i haven't named him yet... but i'm going to spend the day sitting by the open window cleaning him up. open window?! that's right! it's 80 and sunny here today. apparently the rains were for oscar week. the gods are angry with awards shows.
so! i picked him up for twenty five american dollars all the way out in lawndale california. he came in a beautiful mid-century desk that easily fit in tank. tank was very happy to meet him. oh, have you not met tank?
tank.
this is a 403A singer slant-o-matic. and, as i have found out from the awesome peeps at various yahoo! sewing boards, the "A" stands for anderson, south carolina, where he was made.
i do like me some southern men.
that sewing machine rocks! I think it totally goes with Tank too, they share a retro style.
ReplyDeletewhy thankya ma'am! my fingers hurt from cleaning him up...
ReplyDeleteWow! That is one excellent find, Oona! He and Tank look perfect together, and they're both in such incredible condition.
ReplyDeleteYou are soooo vintage!
There is a 403A listed on eBay *without the cabinet* for an opening bid of $150 -- but no bids yet. It's item number 220204453322 if you care to have a look.
ReplyDeleteDid your southern man come with any attachments, Oona?
no, just a zig zag cam, but GUESS WHAT?! there may be parts on the way....an awesome fellow sewer might ship me her nan's box of parts! (she called her grandmother nan too, neat huh?)
ReplyDeletei'm gonna look at the ebay 403 and then do a happy dance around my machine:)
Oona, I found your blog while googling "403A singer". I just inherited one from my mother, but she can't find the manual. Did you by any chance get a manual with yours, and if so could you scan the page that shows where to oil it?
ReplyDelete-Misha in Seattle
hi misha--
ReplyDeleteunfortunately mine was missing its manual (and slide plate... and POWER CORD), but, i did find some great yahoo! sewing groups, and they have files on singer 4 & 500's that closely resemble the 403A. you can easily use those files to oil yours, plus they've got great advice in general. look for "we fix it" at yahoo! groups.
good luck!
Thanks for the tips, Oona! I finally dragged the machine back to Mom's and showed it to her, and she said the holes in the exterior (except for a couple of screw holes and the 2 for the buttonhole attachment) are to put drops of oil into. I had already purchased some Singer oil at the fabric store.
ReplyDeletethanks again,
Misha
hey misha, no problem! has your mom ever taken the top completely off and oiled/greased the gears? you may want to do that (just be sure you only use grease on the gears). it's also good to take the bottom off & get in there, it's recommended in the manuals for these (i know from my featherweight).
ReplyDeletethese will run even if you don't do all that, but after so many years of operation it's good to check things out. anyway, if you want to shoot me your email i can give you detailed directions (i think you would need to change your blogger profile setting).
Thank you thank you thank you! I have a Singer 403A as well, and I have already found a few Yahoo groups that have been very helpful.
ReplyDeleteIf you ever want to talk shop about our great machines, feel free to visit my blog or drop me an email. It's always nice to meet someone who has the same vintage model Singer as you do. :)
hey kimbrah! nice to meet another singer fan. i haven't done much sewing on the "new" one, still need to get the rust off the knee bar. maybe today...
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteI've got a few cams and feet for a singer that type. Got them in a charity shop down the road (english thrift shop), on their own without a machine... just looked sooooo nice and cheap I could not resist! I live in the UK though, so postage is an issue... Interested?
(I know, I know, you posted this ages ago but I only found your blog now)