Hello Dear Friends and Readers, I hope you are faring well.
Not every story has a happy ending as we all know. I have a new/old machine. My friend, Kaye, messaged me one day and said she had met a lady who wanted to get rid of her machine. I did eventually pick it up and take it home. The lady said it had been a good machine but something had happened and she didn’t seem to think it was working anymore. I said i would have a look at it and see what I could do. I got the impression it might be a lost cause. I was particularly busy at the time. The case looked pretty tired and dirty. It came with a small box parts. So I just left it undercover on the veranda for several weeks. I finally summoned up the courage to look under the lid, so to speak.
I looked under the lid and and saw it was a Singer, but I noticed that the foot pedal was missing. I was somewhat disheartened.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
That was disappointing, so I messaged the lady to ask her but she said everything was there.
So I left it to sit for a few more months…..
Eventually, when time allowed, I thought I should take a proper look at it.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
Low and behold, I was pleasantly surprised to find that when I removed the lid completely, that the foot pedal was neatly tucked into the side of the carry case along with the original manual. I hadn’t expected that! In between time I have been working on some quilting on this quilt top.
My enthusiasm was now increased. Obviously the machine was dirty and needed some attention.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
The clip in table next to the free arm was stuck down with thick sticky tape.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
So of course i removed it for cleaning. I discovered that thatwas there for a purpose. The clip in mechanism for the table was not working.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
I attempted to fix it with cleaning and oiling but to no avail. I think the mechanism is broken or damaged.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
I did undo the base of the machine in attempting to fix it and clean out the underside. This is how it looks.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
I noticed on the side of the machine, there is still the price tag which makes it more interesting. The price tag says $449- which was a lot of money back in 1971.
A bit of history. It was purchased from a department store called Cox-Foys which was a chain of department stores, the Adelaide one being established in 1907, white other stores in Australia started in the 1880‘s. The base price for the popular Holden Kingswood sedan car at the time was $1,900-. That gives a comparison of how expensive this sewing machine was at the time. It would have been a very expensive purchase for any family. The average weekly wage was $121- according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (I presume that was before tax) and the cost of a loaf of bread was 21 cents. The machine was manufactured in West Germany.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
Knowing now that this was a quality machine I was more determined to get it going. It has some quite sophisticated features for the time including a needle threader and a self winding bobbin. I think its a rather nice looking machine too.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
It came with a series of cams for making many stitch patterns and some accessories.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
Here is a view from under the front where the light is housed.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
My next step was to clean out the bobbin race. It had many years iof thread and debris. The mechanism appears quite complex and different to any machine I have encountered before.
Singer 760 sewing machine C1971
After quite a few hours of work it seems that I have found the issue with the machine and why the lady stopped using it. The self winding bobbin is the focal point of the machine. Despite my efforts, the bobbin is not turning in the bobbin race. It can neither wind a bobbin or make a stitch. This is most disappointing. I guess that while it was a sophisticated and refined way of having a bobbin winder, its both crucial and the Achilles Heel to the whole machine. So I’m at an impasse…..
