# what can you tell me about this machine



## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

For $20, you can't hardly go wrong, but I would like to know if anyone knows anything about this machine.
Thank you

http://tippecanoe.en.craigslist.org/for/4583255632.html


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

This machine also caught my attention. More of a project for now, but the price certainly is right, and might be a fun winter time project to restore it.

http://tippecanoe.en.craigslist.org/atq/4546493203.html


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Well, I contacted the seller of the machine in the first post, he dropped price to $15.
Said machine worked great, his wife used it for years until inheriting her mothers sewing machine.
So, I'm off to pick it up, we will see it myself, my wife, or daughter can figure out how to make two pieces of fabric stick together with it.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

Posting is deleted, what is the machine?


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

It is an old, don't know how old, Electro Grand
I paid $15 for it, has a box of bobbins, small screwdrivers, Allen wrenches, and a couple packs of needles.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

That's one I know nothing about. I'm guessing it's a Singer clone, maybe Angie would know?
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

The guy told me he bought it for his wife about 20 years ago. Said she did everything from sew curtains for the house, to patch his heavy carhart coveralls.
I just looked it over, I can't see how to even get the thread from under it on the bottom, up to the top.
I will just let my wife play with it and figure it out.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

I just looked up some videos on YouTube. Apparently there were many of these machines on the market, all identical, yet all with different badges.
It is a Class 15 Clone, straight stitch.
I just watched a video of a gal using it to sew through 10 layers of multiple types of fabric, including 10 layers of denim, and even 3 layers of leather.
So, it won't do fancy shmancy decorative stitching, who cares, fancy stitchrs just look pretty, but straight stitches still hold things together, that's what we need.
And it has the strength to be able to stitch through heavier fabrics, good deal.
I will try again to load the thread shortly, if it works correctly, I say $15 well spent.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

It looks in good condition, and even if it needs oiling or cleaning is worth 15.00! The old straight stitch machines that are still working are sort of like the energizer bunny and keep on running. If your wife( or you) really get into sewing there is always time for a fancier machine later. The simpler the machine, the less that can go wrong. The old metal machines are much better then the new cheaper plastic machines.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Looks like a post-war Japanese clone. There were a lot of them, and they all wore different badges. Usually something requested by a department store or something similar&#8230;

Unlike modern "knock offs" those old clones are just as good as the machine they copied. The only problem people occasionally run in to is that feet/bobbins/etc. are sometimes a different type, but I'm guessing you would have found that already were it the case. 

Congrats on your find!


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Well, we just tried it out, it, at first, wouldn't pull the material through, it just stayed there, unless I manually pulled it through, then just guessing, tried pulling down on some adjustment lever on the front of the machine, all the way to the right, tried it again and it took off like it should.
So, we now know it works, now wife needs to make curtains. She has been saying she wants a sewing machine for a couple years now because she wants to sew new curtains for our bedroom and for the bathroom.


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

The lever you found may raise and lower the feed dogs, the things directly under the needle that pull the fabric forward. Many machines have the ability to lower the feed dogs so you can darn or free motion quilt.


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## libertygirl (Jul 18, 2011)

That's a great bargain find! The older machines are so much tougher than the new ones.


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## Terri in WV (May 10, 2002)

I have 3 clones and love, love, love them! They are great machines and will sew through more layers than any other machine I've seen. I've sewn on one for 28? years. The knob to the left of the label should be the one to raise and lower the feed dogs, the lever above the label is your stitch length.

You don't have to worry about oiling them too much. One thing that I got in the habit of doing is blowing out the lint from around the bobbin every time I have to change it, because it builds up quickly. They are pretty much maintenance free work horses.

Happy sewing!


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

That's a fantastic buy! I would suggest lubing and oiling before any sewing. Here's a generic manual that should be close enough for you to figure out how to lube and oil it. http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing...ls/ha-1-ib-wgh-instruction-manual-rotated.pdf

Here's a video that explains the machine a bit more: [ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_93BrRNC7U[/ame]


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Thank you, I watched that video not too long after I got the machine home.
The stitch length was the adjustment lever I had to change, it was basically set at 0.
I will say, it does sew a nice even stitch.


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## Macybaby (Jun 16, 2006)

BTW- this will take regular short shank Singer attachments, so if you want, you can get all kinds of "toys" to make buttonholes, decorative stitching, hemming, tucking, binding . . . and even FMQ if you want, since the feed dogs easily drop.


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Great, thanks for the info, but, what does FMQ mean?


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## Molly Mckee (Jul 8, 2006)

FMQ= free motion quilt


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Due to the fact I bought her this sewing machine, my lovely wife has made plans this weekend.
We had planned on taking the kids shopping for school supplies, clothes, shoes, etc.
There are two towns/cities within 30 miles we could go to to accomplish this. Nope, not now, now we have to go to a small city 50-55 miles away because it is the closest place with a fabric store.
Walmart doesn't even carry fabric anymore.
So, even though I am the type that hates going shopping, I hate driving, and all around dont like being gone from home, I guess I get to spend the day Saturday driving, shopping, and being gone from home..
Oh well, when momma is happy, I'm content.


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## COSunflower (Dec 4, 2006)

Smart man.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

I take it you're up near Lafayette? Great find on the sewing machine, I have purchased 4 or 5 of the older Singer cast iron (1940"s and 1950's vintage) sewing machines for my students to learn to sew and quilt. There's nothing more amusing than watching three or four 7th grade boys fighting over who gets to sew next.
I often had to remind them, "kids, you can't sew like you drive" because with the boys especially it was pedal to the metal, LOL. If you get down our way there's a wonderful fabric store at Washington, IN, the Stitching Post. Great way to blow a month's budget on fabric, but more productive than buying lottery tickets,


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## Dixie Bee Acres (Jul 22, 2013)

Actually, I'm about an hour south southwest of lafayette, but that is one of the two "local" craigslist areas I look at.


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