Singer 185 for sale. Yes, another one.

 

FOR SALE:  An all-metal Singer vintage sewing machine from 1962, model 185.  A 3/4 size straight stitch only machine.  Cleaned, oiled, tested and ready to sew!

I sold one of these earlier this summer, so I have just cut-and-pasted the text from that post and from some of my other earlier posts here.  All of the photos, both here and on the Craigslist ad, are of this specific machine and accessories however.   If you are one of my regular blog readers be aware that the new information is on how I set the tensioner and the bobbin case tension.

The pandemic porch pickup plan has been working very well for sewing machine sales.  The machine will be on a small desk on my front porch, plugged in, threaded, and all ready for you to test.  Stitch samples and accessories will be laid out on a table.  I will be able to see you and talk to you through my video doorbell, so you do not have to worry about personal contact during a global pandemic!  You can leave the money on a table on the porch, cash only please.  The price is listed in the CraigsList ad (which will disappear once the machine has been sold).

This machine has a glossy two-tone green paint job.  It is an all-metal straight-stitch-only machine manufactured in 1962 during the golden age of sewing machines.  It is a Singer Model 185, which is a 3/4 size machine.  That means it only weighs 30 pounds instead of the hefty 40 pounds that a full size vintage all-metal machine weighs.

Don't let the smaller size fool you into thinking that this is for light duty work though--it can handle anything a full size vintage machine can handle, as you can see in the stitch sample below.  Singer marketed these as being "portable".  30 pounds is still quite a lift though when compared with modern plastic machines.

 

It has been thoroughly cleaned and tested and is in excellent working condition. 

 

One of the ways I test a machine is to see how well it will stitch through multiple layers.  I take a long length of fabric and fold it in half.  I stitch a few inches down the length through 2 layers.  I fold it in half and stitch through four layers.  Fold it in half again and stitch through eight layers.  For this machine I was able to fold it in half again and stitch through sixteen layers, with perfect stitches and no problems with the tension (perfect stitches top and bottom).  I used a size 14 needle and and a poly/cotton blend fabric for the test.  For denim or canvas I would use a larger size 16 or 18 needle.

This machine should be able to handle anything that will fit under the presser foot, from the finest silk up to lightweight garment leather.  I have even repaired leather and fake leather belts and purses with a machine of this type (but they were not super heavy leather).  If you want to sew light weight leather you can easily find special leather needles and a roller presser foot for this machine, which takes standard low-shank presser feet.

I have done some cosmetic touch-up work on this machine.  The foot pedal (aka motor controller) ha some rust on it and the hand wheel had some chips out of the edge.  Krylon spray paint in "celery green" is an almost perfect match for the lighter of the two green colors on this machine.  

 

I also adjusted both the top thread tension and the bottom bobbin tension.  Only minor adjustments were needed and both of these are ridiculously easy to do.

The tiny screwdriver that originally came with vintage sewing machines is for adjusting the bobbin tension (one is included).  The bobbin tension rarely needs to be adjusted unless you experiment with some techniques that use unusual thread weights. It is not rocket science.  Righty tighty, lefty loosey.  And remember, if the thread problem is on the top of the work, the problem is with the bobbin thread.  And as I say, this rarely happens.  In this case I had to loosen it a tiny bit. I adjust it purely by feel.  If it pulls out too easily, tighten it and vice versa.  Every sewing machine manual shows illustrations of properly balanced tensions--and improperly balanced ones. and which tension you need to adjust.  

I can send you a manual for this machine by email.  You might have to remind me though. 

Now to the top tension, which gets messed up far more often.  Singer tensioners that look like the one in the photo can get out of whack.  That's a technical term (and a useful reminder of what an expert I am NOT).  Somehow the numbered disc gets out of place.  In this case the tension was way too tight even when it was set to the lowest number.  And when it is turned that far there is a stop inside that will not allow it to be turned even lower.

Are you ready to be amazed at how easy it is to fix this? 

Above is a closeup of the tensioner. Notice that the silver ring is right up against the numbered disc.

 

You can push the numbered disc inward, as you can see in the photo above where the gap is labeled.  This releases it from pins that are holding it in place.  Once you have it in, you can wiggle it around some (another technical term) and rotate it.  I rotated this one to left, which gave me more play at the lowest end of the numbers, meaning  I could loosen the tension up more.  

 OK, confession time.  I'm pretty sure I rotated it to the left.  I've tried to re-think what I did several times because I didn't make notes at the time.  Because it was so obvious.  But now I'm not sure.  So if you need to push the numbered disc in and move it, play around with it until you have it working properly so that it can be adjusted up and down the scale.  

When you have created a greater range of tension, move the tensioner until you have the tension that you want.  Again, I do this by feel and test it by sewing a few inches.  Then press the number wheel in again and set whatever number you think is "right" at the indicator in between the plus and minus marks.  Now you can alter the tension both tighter and looser than your normal setting.  

 I hope all of that made sense.  It is easier to do than to explain. 

When I work on someone else's tensioner (and don't ask me to do this unless you are related to me or I owe you big time for something), I always ask what tension number you usually use.  Most people say 4 or 5.  So that's where I set the number once I have adjusted the tension properly for two layers of a medium weight cotton or poly. 

