My mother gave me her old Singer Fashion Mate 362 machine mounted in a hide-away table that dad bought her in 1974. She sewed many piece of clothing over the years for us kids, not to mention all the patches she fixed out pants with. I've had this thing for the last 4 years now, and haven't done anything with it...until today.

I took a close look at the furniture that came with it and there's plenty of room to improve on it...but it's in bad enough shape that I won't do much with it, other than clean it up a bit.

I tried running the machine, but it ptoved to be in a major need of cleaning and oiling. The amount of dust this thing had collected over the years was amazing! But, in the end, I had to replace nothing...not even the belt. All it needed was a little bit of TLC. Mom said she last had it serviced about 15 years ago, and it was over $100 back then.

Right now, my wife is teaching my daughter how to sew with it, since the machine will end up going to her. I had bought my wife a new Singer for her birthday last year, so she doesn't need the old one. Her prior machine was a table top style, and what I bough my wife included a table which the machine is mounted to.

My daughter is already talking about making new curtains for her room.

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Mending is better than ending, the more stitches, the MORE riches -- f**k the economy and the advertising pigs who tell us to buy more-more-more, we've got Singer!

Its tragic how many of those I throw away annually. People just dont get it, and I cant save all of them.

__________________
Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

Why not EBay them? I bought a Singer clone a while back for $10 that would EBay for $50-100 + shipping. Even dead machines seem to go for $20-25.

My wife like I suspect the majority of women today do very little sewing on their machines. Almost every yard sale in the spring has one for sale.

Key word is seem. Ill grab a few out of my scrap pile and list them. Ill let you know if you where right.

I know the small ones do well, as well as the ornate ones.

__________________
Eugene

10 E63 AMG
93 300te 4matic
07 BMW X3
14 Ford F-150 Fx2

EBay offers free listings every once in a while, so it costs nothing other than a few minutes setting up the auction to find out.

My grandmother had an old singer treadle machine ~ probably 1940's model, it was even old as back then. It would sew anything. I can remember her sewing leather seat covers. As a young child ~ 2 , can remember sitting on her knee when she would be rocking the rocker back & forth doing sewing. Some times I would sit on the floor & use my hands to rock it for her. The machine is now at moms place as a TV stand. It would be good to try & see if it would still work. Though I dont think I would be popular if I came home with a pair of jeans that needed stitching & the treadle. I guess I could say its just an exercise machine from a by-gone era. That may get me in the dog house though.
My mother had an old singer electric. IIRC it was a "portable" that you had to turn the wheel . It had been converted with a singer kit. The electric motor had an arm with a light that was on the other side to where you sat. I can remember as a 4 year old sitting on her knee & placing my finger in the hole where the globe should be, didnt know it was on, & giving myself one heck of a shock (240v). Mom said she felt it through her legs.

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Grumpy Old Diesel Owners Club group

I no longer question authority, I annoy authority. More effect, less effort....

1967 230-6 auto parts car. rust bucket.
1980 300D now parts car 800k miles
1984 300D 500k miles
1987 250td 160k miles English import
2001 jeep turbo diesel 130k miles
1998 jeep tdi ~ followed me home. Needs a turbo.
1968 Ford F750 truck. 6-354 diesel conversion.
Other toys ~J.D.,Cat & GM ~ mainly earth moving

Well...after a little help, my daughter sewed her first pillow case. She wants to pick up some material tomorrow so she can start making a quilted hand bag.

Who would have thought that a young lady from today's world would get such joy out of a sewing machine?

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

A lot of "hipster" girls like sewing. And knitting even

Oil that sucker up with 'sewing machine oil' and you won't believe how well it will work. ....There are a lot of moving parts.

__________________

"Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration...
don't Fail Us Now"

I used 3-In-One with a syringe...it worked great!

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1987 560SL
85,000 miles

Hi JP,
Just a note of caution, I'm told 3 in 1 can gum up a sewing machine eventually.
My aunt had a Necchi commercial machine as part of a drapery business in the early '60s, and she always swore by Hoppe's gun oil.
Her trick was every 2-3 months to lay newspaper under the shafts, flood it with oil while running wide open, then carefully wipe off all the excess.
I did this to my wife's 1927 White when we first got married to de-gum it and it still runs strong. I sewed car upholstery with that machine and it is unstoppable.
--And the older Singers were great machines, but about 20 years ago I heard quality really started to fall. You might have one of the last of the really good ones.

__________________
Nate Stanley
(Currently Benzless)
1985 F-250 6.9l 170K
2009 SCION XB 36.5K
2003 LS430 78K
2012 Kubota B 2320

Hi JP,
Just a note of caution, I'm told 3 in 1 can gum up a sewing machine eventually.
My aunt had a Necchi commercial machine as part of a drapery business in the early '60s, and she always swore by Hoppe's gun oil.
Her trick was every 2-3 months to lay newspaper under the shafts, flood it with oil while running wide open, then carefully wipe off all the excess.
I did this to my wife's 1927 White when we first got married to de-gum it and it still runs strong. I sewed car upholstery with that machine and it is unstoppable.
--And the older Singers were great machines, but about 20 years ago I heard quality really started to fall. You might have one of the last of the really good ones.

__________________
Nate Stanley
(Currently Benzless)
1985 F-250 6.9l 170K
2009 SCION XB 36.5K
2003 LS430 78K
2012 Kubota B 2320

Too late...the oil has already been applied. Perhaps i can flood the area with the proper oil and wipe it clean. I've spent most of my life as a tool maker, and had never heard about oil specifically for a sewing machine. I'm sure I haven't ruined anything yet...

__________________
1987 560SL
85,000 miles