I love vintage sewing machines. They are just so durable and have lasted for many, many years. While I love Singer machines, I am not partial to them. I love all vintage machine but Singer just seems to be the one that I come across most often. I usually pick them up at Estate Sales or antique stores. I try to not pay more than $40 for one even if it has a cabinet or case. This way I am not a hoarder but a collector ;) I have a few Japanese clones and these machines not only look beautiful but run so smoothly.
*drop in bobbin* This area only had about 1/2 thimble full of fuzz!! Usually I pull out a cup full of the stuff and also pull out threads galore! So I was pleasantly surprised. She had been well taken care of.
When I found this old girl she was in pristine condition but her power cord was missing so I couldn't try her out and see if she worked. I looked her over and decided to take a chance for $20. I figured that since she was so well taken care of that she probably worked. It was worth the gamble.
How to thread guide. She was very, very dry. Not a speck of oil in her. Following the manual, I oiled and lubed her. I also cleaned a tiny bit of gunk off of her head with sewing machine oil and soft rag. I believe that I spent a total of 30 minutes oiling, lubing and cleaning her. Just to give you an idea of how clean she was, I normally spend 3-5 hours cleaning most machines. I have one in line that probably needs 10+ hrs of cleaning :( not to mention cleaning the table that it is in.
Love the brown tension disk dial! Clean as a whistle.
Sweet little note attached to the manual. I believe that the lady that owned this machine either sold it or gave it away before it ended up at the Estate Warehouse Sale. I am probably the third owner or 4th if you count the Estate Warehouse company. She left such detailed instructions that it sounds like she gifted it to someone. "Go to Singer & (or somewhere) get some sewing machine oil Follow instructions for lubricating. Flip container/holder inside cover to remove box of tools & bobbins-the instruction book is in the box. To remove cover, just lift out & up on the side latches."
Look at the sweet graphics. Loves all the ladies gathered around the lady with her new sewing machine.
Love the old Singer Service vehicle.
See the angle of the needle and presser foot? The pencil is straight for comparison. This is why it is called a slant needle 404 and also Slant-O-Matic. It is made of aluminum which makes it lighter and all the gears are steel except one that is plastic. I only found this out while cleaning the machine. I was a little disappointed because they can break over time but do not plan on giving it heavy use so it should be fine. It will probably last for another 50 years or so. This particular was also at the lower end model of the 400 series and an economy model. Very heavy duty and so easy to use. This made it perfect for beginners and I found out it was used in Home Ec classes worldwide. I can't remember what my old Home Ec sewing machine looked like but I know that it wasn't this one.
Making the block "peas and carrots" for my Farm Girl Vintage quilt that I am still working on. Ordered a new power cord and she runs like a dream! The Singer 404 aka Slant-O-Matic is a wonderful machine. It makes a wonderful and beautiful straight stitch that is similar to the Singer 201 or the more famous 401A in quality. It has all the same features such as: tension assembly, bobbin winder, presser food adjuster, location of light, etc. A very beautiful machine and if you ever get a chance to purchase one for a good price I say "go for it!!". You will not be disappointed.
Happy sewing,
Holly