I have put this machine in a vintage Singer case that was originally for a Singer 285 in an aqua color.  The original case for this machine would have been identical in style but a slightly different color.  These cases are notorious for the supports in the bottom of the case getting broken, and this one was no exception.  I have repaired it with a good glue and wood scraps to make it functional again.

Keep in mind that this case is around 60 years old and plastic is not eternal.  For ANY vintage sewing machine case, it is best to think of it not as a case, but as a base and a cover.  Don't trust the handle or the latches to hold 30 pounds of cast iron from crashing down on to your feet.  Always carry it with at least one hand underneath the bottom of the case. 

Included with the machine are all of the vintage presser feet mentioned in the manual, plus a ruffler.

 

Top row:  ruffler, binder

Middle row:  zipper foot, narrow hemmer, shirring foot

Bottom:  seam guide and its attachment screw

The ruffler makes tiny pleats as you sew and has settings that allow you to vary the spacing of the pleats as shown in the photo below.  "1" makes a pleat with every stitch, "6" makes one pleat in every six stitches, and "12" makes one pleat in every twelve stitches.  There is another setting shown on the rufller as a star which makes no pleats at all, which means that you can go back and forth between regular stitching and straight stitching without having to remove the ruffler from the machine.

 

The straight stitch foot is installed on the machine.

The vintage narrow hemmers and binders work ONLY on the thinnest of fabrics, which were much more common in the past.  Modern hemmers and binders are available online if you are interested in doing this type of work and can handle the more robust modern fabrics.  I haven't tested these because I have never had the patience or the right fabrics to work with them.  But I've included them because they would have been original equipment for the machine and you might enjoy reading about them in the manual.   Or you might have some silk chiffon or other lightweight fabric on hand.

This machine has a standard low shank attachment for presser feet, which is still the most common configuration with today's modern machines.  This means that you can buy additional modern presser feet that will fit this machine, such as a Teflon foot or the roller foot mentioned above.

 

And although I love having all the vintage attachments and presser feet, you will find that the straight stitch foot and the zipper foot will meet 99.9% of your needs with this machine.  So don't feel that you will need to master all of these!  

 

 

 

 In a vintage style sewing box I will provide:

 

• extra sewing machine needles, new
• hand sewing needles, not previously used
• a plastic thimble
• partial spools of several colors of thread, polyester (which is strong and does not "go bad" over time)
• a set of prewound class 66 bobbin in assorted colors.  A vintage metal bobbin is in the machine.
  
• seam gauge
• tape measure
• pins
• pin cushion 
• a piece of tailor's chalk
• two screwdrivers, the sizes that come with a new sewing machine.  
• scissors, new
• snips, new 
• a tube of sewing machine oil, new (the ONLY thing you should use on a sewing machine)
• a lint brush
• at least 6 "fat quarters" of quilting cotton 18" x 21".  Each fat quarter should be enough for a couple of masks. 
• four yards of quarter-inch elastic
• a seam ripper but no guarantee that it is still sharp!  I personally don't care for them but I acquire them with other thrift store sewing supplies sometimes.
• I will even throw in an iron upon request and at no additional charge.  It won't be a steam iron but a spray bottle of water or a damp cloth can provide you with steam if you need it.

Well, most of it fits in the box.

 

  

The vintage 1963 McCall's Sewing Book is from 1963, just a year younger than the 1962 machine.  Vintage sewing books are much more comprehensive and detailed than modern sewing books.  "Back in the day" a lot more sewing was done in most homes.  

Instructions are detailed and well illustrated.

My idea is to provide a complete kit of everything needed to make masks. Much of this comes from thrift stores but some things just have to be new to be worth using (needles and scissors for example).

A threading diagram and description for this machine can be found here.

If you just need a machine and not all of the supplies in the kit, the price will be reduced. However, this is an all-or-nothing deal.  I won't, for instance, just sell fabric, or a pair of scissors, etc.  I'm not a store, heck I'm not even a business.  I have a limited amount of accessories and supplies that I have hoarded from thrift stores over the years, but that stuff is for my sewing students and the sewing friends with whom I regularly swap stuff.  

Also available, upon request and for an additional charge:  a vintage Singer zigzagger which will fit this machine.  It will allow you to create a zigzag stitch, a blind hem stitch, and a couple of purely decorative stitches.

 

  It makes the patterns shown on the box lid.

 

Another accessory I can include is a buttonhole maker.  I will add this one also by request only but at no additional charge.  I am glad to share one to a good home, but there is no point in giving one away if you are not interested in using it.  They make great buttonholes in a variety of sizes.  Five templates came with the buttonholer originally and are included.  I have also added the set of four extra templates that Singer produced.  Contact me for more information.

 

To summarize, this is a classic vintage Singer sewing machine in perfect working condition, with a pretty comprehensive package that is meant to enable a beginner to dive right in without having to buy a lot of additional stuff.  A straight-stitch only machine with a drop in bobbin is as simple and uncomplicated as a machine gets.  It's the type of machine I use when teaching children and adults to sew.

If you are interested in buying this machine, check out the CraigsList ad.  Local sales only, I do not ship.