Eight in Spades

It's been another grand weekend with rain and raining sewing machines. We planning a day at the Minnesota State Fair on Friday but rain and thunderstorms helped us change our minds. Instead, we traveled over the border to Wisconsin to visit friends who are moving to Tennessee and she had sewing machines she was not going to take. I was lured by the offer of some-are-free so we took the Jeep and headed over.

Despite the rain we had a great time together, the men deep into discussions about hunting and fishing while we discussed their new home and new adventures. Between the basement workshop and the "barn" I took home eight sewing machines and no tables or desks.

Loaded up!

Although I have a million other things to do, I couldn't resist seeing what I had and what still needed to be done. There was a Singer 237 with parts in a bag so it was put at the back of the workbench. The Singer 327K kept slipping so it was next to the back. A Davis vertical feed was frozen up with parts in a bag and it is now on the floor of the garage, a place of shame but also in the garage, at the top of the list is a Brother Super Select-O-Matic, favorite of mine, in two tone:

Brother Super Select-O-Matic (HZ3B3 Model 100)

This was the big find of the day but it wasn't free and that was just fine. Isn't she a beauty? She will get a future post with comparisons to other Brother models of this Select-O-Matic fame. Next up are the four that need some work and clean up but all are doing quite well.

The Elgin is actually a Japanese model JA-38, a great machine I have seen with other names. It was dry inside and very dirty but that's not hard to rectify. It got a new motor and a used motor block set for the power cords and foot control with only one trip to the hardware store for a new long screw. Don't ask, it works.

Elgin (JA-38)

Stitches fine, sounds good, a nice smooth operation and is cosmetically perfect. Good find for someone who wants straight and zigzag and doesn't mind a heavy machine!

The next cutie is a New Home that is not heavy and includes just the basics of straight, zigzag, 4 step buttonhole, blind hem, elastic zigzag, and two stretch stitches. Nothing wrong with this one except a big clean up and a new motor block/foot control. Because of the cute factor and lack of heft, I put it in one of the Brother mod carrying cases so it looks cute in storage, too.

New Home 1300

New Home 1300 in carrying case

Then there is a 3/4 sized National S-40, a vibrating shuttle model that has oh so many differences. Note that large round plate?

National S-40 3/4 sized sewing machine

No real purpose, just for design intrigue! Then there are the double tires on the rotary wheel, both replaced, and the bobbin winding spring. I couldn't figure out how the bobbin winder worked since it didn't line up with the hand wheel  but it did line up with the wheel in the back. Then I remembered finding a large spring formed into a circle and put two and two together to see how it worked:

National S-40 bobbin winding mechanism

I still don't have it stitching but that's due to the wrong needle, misthreading, and/or tension but I will work that out yet. The case is in excellent shape and the original cords are soft, strong, and pliable. Now, if I could only find a manual.

And, finally, there is a Signature URR-56X271, a nice machine that is turning over but I haven't tested out the stitching capability just yet. It is extremely heavy so think it will go out to a table in the garage since this is clearly not a portable sewing machine. It came with a box of attachments, cams, and a print manual so that one hit the jackpot. UPDATE: It got a new motor and a re-tread on the motor block, using one that was missing the foot control that was among the mix of items in this haul. It does stitch nicely and the cams work just fine, too.

Signature URR-56X271

As you can tell, I'm super excited to be working on these machines, it was so nice to get to pick the ones I want instead of having them appear on my doorstep. My friend was more than generous and she still had more that I wouldn't take but we agreed that she would strip them down and bring over the bases for me to send to my metal recycler. By this time next week I should have a bunch more that I can now move along. Sorry, folks, but not all of them get saved but at least they are not ending up in a landfill. Most of them were on my parts shelf for several years and didn't have much to save left so to let them go was the humane thing to do. Yes, they are a bit like my pets: beloved and with us just for awhile.