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Tuesday, December 03, 2024

Taking the Singer 28 K Handcrank Sewing Machine for a Spin: It Sews Thick Fabrics Easily, as I Thought It Would

 

Do you recognize the tablet-woven band? Yes, it’s done!
Yesterday I took the Singer for a first spin. Had already spent some time making sure it was pristine-clean and oiled well. While it wasn’t dusty a bit, it sure was thirsty, and a little more oil went on to help get the bobbin winder humming.

Knowing by experience that antique and early vintage Singers are good at handling thick or dense fabrics, I expected no less from this machine, and wasn’t disappointed. The tablet-woven band wasn’t the issue, as you can poke a needle through the twisted and woven threads easily. It was the manufactured guitar strap, which is two thickish layers. As I hoped, the machine didn’t blink or hesitate as I cranked it. Oh, it makes a pretty seam. Just as precise as the Wilcox and Gibbs, which by the way you can see on video below, too, and many times in blog posts.

I’ve demonstrated the foray into sewing on the Singer 28. You can hear its version of purring - relative to a motor, anyhow, it’s pretty quiet, but not as quiet as the Wilcox and Gibbs, which is nearly silent.


Listen to the Wilcox and Gibbs here, for a comparison.



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2 comments:

  1. peony3:40 PM

    I have a Wilcox interlock, that has a little table saying license 1939... It uses arched needles, which are not available anymore... so I had to get another one, but I still feel it needs to e in a better place than the basement of our house.

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    Replies
    1. ZipZip8:42 PM

      Dear Peony,
      Was aware that Willcox and Gibbs produced an interlock stitch machine, but curved needles? Wow. They’d be pretty tough to find. Sometimes I wonder if a precision metalshop could manufacture some needles, provided you could find an original.
      Have a similar problem with a Warwick (British) late 19th treadle machine. It’s gorgeous and came with its original manual and oil can and everything, but only a single, very strange and very long needle. I had just started sewing at that point, decades ago, and I bent the needle. Oh, what a horror that was. It could be straightened, but I haven’t the skill. Now the Warwick sits in our basement, too, which thankfully is dry. It’s probably pining, as yours might be. Well, at least they’re not in a trash heap somewhere.
      Meanwhile, think I have found an excellent home for the Singer 27 I sewed on for years, and now can focus on this 28 and the tatty but beloved Wilcox and Gibbs. It’s waiting for me to retire to tackle veneering the table, the veneer of which is unsalvageable.
      Thank you for writing! Those of us who love these older machines are a fun crowd.
      Very best,
      Natalie

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