I've found that the M.R. decal refers to Singer machines manufactured for their South American markets. The M.R. stands for marca registrada -> registered trademark.
I have a Singer 15-90. It was my mother's. She bought it in 1947. I sewed on this machine during my junior and high school years, and then again after I received the machine about 25 years ago. It's a gem. I have sewed everything from fine silk to heavy tweed wool on this machine. Thank you for your videos. I learned a lot from you about how to clean and maintain this wonderful machine. I also have the original cabinet, which I "partially refinished" using the products you demonstrated for this purpose. Thank you!!!
Thanks for this video. My personal sewing machines are a 201 I put on an older singer treadle base. I just got out my grandmother's 15-90 to put on an av cart, as it's a less used machine. (Very heavy). So I have both. It's funny, but ended up with that sense about both machines. Both wonderful, but the 201 is for all sorts of dress making/fussy fabrics and the 15-90 is a steady workhorse. Just as a practical upgrade, I've got an LED light coming for the 15-90. The incandescents are hot and it's right there at my hands. I've got a new foot pedal on order, too after a CZcams video convinced me the full restore was a project I didn't want to handle. It's amazing what can be bought for machines decades old.
I have my grandmothers 15-90 from the St John’s Quebec plant. The serial starts with JD and I’ve been able to date it to 1954, both by serial number and family history. I have lots of attachments, including the button holer. I find myself using it more than my modern machine as it’s such a work horse.
Jennifer I would love to see the attachments.. I bought a vintage and have no clue which are the attachments to this machine or a slantomatic I will send you my email if you see this message
@@tobis1546 1 year later, just seeing this now, coincidentally as I just did a bunch of work with it and wanted to enjoy some videos of how great it is and laughed when I saw my own comment. Happy to send your info on the attachments, including, binder/popper, ruffled, rolled hem, automatic zigzagged and the button holder. I haven’t mastered them all.
Gotta say, I found your channel after I bought a Singer "Sphinx" from the junkyard I work at. I got the machine with the original treadle stand, for $30. I googled it and found a website that says it was made in 1906 if I remember right. Your videos helped me get it going right, and I have used it for quite a few projects for my wife and kids. Keep up the good work man.
Ok Old Bean, The "M R" decal marking on the arm is" marca registrada from Latin to todays "Registered Trademark". We used to see this a fair bit back in the 50"s & certainly before this time. Kinda cool & had forgotten it until now. Thanks for the effort on these very detailed videos.
I believe the MR is a machine that is made for Spanish speaking countries.The reason i think this is, I have a Singer Featherweight that has MR on and it came with a manual in Spanish. I have a 15-91 and 4x 201s and the smaller 15-91 is capable of sewing heavier materials. Thank you for the demonstration.
I just bought an old Singer and was looking for the machine. It was hard to find the right model and there is absolutely no information about the time range she was made because it was made in Germany and all files are gone. So it seems I got the Singer 15-90 but must have been made before 1945. I was amazed that she mooves so well sadly she was full of sawdust and dirt and the dacals are very worn off. But the inside was not too bad. I will give her a good clean and now wish me luck with that. Never done that before.
I have one of these that I restored paint's not as good as this one but it works works great and I converted it to a hand crank. I have the motor and it is working but it was the first machine that I refurbished
I was just oiling my Singer 15-90 at the "U" forked joint on the right side of the main shaft, when I noticed what I thought was a piece of thick string. I pulled it out and realized it might be an oil wick of some sort. Is this supposed to be where it was? If so, how do I get it back up in there?
I have used my 15 class to mend cotton picking sacks and stitch the belt loops back on the old heavy jeans. It always did a wonderful job just like it did when I made a dress or top. The real leather patches were standard at one time and washing and ironing them messed them up sometimes.
I just picked up a 15-90 Just like yours it was in a sorry state when I found it but now all cleaned up and working like a charm again, however unlike yours, i know exactly which year mine was made in, I have a singer centennial logo plate on it.
