Sewing Machine Serial Numbers

[hosman321]

I broke down and finally bought a sewing machine/cabinet. I tend to stay away from them because they're not worth much and take up a lot of space that I don't have. It was $25 at The Goodwill. Talked them down from $49.99. The machine is in pretty rough/dirty shape and so is the cabinet but I thought it would make a great phonograph/plant stand. It'll clean up ok. I am trying to figure out when it was made. Sites are giving a bunch of different dates and history for the company. I have the serial number and would like to know the exact year. Is there a website where I can go to look up my serial number? I can't seem to find one.
Model?:New Royal
Company: Illinois Sewing Machine Company
Serial: 376335

[hosman321]

I'm finding a few people that say this particular machine was made from 1895-97. Anyone find anything else? Or somewhere where I can look up the serial number?
Different cabinets than mine, same machine.
http://vancouver.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-art-collectibles-New-Royal-Treadle-Sewing-Machine-W0QQAdIdZ192470309
http://www.bargainjohn.com/f344cSewingMachine.htm

[ironlord1963]

    Wish I could help, just wanted to say good score, really liked that goodwill of yours, I'm sure to go back soon.  Never tried to talk down at goodwill, I bet your fun at a flea market 

[hosman321]

I usually won't talk them down at The Goodwill. After all, it's a great organization. But frankly, in the shape it's in, it would have sat there at $50, it's pretty rough. And it was easy, I just asked the manager, "Can you take less? It's pretty bad." And she replied, "Sure, $25." So, it never hurts to ask.
I was just amazed that I finally found an antique at that Goodwill that wasn't sold already. I have found some seriously AMAZING antiques at that one, even primitives. And I run up to them only to see a big "SOLD" sign on the top. That drives me crazy! If it's sold, move it into the back!

[sapphire]

Found you a very wee bit, don't know if any of it will help.....

http://www.sewmuse.co.uk/american%20sewing%20machine%20manufacturers.htm

FREE SEWING MACHINE CO. EST 1897 – 1953.
FACTORY: ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.
PRESIDENTS: WILLIAM C. FREE 1897, A. E. JOHNSON 1928
FORMERLY:
ILLINOIS SEWING MACHINE CO. 1890 – 1894.
FACTORY: CHICAGO & ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.
MERGED WITH:
NEW HOME SEWING MACHINE CO. 1927.
MERGED WITH:
NATIONAL SEWING MACHINE CO. 1953.
MACHINES MADE:
THE FREE MODELS 4 & 5
WILL C. FREE
MODEL C
NEW ROYAL MODELS H, K 1897, P, L 1928.
ROTARY
ROCKFORD
THE FREE 1926
THE FREE WESTINGHOUSE 1926

A good place to maybe make inquiries...

http://www.tias.com/stores/relics/links.html


http://pages.sewing-machine-manuals.com/173/PictPage/1922511738.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singer_Model_27_and_127

Knock-offs

White Sewing Machine Company's "Number 8", a copy of the model 127
At about USD100 apiece (about USD2500 adjusted), Singer sewing machines were pricey, even considering the payment plans and trade-in allowances that were offered. The high prices created a demand for knock-offs made by bargain competitors. The main competitors were Sears Roebuck & Co and Montgomery Wards & Co, who sold copied Singer models made by a variety of manufacturers[18]:

Manufacturer                                     Singer Model                                Knock-off name
                                                                                                                                                                  Goodrich Machine Sewing Company                    VS-1?                              Minnesota
The Free Sewing Machine Company                    VS-2                                        ACME
The Davis Sewing Machine Company            VS-2                               Minnesota-B, Burdick
Illinois Sewing Machine Company                     27                                   New Royal[19]
White Sewing Machine Company                     27                                        Franklin
White Sewing Machine Company                    127                                        Number 8
Domestic Sewing Machine Company             27                                         Franklin
Domestic Sewing Machine Company            127                    Minnesota-A, Minnesota New Model A, Minnesota-H
Standard Sewing Machine Company                    VS-2?                                Minnesota-L

Unfortunately no images......

http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade-Literature/Sewing-Machines/CF/single-recordonpiece.cfm?CompanyName=Illinois%20Sewing%20Machine%20Company


Page 17

http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade-Literature/Sewing-Machines/pdf/sewing-machines.pdf

http://www.askmehelpdesk.com/collectibles/illinois-sewing-machine-company-1895-1898-a-446194.html

[hosman321]

Thanks for all the links Sapphire! I'm confused though...
In the first link it says they were in business from 1895-1924 and made the new royal from 1898-1924.
But then a lot of places say they were only in business for a couple years beginning in the 1890's. Maybe I'm not reading everything correctly.  
Is it safe to say mine was made in the 1890's or is it later?

