Singer Sewing Machine 28K Coffin Top

Hello

A friend asked me to look at her old sewing machines in the loft to see if I would find a use for them.  One of the machines was in a lovely mahogany coffin top.

Its a Singer 28K, my sister could do with a handcrank, her granddaughter is sewing on a toy chainstitch but the stitches can unravel easily so a lockstitch is the answer.  I already had a 128K dated 1933 so she can have that one and I will replace it with this one.

There is very little difference between  the models, the 28K has more decals, its bobbin winder is lower down and it doesn't have a little button on the shuttle holder that lifts up the bobbin.  The attachment cover is wood instead of metal.

The coffin top lid had lots of scrapes, scratches and watermarks on it. I was given a furniture touch up pen many years ago and the colour was a good match so I "coloured in" the marks!  Then gave it a polish with a good quality wax.  This probably not the correct way to restore it, someone once told me to how to get the old French polish off was to pour methylated spirit onto surface then throw a match on it!  Yikes not that brave.  There was one problem, I left the lid in the conservatory and although it wasn't a boiling hot day, it was sunny.  When I got home from work, the top of the lid had warped an bit and the glue holding it down had failed.  I got my book binding glue, which you can use on wood, applied it then turned the lid upside down, then weighted it down with a 221 sewing machine overnight.  Phew, it worked the glue held and its fixed.  Won't let it near the conservatory again.


The machine itself is in fairly good condition considering its age.  I didn't have much to do with it apart from a good clean and polish.  I looked up the serial number and it was made in 1906 so its a 113 years old.

I used the cleaner and polish from the Featherweight shop in the USA.  For the shiny bits, used Bar Keepers Friend, its very good at cleaning tarnished metal.

It came with a good selection of original attachments including these binding ones.  I could never figure out how they attached to the machine.

 They come with a special foot which has a screw on the back and they slot in that.

The little quilting guide also fits on to the special foot.

 I gave it a good clean and oil, probably the first its had for decades.  It is very smooth to use.

So thank you Joss, I will treasure it.

Cheers
Sharon