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage Thank you i am proud of how it came out, it was a lucky find for a price of FREE lol The Table it came in needed work to the extreme, Everything is now back in tiptop shape thanks to the help of CZcamsrs like yourself that show how they work and should be fixed up ( photos here instagram.com/wonderfullysmall19/ ). I have not done much sewing since my old High School years in home economics, which I remember how much I enjoyed making plushies and whatnots. Looking forward to using this lovely gem for such evening relaxation projects. In your experience, What is the maximum ounces thickness can this old girl handle without over-stressing the mechanics?
Thank you for the video. I have a 15K 1949 made in Scotland. Would you happen to know where I can get the thread guide that goes with the needle clamp? thnx
I have a machine very similar to this! I need to get it maintnenced/cleaned but I don't know how, or who I could bring it to and trust with it. And suggestions?
I just bought a 15-clone for 2€! Can't wait to get it. I'd be interested in a motor maintanance video, because I'm pretty confident with mechanics, but have no idea about motors :/
Hello Vera. Try searching under the videos tab here on this channel under Motor Series. There might be some useful info. there depending on your motor type.
I realized now I do indeed have a 15-90. Mine is JC serial numbers and says made in Canada. But mine does not have any initials under the word Singer like yours does. I suspect that might have been an over the top request at factory for a certain customer. With mine I suspect an issue with bobbin area because the stitch doesnt always carry up. Set it at 10/inch and it was missing then stitch 3 miss then 2 miss miss all irregular. Do you have a parts listing diagram I can buy so I can figure out if I am missing some bottom parts or perhaps I need to replace some worn parts. The shuttle has worn a pattern in the face of the U shaped keeper that has the two small dowl pins holding shuttle in place with bobbin. Best Regards. Would be willing to buy parts through you
I have a Canada made singer 15-90 or 91 The plate is similar as it doesn't give me a make, model or year. Only a time frame of 1948-1953 How do I know whether this is a 90 or 91? Any help is much appreciated
If you look at photos you can pull up online of each of these models, the only one of those 2 that does not use a motor belt is the 15-91. It is a direct drive model and its motor does not use a belt and never did.
The Bobbin Winder Spring on my 15-90 is a lot shorter than the one on my 15-91. Is that how it is supposed to be? The reason I ask is that I see the longer ones being sold for the 15-90. Also, my 15-90 Winder pops up too soon. It is better since I put a thinner Bobbin Tire on, but it is still popping up too soon. Do I really have to bend that bar, or am I missing something?
If it's popping up too soon, it needs to be adjusted. There is a screw on the left side of the bobbin winder just above the shaft. Loosen the screw. The bobbin winder will pop up. Press it down onto the handwheel just enough to allow it to turn when pressed onto the handwheel, and then tighten the screw. It's a trial and error process to get the right pressure. These things go out of adjustment from time to time, that's why that screw is there to allow you to adjust it yourself as needed.
I have a 15 treadle sewing machine that its owner added belt drive motor to it and disabled the treadle table. I would like to change it to potted motor. I realized since it was supposed to be for treadle there is that extra thing on the rod for the wheel. Is it possible to put potted motor on that place for the wheel?
I like the potted motors as well. I think it would be MUCH better to acquire a machine that is originally set up for the potted motor than to try to convert one.
If you look at your singers you will see a number and sometimes letters before the digits then you can look that number up at ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-sewing-machine-serial-number-database.html and or with the photo identification help website www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_machines this last one has the prefix to the plants where they were made by the letters before the serial number www.oldsewingear.com/blog/where-was-my-singer-machine-made
Gentleman. I understand that M R is marca registrada. At least Venezuela. Use comon. Sorry my english but is my colaboration whit you. And thank so much for you explanation
Hello and thank you for asking. We are based in southern Ontario and perform overhaul/restoration work for those in our geographic region. Out passion for these machines is a hobby and so we work out of our workshop. We don't purchase or sell via shipping due to the horrendously high chance of major damage that can occur when shipping machines.
Hello Michael. My opinion would be similar to what I shared with Joseph below. If I were sewing the heaviest material possible with a domestic/home sewing machine, I would give the edge to the Singer 15-91. However, remember that "most" home sewers never push their machines that far and this 15-90 is no slouch and would make a tough machine for most sewer's needs. It just depends on how much power you need. More is not always better but can be helpful for heavy products such as tote bags for example. FYI, the 15-91 has similar maintenance needs as the 15-90 but overhauling the 15-91's Direct Drive Motor (Potted motor) is a lot more labor intensive, though thankfully, that overhaul is not required very often.
