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Singer 401A's Dirty Little Secret...

8/6/2015

9 Comments

 
The Singer 401A is legendary for its durability and power.  Like the old Timex, it can take a lickin' and keep on stitchin.'  After all, it has steel gears, doesn't it?

Yes, the 401A is famous for it's Made in the USA steel gears, but did you know that the 401A has ONE gear that is NOT steel?

In fact, the gear in question isn't even metal.
       
"Say it ain't so, Joe..."
The 401A is often touted as an "all metal" or "all steel" sewing machine, but neither description is strictly accurate.


The 401A machine head is cast aluminum, which is lighter-weight than the earlier cast iron straight-stitch machines.  The 401A's casting is heavier than the Featherweight 221 or 301, but it's still aluminum.   

Inside the 401A, the needle bar, cam-stack, cam followers, hook, and driving gears are nearly all steel parts.    

Nearly...

Picture
Nylon handwheel gear - Singer 401A
The exception is the large gear that sits just inside the handwheel and engages the upper machinery to the vertical motor drive shaft.  This particular gear is 1/2 inch thick and made of an extremely durable plastic composite.  

It may not be steel, but whatever the stuff is, it stands the test of time, because you never hear of this gear stripping, breaking, or cracking.  Unlike the plastic and nylon gears that Singer used on later models, this substance just quietly does its job year after year after year.   

The material in question is most likely Textolite, which consisted of woven fibers infused with bakelite.  If you examine these gears closely you can see the cross-hatch of woven fibers, and the service manual for Singer 201 refers to a similar gear as a "textolite gear."  Textolite was a brand-name patentend by GE in 1936 and heavily promoted through the 1950's for everything from laminate counter-tops to tile floors. 

So now you know the 401A's dirty little secret.  It's not "all steel" and it isn't even "all metal."  But it is still unquestionably one of the finest Singer sewing machines ever built.   

 
Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.
Updated 12/13/14:  Thank you to members of the Vintage Sewing Machine Facebook group  for prompting further research into Textolite, which led to revisions of this article!
9 Comments

Do I need Special Discs for my 401 or 500?

12/7/2014

15 Comments

 
This is a very good question, and one I hear often from 401, 500, and 600 owners.

This simple answer?

It depends on how creative you want or need to be. 

As shown on the flip-top chart, the 401 has an impressive array of built-in stitch patterns with almost infinite range of length and width variations.
Picture
Singer 401 built-in stitch chart
Picture
Singer 401A built-in cam-stack.
If you look at the 401's built-in cam stack each cam represents a different stitch pattern.  And when you factor in that the 401 can "combine" two cams to create additional stitch patterns, it's pretty awesome what the 401 can do without Special Discs.

But if you want to get the maximum creative use out of your 401, you will definitely want a set of Special Discs. 

Why?


Picture
Special Disc patterns from 500A manual.
The original accessories kit for the 401 included 5 Special Discs (numbered 1-5) for stitches that are not built-in.   These 5 discs can be combined with the built in Primary stitches to produce additional patterns, such as scalloped zigzag. 

However, Singer produced a total of 24 Special Discs for the Slant-o-Matic and 600-series Touch & Sew family, which means there are 19 additional discs available. 

Some of these additional Special Discs are patterns which are not built-in, while others are duplications of stitches built into the 401.  However, even duplicates can add to the range of stitches the 401 can produce.
"If it's already built-in, why would I want the Special Disc too?
The answer lies in the distinction between "Primary" patterns and "Combination" patterns.

