1926 Singer 99 - Part 1

On a recent north Georgia treasure hunt, I found yet another vintage sewing machine at an incredible price. Well, incredible for me anyway. It is a 1926 Singer 99, complete with the Bentwood case and knee control lever, for a staggering $25!!! That may seem a lot to some of you for an 86 year old sewing machine that needs refurbishing, complete with a total re-wire. But to me, that is a steal! In my local Craigslist, these machines frequently run for much higher, and on eBay the prices are just plain ridiculous. Sure, I'd easily pay $150 for the same machine if it were already refurbished, rewired and in excelled working condition; but no way would I pay that much for a machine where I have to supply the parts and the labor. That takes away from my sewing time!

This is the machine, as found; and now affectionately known as "Ruby". Other than lots of dirt, lint and crumbly wiring, she doesn't look bad for her age at all.

1926 Singer 99

I want to keep this machine as original as possible, with the exception of the wiring. Wiring that is 80+ years old can be scary - brittle, crumbly, and exposed bare wires. All of those things can add up to a painfully dangerous shock, house fire, or worse. And being unable to test the machine's motor, I have to keep in mind that it may need replacing. So the first step was to photograph everything and from multiple angles and begin assessing what parts/materials I would need to restore this machine.

First things to add to the budget, electrical supplies  - $30 for a potential motor replacement; $5-$10 for wiring/cords/soldering supplies/etc. I already had some wire left over from the previous machine's re-wire; I bought it in bulk to save on shipping. Somehow, I knew I would be going down this road again in the future. But I still want to account for it in the 'total cost' of refurbishment. It gives me a good idea of a machine's 'cost of ownership' should I decide to rescue another vintage machine. (And we all know given my current track record, there will be others. I'm perusing Craigslist now as I write this post.)

The internal wiring didn't look too bad on the surface. But, being cloth covered, looks can be deceiving. Upon deeper inspection, I found exposed wires where both the cloth and latex insulator had worn away, and on a few of the end connectors, the wires had broken into separate pieces.

On the surface, wiring 'looks' okay. But it is hard and non-flexible. It has survived past its lifespan.

The yellow tape is to mark which motor wire actually connected to the incoming power. Being a DC motor, I could switch the two motor wires with no ill effects. The yellow-taped one just happens to be longer in order to reach the input connectors. Also, the amount of lint and dust in the electrical compartment was a fire waiting to happen with the exposed, decayed wires.

The motor controller is removed from the case. This controller requires the round-ended knee lever, which I was fortunate in that it came with the machine. Those levers frequently are lost, and sell online for more than most machines are worth.

The BU7 A motor that came with the machine. I did jury-rig a quick set up to test that the motor  powered up and turned over. It did; but I failed to notice the rotational direction; more on that later.

And just in case technology failed me, I made a hand drawing of the wiring to put away with my notes. And even though I back up my photos religiously, I still like tangible hard copies of some things, thus my diagram:

More disassembly to come in the next post.

1950 Singer 99k - Finished

The 1950 Singer 99k is finally finished. All the moving parts have been removed, cleaned, polished, replaced and now operate properly. The motor and foot controller have been re-wired. And the 'bug-eye' light from hell has been re-wired. So, here you go....

1950 Singer 99k in full working glory.

This isn't a really good picture, but if you compare it to the 'before' shot, she's a beauty!

I can't believe this is the same machine as above. 

And to top it all off, shortly after I finished her (aka "Ann"), I found a 1926 Singer 99 (US made) for $25, complete with all the parts and pieces. I've been feverishly working on "Ruby" and thanks to my new friend Michelle donating a few parts, that machine is now finished. I'll post a complete set of rebuild posts for the 1926 Singer 99. I'm really pleased how both of these machines have turned out. I'll try and have those posts up by the end of the week, before I start on my next projects.

Next on the list: 1914 Singer 66-1 "Red Eye". I've been lusting after a Red-Eye machine for a while, and found one at the right price. Once she's done, I'll place her in the treadle where she can be appreciated on a daily basis.

And as luck would have it, I stumbled upon a 1957 Singer 401A at a yard sale last Friday. Yes, it came home with me; I couldn't help myself. But that machine is fully intended to be refurbished and re-sold. I already have my grandmother's 401, so I don't really need two of them. And then of course, there's the 1951 Centennial Edition Featherweight 221 that found its way to my house as well. Sigh. I swear I'm not addicted, honest.  Well, okay, maybe a little bit. But at least it keeps me busy and out of the refrigerator. Good Lord, candy corn is calling my name.

Still breathing...

Though I haven't written in a while, I am still around. I've mostly been trying to keep myself preoccupied with various projects so as not to worry about the twins all the time. It seems as though that may be a task in futility.

The twins themselves seem to be staying out of trouble, but the rest of that household is in pure chaos. My 20-year old adopted brother, who still lives at home, has 'knocked-up' his girlfriend. In and of itself, not the end of the world...until you find out that the girlfriend is only 13!!! OK. FIRST, my brother knows better. Period. No debating that one. SECOND, what parent in their right mind allows their 13 year-old daughter to a) date, b) date someone 20 years old, and c) be alone with said 20 year-old?????? Now my brother is in jail for statutory rape, the girl is 13 and pregnant (not a t.v. show I want to see) - and who will suffer the most? The innocent, unborn child who has no say so in his/her life. Please God, allow the child to be born healthy and safely, and to be adopted by loving parents.

Now on to a positive note, the twins are working harder in school. I think both of them realize what better lives they would have outside of their current home, and hopefully they are learning that education is part of it. Having spent time with my sisters this summer, and being back in communication with me, they are seeing that life can be so much more than what the have; not just materialistically, but better in every sense of the world. And I know that doesn't necessarily mean better with me, but with anyone who actually cares and puts the boys best interests to the front of the line. I really hope they are allowed to spend Thanksgiving with us (Mom's adult kids). I think the more time they spend with us, especially at big holidays, they will see that families can be loving and functional. From my lips, to God's ears.

On the "Things that keep me Sane" front - I'm working on a few new shirts. Trying to test fit patterns, before I go head-first into sewing too many that don't fit properly. You'd be surprised at how mind-calming sewing can be, even when you stick yourself for the one-hundredth time with a pin! The quilt top is finished, and sandwiched. I can't decide how I want to quilt it - so it has been moved to the "thinking" pile. (That pile never seems to shrink.)

I recently added an embroidery machine to my "herd". I bought it used and have already made a few "gifts" with it. Christmas presents should be easy decisions this year! And with this new machine, I have decided that my machines are breeding. But I did sell one of my vintage machines - a Singer Slant 301. It was (is) a great machine, but needed a new home as I haven't used it in over a year and it needs to be used by someone who loves and appreciates it. I learned that its new owner will use it to teach her grandchildren how to sew, including her grandson. Since my Nana taught me to sew, I thought this would be a perfect use for this machine. And of course, wouldn't you know it....one machine left the house, and then I found another one, for less than a tank of gas less than a week's worth of lunch at Subway. It's another Singer 99 portable, but this one is from 1926 and was complete. It'll need a complete overhaul, with wiring, etc. I'll try and do a better job of chronicling that one.

Until the next post, Peace with you all.
Scott