. I'm not a quilter. I mostly sew garments. The only quilting I've done is to make oven mitts and quilted bags.

That said, I can't tell if I'm just falling for the hype of a featherweight. Its less than $100, but it's a 3 hours drive each way to pick it up.

What would you do?

Edit: Thanks everyone! You've convinced me it's not something I need, as it functionally performs the same (or worse) as my current setup. I'm still on the lookout for a good zig-zag machine.

Hiya does anyone have any tricks for this? I’ve tired WD40

Big question - what should I check and repair to help my machine have a long life? What should I clean and clear out, and any videos explaining the process would be great.

I visited Goodwill today and found a Singer Scholastic 6704 sewing machine. Obviously I snatched it. Important to note that this is my first vintage sewing machine, but I have a small portable one off of amazon so I'm familiar enough with the basics. It came with the power cord and foot pedal attached. Both work, and the machine runs fairly well. I found a bobbin inside, but the thread is very very fragile so I'm going to respool the bobbin with my own thread later. I tried a newer bobbin inside the machine and I'm having trouble with the thread from my needle getting caught around the bobbin and bunching up. I think it should be fixed when I try using the bobbin the machine came with. Overall, it's in good condition, just missing the left side cover and the cover for the bottom. I'm attaching an image as well. Thanks in advance for any help!

EDIT: on another post, I was given this link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13fGnnr7oYXjzC1OQRsq2AaNGUUmtqNbC9BfyAOpxdFo/edit?gid=0#gid=0

It answered my question! Leaving it here for future people looking for the same answer

I’ve decided on getting a kenmore 158 line, but I’m really getting lost on where to find specs for all the different models. Some have low shank, some have high or super high. Some are 1A and some are 1.2A (which is sometimes found on the tag but sometimes not). Some offer a variety of stitches built in, others need cams. Some are flatbeds, some are free arm. I cannot figure out WHERE to figure out this information though, and I don’t trust AI to give me correct info on this.

I have many kenmore 158’s available in my area and need help choosing the right one. I just need a place I can look up all the models and their specs. Is there a website for pdf out there somewhere?

Body:
Hi everyone! I’m desperate and running out of ideas with my Singer 401. The upper thread gets incredibly tight and starts binding as it tries to pass around the bobbin case. Even if I set the upper thread tension dial to absolute zero and lower the presser foot pressure to near zero, the resistance remains exactly the same.

Here is what I have already checked and verified:

1. Needle height: Perfectly adjusted using the timing marks on the needle bar.
2. Feed dogs height: Adjusted properly (they sit flush with the needle plate when in darning mode).
3. Position finger clearances: Checked and verified. The thread moves past the positioning bracket completely freely and the clearances are exactly as required.
4. Condition & Cleanliness: The hook area and the black bobbin case are spotlessly clean, free of lint, properly oiled, and there are absolutely no burrs, scratches, or rough edges on them.

Crucial update from my testing: If I completely remove the green bobbin and the black bobbin case (holder) from the machine, the upper thread moves absolutely freely without any resistance or binding when I rotate the handwheel. The problem occurs only when the black bobbin case is installed.

It seems the thread gets physically pinched somewhere between the bobbin case body and the spinning hook, even though the position finger clearances are correct and the parts are smooth.

What else could be causing the thread to bind so tightly around the bobbin case under these conditions? Any advice would be highly appreciated. Thank you so much!

I have used modern machines and was looking around for a second hand machine and the price was right (free). Any tips or advice appreciated but mostly just sharing because I'm excited 😊

It's a Kenmore 158.13030

I'm not really a sewer, although I do know how to wind a bobbin and thread the machine. Since my mom died 20+ years ago, I've used it twice; once to shorten curtains, and once to re-hem a pair of dress pants. Now I'm moving and need to downsize.

This is a heavy-duty home Pfaff, light gray metal body, in great shape, with a lot of extras, including bobbins, those plastic stitch-program units you insert for special stiches, and an intact carrying case.

I'm going to try to sell it locally, but nobody here buys used sewing machines anymore. This was my mom's primary machine until the early 90's when she bought a Viking, which my sister still has. I plan to sell it locally, but don't have a clue what a machine like this is worth.

I got it from the thrift store and I tried sewing with it and it seems fine but then again I'm not that good with sewing machines I feel like the upper tension isn't tensioning properly like the difference from a zero to a nine is like nothing I took it apart and I cleaned off the two inner discs and that didn't help the only thing I guess is at the spring isn't strong enough anymore but I don't know maybe it's fine and I just assumed that I'd be a lot tighter than it is