Boni Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Can someone tell me about this machine. DH and I just rescued it from his mother's shed. Who would do such an awful thing as paint it pink? Ick. <embed src="http://p.webshots.com/flash/smallslideshow.swf" flashvars="playList=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.webshots.com%2Fslideshow%2Fmeta%2F570549336MieMEB%3Finline%3Dtrue&inlineUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fcommunity.webshots.com%2FinlinePhoto%3FalbumId%3D570549336%26src%3Ds%26referPage%3Dhttp%3A%2F%2Fhome-and-garden.webshots.com%2Fslideshow%2F570549336MieMEB&postRollContent=http%3A%2F%2Fp.webshots.com%2Fflash%2Fws_postroll.swf&shareUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fhome-and-garden.webshots.com%2Fslideshow%2F570549336MieMEB&audio=on&audioVolume=33&autoPlay=false&transitionSpeed=5&startIndex=0&panzoom=on&deployed=true" menu="false" quality="best" width="425" height="384" name="WebshotsSlideshowPlayer"base="http%3A%2F%2Fp.webshots.com%2Fflash%2F" wmode="opaque" allowScriptAccess="always" loop="false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="http%3A%2F%2Fwww.macromedia.com%2Fgo%2Fgetflashplayer"></embed><br /><br /><a href="http://home-and-garden.webshots.com/album/570549336MieMEB">Vintage Singer</a> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eswindy Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Paint remover??? Great find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Your machine is a Singer 27, made September 26, 1904, at Elizabethport (factory name), in Elizabeth, NJ. I can't remember what the decal is called, but something to do with Eqyptian something....I'll find out. I'll find the website information for you too....and I will give you the name of my shrink...this Singer thing is addictive..read my blog... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 DD and I were chatting this morning and we are finding all sorts of information since I posted. I knew MB had some stash in her basement and Bonnie Botts has a few too. DD and I are considering trying to clean it up, wondering about the best cleaner to use, replacing the belt, just giving it a new lease on life. The treadle works, and the hand wheel moves the needle up and down and the bobbin does the "vibrating shuttle" thing. DD was more excited about it than I was. I'm sort of a bah humbug when it comes to ancient stuff. I have trouble enough keeping dust off my kitchen table and spider webs off the front porch. I'll check out your blog MB. Shrink? pssshhhhh "You don't need No shrink!" You are cool!:cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisae Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Bonnie, get thee to a stripper! Or I guess I should say get that poor cabinet to a stripper! You have to be careful with those old cabinets. They are usually veneer and put together with horse glue. Seriously. I would take it to a professional before tackling it myself, and I have done tons of refinishing. I, too, am an old Singer addict. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Do you know if these old cabinets had decals and such on the original wood? I'd hate to remove anything but the pink. When we peeled the old masking tape off, some of the pink came off with it. Eeek. I'm not touching the paint yet and I'm not peeling anymore tape off. MB you wrote a cute story about your addiction. I'm going to stop with this one. No need to get addicted. I'll let DD have to leash. Isn't there supposed to be a drawer in the middle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lisae Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Bonnie, I have never seen any decals on the original wood. Yes, there should be a middle drawer. Sometimes you can find just the cabinet without the machine for a reasonable price. It might be worth looking for one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Try joining the Vintage Singers Yahoo group... http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vintagesingers/ I don't post there....believe it or not...but I read it all the time. They have all kinds of tricks and ideas that work for cleaning these beautiful machine without hurting the decals...you really don't want to hurt that decal. You can also go to http://www.ismacs.net tons of information about all of these machines. If you ever use one you will love it. The stitches are perfect....no zig-zag for these machines. You know how you stitch a straight line on your domestic machine and the last stitch is a tiny bit to one side of the next stitch? Just look next time you stitch....you will see what I mean. Well....these little babies don't do that...it is a pure - straight - stitch!! Then when you really, really get into it...you are going to be watching E-bay and garage sales, and flea markets and The Goodwill Store and the Salvation Army Store and every thrift store on every corner. The more you learn about them, the more you want the next one....then some day...you will be going to my shrink with me :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Originally posted by Boni MB you wrote a cute story about your addiction. I'm going to stop with this one. No need to get addicted. I'll let DD have to leash. It's not an addiction....it's an obsession Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Originally posted by Mary Beth Your machine is a Singer 27, made September 26, 1904, at Elizabethport (factory name), in Elizabeth, NJ. I can't remember what the decal is called, but something to do with Eqyptian something....I'll find out. I'll find the website information for you too....and I will give you the name of my shrink...this Singer thing is addictive..read my blog... My Singer 27 has this Eqyptian decal on it....it was made in 1906 ?? I'd have to double check the serial number now that I said that. It was a speical decal for a World Fair exhibit honoring some Eqyptian display there.....or at least that's what I was told when I did my research a couple of years ago.... My decal isn't as pretty as this one it a bit more worn...and no there isn't any decals or designs on the cabinet, that will come off with paint remover. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 16, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 Whew, I'm glad to hear that. DSIL is good with wood, and he would be tickled to refinish it for me. Thanks for all the info and links and support. Give it some time and maybe we'll get 'er in shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 16, 2009 Report Share Posted March 16, 2009 I wish I could remember where I read about that decal, but evidently it was quite popular and used for a few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Bonnie, one site I found where you look up the number to find the date indicated 1904. Could that be right? The dates on the throat plate begin in1882 and end in 1891--those are patent dates. