Vintage Sewing Machine Shop.....Come on in and sit a spell
04-15-2012, 07:55 AM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Northern California
Posts: 330
I was at a sale that a friend was having yesterday. She had lots of antiques and fabric this sewing machine. I knew from the minute I laid eyes on her, she was going home with me. She is a Wheeler Wilson 9 handcrank, 1/2 size. I brought her home and she sews just great but needs a cleaning. Alex of
www.Sewalot.com calls her the "Half size Half Pint Wheeler & Wilson 9". I have never seen one like her. She is very close in size to a Singer Featherweight, but weighs 20 pounds. The throad width is the same as a FW but the throat height is almost 2" higher. I am fascinated by her. Could this have been the idea that inspired the Featherweight after Singer bought Wheeler Wilson out in 1905? I don't have a firm date on her, but probably 1901 to 1905 is very close.
Texas Jan
www.Sewalot.com calls her the "Half size Half Pint Wheeler & Wilson 9". I have never seen one like her. She is very close in size to a Singer Featherweight, but weighs 20 pounds. The throad width is the same as a FW but the throat height is almost 2" higher. I am fascinated by her. Could this have been the idea that inspired the Featherweight after Singer bought Wheeler Wilson out in 1905? I don't have a firm date on her, but probably 1901 to 1905 is very close.
Texas Jan
Jan, that is an awesome machine!! She is soo beautiful! love her size!!
04-15-2012, 08:07 AM
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Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Fort Worth, TX
Posts: 458
My "new" baby.
I got her from a friend at work. The machine and cabinet are in really good condition. Plus she and her husband delivered her to me.
04-15-2012, 09:01 AM
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Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North TX
Posts: 764
I keep seeing that group mentioned, but I haven't made my way over there yet. 
I really need to check it out.
I really need to check it out.
04-15-2012, 01:44 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: North Texas
Posts: 486
04-15-2012, 01:46 PM
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2012
Posts: 8,091
Tension troubles w/ our 401A
We have a slant stitch monogrammer that I wanted to try. Since our 401 has a needle plate lift lever I thought it would be simple to try it on that machine.
I hooked it up and got to trying it out. But I had problems from the start. As I was trying to figure the thing out I realized the top tension was way tight. I could not reduce it. It didn't take long to see that the presser foot was not releasing the tension. It had worked just the other day when my wife put some decorative stitches on some jeans pockets so I knew something had gone wrong.
I woke up feeling real bad today so I said, I don't have the patience right now I'll do it later.
Not long after that my wife called to me and said something to the effect she'd removed the tensioner. I asked her if she'd unscrewed the set screw and she said "no, it just came out." I said, "no, no, that's not the way it's supposed to work".
To make a long story short I got back to it and looked inside the hole the tensioner fits in. I saw some shiny silver bits. Then I had an epiphany. When I had originally cleaned this machine I had to remove the tensioner to clean the area around it. It wouldn't go back in the I thought it should, but it did work.
I removed the long set screw cleaned and oiled it and put it back in snugly.
Today I removed the set screw (first pic) and slipped a very small long shanked screw driver into the hole. It would not protrude into the hole the tensioner passed through so I gave it a push. A bunch of metal chips came out (second pic).
I cleaned all this debris out of the set screw hole and everywhere else, reassembled the tensioner and put it back in the machine.
Then I printed out the top tension instructions to the TFSR site and adjusted it.
Put everything back together, threaded it up and proceeded to test sew with it. Works great now. (third pic )
So, if you have a machine that has tensioner problems and yet the tensioner is in good working order, check the set screw hole. If it's full of aluminum chips from when the threads were cut, the tensioner may be working loose as you sew with it.
As I'm doing this post my wife is sewing up a storm with our 401A. (last two pics)
Joe
I hooked it up and got to trying it out. But I had problems from the start. As I was trying to figure the thing out I realized the top tension was way tight. I could not reduce it. It didn't take long to see that the presser foot was not releasing the tension. It had worked just the other day when my wife put some decorative stitches on some jeans pockets so I knew something had gone wrong.
I woke up feeling real bad today so I said, I don't have the patience right now I'll do it later.
Not long after that my wife called to me and said something to the effect she'd removed the tensioner. I asked her if she'd unscrewed the set screw and she said "no, it just came out." I said, "no, no, that's not the way it's supposed to work".
To make a long story short I got back to it and looked inside the hole the tensioner fits in. I saw some shiny silver bits. Then I had an epiphany. When I had originally cleaned this machine I had to remove the tensioner to clean the area around it. It wouldn't go back in the I thought it should, but it did work.
I removed the long set screw cleaned and oiled it and put it back in snugly.
Today I removed the set screw (first pic) and slipped a very small long shanked screw driver into the hole. It would not protrude into the hole the tensioner passed through so I gave it a push. A bunch of metal chips came out (second pic).
I cleaned all this debris out of the set screw hole and everywhere else, reassembled the tensioner and put it back in the machine.
Then I printed out the top tension instructions to the TFSR site and adjusted it.
Put everything back together, threaded it up and proceeded to test sew with it. Works great now. (third pic )
So, if you have a machine that has tensioner problems and yet the tensioner is in good working order, check the set screw hole. If it's full of aluminum chips from when the threads were cut, the tensioner may be working loose as you sew with it.
As I'm doing this post my wife is sewing up a storm with our 401A. (last two pics)
Joe
04-15-2012, 01:56 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: suburb of Milwaukee, WI
Posts: 651
Joe -
Great tip and photos for fixing your 401. Thanks for sharing!
Shari
Great tip and photos for fixing your 401. Thanks for sharing!
Shari
04-15-2012, 02:05 PM
Super Member
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Huntsville, AL
Posts: 2,609
You got a very nice red eye 66 and the decals are great. What a great machine. This is my favorite vintage machine I use as my go to machne.
04-15-2012, 03:07 PM
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Headed home
Posts: 2,372
A friend of mine recently was given (from her mother) a White Rotary treadle. The serial number is FR2394557. She has no information as to age, or where to find a manual. She did receive the attachments, and a few needles, plus a lot of thread spools, etc.
Does anyone know where I can look to date the machine for her, and where I might find a manual?
Thanks!
Does anyone know where I can look to date the machine for her, and where I might find a manual?
Thanks!
04-15-2012, 04:46 PM
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: North TX
Posts: 764
Quilt Mom,
If you go here, Info on White machines, you should find lots of interesting information. The "FR" part of the serial number makes me think it might be a Family Rotary. There are manuals posted there too.
If you go here, Info on White machines, you should find lots of interesting information. The "FR" part of the serial number makes me think it might be a Family Rotary. There are manuals posted there too.
04-16-2012, 03:26 AM
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Headed home
Posts: 2,372
Thanks so much, Bennett! I'll be going there now.
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