My Singer 201k Collection
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TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Unfortunately being round bobbin, they'll all be shipped off to Africa c/o Tools For Self Reliance... dunno if thats a bad thing but the other shuttle machines they get tend to be scrapped... yup, not even weighed in from our local group anyways! Feckin crime.
I have an awesome wool blanket that i intend to butcher at some point for a smock or something. But it will be ages until i get around to that. Hand sewing leather takes up so much time for my personal projects.. though i always seem to suffer bouts of insomnia and suddenly 3am is prime sewing time.
Do you know much about returning them? My mum picked up one with the table and treadle at an auction. The table needs sorting out and I think the singer itself could do with a clean up.
All the best
andy
All the best
andy
TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Check the mechanisms work and use WD40 to unbung them, then clean them down with a good strong cutting soap after stripping and brushing out all the lint- identify and download a manual for it first so you can put it back together 
- then give the machine itself and the treadle mechanism a good oiling as per the manual with sewing machine oil (its a very pure mineral oil and won't harden to a glaze over time).... clean and polish the wooden and metal body and they're usually good to go for another 50-100yrs with good regular service and oiling, cleaning out every use with a nice soft bristle brush
Theres some good info on cleaning them up in Tools for Self Reliances how-tos for their volunteers or google it, theres some good youtube vids on it too
- then give the machine itself and the treadle mechanism a good oiling as per the manual with sewing machine oil (its a very pure mineral oil and won't harden to a glaze over time).... clean and polish the wooden and metal body and they're usually good to go for another 50-100yrs with good regular service and oiling, cleaning out every use with a nice soft bristle brush Theres some good info on cleaning them up in Tools for Self Reliances how-tos for their volunteers or google it, theres some good youtube vids on it too
I'd strongly advise that you only use WD40 on parts of the machine that you can clean off completely once the stuff has done it's job. Don't spray it into or onto anything you won't have complete access to, as it also leaves a residue that you don't want in there; anything you need to do with WD40 can be done just as well with decent sewing machine oil, and it's as cheap as chips!
As an aside, it's often possible on ebay u.s. to buy new and genuine decals for a lot of these machines for those who'd like to go that far; they are applied quickly and easily as transfers which is a good reason to be careful cleaning the body of the machines, as they'll come off if you use harsh soap or chemical cleaners
As an aside, it's often possible on ebay u.s. to buy new and genuine decals for a lot of these machines for those who'd like to go that far; they are applied quickly and easily as transfers which is a good reason to be careful cleaning the body of the machines, as they'll come off if you use harsh soap or chemical cleaners
TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Ohhh I'd seen them on the Singer site but never known where to buy them! Brilliant!!
I JUST FIXED MY FIRST 201!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!! DOUBLE-YAY!!! i decided to take a risk and buy one listed as not working...i had thought the seller had simply neglected to tighten the stop wheel motion....but sure enough it was totally not working....absolutely rigid, no movement up top whatsoever. i wasnt disappointed as it was honestly advertised and because it is in lovely condition i knew i'd be able to use the spare parts and also learn as i planned to take it apart, every single screw and piece.
so for the last two days i've been prodding and poking and deliberating....and i just got more and more confused because there appeared to be nothing wrong with it...not at least from my beginners point of view....the cogs/teeth looked fine, not rusty etc etc...i was able to get miniscule amounts of movements here and there....the bobbin holder, a couple of the steel rods underneath, the stitch length adjuster worked and the feed dogs....but the main wheel simply would not turn nor the needle arm go up and down...absolutely locked like rock. i ended up taking the cover plates off several of my others and comparing...got my headlamp and peered into every p[lace i could....but nothing at all seemed wrong with it.....all looked fine, clean and oiled....which is what caught me out....
the seller had obviously oiled it trying to get it to work....and because the motor works fine too the seller had simply presumed that there was a gear problem of some sort.....i stripped off the balance wheel and spool winding assembly and cover which left me with an inch or two of drive shaft sticking out which is sleeved with a small cuff held on with a screw....i got myself a pair of grips and gripped on and turned and with a helluva amount of force managed to turn the shaft a bit....i then reinspected the insides to check if there were any damaged or locked teeth on the cogs but they were fine....gripped and turned again...i had to grip it so hard i've actually marked the hard as hell singer-quality steel....inspected all over it again and still everything seemed fine....and then it dawned on me what must be the problem....this thing mustve been sat, totally un-used, for donkeys years....it had simply dried out, stiffened up....and the fact it had fresh oil on it was what had thrown me....oil is of course no good if its not inbetween the working parts....so again i turned it all, then i oiled it at all the necessary points with new singer oil....and kept on with the grips and turning....after a few minutes it started getting easier and easier....i can now twiddle it round with my thumb and forefinger with ease and the whole thing goes like a dream....
