Frister and Rossmann Transverse Sewing Machine

One of the machines I have recently acquired is a Frister and Rossmann transverse shuttle machine.  It so happened I was talking to two very nice people about sewing machines and they offered me the machine they had never been sure what to do with.  How could I say no?

At this stage I didn't know what make the machine was although I was assured it was German, which covered a number of possibilities.  I then received an email telling me it was a Frister and Rossmann with a 'horizontal' shuttle, which was a particularly useful piece of information and made me very excited to get my hands on it.  Unfortunately its owners were about to go away for a few weeks to Ceduna so I had to bide my time.

I was not disappointed.  It is a lovely machine, although it shows signs of wear and comes with its shuttle and a whole host of feet, the whole thing being carefully ensconced in a coffin top box.  Just goes to show, sometimes sewing machines really are appropriate dinner-time conversation, for me at least!  In another two weeks I get a three week holiday and I am really hoping to work on  number of machines, including this F&R, the Singer 12, the Borletti 1102 and another new purchase that shall remain unnamed for now.

The F&R from the front

End on, apologies for bad phone pictures.

The pillar with badge

Finally on a completely different tack, I was sewing a skirt for my mother a few months ago using the Helvetia (another machine I really need to get around to posting about) and was really struck with the colour combination as shown below.  I love the colour of this machine, when I discovered they were made in this colour I knew I had to have one.

Sewing a skirt on the Helvetia

Singer 12 Sewing Machine

My latest purchase is a birthday present for a family member similarly interested in sewing machines.  I won this machine on ebay (my first foray into the world of bidding) for the sum of $70 but only paid $60 as I had an ebay voucher.  I did not know for certain what the machine was when I bid on it but trusted my memory and instinct that it was a 12 and I was correct.  The listing also said that it was missing its shuttle, which it isn't, I was ever so pleased when I discovered that.
I have limited time to look at it as I have to wait until its intended recipient is out for a while.  However, in the two brief looks at it that I've had I have ascertained that the belt guard is sheered on the front (I have no idea how that is possible without it being severely damaged in some other way.), it is completely seized and I can't get a single screw undone.  I am doing well!  It will now have to wait for another few weeks before I get an opportunity to investigate it again but here are some pictures to be going on with.

Belt guard showing broken section in front

Bobbin winder detached

Underneath

White Family Rotary

One of my most recent purchases was a machine that I have wanted for a very long time - ever since I passed up on one in a scrapyard, a White Rotary.  This beautiful machine comes in a lovely cabinet, unfortunately slightly water damaged, with a fantastic mechanism which lifts the machine as the top opens.  I have not yet found the time to work on it, other than removing a large thread lock from the race but I am looking forward to it!

From the back

From the front, unfortunately the word 'White' has rubbed off

The decal on the inside of the pillar

Showing faceplate and tension assembly

Patents are stamped on the uniquely shaped plate.

The latest patent on mine is 1913 so it could be almost 103 years old.  Not bad condition for a machine that has been around that long!

Singer Featherweight 222K

About a month ago I had the most incredible stroke of luck.  I managed to obtain the highly sought after Featherweight 222K for only $350.  The 221's fetch more than that here normally.  For those who are wondering what I am going on about, a Singer 221 Featherweight is a very collectable, very small, portable flatbed machine.  They are very popular amongst quilters and fetch a very good price.  However, they were making them for a number of years and made quite a few.  The Singer 222K, on the other hand, was made in very limited numbers, I think they only did about three runs and they are very, very collectable.  The 222K has a few added features that the 221 lacked.  It is a convertible, free-arm machine and drops the feed for darning.  Mine also came with its original instruction manual, box and accessories.  Unfortunately, as I discovered when I got home, it didn't come with a bobbin winder.  This is an extremely irritating fact and I will have to look into buying one to complete my machine.  When I bought it, I was informed that the machine itself was seized, although the hand wheel turned freely.  Further investigation showed that it is missing the stop motion bushing screw, which attaches the bushing the hand wheel sits on, to the main drive shaft of the machine.  If the machine were not seized, it would probably be almost unnoticeable due to the friction between the parts.  So far I have been unsuccessful in locating a spare.

I have given her a slight clean and oiling but she will have to wait until I have more time before I really get to look at her.  She has a name too; Gina, which has always been one of my favourite names.

Various attachments in their metal tray inside her box

Stitch length and feed height adjusters

From front with flat bed attached

Without flatbed

Gina is incredibly small.  When I first saw her I could not believe my eyes, she was almost toy-like.  You can see her size in relation to an average size computer mouse above.  I cannot wait to have enough time to get her cleaned up and stitching.

Interestingly, whilst typing this post I was listening to T. Rex and have just discovered that today is Marc Bolan's birthday.

New White Peerless Sewing Machine

A couple of weeks ago I added a new baby to the collection.  Trawling through gumtree aimlessly, as I am apt to do, I discovered this sad-looking machine, covered in dust but with absolutely beautiful lilly-of-the-valley decals.  A few years ago I was at a machine vendors house and he had a beautiful machine with lily-of-the-valley decals on it and I fell head over heels for it.  I think that man is partly to blame for my obsession actually but that's a whole different story.

Anyway, I ummed and ahhed over this machine for a few days and it still hadn't sold so I rang and enquired about it.  The gentleman was very helpful and more than willing for me to come and look at it.  Sadly, it didn't have a bobbin case (and they are very hard to find) but for $15- and with hardly a spot of rust in sight I couldn't resist.  The handcrank attachment alone was worth that!  I brought it back to Grandma's and spent the next couple of days (when time allowed) taking it apart and cleaning it.

From the front, exactly as I bought it.

