Singer 316G

I'm supposed to be looking for houses and I'm half-heartedly doing so.  One incentive to get me driving around in these God-forsaken towns is the possibility of a sewing machine (or two).  Convenient, don't you think?

I saw this machine's listing and it turns out the seller lives in the same general area as a possible house I was to look at and so I contacted him.  This is a German Singer zig-zag made in Karlsruhe and is most closely similar to a 306, although it has several advantages: uses class 15 bobbins and needles, has feed dog drop on the bed, and the slide plate actually slides.  It's also built to tighter tolerances and so it's quieter and smoother (although not by so much that the difference affirms the silly, ignorant maligning of the Swing Needle machines -- the 206, 306, 319/320).  Like the 306, it has adjustable needle position and takes cams for decorative stitches.  It weighs in over 50 lbs.

My machine came in a wood base but lacks a case.  Additionally, the lamp shade is missing and the lamp socket housing is cracked.  I have ordered a vintage lamp but it is black, so I'll either have to paint it or be satisfied with it as-is.  By the way, these lamps are quite expensive.  Luckily, I found one in Germany for just $17 plus shipping ($9) but all the other sellers had theirs well over $50 and higher.  They're not rare, just expensive.

Although this is a Singer, the Germanic pedigree is evident immediately in its sewing characteristics.  The machine runs beautifully; I can see why these are such coveted machines: quiet, strong, adjustable down to the slightest differences in width and length.  I love the styling, too -- reminds me of the 15-125, for example.  One question I always ask myself when I acquire yet another machine is whether I plan to keep it and for how long.  The 316 will be in my permanent collection.

If you find one of these beauties, don't hesitate, especially if you can find one for well under $100 as I did.  You'll be glad you bought it! 
 

Adler 189A Adlermatic Zig-Zag

There are times when there is a particular model a collector has wanted for years and after spending those years looking high and low (price and location), that collector finally realizes that in order to acquire it, some fairly serious cash will need to be spent or a refurbishment will be necessary.

That collector is myself and the machine is the Adler 189A Adlermatic.  I knew I had to have one the first moment I spied a dark, grainy picture of its gorgeous green self.  The rounded, bulbous shapes, the beautiful levers with red increments and numbers, the cam door that slides up and open, the nose plate that opens clam-shell style toward the left, the Pfaff 130-like rear access plate, the steel cams, the belt cover, the speed and strength, the ungodly smoothness -- it was a heady mix for a still-learning collector and perhaps these shapes and features imprinted my impressionable mind so deeply that I couldn't let go.  And now I finally have one.  Well, almost.

I decided not to spend a fortune and bought a 'For Parts or Repair' example.  It's missing the motor.  (Yes, you read that correctly.  I bought an electric, heavy-duty sewing machine with its motor missing.)  It's missing the thread tension assembly (except the post, check spring, etc.).  The thread take-up lever has been broken right off at the face plate.  No cord, no controller.  The cord that it has was a seller attempt and he actually wired the lamp correctly, so that works.  The hand wheel turns very smoothly and the knobs and levers all appear to be working as intended, although I need access to a manual to be sure.  This is not a simple machine.  No cams, no presser feet, no bobbin case (although the Pfaff 130's does fit and that means they are plentiful and fairly inexpensive).  It also needs a very thorough cleaning and adjusting.

But I didn't just buy it on impulse.  I knew it was a project machine and so the question with any somewhat rare machine is where to buy parts.  How much would it cost to purchase all these necessities for a working machine -- preferably original parts?  Well, I found an eBay seller who sold me a huge lot of Adler 189A parts (including the motor, the rear access plate, the hand wheel, the face plate with the cam door, levers, hook, innards, take-up lever, gears, etc., zig-zag and cam assemblies, rods and shafts, etc.) for the princely sum of $50.  So I bought the machine with a pending Best Offer on the parts and had my shorts in a wad for only about 2 hours hoping I could have a complete machine in about a month of studying the service manual.

