On the Bench

I’ve seen some oldies but goodies lately.

A friend showed me this beautiful little 4-thread serger. It’s in great shape, just missing some colored enamel on the second tension wheel.

The Singer Serger 14U had been sitting for awhile, and wasn’t fully threaded up. I oiled it up and threaded it, which you know can be soooo fiddly on a serger that once it’s threaded you never want to un-thread it (this is the way to change them). It’s full of vintage charm and ready for some dress making.

Speaking of dressmaking, my Dressmaker sewing machine needs a glow up. I plan to work on this one next, along with an old ALFA sewing machine that looks very similar.

She looks good on the outside, but the wiring situation looks dangerous. Frayed wire and a jumble of power cords underneath. Where did those plastic bits come from? And the patch job from the hinges on the cabinet needs attention.

Recently, I serviced this Singer 401A, also called a Slant-o-Matic. I’ve heard these are popular machines and I can see why. I love the space-age lines on these. It had lots of lent on the inside, and had been sitting for awhile. After a clean and oil, the machine sounded quieter (10 decibels lower!). It makes several decorative stitches, and sews great!

And finally, this Husqvarna Viking Platinum 750. I picked it up on FB Marketplace from a woman who had used it for about 20 years. She said she made quilts for her kids and had sewn on it over the years. I could tell that she took good care of the machine, and it came with all the original feet and doo-dads. That Swiss engineering is no joke. In an age of planned obsolescence, it’s nice to see machines that are built to last!