As well as missing its bobbin case it was also missing the front slide plate (that should be relatively easy to make do without), the two screws necessary for holding the faceplate on and its wooden cover.  But I still loved it!  The patents on the back slide plate date it to 1890, so it is now officially the oldest machine in my collection.  That distinction was previously held by as singer 127, I think it was, that I haven't yet written about here.

Underneath the machine is very nice and I could watch this machine in operation all day.  I spent quite a while scrubbing caked on oil off but I never mind doing that as I know that is what has saved it from being a rust bucket.

The faceplate is separate at the moment until I find screws to fit it.  Here you can see the interesting tension assembly, which I think is exclusive to White sewing machines (don't hold me to that!).  The feet are also like the rebadged White we have, so no shortage of them!

Before cleaning.

The bobbin winding mechanism and stitch length adjuster are in good condition and still move freely.  It needs a new winding tyre though.

Bobbin winder (right) and stitch length adjuster (left).

Around the feed dogs and under the throatplate was rather dirty but all rust free and moving very well.  (No, I don't normally wear nail polish when I'm working on machines!)

Throatplate being removed.

As I mentioned before it did not have a bobbin case for it, which is very disappointing because I can't sew with it.  I tried another White case in it but it did not fit.  This machine is tiny, apparently a 3/4 size White machine and the other case was too large.

Shuttle run.

I have done a small amount of research and apparently this is the model 'B' of these machines.  I have to say I am very happy with it and it cleaned up very well.

From the front, after cleaning.

Singer 29K53

It has been a long time since I posted.  There are reasons, I've been busy, stressed and a few other things as well.  I have acquired a few new machines and done a little sewing but I haven't really had the time or inclination to post about any of it.  Until now!

A few months ago I was trawling gumtree (why are the machines I like always in a different state?) and I came across an advert for an industrial patcher, a Singer 29K53 from 1920.  I have been looking to add to my industrial collection for a while now, not in the least because I wanted a clutch drive motor to set up at Grandma's.  Not that Grandma is aware of my plans yet, she does not approve of my machine obsession.  After a bit of negotiation the machine was mine, for $300 I think.

Unfortunately I haven't had a lot of time to work on it, so this post is not going to include dizzying instructions for dismantling it.  The first thing I checked when I went to look at it was that it had a bobbin.  Although I think they are still readily available, I didn't want to go to the bother of buying one without knowing if my machine worked.  Sadly I didn't check that it had both steering handles.  It doesn't.  I would have asked for a 'bit off' if I had noticed that before I got it home.  Still, it's not the end of the world, just irritating.  Anyhow, I'll show you some pictures.

I hope to have more posts soon!

Singer 328P sewing Machine

One of the many machines I have acquired recently is a Singer 328P.  When I first started at work we had a Singer 327 that I loved.  Unfortunately it had a cracked zig-zag cam and 327's are straight stitch and zig-zag only.  It was a beautiful chocolate colour and quite a streamlined shape and I set my heart on getting a 328, as they took interchangeable cams and looked the same.  When I saw this machine for sale I knew I had to have it, even though it was grey instead of chocolate brown.  It came with its instruction manual and some of its cams.  It takes the same cams as the 306 and 320 though, so I have plenty of cams that will fit it.  Apparently the previous owner had about 7 machines which her grandson found in various wardrobes, I bought the last two.  I wanted the 328 and got the other one (a Stylist I think it is) thrown in for a reduced price plus all the random bits he had left over.

This is how it looked when I brought it home

Just look at that streamlined shape!

There are unfortunately some chips on the paintwork but they are not rusted so do not look too bad.  The bobbin area was very fluffy, just about solid with lint I think. Cleaning bobbin arrangements like this is not my favourite pastime as they are very awkward but it is pretty good now.

Bobbin area before cleaning.

I have not taken the base off a machine like this for a while and I had to guess with it, you simply unscrew the screws circled in the below photograph.

Base, showing which screws to remove.

Under the base cover is fairly typical for a drop in bobbin with oscillating hook.

Bobbin area from underneath, before cleaning.

Under the base cover, showing bobbin and feed mechanisms.

Under the face plate was not too dirty but was very dry.

Under faceplate before cleaning.

The gears under the top cover had been very well greased and the surrounds were liberally sprayed in grey!

Finally I wiped the machine down with a cloth dipped in methylated spirits.

Beautiful 328 after cleaning

Showing cam mounting and follower.

The machine is very quiet when it runs and it stitches very nicely.  I cannot wait to have enough time to be able to sew something on it!

Singer 201K

Quite some time ago I bought a lovely Singer 201 from work.  However with study I never got around to cleaning it.  On Sunday I was bored and decided to get it out and play with it.  Every time I get this machine out I sit and look at it for a bit because it is just so beautiful and sleek.  This time was no different and afterwards I set in to cleaning it thoroughly.  There is no rust on it, excepting the hand wheel but a lot of caked on oil and dust.  This I set about removing, before oiling it and trying to set it up.  I started under the bed of the machine, because I always do.

Packed in its crate with its motor, as it has been for a year.

Under the bobbin area

Gear cover, to remove, remove circled screws.

Bobbin gear cover, to remove, remove circled screws.

Lovely metal gears.

Once I had finished under the bed I did the rest of the machine, starting with under the faceplate and moving through to the bobbin area and finally all the 'cosmetic' work, which isn't necessary for the efficient functioning of the machine but I like to know it's all shiny.

Under the faceplate, before cleaning

Bobbin and needle area, before cleaning

Hook, after the removal of the bobbin case.

Clean bobbin area

After some cosmetic work 

At the moment I have it mounted in the Singer 206's table, running off the industrial motor as its own motor needs a lot of work.  I am very pleased with it, it is very quiet and stitches very neatly.