Cosmetically, I've seen better examples of this machine but nearly every other 189A I've seen has at least some small areas of paint loss.  Since I'm very interested in a complete refurb, a paint-matching trip to the auto parts store is on the agenda not only because I want the machine to look its best but also to keep the existing paint around the dings from flaking.  However, I think the machine looks pretty good for a 'For Parts or Repair' -- what do you think?

Singer 306K No. 2

Pfaff 130 no. 2

I admit that I've overpaid for a few machines.  And I admit that I've underpaid for others -- many others.  Today, I was in a thrift store not looking for anything in particular and I just happened to walk by the furniture area where sewing tables can sometimes be found.  Look what I found:

The price?  $9.99.  This 130 looks like it's been used maybe 10 times.  The thing is absolutely beautiful and came with a metal Pfaff box full of feet and attachments, the original 1952 sales receipt, and a few other odds and ends.  The cabinet is probably going to have to be destroyed -- I think it's too far gone.  No power cord but the knee pedal and cord are very much intact.  It was even clean, requiring just the usual wiping down, a little vacuuming in the crevices, and buffing of the chrome.  I'm amazed no one else saw the value in this, as I was told it had been sitting there for a while.

To celebrate, I stopped by the Italian bakery nearby and bought biscotti, a Black Forest cake, lemon cream puffs, and sausage cannelloni with a house marinara sauce and a wedge of Reggiano for grating.  So much for being thrifty, right?

Adler 187

Here's an interesting machine I picked up yesterday.

This is an Adler 187 made in W. Germany in the early 1950s.  I haven't done any research on this machine except glancing at a blog or two, so here goes:

Adler made these machines for only 3 years, 1950 - '52.  From what little I've been able to find out about it, I wouldn't classify this as a rare model; however, it's not common and parts can be difficult to find.  It's a zig-zag, which surprised me when I had a chance to see it in person.  From pictures I'd seen months ago (and the machine was in the distance in the ad for this machine), I assumed it was a straight-stitch, as most of the controls are in the bottom right and all I really saw is the vertical length lever.  Seeing it for the first time, I immediately thought of the Necchi BC with a bit of Singer 15 thrown in due to the tension/thread take-up on the nose plate.

It's heavy and heavy duty.  Most interestingly, this machine is built to run clockwise rather than the standard counterclockwise.  This means that the motor and shaft (which turn sympathetically like any belted machine) turn in the opposite direction of all other machines I own except rotaries which are friction-driven, the motor and shaft turning toward one another.  Odd.  The wiring is bad on this machine and must be replaced, so regardless of direction, it won't be turning except by hand in the near future.

Another interesting feature is the bobbin case/hook/race assembly.  The bobbins themselves are flatter than most, as is the case and are placed in a clam shell style housing whose door is then snapped shut which puts the bobbin into position respective to the needle.  In watching the movement, the distance between the needle and hook appear to be constant and thus the amplitude of the needle appears to be the diameter of the hook travel circumference, though I'm not certain.  

It came with a carrying case (not in good shape), a box of attachments (feet, bobbins, straight-stitch plate, manual, Adler oil can, guide/screw, etc.).

It also came with a rather cool mid-century style cabinet that is original with the machine, complete with both knee and foot pedals:

I did have to clean the machine pretty thoroughly, even a preliminary cleaning just to take decent pictures.  It was covered in an oil haze that resembled shellac and some of it was very difficult to remove.  I had to resort to the Necchi Solution: 90% kerosene, 10% sewing machine oil and I used very fine steel wool, a toothbrush, rags, etc.

For $40, I believe this was a good deal.  It needs work but my first impression is that this is a very well-made, heavy duty machine.  Looking underneath and seeing the various shafts and pins, this may very well be a semi-industrial machine, though it's small for anything other than domestic use.   

(Sorry for the lackluster pictures.  I'm getting used to my new cameras and have just cracked open the manuals.)