Just acquired one of these. It came in a blond colored wood cabinet. I found it in a local thrift store and the tag said, "1950's Singer powers up but is bound up". I'm sure it just needs some oil and TLC. I negotiated the price down to $25. It came with some attachments, cams and a bunch of loaded bobbins etc.
I LOVE my 403a. I call it the TANK. LOL. I sewed through 4 layers of fleece like butter yesterday making a hat for my granddaughter. They are definitely worth restoring! Also, I have a Brother Strong and Tough, it will NOT do the work this machine will do. :)
I inherited the same sewing machine and desk (it was my grandma's sewing machine). Even my Mom used it when she was little girl. I just had it tuned up and hope to learn how to use it very soon. :)
Im a little late to the party with this video but just bought this beauty in ebay and cant wait to be get it! It looks like a tank . Love love love your channel
Thank you. I’ve inherited one of these and have had it on the shelf for several years, your video has motivated me to get it out and learn how to use it!
That's a wonderful heirloom you've inherited. Be patient while prepping the machine for new service. All of th 400 series take time with the 401A being the most time intensive for restoring/reconditioning, but I feel they are quite worth it.
Thank you for this excellent video. I found what looks like a Singer 403A in the free stuff classifieds and picked it up for my littlest sister's Cosplay craftwork. :)
I just picked up a 403 also!! I hope to get to its overhaul and making some videos about that model. Its been a very long while since I found and worked on one of these!
I have a 401A that was my mother's. It's over 60 years old and it works like new. I keep it clean and oiled and I'm always impressed with the quality of the machine.
So great to hear about your machine Billy. The 401A was the most expensive machine Singer offered in 1957. Most people had to make payments on them before owning them outright!!
I recently found out this baby came with 2 different motors. One is a PA7-8 the other is a PA9-8. I found this out while looking for a good hand wheel The hand wheel must match the motor!
Hmmmmm. Well, this would not be my first choice. I say this not because the machine lacks power, but because needles come under great strain when being pushed through thick fabrics like upholstery and all of the Singer 'Slanto-O-Matic' series machines like this one have the needle at a 10 degree slant, which increases the chances even more of the needle breaking. I think you would have much greater success with a 'Light industrial/Tailor's' machine. But if I were going to 'try' sewing 'some' upholstery fabrics, it would be with a Singer 15-91 or a Kenmore 158.1941 and use a 'Jeans' needle type.
Thank you for your video. I have a Singer 403a and you have answered a lot of my questions regarding it! Do you think it is capable of sewing duck canvas/duck cloth (I am thinking of sewing a backpack) or is that type of material getting too heavy for a 403a sewing machine?
+Steve Gautreau Hello. I'm just now seeing your question and responding to you now. This is a great machine, but while it can sew heavy material such as denim and some canvas, it is happiest when used for garment weight fabrics. The reason is mostly due to its "Slant Shank" needle angle. It's needle faces you at 10 degrees off of vertical. This is great for increased visibility , but heavy fabrics tend to put more stress on the needle and you will find that needles break more often on a Slant Shank (only when trying to sew duck cloth and especially dense seams on that fabric.) Even denim seams can cause this to happen. Vertical Shank machines which is most other types can pierce a bit more due to their not having the slant angle. Also, no matter which machine you use, always use Jeans/;Denim tip style of needle since these have stronger shafts and will resist breaking more than most. One last thing to note is that you will likely need extra heavy duty thread which tends to work better with vertical bobbin sewing machines. I have had very good luck sewing quite heavy fabric with a Singer 66 ,but most drop in bobbin machines will get fussy if you try to run heavier threads thru them. Good luck with your sewing.
My mother has this machine and in the 1980s/90s she had problems with thread breaking a lot. The service center at the time told her it was because "new" thread is wound in the opposite direction of "old" thread (when it is made), and it was causing the machine to break the thread. Consequently, she has not used this machine for decades (she is the original owner from 1958 or 1959). Is there any truth to this? Are people able to use this model machine for daily projects without having to deal with thread breakage?
