Possibly the most impressive feature of Singer's 222K Featherweight is its removable sewing bed with a flip up bed extension. The flip up bed is similar to the flip up bed on the 221 Featherweight but is different in the fact that the 222K bed has a notch cut out of it near the feed dogs. This notch enables the bed to wrap around the front of the narrow attached sewing bed. A 221 flip up bed will not fit a 222K machine. The removable bed simply would not be able to slide all the way into place.
The photograph above shows the Singer 222K with its removable bed in place.
The photograph below shows the same machine with the removable bed coming off the machine.
With the sewing bed removed the 222K Featherweight looks very, very different from the 221 Featherweight.
The removable bed and its flip up extension slide off the machine, first by loosening its retaining thumbscrew and then sliding the bed to the left. With the bed removed the 222K becomes a 'freearm' machine and a remarkably different looking Singer Featherweight.
On the right of the removable bed are two alignment bars that slide off the machine with the removable bed. One bar is longer than the other. The two alignment bars make sure that the removable bed slides back onto the machine in the correct position.
The bed is held securely in place by a retaining thumbscrew which is located below the 222K nameplate beside the lower bobbin winder thread guide.
The removable bed retaining screw can easily be removed from the sewing machine and is frequently lost. Replacement original thumbscrews are almost impossible to find. Finding something to fit at a hardware store isn't possible as Singer had their own thread for their screws and machines. Common threaded bolts will not fit.
When purchasing a 222K Featherweight be sure that the bed retaining thumbscrew is with the Featherweight. You will probably never find an original screw to replace it.
A word of warning. Carrying a 222K machine with the bed in place without the retaining thumbscrew, or with a loose retaining screw, can cause the sewing bed to fall off the machine and be damaged.
Part 3 of this blog will look at more changes that Singer made in developing the 222K Featherweight.
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