Accessories for the Singer 27 (ca.1910)

All of these images are from the Smithsonian's Historical Trade Literature in Smithsonian Collections.

Singer 27-4

The title page of the manual that was one of the cabinet drawers.  It was apparently completely soaked with oil at some point in the past, as it has all darkened to this oak-brown and now feels exactly like wax paper!

Cleaning and oiling a vintage Singer

 

 

I'm sure that sometimes you can have too much advice, but clearly I haven't reached that point yet.  Here is a two-part series from Lizzie Lenard on how to do the regular maintenance on an antique sewing machine, a Singer 28K.

The advice to use wooden toothpicks for getting lint etc. out of tight spots is very helpful!

Cleaning the cast-iron treadle

 

The "minimalist approach" from Toby's Sewing Machine repair -- yes, using sewing-machine oil!

Drawers

Today I re-conditioned the drawers, using Howard's Restor-a-Finish (in Dark Oak) and Feed-N-Wax.  In the photo above, the drawer on the bottom is cleaned but untreated, the middle one has the Restor-a-Finish, and the top one has both.

You can really see here how the slats of the open-case sides kept the finish underneath from dulling like the exposed parts did!

I will repeat the Feed-n-Wax finish in a few weeks, as the label recommends -- not sure yet if I will leave the pebblier areas of the finish as they are, as well-earned patina, or try and smooth them out a little with some steel wool.

And just because the trim is so pretty! --

Re-conditioning woodwork

Two videos from the Vintage Sewing Machine Garage on re-conditioning woodwork -- cases for portable machines here, but the idea is the same. 

TreadleOn's page about re-conditioning and refinishing is here.

"Make Your Singer Sing"

Here are a pair of posts by Susie of Susies-Scraps about cleaning her 1920s Singer 66K with the gorgeous lotus decals.  Unlike more-detailed tutorials like the Vintage Sewing Machine Garage's videos, and others, this is only a brief outline of what she did, but as a side note her quilts are also interesting, most of them in the antique style!

• Make Your Singer Sing (Part 1) 
• Make Your Singer Sing (Part 2)
  

She also has a post about how to treadle.

Drawer key

I heard somewhere that you can get replacement keys for the locking drawers -- you need to look through the keyhole to see if it takes a square-ended key or a triangle-ended one. Ours is square (I did notice in the process that one of the drawer openings is missing its lock hardware, so we might want to look for one of those too, someday).

How can you tell a Singer key from another brand?

"The Joy of Sewing with a Treadle Sewing Machine"

"The Joy of Sewing with a Treadle Sewing Machine" is a 2018 "Threads" magazine article by Peter Lappin.  I think that all of his reasons for enjoying sewing on a treadle machine -- nostalgia, love of simplicity, and appreciation of the mechanics of it -- are similar to ours!

He also recommends the website Treadleon.net, which is self-described as "A Site for People-Powered Sewing Machine Users" (!)

Cabinetry for the Singer 27, 1910

These are the cabinets that you could get for your new Singer model 27 ca.1910, from basic to deluxe, from utilitarian to sumptuous -- and all, really, things of beauty!

(This is the one that our machine is in. "Open case" apparently refers to the fact that the side drawers are not fully enclosed but simply slide along a three-tiered case made of open slats. Both the open-case and the closed-case versions -- in the image just below -- have "embossing" on the sides, so it isn't apparent what the functional advantages of either form are.)

 

All of these images are from Historical Trade Literature in Smithsonian Collections.

Some more cleaning products

The article "DIY: Cleaning up Your Vintage and/or Antique Sewing Machines" by Heatherstiletto has a wonderfully extensive list of cleaners for various parts of old sewing machines.  The article is undated, but certainly many of the products are still available as of March 2022.

Her most highly-recommended products seem to be

• sewing-machine oil (regular or synthetic)
• for non-rusted metal parts, Nevr-Dull Magic Wadding Polish and Mother's Mag Polish
• for rusted metal parts, Evapo-Rust ER012 Super Safe Rust Remover, OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover [yes, the laundry one! but be sure to follow her instructions], and other products, as well as a DIY electrolysis set-up
  

Note that she clearly has some reservations about WD-40 as both cleaner and lubricant.

She also includes these tips for applicators:

Many people recommend using microfiber cloths with most of the cleaning products listed below. Some stand by good ol’ cotton t-shirts that have the seams removed, so it’s only soft material remaining. I use both on my machines because I like the slightly scrubbier factor of microfiber cloths sometimes, and the gentle t-shirt material for my shellac-coated machines. Just wash them and don’t put fabric softener in the wash, as that can cause hassles with buff-out – like streaks no matter how much you buff. Grrr! 

Applicator supplies: toothbrushes, chip brushes, small paintbrushes, Q-tips/cotton swabs, etc.

