Vintage Singer 66/99 sewing machine handcrank vs OKBY Chinese copy comparison and modification.

[@jsmxwll]

nice mod. i used some epoxy putty that was on hand and filled the handle. then i drilled it back out to the correct size. i also put a little on the sides to tighten it up because mine was loose in every direction basically. i also quitened mine down by opening it up and cleaning out what passed for grease inside and used some rubbing compound to run the gears in. then i cleaned it out and regreased it. much quieter now and feels a lot better to use. i think mine was poorer quality than the one you showed.

[@tinkeringforfun]

Thanks for watching and for your ideas too! It just goes to show that with a little tinkering, it is possible to try and make a silk purse out of a sow's ear! :)

[@engelbob8402]

I have wondered about these remakes. Your explanation is nicely done. Thanks for showing these.

[@tinkeringforfun]

Thanks for your nice comment, I am really glad if it helps someone when they are thinking about buying one. :)

[@richardperrettwatchmaker]

Clever modification with the shrink tubing, it worked well for the 15 Euros repro crank. Tinkering For Fun is back! Good news!

[@tinkeringforfun]

Thanks Richard! Life has got in the way recently so nice to be posting again! :)

[@fatherkeith]

Good to see one of these close up in a video - as you say, it's hard to judge the quality of the ones you see online. The current price on eBay (2024) seems to vary between £12 and £22 for UK stock yet they all look identical and I'm guessing from the same factory. I'm waiting for one to arrive so I can convert a singer 237 zigzag machine to hand crank. An alternative way to remove some of the slack in the pressed steel handle might be just to nip it up in a vice as there seems to be quite a gap there which could be easily closed (possibly even tack welding it to stop the gap opening up again with use). I suppose it depends how brittle the steel is and whether you want to risk it breaking but I'm guessing it's a fairly soft steel. Thanks for the video - really useful info!

[@tinkeringforfun]

@@fatherkeith Thanks for your comments! Honestly, I wouldn't have thought of using a vice! Good luck with your conversion!

[@alexlopez8922]

I’m thinking that maybe leather would have worked as well to stop movement and won’t be as degradable as plastic, at least that’s my theory I love what you did on this machine ❤

[@tinkeringforfun]

Yes, that's a very good alternative! I wish I had thought of that!

[@VALERIEMONKS-t9n]

Thanks for your video. I've managed to replace the pin in the handle with a bolt as suggested as the pin kept falling out. The plastic handle was very loose so temporarily i've wound some string in the gap but will try something a bit neater. Not possible to get the pin that holds it in place otherwise I would have put a spacer of some sort in but no worries. I'll figure something out.

[@tinkeringforfun]

I'm really glad it worked for you! I would've liked to change the handle too but that darned pin!

[@vaccavo]

Sewing Machines. Always awakening the Engineer hidden within.

[@tinkeringforfun]

Indeed! Perfect for tinkering! Thanks for watching. :)

[@Momcat6]

This is very helpful, thank you!

[@tinkeringforfun]

You are very welcome. Thank you for watching!

[@RosemondNsowah]

Thank you very much madam ❤

[@tinkeringforfun]

Thanks for watching and for your comment!

[@samagotchi9658]

Hi, thank you for your video! I have tried to convert my 66 to a handcrank, but the chinese one I purchased doesn't seem to reach far enough into the spoked wheel. Any ideas what I could do to remedy this?

[@patriciapeacey3545]

Hi, is your spoked wheel an original one and have you been able to mount the crank close enough? I'm not really sure what else to suggest. If it's not fit for purpose I would send it back. Good luck!

[@rafaelmunoz21]

Thank you!

[@tinkeringforfun]

Thank you for watching! :)

[@rogerpeggywheat1630]

We bought a China made crank. The teeth of the two gears in the handle did not mesh well. There was a gap between we found unacceptable. We returned it while it was new.

[@tinkeringforfun]

You were unlucky by the sounds of it. I have this cheap one as a spare now as I was able to find an original Singer one on my last trip to the UK, it cost me nothing too! Thanks for watching!

[@msgt1942]

will this fit a model 15 sewing machine as well

[@tinkeringforfun]

I am sorry, I am new to these older Singer machines but there are many forums on Facebook such as 'Singer 66 and 99 sewing machines' that could help answer your query. They are very friendly and knowledgeable. 😊😢

[@Ahmed7255]

Hi, How do you evaluate the stitch quality of 99k compared to 201? thank you

[@tinkeringforfun]

@@Ahmed7255 Sorry, I don't have a 201!

[@carollucey111]

Your machine is in beautiful condition, did you do that yourself? How would you recommend cleaning a tatty one, like the one I have lol xx

[@tinkeringforfun]

We were lucky that it was in perfect condition when we bought it but it did have a lot of general dust and dirt buildup over the years. I just used a soft brush, damp microfibre cloths and light use of sewing machine oil on a cloth to clean the paintwork. I would join the Facebook Singer 66/99 group. There are lots of great advice and tech support from other owners!

[@carollucey111]

@@tinkeringforfun Thankyou hun xx

[@quadraphonicfreak]

I wonder since that Chinese copy is so inexpensive if the casing and gears are not made from pot metal?

[@tinkeringforfun]

Quite possibly, it is much lighter than an original one.

[@127cmore]

😂😂😂😂Horrible attempt to copy the Singer 😂

[@tinkeringforfun]

@@127cmore It is certainly no where near the quality of the Singer but if you modify it, it is a working compromise until you find an original, as I managed to do!

[@127cmore]

@tinkeringforfun Good video though 👌. I did wonder what they would be like. There's no beating a Singer machine though ? My earliest machine is a 1887 Singer Patcher. A work of art