Sewing machine

[Jantonino]

I just picked up a singer 112w115 it has double needles I think it will sew canvas but does anyone know anything about these machines ? I will have to post pics in the am

 

[WoodBow]

I have a singer 111w153. It is a beast of a machine. It will plow through layers of cordura and webbing. I did a quick google of your machine and they appear very similar. Im guessing you can remove the double needle assembly and use it as a single as well. If you do not have a manual for it, you should be able to download one online for free. I got one for mine. If it has the original clutch motor, get ready to spend some time learning to control it because they are designed to sew crazy fast for production work.

 

[WoodBow]

And yes it is designed to sew canvas and other heavy materials. It will not perform well on light materials such as silnylon

 

[Kawabunga]

I had an old Singer with a huge motor under the table, that thing was hard to control, it would just take off. Had a guy close to me that refurbished them and said you could change the pulley to slow it down, lube everything up and get it really smooth to operate. Not sure it that would be an option on yours but having it gone over and lubed up might be a good idea, good luck, fun stuff.

 

[Jantonino]

Thanks for the info I will have to look for a manual. Do you guys know I place to get parts for these machines?

 

[GKPrice]

Thanks for the info I will have to look for a manual. Do you guys know I place to get parts for these machines?

As

As a kid my grandmother was a sewing teacher at the Singer Sewing Machine Co on Morrison St in Portland - Often I went to work with her on Saturdays and hung out (no, I'm not g*y, she always had ALOT of cute girls in her Saturday classes ...) but "sewing" just rubbed off - you'd be surprised how many women I impressed (or so it seemed) when I state that I "could sew a dress or shirt")

There was a basement with nothing but old machines in it back then, OH I wish I could have that basement to go through now !

I use an older ConSew machine, probably much like your model of Singer - Just be cautious of trying to sew too many layers of "sticky" materials as the needle could hang up on the retraction motion and pull the needle holder assembly apart (a real PIA) It happened to me on not very thick leather and cost me $300 to repair but it's never been quite the same - Sew away ....... it can be a very fun hobby

 

[Jantonino]

Thanks I'm looking forward on learning how to use it and thinking of projects I can make

 

[WoodBow]

Just do a google search for your model number plus parts. You will be surprised at availability of parts for a 50+ year old machine. Ebay has a lot for my machine. I strongly oppose the idea of taking them to a repair shop unless you just arent mechanically inclined. I dont take my truck to a shop whem something breaks, so why would i take my sewing machine? I figure out how it functions, locate the problem, and fix it. When i got my machine, the needle would not go in the needle bar. There was no way to look into it to see the problem without removing it. It took a while to figure out how to get it off but i got it done. Turns out there was a small burr inside from where the set screw enters. I used an appropriately sized drill bit and removed the burr. Problem solved. What one man can do, so can another.

Id recommend blowing the inside of the machine out if it is dirty and then oiling it liberaly with singer oil. The manual will show you where to oil. There is a drip pan under the machine to catch excess oil.

 

[GKPrice]

Just do a google search for your model number plus parts. You will be surprised at availability of parts for a 50+ year old machine. Ebay has a lot for my machine. I strongly oppose the idea of taking them to a repair shop unless you just arent mechanically inclined. I dont take my truck to a shop whem something breaks, so why would i take my sewing machine? I figure out how it functions, locate the problem, and fix it. When i got my machine, the needle would not go in the needle bar. There was no way to look into it to see the problem without removing it. It took a while to figure out how to get it off but i got it done. Turns out there was a small burr inside from where the set screw enters. I used an appropriately sized drill bit and removed the burr. Problem solved. What one man can do, so can another.

Id recommend blowing the inside of the machine out if it is dirty and then oiling it liberaly with singer oil. The manual will show you where to oil. There is a drip pan under the machine to catch excess oil.

I agree with you about the sewing machine shops as there aren't many that really know what they're doing anymore, another "dieing breed" I guess but that said, how many people fix their own trucks nowadays, old or new not that many - old heavy duty sewing machines, especially SINGER sewing machines are works of engineering wonderment in simplicity (or were until they tried to keep up with the Japanese) but still quite complicated to the untrained eye and some just don't want to learn about that or have different aptitudes -

 

[WoodBow]

Yea i get that some people don't want to spend the time working on stuff. I get a great amount of enjoyment from solving a problem. When i was researching issues with my machine, i was very frustrated with the volume of people saying that you need to take it to a shop and have an expert look it over. Hek i was working on my husqvarna viking yesterday and learned that i can download the 184 page service manual for $10. Thats the book they would reference if you took it to a shop. So for $10 you cam be an "expert" to.

 

[GKPrice]

yea i get that some people don't want to spend the time working on stuff. I get a great amount of enjoyment from solving a problem. When i was researching issues with my machine, i was very frustrated with the volume of people saying that you need to take it to a shop and have an expert look it over. Hek i was working on my husqvarna viking yesterday and learned that i can download the 184 page service manual for $10. Thats the book they would reference if you took it to a shop. So for $10 you cam be an "expert" to.

agreed !

 

[Jantonino]

View attachment 33029. This is the machine I picked up I noticed the take up lever is broke, but my wife found one one ebay for $30. Thanks everyone for the help