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Originally posted by Boni Bonnie, one site I found where you look up the number to find the date indicated 1904. Could that be right? The dates on the throat plate begin in1882 and end in 1891--those are patent dates. Like I said I couldn't remember the date, but 1906 stuck in my head because when my MIL bought it and gave it to me it was WAY before 1994 and I thought I would never see its 100th birthday.... I have a huge plant on the cabinet right now and I will move it tomorrow and get the machine out and look....but 1904 or 1906 sounds right..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Beth Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Originally posted by Mary Beth Your machine is a Singer 27, made September 26, 1904, at Elizabethport (factory name), in Elizabeth, NJ.I :o Isn't that what I said??:o;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Duh... Sorry MB I knew I read that somewhere (sheepish grin) I'm really interested in the Egyptian decal. I had not even looked at it that close until you guys mentioned it. DH thought it was an eagle cause all he saw was the wing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PATST Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 I have one very similar -- one of my dearest treasures. It was my grandmother's. The cabinet is in good shape except the top has a little water damage -- polished up beautifully though. The drawers had all kinds of her sewing tools and other stuff that had somehow made its way into the drawer for safe-keeping. And one drawer was/is full of old buttons -- I have not changed a thing in the drawers. Bought a new belt for the machine and it sews beautifully. These machines are truly a treasure. Patsy in NE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RunningThreads Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Bonnie Another resource on treadle machines is www.treadleon.net They have a section on their site on how to service and adjust the treadle. You will probably find out more about the sewing machine itself on the Vintage Singer group Mary Beth told you about. Can't wait to see pictures when you get it cleaned up. Nigel Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 It is really special to own one of these that has been in your family. I know that this machine did not belong to DH's family. It was acquired by one of his stepfathers. His mother remarried a couple of times. Her health is failing and the family wants to clean out a bunch of stuff before she passes on. I feel fortunate to be the recipient, but I think I will probably pass it on to my DD. I did join the yahoo group, Vintage Singers and posted the same pictures on their forum. I found the Treadleon site and found it very interesting. AND I went to the other site MB suggested. Whoa so much information. Now all I have to do is get out the elbow grease. I even found several center drawers on Ebay. AND the puzzle boxes with attachments are plentiful. I think DH can fit me with a hollow core urethane belt (the vegan alternative to cow hide). Do you think I could just cut off the pin cushion that is wrapped around the neck? I'm sure that's not vintage. The pins and needles look very rusty too. Not good to have around. Tetanus city! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doodlebug Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 it's called a sphinx and they are hard to find. i have a red eye singer treddle upstairs that i 'restored' myself (the lady i got it from had kept it for years close to her kitchen. it took three weeks to get all the grease out of it. the table seems to have been refinished.) it has a bobbin tho, not a shuttle. i do have a bread box (ebay- $10.00) that has a shuttle. it hasn't been used at all. i love taking it to classes. i only had the one spindle in it when i got it, and i found spindles at hancock's of all places! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boni Posted March 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 The red eye's I've seen are beautiful. That ornate scrolling sort of design is beautiful on the black. What you call a bread box, is that the puzzle box that has the attachments in it? Bobbin/shuttle, spindle= bobbins are round? and spindles are long? I'm not sure what you mean here? Sphinx = there must be some history here. Anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
witha'K'quilting Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 The decaling is called Sphinx. Shannon is correct. Instead of using a standard round bobbins we are all used to...this machine uses a long shuttle. I own a Singer 128 3/4 size machine blackside crinkle. It also uses this same shuttle. I love it. These with the decals are very nice...but I am a sucker for crinkle machines. Something different about them I guess. Bonnie...this is a great find. Clean it up and use it. I bet it sews like a dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heirloom Quilter Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Bonnie, I have a Singer Red Eye that I rescued from an old barn. I paid way too much for it, now that I know what the going price for these old machines is. My machine had the entire top veneer missing. I found an old guy, in his late eighties who knew how to replace the veneer and it looks absolutely wonderful. I know it's not original now, but having something that beautiful to see makes it worth the cost. My machine is a Model #66, Birthdate Jan. 3, 1918 in Elizabeth, NJ. You should be able to download a manual from Singer.com if you don't have one. The treadleon site is very very informative if you decide to do all your own restoration. I just inherited my grandmothers White Rotary Family machine, circa 1906, I think. The cabinet is better shape than the Singer, but the machine is pretty rusted from being outdoors. I'm going to try to restore this one myself. Good luck with your new machine. You'll have to post photos when it's not pink anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doodlebug Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 here's my 'breadbox' it's 'different' it's powder coated and the throat cover on the end is black with grapes. the reason i call it a breadbox, is with its wooden cover on, it looks like a breadbox. the wooden puzzle boxes are for storing accessories and feet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonnie Posted March 17, 2009 Report Share Posted March 17, 2009 Bonnie R., mine is a Model 16 1906, and was made on January 16th. There were 5000 made that day and it was possiblly made in Montreal, Canada, but will need to confirm that as I didn't realize there was a factory in Canada. When I was taking pictures of it just now, I found something I didn't know was there. Someone scratched their name into the Sphinx's hinny.... so i guess now I need to call this machine Katie... [/img] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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