Red Helvetia Free Arm Sewing Machine

So my holiday has been slightly more busy and slightly less productive than expected.  However, I have managed to sort out my images of cleaning the red Helvetia into something postable, so here goes....!

This is how it looked when I brought it home

Stitch length lever

I paid $50 for it, which to be honest was probably a bit much as it is fairly scratched in places.  However, it did come with a box of accessories and its flatbed attachment so it probably wasn't too bad.  One of the most challenging things about it is that everything is done up with screws that require an Allen key to remove.  Fortunately there was one in the box of accessories which I used throughout.  The machine is an end loading oscillating hook, only capable of straight stitch both forward and reverse and the feed dogs drop.

Accessories box

Firstly I wanted to take the motor off it, so that I could clean behind it and so that I didn't have to worry about accidentally leaning the machine on it while I was working on it.  These machines have a light under the faceplate which is wired to the motor, so you have to undo the wiring to get the motor off, as shown below.

Back of machine

Remove the bottom piece of plastic that is pointed to by the green arrow in the picture above.  It goes without saying (I hope!) that you make sure the machine is unplugged first!  It is held in place by one or two screws, I can't remember now and I don't seem to have an appropriate picture.  You should then have something that looks like the image below.  In the picture below I have unscrewed the two large screws holding the motor bracket on so that I can move the motor about and take it off as soon as the wiring is out.

Wiring at base of motor

In the picture above, the two green arrows that are essentially pointing at each other are showing the wiring to the light.  The other two arrows are pointing to where these wires are wired in and the screws that hold them.  Once you loosen the screws you can gently pull the light wires out and lift the motor away.  The light wires stay protruding from the back of the machine as shown below.  Make sure you label which wire goes where into the base of the motor.

Showing light wires

I then set about removing the wooden base from the machine.  To do that, remove the three screws circled in green in the image below.

Showing base screws

Underneath base

You can now turn your machine over and oil anything that moves under there and grease any cams.

Next you can remove the cover on the free arm and the face plate, both are held down with a couple of screws and unfortunately I have a photo of the removal of neither.  The faceplate cannot be lifted right off due to the wiring of the light, as seen below.  You can also remove the back cover which is held in place by the same screw that hold the thread spool holder in place.

Under back cover, oil the LH rod where it sits over the crank and grease the cam & slider on the RH rod

Oil all the oil points and lift the feed dogs up and lightly grease where they slide against another piece of metal.

Oil the oil points on the take-up lever etc and lightly grease the needle and presser bar.

You can now get stuck into dismantling the bobbin area.  One you have the bobbin case out you can remove the piece that holds it all together.  Unfortunately I cannot remember how I did this but will update when I can.  Basically, you remove this piece:

Holds everything together.  Can remove metal spring as indicated for cleaning purposes

Now we have something as below, the hook (the crescent shaped metal piece) will now drop out and we can remove all the screws circled in green.  Incidentally, you can see a piece of thread caught up in mine.

Thread catch

Screws to remove

It will look like this and you can clean it to your heart's desire!

Bobbin area

My hook had a few dints from being struck with the needle but nothing too serious.

Hook strikes

One it's all clean you can re-assemble.

Reassembled

 Finally I took the tension assembly apart and cleaned it well.  You just unscrew the knob and it will all drop to pieces in your hand, very simple.

Tension assembly

Tension pieces in order of reassembly, left to right.

 So that's it, probably not one of my better guides to taking something apart but hopefully followable if you're desperate!  I guess I shouldn't leave it 6 months between taking them apart and writing them up!

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!

Re-timing the Singer 320K

I have had a few enquiries about re-timing or removing the hook on the 320.  After the removal of the throatplate, the instructions would be the same for a Singer 306 and 319 and probably a 206, although I've never re-timed mine.  This method can be followed to re-time the machines to take standard needles instead of their special size, just use a needle of the size you wish when actually timing the hook.

Just to refresh your memory, the Singer 320 is the green free-arm with a wooden flatbed.

Singer 320 from front

Before you commence this operation ensure that no cams are engaged (all the 'keys' on top are lying down), that the width is set to zero and needle position is in the centre of the throatplate.  If you don't, the timing will be off when you come to stitch zig-zag with it and you run the risk of hitting your hook, which is bad for both hook and needle.

Firstly you will have this:

Remove the bobbin case, foot and needle before going in further.  Keep the needle handy because you will need it again to re-time the machine.  Now remove the throatplate.  For those of you not familiar with this, take a narrow flat-head screwdriver and slide it into the depression on the LHS of the free arm, between the body and the throatplate of the machine.  Gently twist the screwdriver and the throatplate will pop off.  See image below if my instructions are bad!

Now you will have something that looks like this:

Next remove the feed dogs by unscrewing the screws circled in red in the image above.

For the next step use a fine point black marker to put marks on the machine as indicated by the arrows above.  Make sure that the needle is at a point you will remember, ie. at the top or bottom of its cycle, when you do the markings on the hook assembly.  These markings will give you a vague idea of how to fit things back together.  Even though we are altering the timing and thus the marks on the assembly will not line up when we've finished, it gives an idea of approximately where the hook should be.

If you do not intend on removing the hook assembly and just wish to re-time the machine, skip the marking and just loosen the two grub screws holding the hook assembly on the shaft.

Once you have marked the machine, completely remove the screw holding the crooked piece of metal on and remove that piece too.  Now loosen the grub screws holding the hook assembly on enough that you can slide the whole assembly off in your hand.  You will need to wiggle it gently to ease it off.

The arrow in the image points to the hook.

You can now clean out the assembly and dismantle it further using the screws and metal clips on the side.  When it comes to re-assembly, place the hook assembly back on the shaft, ensuring needle is in the appropriate position for the marks and replace the crooked piece of metal, aligning it with your marks and screw it into place.  We can now re-time the machine.

For those of you who just want to re-time their machine, join us again here.  Now put a needle in your machine.  If you want to re-time your machine to take a standard needle, put a standard needle in your machine, flat to back.  Gently rotate the machine until the needle is in its lowest position and just starting to ascend.  Now hold the needle still and rotate the hook assembly by hand until the hook is tip is just near the edge of the needle and about 1/2 way across it.  The arrows in the images below point to the hook and the eye of the needle.

A bit too far away, the hook is not passing near enough to the eye of the needle

The hook is passing close to the needle and closer to the eye.

You do not necessarily push the hook assembly onto the shaft as far as it will go, you can pull it out slightly so that it is closer to the needle.  However, make it too close and the slightest deflection caused by sewing will cause the needle to scrape the hook.

Once you have the hook positioned to your liking, tighten the grub screws tightly.  You should be able to reach one with the hook in that position, tighten it hard and then very gently rotate the machine until you can reach the other and tighten that hard too.  Once you have tightened the screws, carefully rotate the machine ensuring that the needle is not hitting or being deflected by any part of the hook assembly.  Now set the machine to the widest zig-zag and do the same, ensuring there is adequate clearance at all times between the hook and the needle of the machine.  And that's it!  Screw the feed dogs back on and carefully press the throatplate back into position.  Sew a test swatch and check that the machine is picking up properly on all needle widths and you're done.  

Don't worry if you stuff up your first attempts, whilst it's irritating to have to pull the thing apart and start again, once it's timed properly it will be a joy to sew on.

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.