# I have a confession .... I can't part out a machine



## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

I have a personality quirk that has caused me no end of expense and frustration.

That is; I cannot part out a sewing machine, gun, car, or any mechanical devise IF it can be repaired and brought back to life.

I now have 5 Singer 66 sewing machines. I didn't really want 5 but I got 'em.

#1 is a 1910 66 Treadle I got as a gift from my late cousin.
#2 is a 1924 66 Treadle I bought from a local Goodwill. It had been electrified and I'm gradually returning it to it's original configuration.
#3 is a 1948 66-16 electric cabinet model. I got it from guy who also sold me the Singer 9W-7 and gave me the rusted 99K. It needed nothing but cleaning, oiling, a new wall socket cord and some slight cabinet repair.
#4 is a 1938 66-16? electric that is painted black crinkle. Really ugly but it has the reverse like #3 and I was really thinking of making a treadle machine out of it. But, when I looked at the pics I did not see the thread take up lever had been broken off.
And, and this really irritates me, who ever packed the machine just tossed it in a box of trash and debris. No padding around the machine just loose in a box of broken up Styrofoam pieces, packing peanuts, and paper. This caused the motor which was on the down side to get broken to bits. The shipping box is undamaged so it is the sellers fault. My wife has sent them an email trying to get the shipping costs refunded at the least.
#5 is a 1928 66 that was at one time a treadle machine, but has been electrified with all Singer parts. I say it is a conversion because it still had it's big spoked hand wheel. I bought it today for parts for the crinkle machine. The parting out violation had already stared, some of the small parts including the slide plate were gone. But as I looked at it in the local sewing machine shop I just couldn't believe this machine was so far gone it was worth only parts. I paid all of $20.00 USD for it. Then bought a couple needle plate screws, a presser foot bushing and a new belt. I also bought a really nice domed top wooden case for which ever machine I was going to put to use. When I got home I plugged it in and and it took right off like it was just waiting for someone to love it. The big hand wheel sure didn't help it's sewing, it didn't want to stop after my foot came off the foot control.
I decided to really check the machine out and see if I was going to part it out, or refurbish it.
I cleaned two cats worth of lint and debris out of the bobbin area. Oiled everything that moved. Lubed the motor. Put a new belt on it and swapped in the small hand wheel that was originally on the #2 treadle machine.
The slide plate was replaced with the one from the rusted 99K I got some time back. It really is pretty much a parts source.
Then a new light bulb and some scraps to sew on.
Everything works. The stitches are some of the purtiest straight stitches I've seen. Once the oil got into the works it quieted down, smoothed out and runs like a jewel. The smaller solid hand wheel fixed the problem of it wanting to freewheel after the power was off.

Nope, no I can't part it out. It's going to get a new shiny slide plate, and if I can find it a new lens for the light. Then I'll replace the soft cracked squishy wires and she'll live in her nice pretty round topped house.

Sigh ........ poor #4 still needs parts.


Joe


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Joe - I have a problem that I can give some things away, easily - but if they can still have a use, I just cannot put them out in the trash.

So, I get what you are talking about. I hope poor #4 gets what it needs to be working well again.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

Angie,

It will. It's just going to take a while.

Joe


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Did you get #4 off ebay? I also received a 201 shipped like that. The wheel thing on the side is broken.


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## Charleen (May 12, 2002)

Poor #4. I bought a machine on ebay and it arrived damaged. Very poorly packed. I returned the machine and got some money back but lost about $35 on the whole deal. 

I understand not wanting to get rid of them. No rush to bring them back to life, they'll patiently wait for you.


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

Maura said:


> Did you get #4 off ebay? I also received a 201 shipped like that. The wheel thing on the side is broken.


Nope, Goodwill Auctions. This is the second machine we've gotten through G.W. that arrived packed lousy and damaged. But not from the same G.W..
We've filed an email complaint, and taken pics. Gonna try to get the shipping refunded at least. It wouldn't be worth our time or money to ship it back as the shipping cost was more than the price of the machine.

I just Googled the 201. That's a nice machine. It's a shame it was broken. And by the "wheel thing on the side" do you mean the top thread tensioner, bobbin winder or what?



Charleen said:


> Poor #4. I bought a machine on ebay and it arrived damaged. Very poorly packed. I returned the machine and got some money back but lost about $35 on the whole deal.
> 
> I understand not wanting to get rid of them. No rush to bring them back to life, they'll patiently wait for you.


Sorry to hear that. The problem is two fold. The shippers are unable, unwilling, or uncaring when the pack these heavy machines.
Most of the ones we've won have come wrapped double and triple in bubble wrap then tightly packed in a solid boxes and taped well. Those come through just fine.
The two that came damaged were just tossed in a box full of loosely packed peanuts and or debris. No care at all.
Those two came in damaged.
The second thing is the freight companies, even the USPS, treat these heavy items rough. Maybe not deliberately, but they still get bounced around. So unless the machine is wrapped solid and packed good and tight, it's at risk of damage.

Joe


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I think the problem at Goodwill is they have people who don't know what they are doing. They pretty much are giving down and outers a job, and many people come and go. 

The balance wheel is broken. You put your hand on it to get it in the right direction. On my 201 it is solid black with a pie shaped piece missing. I think it was broken before they shipped it because the broken off piece was not in the box.

For my 27 I ordered a new upper tension unit. Unfortunately I ordered for a 127 and I ordered yet another one. I hope it works out. I may end up Frankenstiening the old tension unit with the new. On a positive note, I figured out how to configure the spring on the bobbin winder so it will not work. Yea!


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## Katskitten (Aug 5, 2010)

Maura,

Just a curiosity about your 201. Is is possible somebody cut that pie shaped chunk out of the hand wheel? Over on the Sewingforum they talk a lot about converting machines to hand crank. And unless you have a spoke wheel you have to notch or cut out a section for the hand crank driver.

Just a thought as I can't image how in the word you can break a hand wheel. It's not plastic is it?

Joe


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