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage thank you for the reply.do you thank the 201-2is as strong as the 15-91 being that the motor is the same or does the full rotaryhook make a difference
found this (www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/9905-latin-centennial-w-m-r-decals) The "M.R." trademark indicates this 221 was being produced for the “Latin/ Mexican/ South American market.
Other vintage machines can sew some leathers well with a sewing tip needle. But the strongest by far for sewing leathers and heavy fabrics is this model in my opinion. As long as the leather is not too dense/hard, it should work. FYI, aim for longer stiches. Short stitch lengths dont work well on leather or vinyl.
Hi Tony. I will try to recall next time I make a video for troubleshooting so thank you for the idea. In the interim, your sewing machine's user manual will often have a guide on thread weight. This matters especially given how changes in needle size will heavily impact which thread weight you can use.
I've found that the M.R. decal refers to Singer machines manufactured for their South American markets. The M.R. stands for marca registrada -> registered trademark.
I have a Singer 15-90. It was my mother's. She bought it in 1947. I sewed on this machine during my junior and high school years, and then again after I received the machine about 25 years ago. It's a gem. I have sewed everything from fine silk to heavy tweed wool on this machine. Thank you for your videos. I learned a lot from you about how to clean and maintain this wonderful machine. I also have the original cabinet, which I "partially refinished" using the products you demonstrated for this purpose. Thank you!!!
Thanks for this video. My personal sewing machines are a 201 I put on an older singer treadle base. I just got out my grandmother's 15-90 to put on an av cart, as it's a less used machine. (Very heavy). So I have both. It's funny, but ended up with that sense about both machines. Both wonderful, but the 201 is for all sorts of dress making/fussy fabrics and the 15-90 is a steady workhorse. Just as a practical upgrade, I've got an LED light coming for the 15-90. The incandescents are hot and it's right there at my hands. I've got a new foot pedal on order, too after a CZcams video convinced me the full restore was a project I didn't want to handle. It's amazing what can be bought for machines decades old.
I have my grandmothers 15-90 from the St John’s Quebec plant. The serial starts with JD and I’ve been able to date it to 1954, both by serial number and family history. I have lots of attachments, including the button holer. I find myself using it more than my modern machine as it’s such a work horse.
Jennifer I would love to see the attachments.. I bought a vintage and have no clue which are the attachments to this machine or a slantomatic I will send you my email if you see this message
@@tobis1546 1 year later, just seeing this now, coincidentally as I just did a bunch of work with it and wanted to enjoy some videos of how great it is and laughed when I saw my own comment. Happy to send your info on the attachments, including, binder/popper, ruffled, rolled hem, automatic zigzagged and the button holder. I haven’t mastered them all.
Gotta say, I found your channel after I bought a Singer "Sphinx" from the junkyard I work at. I got the machine with the original treadle stand, for $30. I googled it and found a website that says it was made in 1906 if I remember right. Your videos helped me get it going right, and I have used it for quite a few projects for my wife and kids. Keep up the good work man.
That is awesome!
Great find!
Ok Old Bean, The "M R" decal marking on the arm is" marca registrada from Latin to todays "Registered Trademark". We used to see this a fair bit back in the 50"s & certainly before this time. Kinda cool & had forgotten it until now. Thanks for the effort on these very detailed videos.
Thanks for the info!
MR stands for marca registrada, Latin for registered trademark
I believe the MR is a machine that is made for Spanish speaking countries.The reason i think this is, I have a Singer Featherweight that has MR on and it came with a manual in Spanish.
I have a 15-91 and 4x 201s and the smaller 15-91 is capable of sewing heavier materials.
Thank you for the demonstration.
I just bought an old Singer and was looking for the machine. It was hard to find the right model and there is absolutely no information about the time range she was made because it was made in Germany and all files are gone. So it seems I got the Singer 15-90 but must have been made before 1945. I was amazed that she mooves so well sadly she was full of sawdust and dirt and the dacals are very worn off. But the inside was not too bad. I will give her a good clean and now wish me luck with that. Never done that before.
