Jones transverse shuttle machine

As I reported before, I got myself a Jones Family TS machine dating to 1883. Yes, I know I first said it was from 1882 based on the serial number 26569 according to sewingdownmemorylane.com. However, fiddlebase.com found a document allowing to date the machine based on the Jones logo engraved on the slide plate. According…

Power of a motor

The power of your sewing machine motor is typically printed on the label. On old motors you often see 40W or 50W, on modern ones it's 90W or 110W. Have they doubled in power? No, this is the weird case where 90 is smaller than 50... This is a label from a domestic sewing motor…

Wiring Sew-Tric

Sew-Tric motors are found on many sewing machines sold in Britain in 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. They are good quality conventional brushed electrical motors without electronic components, so they are heavy and they don't quit working to this day. But after some 70 years, they often could use a clean or perhaps a change of…

Favta Automatic, or was it all worth it?

This is a lovely little machine that is only slightly larger than the Featherweight, but it doesn't just do straight stitch but also zig-zag and fancy stitches with cams, it's got a good free arm and a large working table. Fantastic! This was a really expensive little thing too - I found a receipt in…

Wiring Necchi Supernova

Necchi Supernova machines have an electrical block regulating the current to the motor and the lamp. Necchi Supernova Julia has a somewhat different block, see Dan's post. Here is the underbelly of a 1955 Necchi Supernova flat bed with the electrical block at its right end. This is the European version of the "First Edition", i.e.…

Wiring Janome 3 and 4 flat pin connectors

Older Janome machines have a flat rectangular motor connector with three or four flat pins. The connector box is the same for both, but the 3-pin version simply lacks one of the pins. The lacking pin is earth - second from right on the motor socket. It is only required for motors and pedals with…