The Necchi 535 (& related SS/ZZ 533) are one of the last versions of the classic Supernovas before Necchi moved production to Japan, & later Taiwan. In other words one of the last Italian made models. The main difference with the 535 is the forward facing rotary hook, previous Supernovas had an oscillating hook facing left.
Photo taken during a service so the rotating needle plate is not fitted here. It is in close to immaculate condition overall & came complete with all its original cams/accessories, manual, base & case. It was bought new around 1965 (Manual is dated 12/63) by a good lady in Nairobi, Kenya, who shortly after moved to UK when she married & brought her pride & joy with her. I’m the recent second owner.
I had no idea about its relative rarity when I saw it on Ebay, but it looked good to me & my instinct said ‘Yes’! Plain grey paint (Necchi describes it as Olive) with cream highlights. Many period Necchis have more brighter colour combinations, from pink to green, etc. but this one appealed to me because it is understated & the paint quality is superb, virtually unmarked. After a quick check & oil in the appropriate places it stitched beautifully! Cams & all.
Two layers of denim are not the ideal test material, but it never missed a stitch, just needed minor adjustments to top tension.
Below you see the forward facing rotary hook drive system. The actual gears are hidden under covers here, but note the angled drive shaft. (More on that below: )
The previous Supernova oscillating hook drive is much more complicated & the hook/bobbin entry faces left not front.
Gears uncovered: Note the belt drive on the RH side. Right next to the greased gears!
Details of the hook drive end show the single plastic gear. (see below for update on the single plastic gear: ( Plus its cracks. It needs replacing soon. Before it shatters & renders the whole machine useless, unless it can be replaced.
I’m currently trying to remove it. Not as simple as it may appear! But it is a Necchi & I’m a novice: ) The problem is moving the lower part of the cover so that the plastic gear will clear it removing the shaft. This is where I’m at currently. The plastic gear has to come out along with the shaft it is fixed to.
Literally in the last minute I realise that the hook drive system has 2 plastic gears! Grrr.
The big one on the left is black plastic!! I did not realise previously, (I should have) but it doesn’t require grease & I have just regreased it! The belt alongside I assumed was a design fault!! It is not, it has been serviced by an unknowing/ignorant Necchi Tech previously during its whole life incorrectly! No wonder the belt is developing cracks along the greasy side!
So the Necchi 535 has two plastic gears in its hook drive system… It takes an amateur like me to realise this?! But I got there in the end. What I can do about it is another matter. I take a rest here!
Later. November 5th 2024.
I finally, reluctantly, decided to call it a day with this machine & made a start on dismantling it yesterday: ( Might well be an interesting process in itself I’m thinking. Many parts are common to other Necchis & I may be able to recover some of my money (£175) in the process. Also help keep some other 60+yo Necchis in working order: ) The cam drive unit is good & working. The case & base are close to immaculate. All the dials & knobs, cables & plugs are good. Not checked the plastic stitch length spiral yet though: ) I’m looking at this as a voyage of discovery. The rotary hook may well be a hard to find item.
The motor looks as though it will fit my Lycia, which came badly oiled up & is still slower than it should be after a careful clean.
The motor out of this 535 is sat next to the spare bought from Ebay, for my Lycia, which needs a full rewire.
The one on the left is from an unknown model & has a different bracket. As here below: Mounting holes/slots are slightly lower, which is food for thought. The motor which was originally mounted on the left bracket will be fine slightly higher on the RH bracket, but not vice versa?
The 535 motor looks good inside. Just as seen here, not cleaned. Pretty good I think.
Brushes are close to full length & it just needs a little clean. Those lines which appear to be ridges are just lines of carbon dust. Compare the above with my Lycia motor below, which had oil dripping over it for a good while. Oil on the commutator arm keeps it shiny, but not good for conducting electricity: )
Excess oil in all my 3 Necchis, from the overfilled reservoir under the top cover, is not good. The 535 transformer/junction box/switch unit had oil pooled over the mains junction box, under the cover just removed for access here!
The now broken/separated cog, which renders the whole machine spares, is here:
Multiple cracks. I’m still amazed that I used it briefly thus at full speed & it didn’t come apart/shatter! Unfortunately it broke/fell apart when I went to remove it in order to measure it. To see if it could possibly be 3D printed. When you see that it has a channel where it fits onto the shaft I’m at a loss to see how the plastic gear can be fitted, even if it can be printed!?
You can see below that the gear was already cracked all the way through on the LH side here.
On the RH side the small, clean, white portion is all that was keeping it together. Old grease had seeped into the cracks over time & it was clearly on the verge of separating for a good while.
Trying to find another machine with a good plastic gear on its shaft is clearly futile. The machine itself is one of the scarcer Necchi models for starters, & the only solution I see is to have the shaft & gear reproduced? Not an economic solution for me. So this one small part renders the whole machine doorstop/showpiece/spares material… Disappointing to put it mildly, but the previous, single, lady owner had close to 60 years use of it: ) She sold it at just the right time & was so pleased that it was going to a good, appreciative owner. I haven’t had the heart to inform her of its current state yet, & possibly I won’t!?