Shaun!!! It's great to see you around, good man!
I have been really on and off on the forum, but the work does continue, just with a little less flair and a little more 'mess'. But I do have some projects that are very garage-related that have not been shown here.
For example...
(Now I know as you read this what some of you are thinking, however, let me get a little nerdy and historical on you.)
So sewing machines have been around a long time and generally speaking, around the mid 1800s is when you start to see a big shift in the production side of the sewing machine. All of these are man/treadle powered. Singer becomes a mega huge company that starts making these machines and because of their durability and simplicity, they become extremely popular. Now, here is one thing to consider - back then they didn't have sweat shops in Bangladesh. Clothes were a valuable commodity, and when I say that they were meant to be worn, they were meant to be
worn. I also collect vintage clothing and you can tell the difference in the quality. So making sturdy clothes back then was a big deal. So were the machines that helped to make them. Remember, back then labor was cheap and machines/tooling was expensive, opposite of today.
Singer made a lot of different models, but one Singer that stands out is the model 201. It was their flagship model and quickly gained a reputation as the finest straight-stitch machine ever made. Back then, machines were extremely expensive. On one blog, a 201 owner found a receipt for their 1947 Singer 201 and when new in '47 it was purchased for $274. In today's money, that is
over $2800. People spent months and months saving up for these machines. There was another story I read that detailed the harrowing experience of a lady in Britain during WWII. Her house was getting bombed and what does she do? Runs inside and grabs her 201 before booking it. It is important to keep all that in perspective, since a lot of people would have a hard time spending $274 on a sewing machine
today.
The Singer 201 was introduced in 1935. I have, for your viewing pleasure, a 1936 Model 201:
Originally I thought it was a 1950s model, because it came with a 201 manual with a 1950s date in it. However, the manual was not original to the machine. Once I looked up the serial numbers, I found out it was much older than that. It is 77 years old.
I bought this as a gift for my wife, and she will get it whenever I am done restoring/refurbishing it. Here are some more shots:
As you can see, it has been well-loved and well-used.
Check out this stand, right out of the 1930s:
The treadle is really the footswitch. It connect up to a bakelite electronic speed control box.
And this is kind of where I'm at with it now:
http://images60.fotki.com/v224/photos/9/1862059/10433601/P6179294-vi.jpg[IMG]
I'm trying to keep it as original as possible, including the motor - that might be a little hard, because it was previously disassembled and refurbished by someone who only sort-of knew what they were doing. They completely boogered up a set screw for one of the brass sleeve bearings and drilled a hole from one of the grease reservoirs [I][U]to the frickin motor assembly!!![/U][/I]:eek::wtf::headscrat
I guess we'll see how things turn out.
Now, I know that sewing machines don't usually occupy space in a garage, but allow me to make an exception for the following reasons:
1. It is a tool, just a different trade
2. It is completely awesome and industrial
3. It is from the 1930s, fitting in well with the garage theme
4. It is one of the best sewing machines ever made
5. It will make my wife happy. (time in garage + tools + supplies = garage project) - selfishnew = happy wife. Therefore, time in garage = happy wife:)
More to come as I get some replacement parts and fix some of the issues!
It must have been saving up all the energy it had for your visit!
