Tool Talk
What's-It Forum => What's-It Forum => Topic started by: Wrenchmensch on October 29, 2011, 12:35:58 PM
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Here is something that came in the box with some desirable wrench at an auction. The mark at the top tells me that it was made by Singer Sewing Machine company for their Repair Shop owners. It is made of steel and is 10 3/8" in length. There are hash markings along the split on the tapered shaft, labeled as follows: 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4. The split extends to the knurled handle of this tool.
I had round-filed this unwanted tool earlier this week. It's snowing today, so I rescued the tool and sent you all photos to see if it can be identified as to function.
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Perhaps for fashioning a spring of the desired diameter with wire?
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Does anyone in this company collect SIMANCO tools?
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Well I am scratching my head. Can;t go too hard you know, there is not enough hair to protect me up there.
But I guess maybe a spring winder?? Maybe for the front main tension control? This is pretty fine spring wire.
I kind of collect old sewing machines. Well honestly I try not to. But i have alot of trouble passing up a great one when its offered cheap. I repair them when needed.
I keep fixing them up and giving them away to family friends when they grow up, etc.
I have 2 or 3 laid by for my grand daughter when she gets just a tiny bit older.
Or just shows up for a couple weeks visit so I can get the hook set deep in her mouth!!
But the old machines keep coming around anyway. I am down to 6 or 8 I guess. heehehehe
I can't remember seeing any Simanco tools. Kind of cool really.
yours Scott
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scott, here is an interesting sewing machine
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Commercial-WWII-Singer-used-Parachutes-/120804493929?pt=BI_Sewing_Machines&hash=item1c20824a69
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That could be a real winner. The single picture is dark though.
Ebay is broken right now. So I can't read the description to find out if its walking foot.
"Pickup only" makes it impossible for me
yours Scott
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He says he will ship if you can help him figure out the best way. Too far for me to go pick it up for you.
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I kind of collect old sewing machines. Well honestly I try not to. But i have alot of trouble passing up a great one when its offered cheap. I repair them when needed.
yours Scott
Really? Do you know anything about Davis machines? My wife bought one, seems to work OK. But it's a treadle machine. A few months later, I found a Davis treadle base at a yard sale that had a table top attached, but they hadn't removed the treadle machinery. I'll need to make a top for the thing, maybe some drawers. The table top is nifty -- it's a Mochi enamel table top that I plan to make appropriate legs for. Picked it up for $30.
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Found this on Ebay.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-industrial-sewing-machine-tools-Mostly-Singer-/110768476964?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ca50d324 (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-industrial-sewing-machine-tools-Mostly-Singer-/110768476964?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19ca50d324)
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We are not the only ones who are baffled.
http://www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/simanco/153958/
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Interesting. It has the same serial number, so it's not a serial number in the ordinary sense. I would guess it is an application serial number, for a patent....
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Rusty:
You lost me. Are you referring to the number on the strange SIMANCO tool originally posted?
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> Are you referring to the number on the strange SIMANCO tool originally posted?
Yes, sorry for goinf back on topic - P
John's link shows a tool with the same serial number...(or is it the same tool?)
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Same tool. I had previously sent a query to UK Singer hoping for an answer. Nothing came back from that source.
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I kind of collect old sewing machines. Well honestly I try not to. But i have alot of trouble passing up a great one when its offered cheap. I repair them when needed.
yours Scott
Really? Do you know anything about Davis machines? My wife bought one, seems to work OK. But it's a treadle machine. A few months later, I found a Davis treadle base at a yard sale that had a table top attached, but they hadn't removed the treadle machinery. I'll need to make a top for the thing, maybe some drawers. The table top is nifty -- it's a Mochi enamel table top that I plan to make appropriate legs for. Picked it up for $30.
Davis must have been a small company. Never heard of them!
But if you need parts, these guys probably have it in the dusty corners of the old warehouse.
http://www.brewersewing.com/BQSS_Consumer/productmainstart.asp (http://www.brewersewing.com/BQSS_Consumer/productmainstart.asp)
I have done business with them on and off for 35 years now.
Treadle cabinets are hard to find.
Well, they're easy to find, but mostly its the lowest line you come across. 2 and 4 drawer Plain Jane slab front types.
But the great ones are out there! Carved drawer fronts (actually pressed wood, but they are so cool) and carved sides too, fancy frames....mahogany!!
6 drawers and even better 8!!
There are semi closed fronts and art deco styles. Some fantastic treadle cabinets out there.
I'm always looking. Hope you find one too.
yours Scott
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This was what was originally there, Scott. It's got a rather distinctive base, and I was lucky enough to recognize it while driving down the street at about 35 mph. If I get real crazy, I might attempt to reproduce the cabinetry, but for now, I just want to put up a platform so the machine is usable. It wouldn't hurt my feelings to find an original cabinet, though.
The machine was cheaper than the treadle base, sort of. Maybe not -- the Mochi table top is probably worth more than I paid, so maybe the treadle and base was free...
The Davis machine, according to what my wife found wasn't all that uncommon, but sure wasn't Singer.
Thanks a lot for the parts dealer info! My wife will appreciate that!
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Did I tell you guys how I saved the Ranger's life?
The local Ranger (head of the Forest Service) had spent the previous 30 years in the doghouse. When he was first married they were moving and he left the grandmothers treadle on the back porch in the rain.
It was ruined and it was ruined for 30 years.
The wife was retiring from her job. So from the corner of the garage, to my house, came the bones.
It was warped and delaminated, many parts were missing, and there was not a single part of it undamaged. The machine was crunchy and would not turn.
It took 6 months but then I had a heart attack in the middle so..........
(http://users.snowcrest.net/kitty/sgrandstaff/images/house/treadle2a.jpg)
yours Scott
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Displayed below are the rest of the SIMANCO tools I have found. They are too small to be of much interest to any collectors I know.
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Interesting, Now I am wondering how many times what I assumed was a micrometer wrench was a sewing machine wrench....
The largest seems to be for octagon nuts on the left end?
Do you know what that fits?
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Sorry, can't help you. I'm a student of wrenches. Sewing machines are beyond my ken. Perhaps some of our sewing machine collector friends can answer your question.
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Here is something that came in the box with some desirable wrench at an auction. The mark at the top tells me that it was made by Singer Sewing Machine company for their Repair Shop owners. It is made of steel and is 10 3/8" in length. There are hash markings along the split on the tapered shaft, labeled as follows: 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, and 3/4. The split extends to the knurled handle of this tool.
I had round-filed this unwanted tool earlier this week. It's snowing today, so I rescued the tool and sent you all photos to see if it can be identified as to function.
What it reminds me most of is a jeweler's ring sizer, with the hash markings. But those only have a groove, not a split all the way through. Has anybody tried a repair shop? There used to be a fellow in Sacramento who had been repairing Singers since the 30's, but I 'spect he's passed on by now, unless he's still going at close to 100.
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I pushed the picture up in magnification. I think it might be a spring winder due to the grooves on the taper, or a retensioner for a spring
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RE Singer sewing machine: My Grandmother had a Singer threadle machine but it was like the picture in the Davis post. The top would lift up and the machine would rise up, then tip the back panel up pull the machine toward you and put the panel back and set the machine on it, put the belt on and sew. Thanks for the memory jog guys---sniff sniff baw