Sunday, September 27, 2026
Don't fix it if it ain't broke

Still Running / Around the house

The thanks for clearing out a house

A 1910 Singer Model 27 in its treadle cabinet. Not the one in the story.
A 1910 Singer Model 27 in its treadle cabinet. Not the one in the story. Photo: Cephas, CC BY-SA 4.0. The real one is in the original post.

A friend was clearing out his grandparents' house when they went into care, and this Singer was the thanks for helping. Years of sitting had seized it up, though the motor and the light both worked. That's the usual trouble with these. Old oil turns to gum, and the fix is cleaning and fresh machine oil, not parts. After some of that it sews tight, even stitches. No fancy stitches. The stitch length is tiny, and the tension knob has a hair trigger. It runs off an odd knee pedal. The motor is vintage and heavily overbuilt, and will probably outlast its owner. It takes modern plastic bobbins and modern needles. Its name is Natasha.

Serial number G571 dates it to June 22, 1910.

Retold from a post on r/BuyItForLife. Read the original

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