A question for the Sewing Machine experts amongst us

[peterbennett9]

Hi, i have just acquired a singer 201k mounted in a treadle table, however it has been converted to electric. It is in working order and was a great find! I intent to use it to make some items such as a hammock, but i have several questions first....

1. As i said it is in working order however id like to clean it up to make it run well, am i right in thinking a squirt of wd40 (or some other type of cleaning agent) would free up any dried oil and then i could lubricate after?

2. What lubricant is best?

3. Whats best, treadle or electric motor? the motor is installed but could i also use the treadle for items where it was preferable? or would that necessitate removal of the motor?

Im chomping at the bit to make something with my new toy!

Any help greatly appreciated!

 

[Adze]

I wouldn't use WD40 other than to clean and degrease.

To lubricate you need a proper lubricating oil. 3 in 1 might be ok (not tried it) but Singer do their own "Super Oil"
http://www.singermachines.co.uk/sewingmachineparts/singer-super-oil.htm
http://www.sewingmachine-sales.co.uk/sewing_accessories/detail.php?id=331
http://www.uksewing.com/index.php?cPath=35_64

Another useful link if yours is an old one:
http://www.singermachines.co.uk/faq/vintage-sewing-machine-serial-number-list/

Ours turned out to be 1904... and still working after 106 years I wonder how many DVD players will be working in 2117 ?

The FAQ links to the left on the Singer site are pretty useful.

Cheers,

 

[MrEd]

use singer oil, its thinner than 3 in 1 so doesnt seem to get clogged up with the dust, i would use the motor if you have it working, treadles are great though try both see what you prefer!

 

[iotarho]

Clipper oil could work too (as in the things you use to shave horses and peoples heads, not some sort of rare boat oil...), as it's thin, designed for fast moving parts that can get clogged up, doesn't stain and reasonably easy to get hold of! But then again, if you have a sewing shop near you they will probably stock oil for their machines anyway.

 

[laro13]

I found a refurbish manual, it was a great help.

http://www.tfsr.org/publications/technical_information/sewing_machine_manual/

Enjoy,

Jasper

 

[Teepee]

Keep it oiled with the proper oil and give the motor a break every once in a while if your sewing slowly as it will overheat with slow speeds. I can't get on with the treadle.

Those old singers are quality bits of kit, mine stitches better than the my modern machine!

 

[peterbennett9]

Thanks for all the info guys, so do you think i shouldnt use wd40 to remove some of the old dried oil on it? I was just going to spray it in the oiling points and then run the machine to work it through then after oil it properly with the correct oil, how does that sound?

Will the electric motor handle things like leather and webbing ok? I dont want to burn it out! Lol

Also what type of needles are best for heavy work and where would i get them?

Peter

 

[Mesquite]

Will the electric motor handle things like leather and webbing ok? I dont want to burn it out! Lol

Also what type of needles are best for heavy work and where would i get them?

It all depends on how many layers and thickness of the material you intend sewing. Just try it on a scrap piece and go from there.

As for needles for heavyweight material you can buy them from most haberdasheries. Look for the leather/denim ones. Alternatively there's alway ebay

 

[peterbennett9]

Ok thanks il look into that

 

[Teepee]

Leather will need leather needles but these will cut holes in your webbing. For webbing I use Microtex(perfect for ripstop/coated fabrics too) or universal needles.

Shmetz needles are the ones to get.

 

[peterbennett9]

ok thanks. what size needles should i get?

 

[Teepee]

I'm not sure about leather needles-but 60 through to 90 in microtex, ballpoint and universal will be good for almost anything non leather.

someone on here should know about the leather needles.

 

[MrEd]

yeah i brought some leather needles cant remember the size, but i got them off ebay, they are good but only for leather lol as they do make quite a large hole and in cloth they dont clsoe up. Its good to have a selection of sizes for different weight cloths etc, you dont need to get singer ones though, but basically these old singers are great, with mine which is hand cranked it hasnt failed to sew anything i can wedge under the foot to be honest, just gotta have the right needle in or they just break the tip off

 

[MrEd]

oh and i wouldnt bother with the wd40 just oil it with a good quality oil like the sewing machine oil or clipper oil and then just run it fast for a few mins, wipe away the excess and re-oil with just a drop down the oil holes. thats what i do with mine about once a year and its running perfect i dont use it often though

 

[peterbennett9]

Ok great, heading out to get some oil for it now

 

[peterbennett9]

one other quick question, what type of thread would you recommend for sewing things like webbing and leather? and does the thicker gauge of this thread pose any problems with the bobbin feed or even threading your needles?

 

[Teepee]

The thicker your thread, the more headaches are likely. IME, For webbing, a No 69 thread is as strong as your machine will probably handle.
I'd stick with the normal gutterman for ease and just put in more stitches.

 

[peterbennett9]

Teepee when you say the normal gutterman what do you mean? excuse my ignorance

 

[Teepee]

Gutterman polyester thread is top quality and readily available. Its the best i've used. Like this stuff.

http://www.pfaffmachines.co.uk/sewing-accessories/thread/gutermann-sewing/gutermann-sew-all-thread-982-sunflower.htm

They do heavy duty stuff too which will be fine.

 

[MrEd]

Gutterman polyester thread is top quality and readily available. Its the best i've used. Like this stuff.

http://www.pfaffmachines.co.uk/sewing-accessories/thread/gutermann-sewing/gutermann-sew-all-thread-982-sunflower.htm

They do heavy duty stuff too which will be fine.

yeah definately use gutterman, its good thread and rot resistant and surprisingly strong, just double up the number of rows of stitching in stress points and it will be fine

oh and something else i thought of if a) you havent used a sewing machine before or b) your machine needs setting up with the top and bottom tensions needing adjustment then load the top bobbin with one colour thread and the bottom bobbin with another colour then practise on some scrap cloth, the 2 different colours will allow you to see if the top or bottom is out of tension or over tensioned etc, ideally you should have the top colour on the top of the cloth and the bottom colour on the bottom of the cloth with none showing through to either side - this would indicate correct tension

apologies if you are aware of all this stuff