I just thought the last Singer sewing machine I bought was old and rough.  I was looking for some parts for it on eBay and ran across one someone found in a basement of an estate they were cleaning out.  Opening bid was 99 cents, so thought, "Why not?"  I bid 5 bucks, and was sure someone would out-bid me.  Someone did bid on it and I had to pay $4.32 (plus $25 shipping).  OK, I really didn't need it, I really didn't want it, I really shouldn't have bid on it, but, I'm stuck with it . . .

The description said it was in really rough condition, but it might be good for a few parts.  Apparently, the basement they found it in was not watertight and this thing had been sitting on the floor.  The bottom of the case almost didn't exist, and all the cams rods and levers underneath it were rusted into a solid blob of crusty metal.  It was locked down tight.  I thought about just writing off  the 30 bucks and tossing it into the scrap heap, but I love a good challenge.  A little WD-40, a little wire burshing, a little machine oil . . . wah-lah, a working sewing machine!  The motor and controler work great (after oiling the motor) and the light even had a good bulb in it!

I went to Singer's web site and looked up the serial #.  It was built in 1892!  It's 120 years old . . . and it still works!  And after I cleaned and oiled it, it looks pretty decent.  It would be nice if you could go to Wal-mart and buy anything of this quality!

The old belt broke after a few minutes of running it . . . got two for $4.75 with free shipping on eBay.

I just love all the decorations that these old machines had. They were art.

                david you would know you were around when they were new

Pretty cool! I bet you could find a table made out of a treadle base pretty easily. I know my family has a table like that up at our cabin with a large butcher block piece of wood on it. That one looks pretty nice

I think I may have a problem.     I've added two more antique sewing machines to my collection.   

Last weekend Joy and I were browsing through an antique mall and I spotted a "New Home" treadle sewing machine.  I really wasn't interested in it . . . at first . . . then I saw the price.  Then I found out that booth had a 10% off sale.  I couldn't help myself, it was too cheap to pass up.  Took it home, cleaned it up and oiled it, put a new belt on it and it sews!

That should have been the end of it, but I had ran across this Singer commercial sewing machine on eBay.  It's way to big and heavy to ship at a resonable cost, but, it was in Adairsville, GA, about 40 miles away.  I resisted bidding on it the first time it was up, but the guy relisted it.  With 30 seconds left in the auction, I clicked the bid now button.  I went and picked it up today.  Singer's web site says the serial number was issued "Begining in 1911" . . . the guy I got it from says he was told it was from the 1920s.  At any rate, it's old, heavy duty and built to last.  It's mounted on a neat industrial table and powered by a 1/2 HP motor.  The power from the motor is transfered to the pully and belt by a foot operated clutch.  If anyone needs to sew heavy canvas or leather, this is the machine you need!

Both of these machines are for sale.  I gott'a make room in case I find another one . . . 

I'm interested in the industrial singer one you have.
Shoot me a price.
KC

I was planning on putting it on craigslist for $400 after I cleaned it, lubricated it and tested it.  I've seen a couple of them in about the same condition sell in the $400-500 price range in the past without the motor and table, so I figured that was a fair starting point.

BUT, right now, it's still sitting on the back of my truck covered with a tarp and all I've done is removed the lamp to try to patch it up a little.  When I went to pick it up the guy I got it from plugged it in and turned it on. The motor runs smooth and the clutch works . . . when you step on the pedal the machine starts moving.  Everything "looks" like works, but I haven't threaded it up and tried to sew with it yet.  It has a couple of extra bobbin cases and several extra bobbins and a bunch of loose needles in the drawer.  If I don't have to do anything to it but drive somewhere and unload it, I could probably be talked down quite a bit.    I'll talk to you about it tomorrow at work.  It's too heavy for me to unload by myself, so it'll be on my truck if you want to look at it.

Good ness I think your gonna need a 12 step program,  I bought three Schwinn stingrays but had to stop myself for hunting and buying more

Well, I was doing pretty good.  Last weekend I didn't buy anything sewing machine related.  I put one of them on Craigslist and there's a guy coming to pick up the New Home machine today!  Then about 9:00 I got a phone call from Joy . . . "I just bought an old Singer sewing machine. I need you to come to Naomi and pick it up for me."  Here we go again!   

OK , I just have to ask, What in the hell is the sudden interest in old sewing machines ?  Come on you can tell me.  NOW you have Joy finding them and buying them. Did a crop duster spray some kind of "Stuff" on the "Triangle" ?? Are you going to put Franny on the road looking

I'm not sure what happened.  I've always loved antiques . . . not the nice, high dollar stuff, but more of the stuff made from iron and oak that people used in everyday life 100 - 200 years ago.  Stuff that was not only made to use, but made to last!  I don't guess I realized these old sewing machines were in that catagory until recently.  Then I realized that can be had for cheap, cause they made a bazillioin of them, and unless you throw them in the funace and melt 'em down for scrap, they are almost indestructable.  The most I've paid for one is 36 bucks.  Joy loved the scroll work on the cabinet on this one so she paid 40 bucks for it.

The one I bought for $36, I cleaned up, oiled it, put a belt on it and did a little adjusting on it and got it sewing.  Put in on Craigslist and a guy just paid me $90 for it.  It's by no means a way get rich quick, but if I can kill a little time doing something I enjoy, turn an abondoned antique back into a useful object, and make a buck or two in the process . . . and do most of the work inside, instead of crawling around in the dirt . . . well, I guess that's what happened.  But now that you mention a crop duster, there was this plane that came in low headed towards the LaFayette airport the other day that was trailing some kind of smoke . . . and I haven't seen any mosquitos since then . . .