White Singer Featherweight

Hello

Just before Christmas my sister asked me to keep an eye out for a Singer Featherweight for her daughter Amy so I started searching EBay.  My Dad and I bought my sister her black Featherweight in April 2012 and I soon spotted that the prices had increased so the Featherweights are obviously getting more popular, in the States they pay a fortune for them.

I missed a real bargain Black one that went for £51, fell asleep on the sofa when I should have been bidding Doh!  So more searching, went after a black one but got outbid in the last second.  The same seller had a white one but the bidding ended well past my bedtime so I left a bid on it and to my delight, the next morning it was mine.  The white ones seem to be rarer than the black ones so have been making much more money but this one was a real bargain.  I paid for it straightaway and the seller sent it by courier and it arrived on Christmas Eve morning - how cool is that.

The white ones come in a two tone box which is smaller than the black ones as it doesn't have extra space in for storage.  I just love the colour.

The machine is in excellent condition, still with its original white belt which you can't replace nowadays, there are none available only black ones.  I don't think that it has been used much, I gave it a service, there was hardly any lint under the throat plate, it didn't run very smoothly at first, I think that it has been unused for so long that any lubricating oil was long gone  so out came my oil can which made it run quieter.  The belt was very tight so slacked that off a bit which made a huge difference.

There are quite a few differences between the white and the black machines. The white ones have foot pedal and power cables which don't unplug from the machine itself where the black ones unplug which makes it easier when packing it away, its very easy to chip the paintwork with the plug end especially on the motors, the white motors are just black ones painted up so it the paintwork does get chipped it shows up.  The white foot pedal is different.  The black motors need Singer motor lube putting in the lubrication tubes every 6 mths (don't use the Singer oil for this, you will ruin your motor) but the white motors don't need this and have no tubes.   The hinged sewing platform is shorted than on the black one.  Underneath the black ones have a metal drip tray with a felt lining to catch any oil, the white one just has a cardboard bottom tray to it.  Inside the white one has a rubber belt where the black ones have rods and gears.  This white one was made between 1962 and 1964.

Amy was delighted with her Christmas present from her mum so another family member with a Featherweight, hopefully she will love using hers as much we love sewing with ours.  They are great machines.

cheers

Sharon