No, certainly not. While thread (especially new spools) can have a lot of twist that can coil around places like the needle shaft, the issue is not what they told her. Likely, they cannot solve the issue or do not wish to work to do so. There are a lot of possible causes of thread breaking ranging from needles being off even slightly when installed, burrs that might exist on the hook, as well as issues with tension. I would try finding an alternative shop to take it to or search online at places such as FB Marketplace or others that might be able to solve the mystery. How wonderful that she is the original owner!!
Hi, I have a friend who owns one of these machine but took it to be cleaned and it came back with the cams not working she often comes to her home in the south and it was wondering if she could bring that machine to you and she might get it to run correctly again.
Hi Kay. I wonder if your friend's machine is a 403 or a 401A? These create their stitches with a different setup. In either case, each has specific settings that must be set in order for the cams to work properly. If she is very familiar with the machine, she may already be aware but its always a good idea to recheck the manual to be sure it's properly set to use cams (either built in or cams you add up top). Its possible some of those settings may have been shifted during the cleaning. Another suggestion is to check with Yahoo groups (Vintage sewing machine groups) and also quilting groups in your friend's area where she should find someone local to her that can work on this machine since they were sold in large numbers. I'm pretty sure the machine is not broken but one of its many settings (These are very wonderful, but mechanically complex ) machines compared to other Singer models.
Thank you for asking. When I have a series of videos on one machine, I often post the video of the machine after completion so that potential clients can see it complete before they purchase. The videos made on overhauling this machine will follow in the next several weeks. Thank you for watching.
Just acquired one of these. It came in a blond colored wood cabinet. I found it in a local thrift store and the tag said, "1950's Singer powers up but is bound up". I'm sure it just needs some oil and TLC. I negotiated the price down to $25. It came with some attachments, cams and a bunch of loaded bobbins etc.
I LOVE my 403a. I call it the TANK. LOL. I sewed through 4 layers of fleece like butter yesterday making a hat for my granddaughter. They are definitely worth restoring! Also, I have a Brother Strong and Tough, it will NOT do the work this machine will do. :)
I inherited the same sewing machine and desk (it was my grandma's sewing machine). Even my Mom used it when she was little girl. I just had it tuned up and hope to learn how to use it very soon. :)
That is awesome!
Im a little late to the party with this video but just bought this beauty in ebay and cant wait to be get it! It looks like a tank . Love love love your channel
Hope you enjoy it!
Thank you. I’ve inherited one of these and have had it on the shelf for several years, your video has motivated me to get it out and learn how to use it!
That's a wonderful heirloom you've inherited. Be patient while prepping the machine for new service. All of th 400 series take time with the 401A being the most time intensive for restoring/reconditioning, but I feel they are quite worth it.
Thank you for this excellent video. I found what looks like a Singer 403A in the free stuff classifieds and picked it up for my littlest sister's Cosplay craftwork. :)
You are welcome!
I just picked up a 403 also!! I hope to get to its overhaul and making some videos about that model. Its been a very long while since I found and worked on one of these!
I have a 401A that was my mother's. It's over 60 years old and it works like new. I keep it clean and oiled and I'm always impressed with the quality of the machine.
So great to hear about your machine Billy. The 401A was the most expensive machine Singer offered in 1957. Most people had to make payments on them before owning them outright!!
I recently found out this baby came with 2 different motors. One is a PA7-8 the other is a PA9-8. I found this out while looking for a good hand wheel The hand wheel must match the motor!
My bobbins seem to be coming out loose. Is there a place where the tension could be off?
Hello, please can you answer my question. Do you think this Michener i could use for upholstery??? I want to replace my cousin fabric??
Hmmmmm. Well, this would not be my first choice. I say this not because the machine lacks power, but because needles come under great strain when being pushed through thick fabrics like upholstery and all of the Singer 'Slanto-O-Matic' series machines like this one have the needle at a 10 degree slant, which increases the chances even more of the needle breaking. I think you would have much greater success with a 'Light industrial/Tailor's' machine. But if I were going to 'try' sewing 'some' upholstery fabrics, it would be with a Singer 15-91 or a Kenmore 158.1941 and use a 'Jeans' needle type.
