Friends, this is a very, very cool machine. I've seen these for years and wanted one the past two or so. The shape and functionality is such a departure from, yet such a product of its time: 1984 (in the case of this particular machine). It's natural to think of Orwell but I see this machine with its blinking LEDs, its architectural, rectangular shape, its hand wheel combined with one of the shortest main shafts of any machine I've seen, and the surprising functionality, deftness, and durability (many SensorSew and Logica machines are still operating today) and I think of the resilience of The Empire Strikes Back.
The shape of the machine could be a space station in that early Star Wars trilogy and the control panel wouldn't look out of place in one of the ships that so dazzled me as a kid simultaneously watching both my future and 'A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away...' This kind of deliberate artistic irony has never been, for myself, the subject of nostalgic amusement because of the grain of truth it contains: are we so arrogant to think the human condition is not universal and thus not limited to humans and our own planet? Such were some of my thoughts as a young guy watching these spectacles, their designs holding up rather well, I think. Their messages -- well, timeless.
Who was Sears'/Necchi's target market for this machine and the related (and more standard) SensorSew 70? It didn't break sales records (that I know of) but there are enough still in existence and sewing beautifully that it must have appealed within the Reagan-era zeitgeist. I'm not certain the original Star Wars trilogy could have been successfully created in another era, as the '80s were such a unique intersection of optimism and earnestness. (Remember the Cold War?) But who would sew on such a machine -- Darth Vader, doing some quick repairs to his codpiece?
I bought this from a CL seller who simply wanted it gone. She explained that it would need cleaning and that, my friends, is the understatement of the last several years. I have spent about 4 hours cleaning it so far and I'm not done (as is obvious in the pictures). The frame is metal and the machine is fairly hefty, clad in a textured white paint that was popular at the time (think the Husqvarna Viking 150 and several other models). The plastic panels betray the machine having sat in sunlight and will have to be bleached with peroxide cream. There is one part missing and it's an important one: the flip-over panel in the middle of the bed that converts the machine from a flat bed to a free arm. So, the machine is a free arm until I can find the missing part (and I have my doubts this will happen). There are some paint dings but it's not bad at all, nothing that a bit of eggshell finish white paint cannot hide.
How does it sew? Surprisingly well for a machine that has been in storage for about 15 years. All of the 100 stitches work and I've only had trouble with a flower design, getting it to look like the impossibly perfect pictograph on the panel above the presser feet storage. The seller had marked the machine's front of the bed with a felt-tip ink pen at various intervals -- long lines of ink instead of the usual tape. With a lot of scrubbing and swearing, I've been able to remove almost all traces save a blotch near the plate in a vile magenta. I used a little soap/water (I know, I know -- but nowhere near any exposed metal), Maas metal polish, lens cleaner, then Bon Ami.
Besides the 100 stitches/monograms, the SS 100 is capable of an 8mm zig-zag, very unusual for a domestic machine. It's also surprisingly quick. I haven't measured SPM but I would guess close to 1000. The stitch quality is excellent and the tension and pressure controls are smooth-turning dials, 0 - 9 for tension and 0 - 6 (detents on each number) for pressure. This is all very Kenmore-like and I wonder how much input Sears had in the machine's design. Anyone out there know?
For $10, this has been an incredible investment in fun. I've been entertained by this machine for hours, cleaning it up and admiring its design, testing the stitches, and reading the included manual. It's a bit of a curiosity, something that might appear in a sewing machine museum or museum of modern industrial design but that it sews so well after having not been used for many years is really admirable.
The Martians have landed! I have one of these machines, because I just had to have one. You however got a super deal.
ReplyDeleteI saw the CL ad (dark, blurry picture that looked suspiciously like a SensorSew), then I went to your blog and watched your demonstration. You helped me decide to buy it! I am missing the flat bed piece, though (and a parts seller will likely be charging $100 for it on eBay -- so I'm not sure I got such a great deal; we'll see).
DeleteIs it typically American of me to project a US media icon onto what was probably just good, modern Italian design? Probably, but there it is. The thing looks like a space station.
I had my eye on that model Kenmore in the late 80's. I really wanted it, but at that time money was quite tight and it was not going to happen. I would take it now. I was still using the green 1972 cam operated Kenmore, table and all, which I pad about $125 for. It was a goo machine and I followed all the cleaning instructions faithfully. In my closet is a 1950's Kenmore manufactured for Sears by the Chrysler Motor Corp. It is chain driven, and a dimpled, bronze, sleek., The rubber on the bobbin winder turnwheel is drying and I have no idea how to handle that so I don't uses it. Some of the samples were think.
ReplyDeleteI had one of those Chrysler Kenmores that I eventually donated. That machine could really sew: chain-driven and a 1.5 amp motor. Bobbin winder tires are easy to replace. Just make sure you're ordering the right one. I hope you get it working again. Remember -- don't oil that machine! That's a machine that doesn't require any oil and oiling it may harm certain parts.
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