Topic: Need Featherweight Advice (4/5) - The Quilt Show Forum

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TOPIC: Need Featherweight Advice

06 Mar 2009 16:04 #33057

EditorAnne
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Thank you received: 4

There are several good sites out there for FW info and supplies:

http://www.deskdave.com

http://www.singer-featherweight.com

http://www.featherweightfanatics.com

http://www.featherweight221.com (This is where you can buy the video and a terrific how-to book called The Featherweight 221 and I. The man who runs this website wrote the book and created the video.)

http://pages.suddenlink.net/joyof301s/glenn.htm

http://www.221parts.com

If you buy a machine that needs to be shipped, ask the seller if s/he would be willing to pack it according to the instructions at http://www.sew2go.com/packingseries.htm AND DON'T BID IF S/HE SAYS NO. It's very important! More damage is done to Featherweights (or any machines, really) in shipping than any other way I know of. You CAN pack a machine to arrive safely--it just takes some time and effort. I usually offer to pay for the packing materials and the time it will take the seller to pack my machine according to these instructions.

Good luck!

Anne in Vancouver, Canada

in Vancouver, Canada

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06 Mar 2009 15:48 #33053

EditorAnne
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bar7700 wrote:

Be mindful when you are sewing on a Featherweight...... Grease can show up on your fabric!

Bar7700, I don't understand your comment. There's no more grease or oil in a Featherweight than there is in any other mechanical machine. (I can't speak for electronic machines, because I don't own any.)

No matter what kind of machine you have, it's a good idea to sew a few feet on scrap fabric before sewing your project after you've oiled the machine. If any oil has dribbled down into the thread path, that will clean it out very well.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada, happy owner of three Featherweights

in Vancouver, Canada

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06 Mar 2009 15:45 #33052

EditorAnne
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pknord wrote:

If your machine still has an odor even without the case, I suspect that the fiber gasket lining the bottom pan of the machine may be the cause. You should be able to get a piece of gasket material from a car parts place and cut it to fit in your machine, using the old one to make a pattern.

Pat in Rockport, TX who has some Featherweights, including one of the Free-arm models, and also has one of the oval wood cabinets made for Featherweights.

Pat is right, it's most likely the oil in the old gasket that's causing the problem.

If you can't get a piece of gasket material from a car parts place, you can use wool felt.

Anne in Vancouver, Canada, owner of two 221s and a 222

in Vancouver, Canada

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Huh? Brother 720D? 01 Mar 2009 21:11 #32941

BethMI OFFLINE Posts: 422 Thank you received: 5	When I Google Brother 720D sewing machine it shows it as an OVERLOCK machine. Are you sure that's the right model number? BethMI
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Re: Need Featherweight Advice 01 Mar 2009 15:59 #32923

lkcantwell
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Quiltbirdie wrote:

I'm thinking about buying a vintage Featherweight to take to classes, retreats, vacation, etc. Any Featherweight owners out there? What should I look for? What should I avoid? Has anyone purchased one from an eBay auction?

Please share your Featherweight knowledge.

Also, does anyone own a Kenmore Mini Ultra (or maybe it's Ultra Mini?). I'd like to know more about this machine as well.

Thanks!

I bought my Featherweight at a flea market in Fort Worth, TX, and I enjoyed using it. I took it to a Singer dealer who checked it out and got a bobbin case for it since it was missing. I enjoyed using it alot; however, I decided that I wanted a small machine for travel purposes that had more features. I bought the little Brother 720D machine at Walmart, and I absolutely love it. I like it much better than the Featherweight, and it only weighs 11 pounds. I am also a Bernina owner and I'm more impressed at the features of the Brother than the Featherweight. I'm sure Janome has a good small machine also.

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26 Aug 2007 13:11 #7823

tootles
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Hi,

I am an English quilter, I have had 2 of these wnderful little machines, the first I bought from a shop the second I bid for on ebay, it was a very unusual machine in that it had an attachment with it that moved the fabric from side to side and produced a zigzag effect.