"Primary" patterns use a single cam in the cam-stack to produce the stitch.  This means that the stitch pattern is  unchanged regardless of width and length settings.  In other words, a scalloped stitch simply gets wider or narrower but still looks the same. In the sample shown here, the width of Special Disc #12 has been set progressively wider.
Picture
Special Disc #12 at widths 2, 3, 4, 5 (Primary)
On the other hand, "Combination" patterns use two cams in the stack to produce the stitch pattern.  Which means that a change in stitch width affects the movement of both cams, which can greatly affect the overall appearance of the stitch.  Note in the sample shown here how the appearance of stitch setting DP changes when the width is set progressively wider.  The zigzag blocks get narrower as the offset gets wider.   
Picture
Built in stitch DP at widths 2, 3, 4 (Combination)
While this does add some variety to the built-in stitches, it also means you are somewhat limited when using built-in stitch patterns if you want the pattern wider or narrower.   The 401 and 500 have seven built-in "Primary patterns.  They're shown on the top row of the chart (see photo above) inside the flip-up lid. 
 
Which is where Special Discs come in.  Special Discs are considered "Primary" patterns, so they look the same regardless of width.  Clearly an advantage in some situations.

Another advantage of using a Special Disc is that two-needle stitching only works with "Primary" patterns, because the left-hand stitch selector has to be set on "A."  So if you like the look of a "combination" stitch but want that stitch in double-needle, you'll need to use a Special Disc. 

Built-in Primary patterns can also be combined with certain Special Discs to produce additional stitch patterns. 

The final advantage of Special Discs is that they are just plain easy to use.  Pick a pattern, pop it in, and away you go.  No messing with dials or charts. 

So, DO you need a complete set of Special Discs for your 401, 500, or 600 sewing machine?  

Bottom line, it's up to you.  The choice is yours. 
 
Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most our of your old sewing gear.

For additional information about Special Discs see the articles:
How to Use a Singer Special Disc
Disc-o-mania!  Special Discs & Fashion Discs
15 Comments

Kid Stuff - Singer Toy Sewing Machines

11/22/2014

3 Comments

 
PictureSinger Sewhandy Child's Sewing Machine
Last summer I was at a craft market selling jewelry re-purposed from old sewing machine parts when a customer mentioned she'd just seen toy Singer sewing machines at a nearby garage sale.  

I told my sister and business partner, "You're on your own, I'm taking our petty cash..." and I was gone. 

A few minutes later I was the proud owner of not one, but two tiny sewing machines.  Best of all, I paid less than $20 for the pair.  

My ownership of the first one
(pictured above) lasted less than an hour, because my sister wanted it.  It was the same model she had (and lost) as a child. Our big sister still has hers, though (pictured below). They received them from our uncle in 1959 when he took over management of a Singer store in Barstow, CA.  He found two leftover toy machines in the storeroom and gave them to his nieces (my sisters). He gave his mother (my grandmother) a 221 Featherweight, which is still in the family today.    

PictureMy sister's Singer Sewhandy Model 20
My sisters' toy machines were the tan Singer Sewhandy Model 20.


Singer touted the Model 20 as a "a real sewing machine - not a toy" because it sewed an actual chain stitch and could be used for making doll clothes.  It's probably the most recognizable of the Singer 'toys', with an all metal body, hand crank, pedestal base and clamp for fastening to a table top. 

The Model 20 was initially made in black to complement the traditional black & gold machines, but was later offered in tan to complement the tan and mocha machines (301, 306, etc).

PictureSinger Sewhandy Electric Machine c.1959
As the sewing machine models changed with time, so did their toy counterparts.  By the late 1950's the Slant-o-Matic machines rendered the hand-crank model passe, so Singer introduced the Sewhandy Electric,  "a "real electric sewing machine for the young seamstress."  


It sold for $24.95 and was styled to match the modern slant needle machines.  It's constructed of metal and plastic, with an orange and tan plastic carrying case.  (It was shortly after the introduction of the Sewhandy Electric that my uncle found the unwanted Model 20's in the storeroom.)

Happily, the second garage sale machine was a Sewhandy Electric.  I wanted one to put on display in Dad's workshop as a tribute to the many 401's that have graced his bench. 

PictureSinger Little Touch & Sew
Time marches on, though, and before long the advent of the Touch & Sew heralded yet another update to the toy machine.  

