New(Old) Hand crank WooHoo - now need help
 

After many years of looking at any prospective place between here and Atlanta, I finally came across a hand crank.

The serial number is F2601007 which ISMACs says is made in 1912. I think the F means it was made in Clydebank, Scotland.

I can't seem to find out what model it is. It has a drop in bobbin (need the cover to that). Tension assembly looks odd to me. What is that button on the front near the bobbin winder? I have been googling all morning, but so far no luck.

It moves freely, but, haven't tried to sew. It is dirty but not filthy, no rust, so will clean it up.

Any advice, recommendations, suggestions, etc. greatly appreciated. Thank you all in advance.

Found something that says it is a 99K. Does that sound right?

If you looked up the serial number in ISMACS, that also shows the model number.

http://www.ismacs.net/singer_sewing_...l-numbers.html

Yes, it's a 99K. BTW- very nice machine! I'm partial to the 99's

That "button" is actually threaded and screwed in or out to determine stitch length.

BTW, nice machine.

Well, it sews, but not so great yet. I think it will after it is cleaned and oiled and adjusted.

You got an old one! The oldest I have come across is from 1923. The tension assembly was tiny on those early machines. You can get a slide plate from sew-classic.com. It is a reproduction. May look for an original on the auction site, but they will be more expensive. I will say that the repro didn't fit as well, it sits a little higher than the throat plate. Is there a red oil wick in a little coil spring-like thing in fron of the bobbin case? If so, that should stay there. I tried picking it out of my first 99. I love using Tri-Flow on these old girls. They may be sluggish now, but with proper lubrication, they will be stitching smoothly! I had a completely frozen 99 moving in 24 hours with Tri-Flow and Liquid Wrench.

Your new baby is beautiful. I do have a noob question though. How do you sew with them? I use two hands to sew so if I had to crank the wheel with my right hand I would need two left hands or my left hand with a very good foot with long ambidextrous toes with a prehensile big toe! ;)

Ha,ha. Sunflowerzz, you're funny. Made me laugh and I needed that. I guess you could crank it real fast and let go and sew up a storm.LOL Then give it another crank. etc, etc.

I learned on a hand crank well over 50 years ago. A couple years ago I rigged up a Singer 99 as a hand crank. I sailed right into it. Maybe it was because I learned on one. I was even able to flat fell a seam on it. I think what you may need to do is get some pieces to piece and practice running them through. Or you can go back to square one. Get some mazes and dot to dots to do just like we teach the small children. I would suggest you work on sewing with your left hand on your other machine first. I have been able to be pretty accurate with mine. I think it is a matter of gaining better hand eye coordination. I've got my DGD working on a hand crank just for that reason. She needs the hand eye coordination. She is determined to learn to sew. She is coming over in a week and we are going to try to start a crazy quilt. I think that will be a fairly easy one to do on a hand crank and it will boost her confidence. That said I can't treadle worth a darn. Some people might do better with a hand crank and some might do better with a treadle.

Allow me to explain why most of my family prefers handcranks...

Most folks start off assuming that handcranks give less control. Why not, with most folks using one hand in front of the needle, and one behind, it would seem that you would lose an element of control.

The ONE thing folks do not usually realize until they try is that when you are using the handcrank you are manually controlling the feed dogs. One turn = 3 stitches, so 1 stitch is only a third of a rotation. That is VERY fine control.

So what happens is you use your left hand in front, and your right hand controlling the feed dogs "feels" like you are pulling it through with your right hand.

Because of this you can steer REALLY carefully and actually have better control that with a powered or treadle.

One other Key is the presser foot tension need to be correct, no more fudging it by using your hands to maintain the feed by pulling a little.

just my .02