A chip brush is a certain kind of paintbrush designed to be resistant to solvents, glues, stains, and other harsh chemicals (i.e. harsher than paint!).

Testing cleaning techniques for sewing machine hardware

Part 2 of the Vintage Sewing Machine Garage's series on cleaning antique sewing machines.  Here, he tests various cleaning products on the metal hardware (e.g. cover plates, clutch knobs, hand wheels, etc.).

Cleaners tested in this video:

• sewing-machine oil (the VSMG's favorite all-purpose cleaner)
  
• isopropyl alcohol (but be sure to remove the metal part to be cleaned and do that separately -- do not get alcohol on the paintwork!)
• polish made for automotive metals, specifically Mother's Mag and Aluminum Polish (found at automotive stores, etc.)
• hand cleaner made for grease, oil, etc. in a non-pumice formula, here specifically MotoMaster Hand Cleaner
  

Note that all of these products seem to do a decent job of cleaning dirt and oxidation from the metal pieces in this video, though as expected, sewing-machine oil -- because it is the gentlest of the four -- will take repeated applications.  ("Your results may vary" -- and always test in an inconspicuous place first!)

Cabinet cleaned!

I have now cleaned all of the cabinet inside and out, except for the center drawer, which needs re-gluing first. I used Murphy's Oil Soap, to the recommended dilution on the label.  The cabinet was actually quite clean, with just the expected bits of accumulated dust around the embossed trim and in the nooks and crannies of the drawer cases.

The state of the cabinet goes to show that my grandma was absolutely right and you should never ever put anything liquid on top of wood furniture, not even if you think said liquid is safely contained.  Someone has clearly at some point in the past left a mug or glass on the cabinet -- in three separate places! -- long enough to leave a ring.  Worse, it appears that some liquid was spilled on the cabinet (a potted plant, I suspect), which liquid ran across the front corner of the lid and all unnoticed seeped underneath to damage the finish on both the underside of the lid and the corresponding area on the base.  Luckily for us, this seems only cosmetic, as the veneer is still firmly attached.

The drawers all have still-shiny areas where they have been covered by the slats of the open-case sides!

While despite what we all remember from numerous "Antiques Roadshow" episodes is that re-finishing, and in some cases even thorough cleaning, of valuable antiques is generally not advised -- and in many cases what we remember isn't actually their general opinion! -- we also feel that for the most part, the knocks and bumps that a piece of furniture or a sewing machine has received over its life are part of its history, good or bad, and so our aim is not to make our 27-4 "like new".  On the other hand, rings and other water damage are just sad, and so we'd like to do what we can to revive and conserve the machine and its cabinet.

A handprint from the craftsman who stained the cabinet a hundred-some years ago ...

Cleaning the painted finish of an antique sewing machine

 

Part 1 of the Vintage Sewing Machine Garage's series on cleaning antique sewing machines.

The important points made:

• Never (never) use anything abrasive to clean the painted parts
• First, use a soft brush (e.g. a paintbrush) to dust the machine, then spray a Kleenex tissue (not a paper towel, which is too abrasive, or even toilet paper) with a bit of water and wipe the paintwork, then a small amount of sewing-machine oil and cotton ball or wadding -- note that while you should never spray any liquid directly onto the machine, you can drip the sewing-machine oil straight onto the paintwork
  
• Sewing-machine oil is one of the best and safest ways to clean the painted parts of an antique sewing machine
• Don't rush -- take the time to do it right
  

Is sewing-machine oil always the best thing for cleaning? --

Identifying the decal set

This decal set is clearly the "Tiffany" (a.k.a. "gingerbread") set as shown on the ISMACS decal identification page for domestic machines. They date this set as in use ca.1900 to ca.1930.  (I would call it "Shells" myself!)

Interestingly, the "Jubilee" variation of the Tiffany decals, with a large image of Queen Victoria on the base (!), is three years earlier than ISMACS's starting date for general use -- presumably the artwork was thought handsome enough to re-use!

G291852

According to the list at ISMACS, Singer serial numbers G279001 through G329000 are for Model no.27, this particular batch of 50,000 machines being manufactured March 16, 1910.

The list here also indicates that this serial number was produced in 1910, though not a specific date as Singer does. 

Note that Singer is also apparently happy to look up a serial number.

Our Singer 27-4

The bobbin-winder, attached near the base of the pillar.

It didn't come with a needle.

The lovely leaf designs on the face plate here are repeated on the round access plate on the back.

 

Yes, that's a regular nail up there next to the thread spool spindle. No idea why.

Thread tensioner.

First look

Our daughter sent us this photo yesterday from a thrift store she was visiting.  Did we want it?

We took a deep breath and said "Yes!"