The "Little Touch & Sew" came in several colors to complement the full-size Touch & Sew machines. 
Unlike its predecessors, the Little Touch  & Sew was nearly all plastic and not as sturdy as the earlier toy machines.  (I recently picked up the one shown for $5 at a local thrift store.)  

So how were Singer toy machines marketed?  Singer's salesman would amuse the customer's child with a toy machine while he demonstrated a full-size machine to the child's mother.  The toy machines were sometimes included as a "gift with purchase" of the full-size machine, so Mom and child could have matching machines:

I hope you've enjoyed this small glimpse into the fascinating world of tiny sewing machines.  Believe me, this barely scratches the surface.  There are avid collectors of just toy machines and there are literally dozens if not hundreds of models made by many different makers.  

For now, I'm content with my garage sale finds!

Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear. 
Picture
3 Comments

Got Steel?  Singer 301 - the Featherweight's Big Sister

10/26/2014

22 Comments

 
PictureSinger 301 Slant Needle "Featherweight"
Looking for a straight-stitch sewing machine?  Direct drive motor?  Steel gears?  

There are a number of phenomenal vintage Singer sewing machines that will fill the bill; 15-91, 15-125, 201-1, 404, and  604 to name a few.   

BUT, if you also want a lightweight portable, then the Singer 301 Slant Needle is the machine for you.  Especially if you love the Singer 221 Featherweight but want a full-size machine for larger projects.  In fact, the 301 is affectionately nicknamed "The Featherweight's Big Sister."


While it shares a number of features with the 221 Featherweight, the 301 is mechanically very different from the Featherweight.  

PictureFeatherweight-class bobbin
The 301 is the first of Singer's legendary steel-gear direct-drive slant-needle family.  Cast in lightweight aluminum, it's the only slant needle that doesn't have a rotary hook placed in front of the presser foot.  Instead, the 301 uses the same bobbin as the 221 Featherweight, which mounts beneath the platform to the left of the needle.

PictureSinger 301 "Trapezoid" carry case
The 301 has a flip-up sewing platform extension similar to the 221 Featherweight, and it was designed to be a portable sewing machine.  It has a built-in carry handle and was packaged in a distinctive trapezoid-shaped carrying case. 


Singer offered the 301 in two versions.  The "long bed" version had a longer flip-up table, similar in length to the smaller Featherweight.  The "short-bed" version had a shorter flip-up table conforming to the standard dimensions of the 201, 401, & 500.  
 
The long-bed was designed to be strictly portable, while the short-bed could be used as a portable or cabinet machine when paired with a special bracket. 

PictureCabinet cradle for Singer 301
Because it was intended to be portable, the 301 does not have hinge mounts.  Which presented a bit of a problem if you want to mount the machine in a conventional cabinet.  

Singer solved this problem by producing a funky cradle that clips onto the base of the 301.  The cradle has standard hinge mounts enabling the machine to be mounted into a Singer cabinet.



The machine releases from the cradle with the press of a lever, further enhancing it's status as the perfect portable. (See "Rock-a-bye Baby: Singer 301 Cabinet Cradle" for more details. )

Singer also produced a portable table for the 301, similar to the card-table for the 221 Featherweight.  But these tables are extremely rare, so happy hunting!

PictureLong Bed 301 in "Trapezoid" case
The 301 head weighs a mere 16 pounds, but the overall weight with foot control and motor is closer to 22 pounds. Significantly lighter than the 15-91, which is a cast-iron behemoth or even the 401 which is cast aluminum with a lot of internal steel components. 

When it comes to power, the 301 has the gear-driven chops to handle heavy fabrics but is gentle enough for fine dressmaking and quilting too.  It's a domestic machine with a .72 amp motor so it isn't meant for day-in, day-out heavy duty sewing but it will do the job beautifully on an occasional basis. 

