What can you tell me about a Singer R5?

[tristar]

Another collector tipped me off to this one being at an Antique Mall in Bandera. I haven't been there since the great flood in 2007, so I decided to go check it out. Attached below are some pictures of the machine.

I paid $5 for it. The price tag said $20 but had a big red X through it and the machine was by the back door. Turns out it had been there so long that they were gonna pitch it out as "unwanted" next week! The woman sold it to me for $5 which I consider a pretty good steal. Some of the cool things about it are the brushroll turns smooth as silk. Motor runs like a top, bearings are PERFECT, and brushes still have considerable life left. Original bag intact (with the exception of the hole that needs mending). ORIGINAL cloth-wrapped Belden cord in like-new shape. Cordwinder works, retraction spring works. Both motor speeds work. Amazing find for $5!

 

[tristar]

It was pretty dirty...

 

[tristar]

The rating plate says it's a 3 amp motor.

 

[tristar]

Brushroll's in good shape.....needs a belt tho...

 

[tristar]

Original Belden cloth-wrapped cord in the handle, with the cord release string

 

[tristar]

Closer detail of the cord. I've never had one that was still useable like this.

 

[tristar]

There's a hole in the base of the bag. Only flaw with the bag fortunately...

 

[tristar]

First picture post-cleanup...

 

[tristar]

The bag's been laundered. Looks a LOT better! It's made out of some sort of fuzzy material kind of like moleskin or something.

 

[tristar]

The only belt I had around that would fit was a Concept PowerDrive belt. I'll have to find something better eventually, but for now it works fine.

 

[tristar]

Mended hole. Not the best patch job in the world, but where the rip happened, it was impossible to sew. The bag is actually sewn onto the bag collar and it's pretty fragile right there. Instead, I turned the bag inside-out, shoved a tennis ball down it's neck, and used an iron-on patch from the inside. It didn't perfectly align, so you can see some of the patch through the hole, but it's airtight, and it's not going anywhere anytime soon.

 

[tristar]

The trim got tacked back on with extremely hot hot-glue. Works like a champ with rough surfaces like this. It needed to be removable since you have to get under the bumper to release the brushroll.

 

[tristar]

Glamor Shot! It has a vintage frosted GE light bulb in it too! Worked when I got it, so I didn't have to do anything but clean the reflector!

 

[tristar]

Side shot! It is a rather elegant machine even though it looks like something from War of the Worlds. Not a model you see every day.

 

[tristar]

So.....

What's the history of these machines? I'm assuming this was made post-war, but I could be mistaken. Nobody I've talked to so far seems to know much about them! This one was well preserved in the dry air here, and much to my shock.....the bag was actually EMPTY when I got it! That's actually a first for me......

 

[vintageroyal611]

Mt great-grandmother had one of those. I have it now and it has the same problem with the bag.

 

[aeoliandave]

Well done, Eric. That's a beauty!.

Dave

 

[collector2]

Hi Eric:

According to the Singer sheet I have the R5 began production in 1940. Unfortunately my sheet is a photocopy and they cut off the dates where machines ended production.

Doug

 

[vacuumfreeeke]

Very nice... I love the curves!