By the way, I just went to go clean it and when I lifted the lid, the chain snapped and broke and dropped the machine. I was so mad. I went to go grab some wire to repair the chain. I followed the chain through the cabinet. Saw about 8 places where someone had felt the same frustration that I just did. Same wire repairs everywhere. I chuckled and thought about it's history and how many times people have gone and grabbed the repair wire like I just had. Gotta love antiques.

[talesofthesevenseas]

Hosman, congrats on becoming a treadler! I haven't been able to find a list of serial numbers for your machine, but this yahoo group is quite good and should be able to help you. I'm a member here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/vintage_treadlesewingmachines/

Another good source for info is ISMACS
http://www.ismacs.net/home.html

Most importantly, how about if we get this baby up and running again? A few questions:

Do all the parts move freely?
Does it have a leather belt (on the wheel on right side)?
Can you get the bobbin slide panel open?
Is the shuttle (silver bullet-shaped object) present in the bobbin compartment?
Is there a spindle bobbin inside the shuttle?
Is ther a needle in the machine?

Don't worry all these parts are readily available.

[hosman321]

Thanks tales! It would be great to get her cleaned up and going again. Drives me crazy when antiques don't work because I can't show them off and demonstrate how they work. I know nothing at all about sewing, so I'm not sure how many parts are missing, I'll take pics this afternoon.
The leather belt is missing but everything moves freely on it's own. When I use the foot pedal, the wheel on the side moves smoothly. When I spin the wheel on the actual machine up top, the needle moves up and down freely.
Any ideas on what to use to clean this? Water isn't working well with all the gunk and rust, but I need to use something that won't remove all the painted-on decoration. I use sewing machine oil on the cylinder phonograph, which seems to be made in the same way with the same type of painted on decoration. Should I use that and then wipe it off?

[hosman321]

This guy says to use the dremel. But what head would I use? Wouldn't it remove the paint? And I can't figure out how to use that dang polish, it just crumbles away and does no good at all. I prefer to find some kind of wipe-on solution or something...
http://sewing.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site=http://www.ismacs.net/articles/restoration.html

Everything else just tells how to remove the Japanning (black surface) and start over with a new surface. That's not happening!

[Omega Entity]

For the dremel, it's likely either a felt tip or a felt disk; those are the softest tips, and can be used along with a paste or solution for cleaning or polishing.

[sapphire]

hosman, found this and thought maybe it might be of some use to you....

http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/cleaningmachines/cleaningmachines.html


And if you're really ambitious........

http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/treadles/servicingtreadles.html
 

[talesofthesevenseas]

Agree with Sapphire. Follow advice or ask for advice on treadle sewing machine forums. They will know what to do. If everything is moving freely, that's a great start.

You know the sliding "trap door" panel where a bobbin goes? It's the front rectangular silver slide panel shown in this photo. Slide that toward you, sometimes these can be gummed shut from lack of use/rust.


Slide that open and turn the wheel on the right of the machine all the way around a few times. You should see a little mechanism in there going back and forth. If you are really lucky, there will still be a bullet shaped "shuttle" sitting in it that looks like the object on the right:


And if you are REALLY lucky there will be a spindle bobbin in it (object on the left)

[KC]

About the years in operation, the Smithsonian records that have documentation also show that the company was in existence up until 1916... longer than  a couple of years.
http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollections/Trade-Literature/Sewing-Machines/CF/single-recordonpiece.cfm?CompanyName=Illinois%20Sewing%20Machine%20Company
The Smithsonian information isn't digitalized as of yet due to patents still

The Royal was first  mfgd under Illinois SM Co in 1895 (after buy out of Royal SM CO of Rockford, IL) and was "updated" several times over the years....like they do these days...they even have The New Royal.  However, they go back to the original date of the machine to the original patent - under Royal.

"Free Sewing Machine Company.In 1895 the Illinois Sewing Machine Co was founded using assets from the former Royal Sewing Machine Co of Rockford, Illinois. Will C. Free became the president by 1910, and organized a parent company - the Free Sewing Machine Co. Production continued in Rockford until 1958, when it relocated to Los Angeles, California. Manufacture finally ceased about 1969."http://www.dincum.com/articles/usa_manufacturers_res.html

Treadle Patents may help if you want to take the time http://www.google.com/patents?tbs=bks%3A1&tbo=1&q=Illinois+Sewing+Machine%2C+Chicago+%2C+treadle&btnG=Search+Patents

[waywardangler]

I would not use a dremel anywhere on this machine where the gold decoration is.  The speed of the dremel will polish that right off.  The dremel would be safe to use with a wire brush tip on the rusted treadle metal.  I am not sure what to use on the gold decorations but whatever you do use, try it on a small inconspicuous spot first to see what it does to the decorations.  I would try naptha first to take the gunk (probably dried oil and dirt) off.  When you have the painted surface cleaned, I would use a paste wax on it and hand buff it.  I would not take off any japanning (black surface) because if you do, it will never look old again.  There is a black Krylon paint that tool restorers use to replicate japanning.  I can look up the specific color number if you need it.