How To Service Singer 15-91 Tension Assembly

Singer 15: Restoring, Cleaning, and Using

In this post, I'll show you how to restore, make clean, and use your Singer 15 sewing car. This is ane of the well-nigh iconic sewing machines Vocalist always made, and there are plenty of them still out there waiting for a little TLC. I had my centre on this motorcar for almost a year before I bought it. Initially, it looked a chip run downward, the decals weren't in great shape, and I wasn't crazy almost the example.

Withal, now that I take it, I'g really glad I got it. I thought it was a Singer 66 at first, only it'southward really a Vocalist 15, which I didn't take. The decorative plates on it are exquisite, it has a spoked handwheel, which makes converting it to a hand crank easy, and it has Gingerbread/Tiffany decals, which are quite lovely, though they are mostly worn off on the base of the auto.

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Materials Used:

Helpful Resource:

Singer Model 15 Comparison
Vocalizer 15 Manual
Singer 115 Manual (the 115 is non the same as the 15, but it's similar enough that the manual is helpful, and the images are much amend quality than the Vocalizer xv manual)
Differences between the Vocaliser 15 and 115
Singer 15 Listing of Parts
Vocalist xv-91 Manual
Vocalist 15-91 Adjusters Manual
Vocalist 15-91 Listing of Parts
Three Part Series on Vocalizer 15-30:
- Disassembly
- Cleaning & Polishing
- Reassembly
Singer Sewing Machine Series Number Database
How to Thread a Singer 15k Treadle Sewing Machine
How to Thread Vintage Antique Vocalist Treadle Electrical Sewing Machine Bobbin 15-30 86 87 88 89 ninety 91

Overview of the Singer 15

Because Singer produced the Model 15 for over 100 years, at that place were many variations, including treadle, paw crank, and eventually electric versions.

Mine has a spoked handwheel like the treadle models, so I believe it started out life in a treadle table and was converted to electric at some point. If it had been in an old wooden case, it might have started out life as a hand creepo instead, only the case looks like information technology's from the 1950s-1960s, and then that's probably when the conversion happened.

Since there are so many variations of the Singer 15, yous may want to bank check out this Vocalizer Model xv Comparison. Mine appears to be a Singer 15-30.

To figure out what year your Singer 15 is from, bank check out the serial number database from the International Sewing Machine Collectors' Gild. Co-ordinate to this, my sewing auto is from 1923.

Needles and Bobbins for the Singer 15

In terms of needles and bobbins, some vintage sewing machines take obscure parts that can make using them hard. With the Vocalist 15, notwithstanding, yous're in luck. The Singer 15 uses a 15x1 needle (too known every bit the 2020 or 130/705h), which became the standard across the entire sewing machine industry.

Modern domestic sewing machines of all brands use this type of needle today, so information technology is easy to find. I recommend Schmetz needles considering they are more than consistent in terms of size and quality than other needles.

As yous might guess, the Vocalist 15 also uses Class xv bobbins (what a coincidence!). Grade 15 bobbins are still used in many different sewing machines today, and once more, it's easy to discover them.

However, every bit I noted in a previous post, non all bobbins are created equal. I used some cheap bobbins, and they were so inconsistent in size that I idea my bobbin winder was cleaved. I recommend these Class 15 bobbins from Sewing Parts Online--they were almost identical in quality to the vintage Class fifteen bobbin I had.

Identifying Parts on the Singer 15

Here's a helpful image from the Singer 115 manual that explains what each role is. The Singer 115 is not exactly the same as the Vocalizer 15, but the differences are in the bobbin area, so this prototype works fine for the Vocaliser 15, besides.

Removing Electrical Components on the Singer xv

This is what my sewing machine looked like when I first got information technology. It was quite dingy and dusty, not to mention the electrical cords were fraying a scrap.

First, I decided to detach all of the electric components. To start, I removed the motor. All you accept to do is unscrew the one bolt belongings the motor bracket underneath the handwheel.

Now yous can remove the motor, and maneuver the belt off the handwheel.

To have off the lite, remove the ane screw holding the floral plate and light bracket on.

Here'due south what information technology looks like once you remove it. Continue the screw and silver plate; remove the light and light subclass.

Replace the plate and spiral.

Dispose of or these $.25 or save them for parts.

Cleaning and Oiling the Vocalist fifteen

Although this video doesn't characteristic a Vocalizer 15, information technology's a adept overview of how to clean and oil a vintage sewing auto.

You can clean the grit and grime off the body of the machine with water and rags/paper towels.

I like to first by taking off the slide plate and needle plate. There's often a bunch of lint and dust downwardly here. It'southward pretty satisfying to clean out. You lot can utilise a little brush or mini vacuum attachments.

Be sure to tilt the machine back to clean out the bobbin expanse and get under the feed dogs.

Clean out the lesser of the case equally well. You'll almost e'er find a few stray pins or needles down hither, so be careful.

Ane interesting matter virtually the Vocaliser 15 is that the tension mechanism is part of face plate. You can remove the entire thing from the front of the sewing machine by removing the screw at the top of the confront plate. On about sewing machines, the tension machinery is attached securely to the machine and is not hands removable.

There'southward almost ever some fuzz and dust around this area, especially effectually the needle bar.

This is from the Singer 115 manual again. It shows where to oil the machine and the images are a bit clearer than in the Vocaliser xv manual.

Converting to a Paw Crank

For a more detailed account, see my other mail service on converting a Singer 99k to a manus creepo. I got my hand crank on ebay from Seller 072845 . Remember the screw that held the motor bracket in identify? Y'all're going to use that spiral to hold your mitt crank in place.

This is what the hand crank looks like one time information technology's mounted.

The little condom finger folds into one of the spaces in the spoked handwheel. If your sewing machine doesn't take a spoked handwheel, you can buy 1 to replace your solid handwheel.

Sewing with the Vocalist 15

With nearly of the other Singer sewing machines I take, you pull the bobbin thread up through the slide plate. Sometimes the slide plate even has a little notch for the bobbin thread to emerge through. With the Singer fifteen, let bobbin thread hang down under the slide plate, and so turn the mitt bike to bring it up. It will get jammed if yous try to bring it upward above the slide plate.

On this item Vocalizer 15, the stitch length regulator doesn't take any numbers. Yous just turn the pollex screw left to loosen it, and then move it up for a shorter stitch or downwardly for a longer stitch. Then tighten it by turning information technology correct to ready the length.

Troubleshooting the Singer xv

I idea the timing on my sewing automobile was off because the needle wasn't catching the bobbin thread, simply it turned out that the needle was non situated correctly. These machines are a lilliputian finicky, then be certain to get your needle upwards as far as y'all tin can before turning the needle clamp pollex screw to agree the needle in place.

I initially had a tension issue due to kleptomaniacal regulating thumb nut on tension mechanism. If this happens to you, just screw the pollex nut off, re-situate information technology so that information technology's even, and screw it back on. The regulating thumb nut tin can come completely off, only be careful that the spring behind it doesn't fall off while you're doing this.