Posted 4 years ago
Ickdadt
(1 item)
I found this singer sewing machine today at a thrift shop. Any information about it would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!
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Hi. Ickdadt. :-)
I'm having a great deal of difficulty in reading the serial number on your machine.
If you could find some dark (but easily removed) substance to rub into the serial number cartouche, or if you can read it yourself, and add that information to your post, I can better assess the age of your machine.
In the meantime, what I can tell you about your machine is that it's a Singer model 66. I know that because that Red Eye decal set was only ever applied to model 66 machines at stateside Singer factories:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/decals/decal10
About the model 66:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/66
Your face plate looks like Simanco 32667, and interestingly, your access panel looks like Simanco 125339 (which was normally used on model 201 machines):
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_faceplates
About the factory where it was probably made:
https://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/elizabethport
https://www.ericwilliamsblog.com/left-behind-in-elizabeth-the-singer-manufacturing-company-part-1/
https://www.ericwilliamsblog.com/left-behind-in-elizabeth-the-singer-manufacturing-company-part-2/
I can't tell much about your cabinet from your pictures, but here is a gallery of cabinets in which the model 66 was normally installed:
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_sewing_machine_cabinets.html#66
And here is information about the factory where many of the cabinets were made:
https://orangebeanindiana.com/2019/06/12/south-bends-singer-sewing-machine-company/
Your machine does present some interesting features in that it's motorized, and has a lamp, yet it appears to have a back-clamping presser foot.
That latter feature was something native only to the oldest model 66 machines, so I suspect that your machine might have been 'modernized' with the addition of the motor and lamp after it left the factory.
I'll give you links for a variety of model 66 machine manuals:
https://archive.org/details/Singer661Manual
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-model-66-sewing-machine-manual.pdf
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/manuals/singer-model-66-18-sewing-machine-manual.pdf
I'm going to give you a link to the table for the Singer G serial numbers (which is what I think yours is):
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-g-series-serial-numbers.html
That way, if you figure out what your serial number is in the next eight or so hours, you can look it up yourself (I'm retiring for the day).
I'll give you an example, using the first line of information that pertains to model 66 machines in that table:
G- 190001 220000 66 30000 January 8 1910
What that translates to: a block of 30,000 consecutive serial numbers (190001 through 220000) was allotted by the central office to one of the factories (pretty much all of the G serial numbers were allotted to Elizabethport) on January 8th, 1910, and all were destined to be stamped into the beds of model 66 machines.
I'll check back after I've gotten some rest. :-)
Hi again, Ickdadt. :-)
I'm about as rested as I'll ever be at my age. It looks like you either haven't looked at your post since my last comment, or haven't had a chance to work on the serial number issue.
I do think your serial number is a G prefix one, but that only narrows things down to a time range of 1910 - 1924. In that time period, Singer made about 75 different batches of model 66 machines (almost 3.2 million total).
My poor brain apparently was too tired yesterday to come up with this simple technique for enhancing the readability of the serial number:
Take a dark colored crayon and rub the tip over the characters in the little bronze-colored serial number cartouche.
Use a disposable facial tissue to clean any excess crayon wax from the surface of the cartouche.
Hopefully, you will end up with a readable serial number that you can then photograph, and add to your post.
( Image of Singer serial number cartouche)
https://www.singermachines.co.uk/pub/media/upload/image/model_5.jpg
Ickdadt, A small clarification. That 3.2 million figure I cited earlier was just for model 66 machines with G prefix serial numbers.
Wow keramikos!
Thank you so much for your work! I was not expecting such an in depth response. I am sitting here wondering if I should be framing out a proper response structure and making rough drafts! Your efforts are greatly appreciated! I must confess that I do nit own the machine, yet anyway. I will go by the thrift shop tomorrow or the next day and get better pictures. I was doing some research last night myself and I too thought the serial number began with a G. I planned on purchasing the machine either way. I will keep you posted!
Ickdadt, You're welcome. :-)
I have a tendency to go a bit overboard with these things. I'm not actually a vintage sewing machine expert, but they seem to have turned into a bit of a mania with me.
So you've been doing some research yourself, huh?
Let me give you my collection of vintage sewing machine links:
https://www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/285089-vintage-sewing-machine-help
It's kind of a work in progress. As a matter of fact, I just saw another one today that I need to add. It's for smartphone lookup of Singer sewing machine serial numbers:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.picarious.singer&hl=en_US&gl=US
I just installed it on my own phone to make sure it worked, and it does.
The price tag on it is $40. I think I’m going to pick it up. What do you think?
Ickdadt, Yes, I thought that I'd read forty on that white sticker. Value is a sensitive subject here at CW S&T. We're not supposed to get into it.
I'd say that it all depends on what you want to do with this machine. If you want to use it yourself, you probably can't go wrong. Those old cast iron sewing machines are tough, and sometimes all they need is a bit of cleaning and lubrication.
The Singer model 66 is a much beloved machine among vintage sewing machine enthusiasts. One of its advantages is that it uses a bobbin style that is still widely available, even at your local Joann Fabrics store.
There are some links for advice on cleaning and restoration in that vintage sewing machine post I linked yesterday (although they aren't necessarily the last word on the subject).
I look forward to your further explorations/expositions of this machine. :-)
Hi again, Ickdadt. :-)
I don't know if you followed through on your model 66, but something I should have mentioned in my last response is that some people find that back-clamping presser foot troublesome, mostly from the standpoint of wanting to use other presser feet, and being limited to back-clamping ones:
https://oldsingersewingmachineblog.com/2012/11/04/the-back-clamp-singer-66-mystery/
Back-clamping model 66 machines can be converted to side-clamping ones:
https://growyourownclothes.com/2016/10/02/converting-a-singer-66-back-clamp-to-side-clamp/
https://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/backclampfeet/convertingbackclampfeet.html
Anyway, I apologize for not mentioning in my previous comment.
Thanks Kermikos! You are quite an asset to the community! God bless you! I found the correct number, it is G3732975
Ickdadt, Ah, thank you. That satisfied my information tooth. };-)
So the serial number on your machine (G3732975) falls into this group:
G- 3711001 3736000 66 25000 July 22 1914
http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-g-series-serial-numbers.html
Now if you really want to get anal-retentive about it, you could try to estimate the actual date of manufacture for that machine using the information in that line of information, plus the next allotment block destined for model 66 machines:
G- 3800651 3825650 66 25000 September 29 1914
And a calculation tool:
https://www.timeanddate.com/date/dateadd.html
But it's all highly speculative, and doesn't figure in factors like WWI, among other things.
I don't know whether you decided to get that machine, but in any event, good luck, and thanks again for giving me closure on the serial number. :-)