i guess it was a case of working backwards and in this case it was force that did the job and of eliminating the impossible to end up with the possible....whilst i didnt know what the hell i was doing i could see there was nothing wrong with it after consulting the booklets, other machines, sid and elsies blog and tfsr....so from set like stone its now an oiled dream and whilst i didnt actually 'fix' anything i solved the problem and am really chuffed with meself....this machine had been written off as faulty...its actually now one of the best 201's i've got and now also very personal to me....lesson learned.
and its great too because i've now more working knowlege and confidence so i'm going to get the lowest condition 201 i've got, the handcranker, and i'm going to take that completely apart now and rebuild it.
so...mac, now you know why i didnt phone today...really wanted to figure it out myself, but i'll call tomorrow and tell you the same story all over again lolol!
regards,
s
so for the last two days i've been prodding and poking and deliberating....and i just got more and more confused because there appeared to be nothing wrong with it...not at least from my beginners point of view....the cogs/teeth looked fine, not rusty etc etc...i was able to get miniscule amounts of movements here and there....the bobbin holder, a couple of the steel rods underneath, the stitch length adjuster worked and the feed dogs....but the main wheel simply would not turn nor the needle arm go up and down...absolutely locked like rock. i ended up taking the cover plates off several of my others and comparing...got my headlamp and peered into every p[lace i could....but nothing at all seemed wrong with it.....all looked fine, clean and oiled....which is what caught me out....
the seller had obviously oiled it trying to get it to work....and because the motor works fine too the seller had simply presumed that there was a gear problem of some sort.....i stripped off the balance wheel and spool winding assembly and cover which left me with an inch or two of drive shaft sticking out which is sleeved with a small cuff held on with a screw....i got myself a pair of grips and gripped on and turned and with a helluva amount of force managed to turn the shaft a bit....i then reinspected the insides to check if there were any damaged or locked teeth on the cogs but they were fine....gripped and turned again...i had to grip it so hard i've actually marked the hard as hell singer-quality steel....inspected all over it again and still everything seemed fine....and then it dawned on me what must be the problem....this thing mustve been sat, totally un-used, for donkeys years....it had simply dried out, stiffened up....and the fact it had fresh oil on it was what had thrown me....oil is of course no good if its not inbetween the working parts....so again i turned it all, then i oiled it at all the necessary points with new singer oil....and kept on with the grips and turning....after a few minutes it started getting easier and easier....i can now twiddle it round with my thumb and forefinger with ease and the whole thing goes like a dream....
i guess it was a case of working backwards and in this case it was force that did the job and of eliminating the impossible to end up with the possible....whilst i didnt know what the hell i was doing i could see there was nothing wrong with it after consulting the booklets, other machines, sid and elsies blog and tfsr....so from set like stone its now an oiled dream and whilst i didnt actually 'fix' anything i solved the problem and am really chuffed with meself....this machine had been written off as faulty...its actually now one of the best 201's i've got and now also very personal to me....lesson learned.
and its great too because i've now more working knowlege and confidence so i'm going to get the lowest condition 201 i've got, the handcranker, and i'm going to take that completely apart now and rebuild it.
so...mac, now you know why i didnt phone today...really wanted to figure it out myself, but i'll call tomorrow and tell you the same story all over again lolol!
regards,
s
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TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Ive had a couple like that, the feeling of victory as you tease them back to life from their deep sleep is brilliant, isn't it?! Little movement here, gets a bit further each time, loosens up then runs, clunky to begin with then starts whispering along like a dream Don't forget to sew on an old pillowcase/ similar for a while to soak up the old dirty oil that will overflow down the needle head and wreck any good fabric under the feed dogs
Don't forget to sew on an old pillowcase/ similar for a while to soak up the old dirty oil that will overflow down the needle head and wreck any good fabric under the feed dogs Well done Sonni! There's generally not much mechanically that can go wrong with these, it's usually something like what you've described and a matter of cleaning, gentle coaxing and oiling.......I've sometimes found the judicious use of the heatgun to expand things gently to be of great benefit in freeing things
yes turbo....its been one of the most satisfying things i've ever done....probably sounds weird to most people but its been great....just a few weeks ago i bought my first one and now i've fixed one that may well have been stripped for spares at best by most or scrapped at worst....its all macs fault!!
