My sewing club kids worked the sewing machines over this past school year! One of the machines, a JW 5622 from Wal-Mart, wound up with broken and bent spool spins. (Well, they are made of plastic, so what else do you expect when a dozen 9 & 10 year olds use the machines over the course of 28 weeks?) I …
Can you believe I bought this beauty for $7.97 + tax at the Smyrna Thrift Store two weeks ago? I bought the machine to use as a decorative piece in my studio. My thinking at the time was that it would be a bonus if she actually worked. (Note that the case in the picture is a temporary one. The original wooden case is in my garage awaiting restoration.)
The machine is a Royal DeLuxe straight stitch machine from the mid-1950’s. She is also known as a Class 15 Japanese clone (a sewing machine modeled after the Singer 15-30), which became popular after WWII. She was made in Japan, most likely by Toyota. All she does is a straight stitch, but her 1 amp motor allows her to deliver that beautiful straight stitch FAST! I am very thankful to the collectors and lovers of vintage sewing machines who generously share their knowledge on the web. Special thanks go out to the Mary Jane’s Farm stitch & crafting room board plus the Yahoo Japanese Vintage Sewing Machine Group for their help. Although my machine came without a manual, there’s a generic manual available at no cost on the ISMACS site. Some web sleuthing made me realize that my machine was very similar to a Morse 300. I was able to obtain a pdf copy of an original Morse 300 manual here for a nominal fee.
All it took was little TLC in the form a liberal dousing of sewing machine oil to get her running. A $1.00 replacement belt and bobbin tire set from Hobby Lobby improved her stitches. I also borrowed the electronic foot control & power cord with motor block my husband rigged up for Ruthie, my vintage Riccar 707. Those in the know state that a cog style belt will work better than a stretch belt on this type of machine, so I will be looking to purchase one as soon as I figure out the size. I also plan to purchase a new electronic foot control similar to Ruthie’s for this machine once the original case is restored.
I took this 45 pound behemoth to school last Friday to demonstrate a pulley system for my 4th graders who are studying simple machines. Needless to say, it was a big hit with them and my afternoon maker club. Only a select few were allowed to experience stitching on this lovely machine. 🙂
