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Rock-a-bye Baby: Singer 301 Cabinet Cradle

10/26/2014

16 Comments

 
PictureSinger 301 Slant Needle Sewing Machine
So you're the proud owner of a Singer 301 Slant Needle "Featherweight" and you've decided you want to install it in a cabinet.  

So you turn the machine around...

PictureSinger 301 rear view.
Uh-oh, something is missing.  

The good news is your eyes are not playing tricks on you.   


The bad news is that unlike every other full-size vintage Singer, the 301 does not have the holes for mounting cabinet hinges.  

So, now what?



Relax.  There IS a solution, and I'll get to it in a moment.  

But first, a quick history lesson:  

Picture301 has no hinge mounts.
Like the 221 Featherweight, the 301 was designed to be a light-weight portable machine.


The full-size 301 weighed only 16 pounds, had a built--in carry handle and came in a convenient carrying case.

To complement the perfect portable machine, Singer designed some brilliant cabinet options.  

One option was a lightweight folding card-table with built-in support  brackets.  Space-saving and simple for a small house or apartment.  

But Singer knew some customers would want to use their 301 in a full-size cabinet.  Which presented a bit of a problem. After all, anchoring the perfect portable into a cabinet with fixed hinges rather defeated the purpose of designing a portable in the first place!

PictureSinger 301 cabinet cradle (part # 170112)
So Singer devised a creative solution. 

First they offered the 301 in two configurations:  long-bed and short-bed.  

The long-bed version was intended for portable use only,  but could also be used in some card tables.  (Long-bed card tables are still out there, but they are hard to find.)   

The short bed version was paired with a clip-on bracket/cradle  (Simanco part # 170112, shown above) which mounted inside the cabinet using standard swivel hinges.  The machine clipped into the cradle, turning the perfect portable into the perfect cabinet machine.  But with the press of a lever the machine could be quickly removed for portable use.  

It's an odd-looking contraption, but the perfect complement to the "Full-Size Featherweight."   (NOTE:  Some Singer cabinets are not compatible with the 301 cradle because the front edge support brackets cannot be installed.  See photos and additional note at end of article.)  

So what does this look like?  First, let's take a look at how the cradle attaches to the machine and how the quick-release lever works:  

Next, we'll look at how to attach hinges:  
(Note:  hinges are shown being installed on a 401 but the installation process is identical for the 301 cradle.)
Finally, we'll take a look at how the machine with cradle mounts in the cabinet:
See "Hide and Seek - Singer Sewing Machine Cabinet" for video demonstration.  
Yep, it's that simple.  Keep in mind, however, that this only works if your 301 is a short-bed model.  If you have a long-bed 301 then you'll either have to modify the machine or the cabinet for it to fit.  Or you can keep your eyes open for a card table designed to fit the long-bed.  These are pretty rare, though.  

301 cabinet cradles are usually available on eBay.  Check your cabinet to see it if already has the front edge support brackets.  If not, you'll want to look for a cradle that includes them.  Check your machine to see if the hinge mounting set screws are already in place.  If not, you'll want to make sure set screws are included in when you purchase the cradle and/or hinges.  

There, problem solved, just as promised at the beginning of this article!

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

See "Got Steel?  Singer 301--the Featherweight's Big Sister" for more information on the Singer 301 Slant Needle.  


See "Hide and Seek - Singer Sewing Machine Cabinet" for video of setting up and stowing away a sewing machine in a cabinet.  
Note:  The front edge support brackets require a flat surface on the inside edge of the front lift panel.  Some cabinets have a protruding lip which supports the front edge of the machine, which will not work with the 301 cradle.  Please review the above photos to see how the front edge support brackets attach to the cabinet and see below for examples of a cabinet that WILL NOT work with the cabinet cradle.  
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.  
16 Comments
marilyn campbell
11/13/2013 11:49:01 pm

Ingenious! Thanks for the "how to" , never know when it will be needed!

