As for the older, classic sewing machines, I have been partial to the Singer 15-91 for quite a while. The big class 15 bobbin. The verticle oscillating hook. The rock solid, all steel construction. They just didn't make them any better.....or did they. Now that I have finally had the chance to play with a model 201, I am having some second thoughts on my favorite, all time, classic machine. Wow. I didn't think that a horizontal, class 66 drop in bobbin, rotary shuttle machine could keep up with the 15-91. I am very impressed. This 1939, model 201, was used so much that it wore the decals off of the front work area. Much of the clearcoat was gone where old oil was allowed to sit and dry. After a good cleaning and oil/grease, this thing ran like a top.
Or should I say "sewing machine". It just shows me how well these machines were built.
Having the same, direct drive "potted" motor as the 15-91, this machine was a pleasure to use on the heavier
materials even though the motor needs to be pulled and cleaned. It just runs slow but still with plenty of power. I did have to replace some of the wiring and reinforce the rest with shrink tube for safety reasons.
This machine is 72 years old.......
Even though it uses the class 66 bobbin, it is not your standard model 66 shuttle.
Standard pre WWII head plate and the model 66 upper tension setup.
As you can see, unlike the 15-91....No light in back. It has been designed into the front body cavity.
Look at these stitches. I could sew all day long on this machine! I am going to have to play/sew with this machine under lots of different conditions before I can determine my new favorite, classic machine.
It's a real beauty! What do you use to clean the body of the machine to make it so shiny?
ReplyDeleteEven though the finish on some of these machines is really trashed, I have found that after a good scrubbing, Car wax will give them some luster back in the finish. As you can see, It certainly helped with the old, 201.
ReplyDeleteAnd, if you want to clean that old yellow grunge and tarnish off of the chrome pieces, get some "Nevr-Dull". The round, back chrome plate on the above 201 was black.
ReplyDeleteThanks for these tips! Where do you find "Nevr-Dull"?
ReplyDelete