{"id":4291,"date":"2024-06-27T05:44:32","date_gmt":"2024-06-27T05:44:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/glover.gen.nz\/wordpress\/?p=4291"},"modified":"2024-08-15T02:25:20","modified_gmt":"2024-08-15T02:25:20","slug":"a-new-sewing-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/glover.gen.nz\/wordpress\/a-new-sewing-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"A new sewing machine (Singer 99K-31)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This is a technology blog, but not all technology is modern technology.I have a love of older technology, for years I owned a 1978 Mini LE, and I have quite a few old tools in my workshop. As I got older, the mini became too much, and was sold off. About 40 years ago my mother-in-law gave me a Singer Sewing machine. It was in a bit of a sorry state, at some point it had been electrified, and removed off its rather nice treadle base, leaving it with just the wooden table top with drawers underneath. It worked quite well after some TLC, but wasn’t easy to use or move about.
\nLater on I was admiring a treadle in a friends hallway and was told it was bought to convert into a hall table, but it was too hard for them. They offered it to me for free, and without knowing if it was any use, I threw it in the back of the car and took it home.<\/p>\n

This is the amazing part, there are literally dozens of types of singer sewing machines, some full size and some 3\/4 size, and a similar number of cabinets, carry cases, treadles, all used in various combinations over the 100 or so years Singer were producing these types of machine, namely cast iron, Japanned black paintwork, ornate gold decorative detailing on the case and the machine body, and shellacked glossy finish over all the paint and decals. So I took my machine off its oak laminate table top, and plonked it onto the Walnut table top on the treadle I was given. It fitted perfectly, which at the time I thought was because they were all the same anyway! Unfortunately, the walnut ‘bentwood” machine cover was not included with the treadle, but my machine still had its oak laminate “coffin” shaped lid which fitted perfectly, including locking if required!
\nMove forward 40 years, and I began to realise how lucky I was when I brought these two items together. The treadle most likely had an identical machine on it when it was sold, and it was made within a few years of the machine I put onto it.<\/p>\n

The machine is a Singer Model 28K, serial number FG1880493. It was manufactured in 1911, at Kilbowie in Clydebank in Scotland, and it had Rococo decals on it. It is 3\/4 size version of the Model 27K.
\nThe treadle is a 12 1\/2″, fitted with a 3 drawer walnut table with a side leaf, which altogether is a cabinet type 130, also know as ASVAK in the sales brochures. As I said, the lid is an oak laminate lid off the machines original treadle.
\nThe machine had been electrified with a Sew-tric motor and foot controller, probably 50 to 60 years ago.
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