Reply
Lisalu
1/7/2014 08:31:41 am

Wow, I wish I'd known before I started this project that the 301 (shortbed) can't be installed in ANY standard Singer Cabinet! The hinged panel that flips down and engages the bracket is different on the standard cabinet. Those have a protruding lip of wood that the machine (like a 201 or 15-91) rests on. For the 301 it has to be flush and have the brackets that the cradle clips into. After dismantling all the hardward in my Singer Cabinet to put my 301 in it I discovered I can't do it after all. Wish I'd known.... :(

Reply
OldSewinGear
1/8/2014 11:04:04 am

I'm sorry your attempt wasn't successful. There are so many different styles of Singer cabinet made a lot of different cabinets and apparently the 301 cradle will work with some and not with others. Yes, the inside of the front edge does need to be flat for the support clips to attach. Thank you for sharing your experience for the benefit of all of our readers. I'm adding a comment to the original article to clarify this point. Thanks again, Barbara for OldSewinGear

Reply
Ann Davis
9/5/2014 09:27:50 am

I have a Singer cabinet also and am just now learning about vintage machines etc. I would like to install my 301a into the cabinet and am not sure what to look for on the front side where you say it has to be flat to clip or lay on . . maybe I am not describing it right in words, maybe two photos showing which cabinet will support the cradle vs cabinet that wont work would be helpful. The cabinet I found had an old beat-up 66 machine in it. Don't know why seller bothered with trashed machine. Thank you

Reply
OldSewinGear
10/1/2014 01:44:44 pm

Ann,
As requested, I've updated the article to include a couple of photos of a cabinet that WILL NOT work with the 301 cradle and another picture of how the support brackets attach to the cabinet. Hope this helps!
Barbara

Reply
Rhonda Bishop
10/30/2014 03:59:01 am

I have this set up in a cabinet and it is fabulous. It lifts out easily if I want to take it somewhere.

Reply
Ed
7/25/2015 03:07:03 am

I have a similar machine like in your photo. My is 301A. It does not have the build in holes on the side of the machine, so I am looking for a cradle to fit into the sawing cabinet. From your picture of the cradle for the holes the swivel hinges to go in, does it also has screw holes on the side to tighten the swivel hinges from coming out? I cannot see that from your picture. If not, the cradle will not be functionable. Appreciate you reply.
Also 301 A is it a long bed or short bed? How can I tell the difference?

Reply
OldSewinGear
7/26/2015 06:09:16 am

Ed,
You're correct that the 301 and 301A do not have mounts for hinges, so you'll need a cradle. Their are set screws that tighten the cradle on to the hinges so it can't fall off. A clip securely holds the machine to the cradle. 301 and 301A both came in long and short-bed versions. If the flip-up portion of the sewing platform is longer than a couple of inches it's a long-bed. You can see examples of both on the Gallery page. Hope this information helps!
Barbara

Reply
Louise
11/25/2015 04:40:23 pm

Hi, do you happen to know the size of screws needed to attach the hinge to the cabinet? I have lost mine in a move!

Reply
Dar Welch
12/29/2015 01:12:48 pm

This is the most informative article I have found to help with installing a 301A into a cabinet. Sadly, the cabinet I bought for it has that darned lip on it! Can that front piece be modified, i.e., milled flush, to accept the cradle hardware? It seems it would work just from taking measurements but I wondered if anyone has actually done it. Thanks for your help! ~~ Dar

Reply
Veronica Streeter
2/22/2016 07:03:04 am

Hello, I just came across this site. And I was thrilled to see the amount of knowledge shown here. I have an old sewing machine cabinet that I can't place when it was made or for what machine. Is there any site that I could send a picture and have that resolved? Thank you.

Reply
Jacque
9/22/2016 10:27:29 am

Where can I buy the front clips for the cradle... It's the only thing I'm missing to install my 301... I'm so frustrated!

Reply
Rachel Cross link
7/19/2017 09:51:20 am

Can this singer cradle work with maybe a converted janome treadle?

Reply
Vicki Higgins
4/12/2018 08:17:23 pm

I was given a beautiful sewing cabinet (a desk converted into a sewing cabinet) or a cabinet that appears to be a 7 drawer keyhole desk. I since have purchased a new machine and wish to put it in this desk. One hinge pins where the flatbed hooks onto is broken. The hinge part is square shaped not round like I see many of. So you know where I might find the squared one.

Reply
Gary
4/8/2020 09:44:45 am

Recently obtained the trapezoid from a lady who had a 201 machine in it. My question is when we put the 301 in the cabinet the upper will not close all the way. The machine does not drop down totally. I think there is a second board at the inside back of the cabinet which is used for the 201 but not the 301. It is attached to the other board but can be removed by removing the screw at the bottom.

Reply
Sue
6/27/2020 05:19:46 pm

Just like commenter Gary, I also purchased a Singer Trapezoid cabinet (the #74 Spinet Cabinet) with a machine that wasn’t a 301. It was a Singer 319. I removed the 319, purchased a 301 cradle and used this helpful blog post to install the cradle. I also had to remove a modification from the back inside of the cabinet before I could close the cabinet with my 301 lowered inside

Reply



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