Any ideas as to why my singer, the same model as yours, the why the hand wheel won’t move forward anymore. I’m stumped
Thank you for your video. I have a Singer 403a and you have answered a lot of my questions regarding it! Do you think it is capable of sewing duck canvas/duck cloth (I am thinking of sewing a backpack) or is that type of material getting too heavy for a 403a sewing machine?
+Steve Gautreau Hello. I'm just now seeing your question and responding to you now. This is a great machine, but while it can sew heavy material such as denim and some canvas, it is happiest when used for garment weight fabrics. The reason is mostly due to its "Slant Shank" needle angle. It's needle faces you at 10 degrees off of vertical. This is great for increased visibility , but heavy fabrics tend to put more stress on the needle and you will find that needles break more often on a Slant Shank (only when trying to sew duck cloth and especially dense seams on that fabric.) Even denim seams can cause this to happen. Vertical Shank machines which is most other types can pierce a bit more due to their not having the slant angle. Also, no matter which machine you use, always use Jeans/;Denim tip style of needle since these have stronger shafts and will resist breaking more than most. One last thing to note is that you will likely need extra heavy duty thread which tends to work better with vertical bobbin sewing machines. I have had very good luck sewing quite heavy fabric with a Singer 66 ,but most drop in bobbin machines will get fussy if you try to run heavier threads thru them. Good luck with your sewing.
Sewing the leather ,what is the tension set at
My mother has this machine and in the 1980s/90s she had problems with thread breaking a lot. The service center at the time told her it was because "new" thread is wound in the opposite direction of "old" thread (when it is made), and it was causing the machine to break the thread. Consequently, she has not used this machine for decades (she is the original owner from 1958 or 1959). Is there any truth to this? Are people able to use this model machine for daily projects without having to deal with thread breakage?
No, certainly not. While thread (especially new spools) can have a lot of twist that can coil around places like the needle shaft, the issue is not what they told her. Likely, they cannot solve the issue or do not wish to work to do so. There are a lot of possible causes of thread breaking ranging from needles being off even slightly when installed, burrs that might exist on the hook, as well as issues with tension. I would try finding an alternative shop to take it to or search online at places such as FB Marketplace or others that might be able to solve the mystery. How wonderful that she is the original owner!!
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage Thanks for your reply!
Hi, I have a friend who owns one of these machine but took it to be cleaned and it came back with the cams not working she often comes to her home in the south and it was wondering if she could bring that machine to you and she might get it to run correctly again.
Hi Kay. I wonder if your friend's machine is a 403 or a 401A? These create their stitches with a different setup. In either case, each has specific settings that must be set in order for the cams to work properly. If she is very familiar with the machine, she may already be aware but its always a good idea to recheck the manual to be sure it's properly set to use cams (either built in or cams you add up top). Its possible some of those settings may have been shifted during the cleaning. Another suggestion is to check with Yahoo groups (Vintage sewing machine groups) and also quilting groups in your friend's area where she should find someone local to her that can work on this machine since they were sold in large numbers. I'm pretty sure the machine is not broken but one of its many settings (These are very wonderful, but mechanically complex ) machines compared to other Singer models.
I will get with her when she get home and we will look at the model #. Thanks for getting back to me.
Hi I have the same machine and I love it ,but lately I'm having hard time with the bobbin tension. Can you make a video on that .
Por fabor traducir al español.
Meveria de mucha ayuda.
Gracias.
En la parte baja derecha del video usted puede poner subtitulos y traducir los subtitulos al espanol, eso por lo menos ayudara a entender mejor.
Where is the restoration?
Thank you for asking. When I have a series of videos on one machine, I often post the video of the machine after completion so that potential clients can see it complete before they purchase. The videos made on overhauling this machine will follow in the next several weeks. Thank you for watching.