though mac, there was no 'gentle coaxing' involved...seriously....i got mole grips on it and really applied some force...gradual yes but force none the less and more than once as there was little to grip to....the spindle/shaft is marked up i can tell you, but of course it makes no difference at all to the integrity nor is it visible....i wonder if one day, long after i'm gone, someone will tinker with it like i have today...they'll come across the marks and think ''what the hell happened here?'' lolol....
anyway, its nearly 3am and i've just finished working on her....goes like a dream....she's now my 'user'....i've taken the motor and light off and put an original handcrank on....threaded her up and after one tension adjustment (now on 8) she went through 4mm of supple-ish leather perfectly with heavy gutermann and a size 14 singer denim needle....shes dripping with oil and seems as happy as me!
i'll get some pics up tomorrow....
regards,
s
though mac, there was no 'gentle coaxing' involved...seriously....i got mole grips on it and really applied some force...gradual yes but force none the less and more than once as there was little to grip to....the spindle/shaft is marked up i can tell you, but of course it makes no difference at all to the integrity nor is it visible....i wonder if one day, long after i'm gone, someone will tinker with it like i have today...they'll come across the marks and think ''what the hell happened here?'' lolol....
anyway, its nearly 3am and i've just finished working on her....goes like a dream....she's now my 'user'....i've taken the motor and light off and put an original handcrank on....threaded her up and after one tension adjustment (now on 8) she went through 4mm of supple-ish leather perfectly with heavy gutermann and a size 14 singer denim needle....shes dripping with oil and seems as happy as me!
i'll get some pics up tomorrow....
regards,
s
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What a crackin thread,
I blame Sal for my singer problem I have loads of old hand cranks and lately its been singer 185k four in as many weeks I collect another today ,,,,, cheap as chips 99p the cheapest £5 for todays but that's in a table ,,,.
I haven't got a 201 as yet but one will crop up local soon .
Thay are fun still can't get my head round all the odd attachments though.
Twodogs
I blame Sal for my singer problem I have loads of old hand cranks and lately its been singer 185k four in as many weeks I collect another today ,,,,, cheap as chips 99p the cheapest £5 for todays but that's in a table ,,,.
I haven't got a 201 as yet but one will crop up local soon .
Thay are fun still can't get my head round all the odd attachments though.
Twodogs
TurboGirl
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
ohhh I've never had a 185, show us machine fanciers a picture cliff bobbin or shuttle?
i often find if one area doesn't move it can help to get the other end eg needle shaft and crank and manipulate both together gentle like and if i know its stuck, i apply the we (sorry mac, machine oil ) immediately then clean everything else up to give it as long as possible to penetrate. I just can't bring myself to pull the old gals around! Though they're made of proper old metal and engineered to last and are tough as old boots
bobbin or shuttle?i often find if one area doesn't move it can help to get the other end eg needle shaft and crank and manipulate both together gentle like
and if i know its stuck, i apply the we (sorry mac, machine oil ) immediately then clean everything else up to give it as long as possible to penetrate. I just can't bring myself to pull the old gals around! Though they're made of proper old metal and engineered to last and are tough as old boots 
Every single part of Singers, including the odd attachments, will have "SIMANCO" followed by a longish number, and if you look 'em up on the database it'll tell you what they're for; some of them like the various binder feet and zipper feet are simple and brilliant, others more esoteric dressmaking, quilting and embroidery tools. It's worth having some degree of familiarity with the attachments as some of them are worth £40 - 50 !
Then of course you can get buttonholers, zig -zaggers and loads of cam sets that make the zig-zaggers do all manner of decorative stitches; some of these are worth a good bit of money, too............
I haven't got access at the moment but I'll post the linky for the simanco nos. database a little later
Then of course you can get buttonholers, zig -zaggers and loads of cam sets that make the zig-zaggers do all manner of decorative stitches; some of these are worth a good bit of money, too............
I haven't got access at the moment but I'll post the linky for the simanco nos. database a little later
http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/index/
There you go, a good site and extremely informative, with the simanco database; well worth a gander
There you go, a good site and extremely informative, with the simanco database; well worth a gander