The first one a friend bought, the second one I sold on ebay just this year as we were having to downsize and I did not have the room for more than one machine and my Janome 4800 won..........I do miss that lovely little machine though especially when I want tp go to workshops or a little machine to take on holiday with me....................

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16 Aug 2007 13:05 #7523

QuilterInaGarden
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Honeycat wrote:

I bought mine off of eBay last summer, and had a fabulous transaction. Unfortunately, that seller doesn't have any up at the moment. (He's a retired attorney whose wife quilts; his hobby had been to acquire machines at estate sales and flea markets, peak and tweak 'em, and turn around on eBay.) I have about a thousand transactions, both buying and selling, and screened potential suppliers carefully; he didn't have a lot of feedback, but it was all positive, and my purchase would've been protected by PayPal. I also was patient, and investigated auctions and other websites for months. The end result was a gorgeous machine in its originally, nearly flawless case, lovingly cleaned and serviced, and packed with a bunch of notions... all for under $300 (including shipping.)

The deals are out there; just know what you want (I am anal, so a "pretty" and clean-looking machine was important to me), what you're
willing to spend, and don't rush to buy too quickly. :wink
Good luck!

Would you be willing to share your resource for this reliable FW source? I am in the market for some of these baby machines for myself and a quilter friend. I recently got one off E-Bay and I like it very much. I am just getting to know it. Oil in the bobbin area helped tremenously with the awful clicking sound I kept hearing. I knew that didn't sound right, but a small drop of oil cured it right away.

Thanks also to the person that wrote about the video that is available from the sewing store in Paducah. I will be looking into that because my machine came without a manual.

Anybody out there with some more hints for those lovely old featherweights?
Kathy

Kathy

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28 May 2007 14:54 #4718

bar7700 OFFLINE Posts: 291 Thank you received: 2	I have two black 50's era Featherweights and a white Featherweight. All work and I got them off of e-bay. Look for paypal auctions, good pictures of the machine, read the reviews on the seller, and make sure the machine runs. Be mindful when you are sewing on a Featherweight...... Grease can show up on your fabric! Here is a site that is good for supplies and parts. http://www.221parts.com/
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28 May 2007 04:29 #4715

maureent OFFLINE Posts: 53	http://groups.yahoo.com/group/featherweight/?yguid=23824750 Try this group They are very helpful
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27 May 2007 20:15 #4714

Marlene OFFLINE Posts: 4	Thanks Pat, I'll look into that.
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27 May 2007 19:54 #4713

pknord
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If your machine still has an odor even without the case, I suspect that the fiber gasket lining the bottom pan of the machine may be the cause. You should be able to get a piece of gasket material from a car parts place and cut it to fit in your machine, using the old one to make a pattern.

Pat in Rockport, TX who has some Featherweights, including one of the Free-arm models, and also has one of the oval wood cabinets made for Featherweights.

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27 May 2007 18:45 #4712

Marlene
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I bought a featherweight and a 301 off of ebay. They are both very good machines and I got them at good prices. There is one word of caution I can give you... My featherweight smells old and moldy and the smell doesn't go away, I've had it for 3 or 4 years now. I first had it serviced and cleaned. Then I dumped the case and I've tried the charcol and the soap and just about anything anyone suggested. If I were to buy another I don't think I would buy from ebay for that reason.

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27 May 2007 16:01 #4711

Soren2go
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ollie1shoe wrote:

hey im new to this forum just wander what site on ebay do you go to for the featherweight sewing machines ? what do you need to look for and about what is the weight of machine is piecing all you can do on this small machine i am interestred in one for our rv when we travel thanks ollie1shoe

Just type in "Singer Featherweight Sewing Machine" in the search box on eBay and you should see several listings.

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26 May 2007 21:16 #4698

ollie1shoe OFFLINE Posts: 2	hey im new to this forum just wander what site on ebay do you go to for the featherweight sewing machines ? what do you need to look for and about what is the weight of machine is piecing all you can do on this small machine i am interestred in one for our rv when we travel thanks ollie1shoe
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