Thank you ,I have a beautiful 15-90 that I sew leather key fobs on for sale. Never lets me down
So glad to have seen this. Just picked up a 15-91 few weeks ago. I hope it cleans up as good as your 15-90.
My grandmother's machine is a 15-90 made in Canada!!! 🙂
Hello! It's beautiful. I like that the logos are well maintained. My 15-88 lost most of its logos.
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for watching!
I have 15-90 K...I love sewing with it!
I have one of these that I restored paint's not as good as this one but it works works great and I converted it to a hand crank. I have the motor and it is working but it was the first machine that I refurbished
I love your content and clear descriptions
Thanks so much!
I was just oiling my Singer 15-90 at the "U" forked joint on the right side of the main shaft, when I noticed what I thought was a piece of thick string.
I pulled it out and realized it might be an oil wick of some sort. Is this supposed to be where it was? If so, how do I get it back up in there?
I have used my 15 class to mend cotton picking sacks and stitch the belt loops back on the old heavy jeans. It always did a wonderful job just like it did when I made a dress or top. The real leather patches were standard at one time and washing and ironing them messed them up sometimes.
Great tip!
I just picked up a 15-90 Just like yours it was in a sorry state when I found it but now all cleaned up and working like a charm again, however unlike yours, i know exactly which year mine was made in, I have a singer centennial logo plate on it.
Congrats on your Centennial.
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage Thank you i am proud of how it came out, it was a lucky find for a price of FREE lol The Table it came in needed work to the extreme, Everything is now back in tiptop shape thanks to the help of CZcamsrs like yourself that show how they work and should be fixed up ( photos here instagram.com/wonderfullysmall19/ ). I have not done much sewing since my old High School years in home economics, which I remember how much I enjoyed making plushies and whatnots. Looking forward to using this lovely gem for such evening relaxation projects. In your experience, What is the maximum ounces thickness can this old girl handle without over-stressing the mechanics?
Thank you for the video. I have a 15K 1949 made in Scotland. Would you happen to know where I can get the thread guide that goes with the needle clamp? thnx
Try this site Marie: www.vintagesingerparts.com/search?q=needle+thread+guide
If you don't mind me asking, what lubricant do you use for the motor on these machines?
*_I'm wondering if MR means manufacturer? Just a thought.✂🤓_*
I have a machine very similar to this! I need to get it maintnenced/cleaned but I don't know how, or who I could bring it to and trust with it. And suggestions?
Please-can you tell us exactly what thread you are using. There are way too many out on the market, do you have a recommendation?
I just bought a 15-clone for 2€! Can't wait to get it. I'd be interested in a motor maintanance video, because I'm pretty confident with mechanics, but have no idea about motors :/
Hello Vera. Try searching under the videos tab here on this channel under Motor Series. There might be some useful info. there depending on your motor type.
What brand of sewing machine oil do you use? Thanks
Would love to email you directly with pictures, etc, to see if you know answers to my questions....
I realized now I do indeed have a 15-90. Mine is JC serial numbers and says made in Canada. But mine does not have any initials under the word Singer like yours does. I suspect that might have been an over the top request at factory for a certain customer.
With mine I suspect an issue with bobbin area because the stitch doesnt always carry up. Set it at 10/inch and it was missing then stitch 3 miss then 2 miss miss all irregular. Do you have a parts listing diagram I can buy so I can figure out if I am missing some bottom parts or perhaps I need to replace some worn parts. The shuttle has worn a pattern in the face of the U shaped keeper that has the two small dowl pins holding shuttle in place with bobbin. Best Regards. Would be willing to buy parts through you
I have a Canada made singer 15-90 or 91
The plate is similar as it doesn't give me a make, model or year. Only a time frame of 1948-1953
How do I know whether this is a 90 or 91? Any help is much appreciated
If you look at photos you can pull up online of each of these models, the only one of those 2 that does not use a motor belt is the 15-91. It is a direct drive model and its motor does not use a belt and never did.
How do you put in new wick and lubricant
My Modernage Japanese clone is just like this machine, it says it is a Juki .
The Bobbin Winder Spring on my 15-90 is a lot shorter than the one on my 15-91. Is that how it is supposed to be? The reason I ask is that I see the longer ones being sold for the 15-90. Also, my 15-90 Winder pops up too soon. It is better since I put a thinner Bobbin Tire on, but it is still popping up too soon. Do I really have to bend that bar, or am I missing something?
