Sewing on and Serging forward

Yes, you read it correctly. I have gone and added a new YDK motor to my Singer 99K. Now both of my vintage machines are motor driven! I have to say that since I swapped my first YDK motor from the 99K to the 201, the 201 has been in almost daily use and it has performed flawlessly. It was a good move on my part back in June, but I really felt that the 99K should be motor driven, as it was when I first bought it (even though the original wiring was in a dangerous state.) So I took the plunge and went for a second motor, received it a couple of days ago and put it straight on the 99K. Like before, it runs very well, but is considerably more noisy than the almost silent 201. I think I have found an issue that is adding to the noise. The tension spring is hitting the thread guide below the take up arm as the spring flicks back and forth. If I can fix this (may need a new tension spring) the noise level will drop considerably. Fingers crossed!!

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we all make errors of judgement. With hindsight, I now realise that I made an error when I fitted a new motor to my Singer 99K. The motor should have gone onto my Singer 201K. Here is my reasoning, with the benefit of hindsight. Although my 99K was motor driven when I received it, the motor wiring was very dodgy so I removed it from the machine and replaced it with a hand crank. By the time the crank arrived the machine was working quietly following a thorough cleaning and oiling regime. With the crank installed their was a real improvement in the machine. But we can all do daft things. This was what I did. I fitted a new 0.45 watt YDK motor and pedal. What? That was just a replacement for the original motor that had seen better days. Whats wrong   with that, you may ask. Well, nothing really but it was not MY best option. Here's why. I had a hand cranked 99K, a hand cranked 201K and a new YDK motor and foot-pedal. My thoughts were to keep t...

I seemed to be constantly busy during the last two weeks of April. I just seem to have been trying out new sewing projects, one after another. It began with making a tailor's ham, which then progressed to making a sleeve roll, then 10 rice filled pyramid pattern weights and a drawstring bag to keep the weights in. The ham was made on my Singer 99K, the sleeve roll. pattern weights and bag on my Singer 201K. Diane wanted me to make her a tool roll for some of her jewellery making tools. As I had recently taken apart an old leather skirt to re-used the leather, this seemed like a fitting project to make on my Singer 99K (using a leather needle). The roll was lined with felt that we got at the Gloucester Resource Centre. The most tricky project over the past couple of weeks was without a doubt the Office Party Bag from Debbie Shore. I chose to make this from some vinyl which I obtained through the Gloucester Resource Centre some weeks ago. As my first bag proje...

This is my newley acquired 1940, Singer 201K with hand crank which I collected on Saturday. It came complete with a bentwood case and two boxes of accessories (most of which are duplicated). The machine had been idle for almost 10 years, except for one sewing session in late 2016. It was surface clean other than old oil residue on the needle bar and presser foot bar, and in very good physical condition for a machine that is 77 years old! Inside was a little different. In parts, it was pretty mucky from old dried out and discoloured oil, a sure sign the machine had been idle for a long time. Everything was moving fairly freely but the stitches left a lot to be desired. Some investigation was needed, mainly as part of my normal clean down regime. Removing the faceplate revealed needle bar and presser foot mechanisms that were sorely in need of some TLC. Everything was working fine behind the faceplate, it was just covered in a fairly thick brown residue from old oil. An hour...

Before throwing out the corroded parts for my Singer 99K, the original needle plate and presser foot, I did a little aggressive clean up with a my Dremel, a grinder bit followed by an oil-stone. Off came the corrosion, but so did the mirror-like shine on both parts. Are they still usable? Definitely yes, in fact the foot is now back on the machine as my standard working foot. I really like the 1/8" narrow leg on this foot.  The needle plate looks fine, if a but dull, but again it is totally functional. However I am keeping the new plate on the machine as it has seam guide markings, unlike the original plate. Original presser foot and needle plate have cleaned up to a usable condition.

The replacement needle plate with seam allowance markings that I mentioned in the last post has arrived, and it is much better, but there was one small issue. It's a really tight fit to sit it in place. Looking at it closely in situ I found that the needle also drops really close to the edge of the needle hole. I needed to make a few modifications to make it seat a little better in the bed of the machine..... out comes the Dremel and a conical grinding wheel. A few minutes of grinding and checking the fit and the plate fits just right. I suppose I should have sent it back, but it was a simple and easy fix to do. New Needle plate fitted. I use Coates "Moon" thread as my go-to thread. At less than £1 for a 1,000yd spool, it is inexpensive, comes in a wide range of colours and shades and is strong. But, as I found out yesterday the 99K has an issue with it. It's a cross wound thread, which, unlike the parallel wound spools of old, it needs to peel the thread off o...

This is my recently acquired Singer 99. Made in the UK in 1951 as part of the Singer Centennial year, which I found it in a local secondhand shop. It is small and heavy, being around 3/4 the size of Singers model 66 of the same period. I have been casually looking for a vintage "black" Singer sewing machine for a while. This was the first that I have found that caught my eye as worth a second look. When I found it, it looked in reasonable condition, it had a motor which I was unable to test and the store owner had not tested it either, but the wiring looked very suspect. Turning the hand-wheel made the needle mechanism work, so it seemed in reasonable mechanical condition. There was no noticeable rust other than on the needle plate under the presser foot, which is a sure sign that the machine had not been used in a very long time. The case was a little knocked about, but nothing that was more than reasonable wear and tear. It had it's original instruction manua...