The 301 also features a convenient drop-feed knob for darning or free motion work.  Buttonhole and zigzagger attachments are avaiable for additional creative design flexibility.  

So if you love the Featherweight but want a larger machine without belts, the 301 is the one for you!  Lightweight enough to carry to quilting classes but with heavy duty power for hemming jeans or tackling light upholstery jobs too. 

Got steel?  The 301 Slant Needle sure does!


HappySewing!
Barbara
OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.

Special thanks to readers David, Lisalu, and Ann for sharing experiences and research that led me to make significant revisions to this article in the interests of accuracy and clarity.
22 Comments

The Pink of Perfection - Singer Pinking Attachment

6/27/2014

8 Comments

 
PictureWISS Pinking Shears
Feeling frayed around the edges?  If so, you have a lot in common with vintage fashion. 

Fraying seam allowances were a common problem in the days of straight-stitch-only sewing machines.  The advent of the zigzag machine was a step in the right direction and eventually the overlock serger eliminated the problem altogether. 

But what did people do BEFORE zigzag stitch? 

That's a good question and (at the risk of irritating my readers) I'm going to answer it with another question. 

Have you ever heard of "Pinking Shears?"


PictureSinger Pinking Shears
If you haven't, don't feel bad.  They're not terribly common these days due to the modern machines mentioned above.  I grew up with my grandmother's Featherweight and sewing kit, so pinking shears are old familiar friends to me. 

But for the newbies among us, pinking shears are scissors that cut a zigzag or scalloped line.  These days we call them scrapbooking scissors because they add a decorative edge to photos and embellishments.

However, when it came to sewing, the decorative aspect of pinking shears was secondary to their primary function of mitigating fraying of seam allowances.  The scallops meant that a snagged thread along the seam allowance would only fray a short section, not the entire seam. 

Clever, huh? 

PictureSinger ball bearing Pinking Attachment
As wonderful as pinking shears were, they could be a real pain if you had yards and yards of seam allowances to pink.  Literally a pain.  These days we have plastic handles and spring action to reduce fatigue, but vintage pinking shears were all steel, which took muscle to hold and operate.  

Which led to the introduction of the pinking machine, which was roughly equivalent to the invention of electric scissors. 

Singer's first pinking machine was the ball bearing hand operated Singer Pinker, which was a hand-crank model which clamped to the table edge.  A rotary scalloped blade easily pinked the edges of long seams without scissors. 

In the 1930's, Singer improved on the hand-crank model by introducing the automated ball bearing Singer Pinking Attachment (Simanco Part No. 121111).

No more hand cranking.  Simply hook it to your sewing machine, step on the foot control, and voila!

Want to see it in action?  (I thought you'd never ask!)

PictureSinger Pinking Attachment with parts
Pretty cool, isn't it?  I'm continually amazed by the ingenuity of the inventors who dreamed up this stuff all those years ago. 

Now that you've seen it, you're probably wondering "Where do I get one?" 


Well, they aren't terribly common.  I've only encountered two over the years.  They came in glossy black finish or pebbled black finish (as shown).  They do show up on eBay in varying conditions and degrees of completeness. 

If you're contemplating purchasing a Singer Pinking Attachment, examine the photos and description carefully to see if anything vital is missing. Commonly missing pieces include the spring-loaded screw that attaches the pinker to the presser foot bar, the adjustable edge guide and the L-shaped pin that locks the gears to enable blade removal.  The pin can be easily fabricated, but the edge guide and attaching screw will be trickier to replace.  You might be able to get by without the pin and edge guide, but you absolutely have to have an attaching screw.  The instruction booklet may also be missing but pdf copies are available from several online sources. 

So there you have it, the vintage answer to fraying edges.  Are you tickled pink now?  (Couldn't resist that one.)

Happy Sewing!
Barbara

OldSewinGear...dedicated to helping you get the most out of your old sewing gear.





8 Comments
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