If it's popping up too soon, it needs to be adjusted. There is a screw on the left side of the bobbin winder just above the shaft. Loosen the screw. The bobbin winder will pop up. Press it down onto the handwheel just enough to allow it to turn when pressed onto the handwheel, and then tighten the screw. It's a trial and error process to get the right pressure. These things go out of adjustment from time to time, that's why that screw is there to allow you to adjust it yourself as needed.
I have a 15 treadle sewing machine that its owner added belt drive motor to it and disabled the treadle table. I would like to change it to potted motor. I realized since it was supposed to be for treadle there is that extra thing on the rod for the wheel. Is it possible to put potted motor on that place for the wheel?
I like the potted motors as well. I think it would be MUCH better to acquire a machine that is originally set up for the potted motor than to try to convert one.
where or how do I look up my sewing machine's to see where they came from ????????? thanks for your time
If you look at your singers you will see a number and sometimes letters before the digits then you can look that number up at ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/serial-numbers/singer-sewing-machine-serial-number-database.html and or with the photo identification help website www.singersewinginfo.co.uk/gallery_machines this last one has the prefix to the plants where they were made by the letters before the serial number www.oldsewingear.com/blog/where-was-my-singer-machine-made
Gentleman. I understand that M R is marca registrada. At least Venezuela. Use comon. Sorry my english but is my colaboration whit you. And thank so much for you explanation
Hello I have watched many of your videos but yet to find a link of where you sell them. Where are you located and is there a link to your shop? Thanks
Hello and thank you for asking. We are based in southern Ontario and perform overhaul/restoration work for those in our geographic region. Out passion for these machines is a hobby and so we work out of our workshop. We don't purchase or sell via shipping due to the horrendously high chance of major damage that can occur when shipping machines.
Thank you for the information. Happy Holidays 😀
or do I just type down the model number and brand for you ???
I have a machine as this. I like more it.
I have the same machine with a M.K. printed on it. Did you ever find out what that meant?
These were made designated for the Mexican market.
Hi would the 15-91 be a stronger machine with direct drive potted motor? Thanks
Hello Michael. My opinion would be similar to what I shared with Joseph below. If I were sewing the heaviest material possible with a domestic/home sewing machine, I would give the edge to the Singer 15-91. However, remember that "most" home sewers never push their machines that far and this 15-90 is no slouch and would make a tough machine for most sewer's needs. It just depends on how much power you need. More is not always better but can be helpful for heavy products such as tote bags for example. FYI, the 15-91 has similar maintenance needs as the 15-90 but overhauling the 15-91's Direct Drive Motor (Potted motor) is a lot more labor intensive, though thankfully, that overhaul is not required very often.
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage thank you for the reply.do you thank the 201-2is as strong as the 15-91 being that the motor is the same or does the full rotaryhook make a difference
My machine is a JC866149, do you think they could have been made in the same factory??
Quite possibly , yes.
I think MR is mexican registration.
Thank you. I was wondering what this stood for.
found this (www.collectorsweekly.com/stories/9905-latin-centennial-w-m-r-decals)
The "M.R." trademark indicates this 221 was being produced for the “Latin/ Mexican/ South American market.
I have 3 to restore. Any special suggestions?
Where are you? I'm in Oregon
For leather do you prefer to use the 15-91?
Other vintage machines can sew some leathers well with a sewing tip needle. But the strongest by far for sewing leathers and heavy fabrics is this model in my opinion. As long as the leather is not too dense/hard, it should work. FYI, aim for longer stiches. Short stitch lengths dont work well on leather or vinyl.
@@VintageSewingMachineGarage thank you so much! Just got bought this one based of your recommendation.
Can you give some advice on using different thread thicknesses, please?
Hi Tony. I will try to recall next time I make a video for troubleshooting so thank you for the idea. In the interim, your sewing machine's user manual will often have a guide on thread weight. This matters especially given how changes in needle size will heavily impact which thread weight you can use.
Do you do maintenance on the vintage machines. If you do do you have a contact number to discuss or an address to send to you.