Singers Encore

Naki Nik Naks 0008 – Singers Encore –  February 2026

Singers Encore is the matching country style and themed lamp to Sparrows Landing we reimagined for for the two bedside tables, Genesis & Phoenix.

We purchased the machine and cabinet as a complete working unit years ago at an auction house in Hawera, Taranaki. It sat untouched as a bedside table at Traceys mums place . Originally the model 66K sewing machine, serial Y7574386, was 1 of 130,000 made at the Singer Elizabethport New Jersey USA factory (1873 -1982) in 1922.

This Singer model is a heavy-duty antique cast-iron domestic sewing machine produced from 1902 through the mid-1950s and often referred to as the Model 66 "Red Eye", with peak production occurring in the 1910s and 1920s. It is known for its distinctive decals, which feature gold, red, and orange "eyes" in a pattern that resembles Lotus petals.

During World War I and World War II, the factory was repurposed from sewing machines to manufacturing weapons, aircraft parts, and cannons.

The shade was another trademe deal. A 1950's Spanish manufactures ceiling fixture made from brass and cut glass. The whole unit weighed in a just under 4kg and was designed to be installed the opposite way we intended to use – so a few modifications were needed. The brass hadnt had a clean since who knew when and the glass had a few challenges to be met in cleaning!

Like we did with Falling in Reverse and Sparrows Landing, the machine faced a total strip down of everything to the smallest possible components. The hardest part was removing the cam (shaft running the length of the body internally) – thankfully Dr Google provided all the answers there.

The cast work we attacked with scrapers, metal brushes and soapy water before applying coats of CRC rust converter and primer, the existing decals and art work really were not salvageable sadly. Once back to metal it was a coat or three of black matt spray enamel covered with a few coats of clear acrylic once the decals and art work were applied. And the chrome parts restored to shiny by rubbing with scrunched up tin foil and white vinegar.

The shade needed stripping with the brass requiring scrubbing with a brass wire brush, then brasso. I had to modify the attachments as we intended to mount the unit inversely to how to was designed for use. Quick order off TEMU and we had the threaded hollow tube and short fixtures to  mount the shade on the main body of the lamp.

Wiring is soldered into place with heat shrink coverings, an earth strap attached to the body of the machine and electrically tested before use.

A matching lamp, matched to the decor of the bedside tables we had made, and another functional piece of art.

Name: Singers Encore

Catalogue Number: 0008

Date of completion: February 2026