Kenmore model 52 is another all metal, super heavy, STRONG, and if properly serviced, FAST sewing machine, but it can sew very slowly, as well, if you have it properly cleaned and oiled, and make sure the motor brushes are good. Because these are such old sewing machines, and came from a time when people really SEWED, because they HAD to, some of these have carbon brushes in the motor, which are nearly worn out. If you replace them in time, you will get another lifetime, or more, out of these FABULOUS sewing machine!
Model 52 takes Kenmore E cams, which came in a flat, lavender plastic box, or a kind of tan/pinkish plastic box, they are flat, but are double sided, side A sews one stitch, side B sews a different stitch, and come in brick red, or a sage green, and I have heard one person has LAVENDER cams! I have never seen them in lavender, in person, however. There are apparently at least 14 different cams, with 2 stitches per cam, though it is usually hard to find the numbered cams above 7, 1-7 are the most commonly found cam sets.
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| Kenmore model 52 requires stitch cam 1A/1B to sew zigzag stitches, and has the advantage of having the BLIND HEM stitch on the other side of these double sided cams! |
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| Model 52 rear view shows rear mounted, belted motor, and shows the wiring was HORRENDOUS, and dangerous, when we first acquired this model. ALWAYS check the wiring before plugging in one of these to test it, not only can pets have chewed wiring, or it just cracks and loses the insulation due to age, in some cases, but mice like to crawl inside machines, sometimes, too, and will chew through the insulation, so you may get shocked, if you plug it in, without inspecting it for safety, first. |
Even when they have been neglected for decades, and often stored in unheated buildings and barns, most of these are extremely easy to revive, and with a little cleaning, oiling and time and effort, these turn back into SMOOTH, quiet, INCREDIBLE sewing machines!
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| Model 52 as I open it up, to discover rust (I live in North Carolina, and it was kept in an old shed by the previous owner, so humidity causes rust, over time, if they aren't kept in temperature controlled buildings in high humidity areas.) I honestly worried this might be too rusty to be worth saving, but the simplicity of the mechanics, and the strength of the materials used in building it, made it worth the time and effort, to clean it up, and get it sewing again. It only had the original 1A/1B zigzag/blind hem cam, which is FANTASTIC, so I did purchase a set of cams from an online sewing buddy. |
