Imperial 535 sewing machine pedal. Some springs had come loose, but after replacement did not sew any better. Photo 2 by Don Tai
I thought that my Imperial 535 sewing machine pedal was a bit too sensitive, so today I opened it up. The bottom cover simply slides off, but is really tight. I had to use a screwdriver to pry it open a bit.
Inside there are no parts that I could see that required repair, only a bit of dust. Two springs were loose inside, so I put them back in place. The pedal works as it did before, so no improvement in function. The four rubber feet have long disintegrated. I could drill out the rivets and replace them, but would not improve the functionality of the machine.
Imperial sewing machine model 835 in blue, front view. Photo 1 by StaceyM.
Lovely, really! StaceyM has a really lovely blue and white Imperial sewing machine Model 835. His Mom bought it in 1965 at the downtown Montreal Simpsons. He inherited it in his teens and has been sewing ever since! What a great story!
The Imperial model 835 has a side mounted thread tensioner, allowing a slimmer and seemingly simpler needle area. The large stitch length knob is easy to see and adjust, with a huge reverse button in the middle. This is very convenient. Two buttons on the right side of the machine allow for a lighter pressure foot for delicate materials, as well as no pressure when you wish to do darning (both use the left button). The rightmost button is for regular sewing with a regular pressure foot.
This Imperial sewing machine Model 171 is complex machine, but pretty versatile. It uses 20 different plastic cams that lets the sewing machine do 20 different sewing patterns. The front also has a button hole option.
As usual, this Imperial looks like it weights a ton, so please be careful when lifting. Fortunately this model version is built into a small cabinet and therefore only needs to rotate up and into place.
Imperial sewing machine, model 535: I have the owner’s manual for free non-commercial use download. Do you have an Imperial user manual you could share?
Readers have been kind and have donated Imperial Sewing Machine user manuals to me, so I can share them for free non-commercial use. The list is growing, though I would like more. If you have one, please consider donating an electronic copy to me. I will clean it up and host it for free non-commercial download.
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada
Thanks goes out to Pat Holland, who graciously donated this Imperial Sewing Machine model 163M user manual to the internet. This took effort in taking a lot of photos of her machine and user manual. This machine is probably about 50 years old. Thanks, Pat!
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada, photo 1
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada, Photo 2
Imperial Sewing Machine, Model 163M, from Pat Holland, Canada. Side View, photo 3
Imperial sewing machine model 676, owned by Rachel Ryan, Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, Canada
My buddy Cameron Baily in Powell River, BC, Canada, found this Imperial Sewing Machine Model 676 user manual in a local store. He was gracious enough to digitize it for me. I am able to add this sewing machine manual, along with my other Imperial sewing machine manuals, for free download. The documentation also includes instructions for a sewing machine cabinet, important information, and a warranty card. Did you know the Imperial 676 has a 20 year warranty on parts? Wow, though that probably expired in the mid 1980s! This machine is probably about 50 years old. Thanks, Cameron!
Imperial swing machine model 703, circa 1950, Saskatchewan, Canada, threading guidelines
Morag’s Imperial sewing machine model 703 has a side threading path and no manual, so I though I’d help her out as best I can. As this is a circa 1950 machine it would be difficult to find a manual after 67 years! She had previously asked how to fill her bobbin.
Vintage Paramount sewing machine: How to fill the bobbin
Morag wrote me to ask how to fill the bobbin of her vintage Imperial sewing machine model 703. I could not find a photo of a front facing Imperial 703, but found a similar Paramount. Nevertheless filling the bobbin is common among most sewing machines, though the parts might be in slightly different places.
Filling the bobbin is necessary for any sewing machine. The bobbin needs to be filled with even and the right amount of thread tension, or your sewing line will come out uneven. Otherwise filling the bobbin is pretty easy.
Imperial Deluxe Zigzag sewing machine, front view, Powell River, BC, Canada
As the self-appointed custodian of Imperial sewing machine information on the Internet I have had the pleasure of meeting so many like minded nice people that would also like to help others. This is how the internet should work: To reach out and help others learn what you know. A reader has sent me his user manual for the Imperial DeLuxe Zig Zag sewing machine, and I thank him for his contribution. It is free for your download.
Imperial Deluxe sewing machine, circa 1966, no model number
Tried I did in an extensive Google Search to find the model number for this sewing machine, but I could not. In fact, I could not even find a single images that was exactly the same machine. Yes, there are many that are similar, Imperials with three large knobs on the right side, but not quite. In this, the great age of the Internet, there is still objects, products and knowledge out there for us to discover and publish. This Imperial Deluxe sewing machine is one of them. I date this Imperial Deluxe sewing machine to circa 1966-1970, as compared to other Imperials in Eaton’s catalogues here in Canada. If you have the same sewing machine, leave a message for me.
