Uncovering The Ghost Sewing Machine White Model 477
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White Model 477 is one of the most forgotten sewing machines models out there. There is little to no information about the White Model 477 on google and forums have little to no relevant information either. To find out more about how to find sewing machines with little to no data on them, check out the blog article, “What to do when you can’t find data on your Vintage Sewing Machine.”
But, when you’ve taken all the necessary measures to find information about your sewing machine and still cannot find any data, there is just one last thing to do. Note: At the end of this article, there is a parts list for anyone looking for parts for White Model 477.
Find the closest sewing machine to the model you own.
Sewing machines are little bit like cars because manufactures don’t make many changes to a best seller. We can use Toyota as a primary example. From the years 2002-2006, Toyota released Camry vehicles with the same design save for a few small differences. They changed details on the lights and added additional features to the car.
However, the body style remained the same until 2007 when they released a Camry with a 100% different body style. The processes repeated because the company followed the exact same trend from 2007-2014 with only slight differences to the body style and features. All car companies have the same strategy.
Likewise, all sewing machine manufacturers do the same thing. They keep a winning design and make small changes from year to year until the design gets old. White 477 is no different.
White model 477 is like many others including White 455
You may find this White 455 illustration helpful in understanding the various knobs on the 477.
Using the eBay method found in my blog article “What to do when you can’t find data on your Vintage Sewing Machine,” I discovered White model 477 has three digits in front of it. An eBay seller had the machine listed as White 618B 477. With this new-found information, I tried Google again using the new search terms “White 618B 477.” This search yielded much better results.
It showed me there were other vintage sewing machines with 618B used as the prefix. Parts were available on line for White 618B sewing machines. Below, I’ve listed the parts/accessories I’ve found.
Manual
Since the first publication of this blog article, the manual has now come available online for free. You just go to the Singer website under support and type W followed by the model number. I have posted a quick link to the manual here. Click here.
The images are very grainy and not so good. But at least it is a manual you can use as a quick reference guide. I hope the information provided has been of service to you.
Originally posted February 2018 & Last Updated December 2023
Replacement Parts List (with clickable links)
Bobbin case (Part # JO1313Z-J)
Sewing Machine Needle Plate 
(NSZ1)
Other Helpful Articles:
18 Comments
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Thanks! In all the years I’ve had this machine, I never had any issue with the needle. Thanks for your advice on a selling price! I had it serviced so it’s ready to be sold.
I’m the original owner of this White Model 477/172. I think we bought it in 1973 or 1974.
Always worked great.
I’m not a seamstress, only used it for small things and mending.
I just had it serviced because I want to sell it. It’s in a cabinet with a chair. I also have the original owner’s manual.
Approximately how much could I ask for it?
All still in very good condition.
White 477 is a great machine. However, many folks don’t know anything about machines other than Kenmore, Singer, and Bernina. For this reason, the asking price for this machine is often low in the $100 to $150 range.
I have the White 477 and also cannot get the needle to center. I bought the manual and it was of no help. If anyone can help me I would greatly appreciated it
The needle on this model doesn’t sit in the center. It is off to one side instead. Rather than adjusting the needle, you will have to adjust your fabric to sew. I know this is an inconvenience. But, this is how some of the older sewing machines were made.
My cousin gave me a 1971 white sewing machine model 477. It had not manual and the needle not center it on the left don’t know how to center the needle or how to changw the length. Any help would be appropriate.
Thanks for visiting the blog. I think you will need to get a manual for this one. Sewing parts online has it here: https://www.sewingpartsonline.com/instruction-manual-white-477.aspx
I purchased a White 477 from a thrift store for $10
Completely seized up and a sparking but non functioning motor. 4 weeks and another $10 later, I have a machine that sees like a dream! I had to buy a new tension spring and bobbin tire, but that’s it. Fixed the motor with 2 tiny drops of oil in each end.
I love this sewing machine!
Awesome! Please, don’t forget to check the motor brushes to see if they need to be changed out. Happy Sewing 🙂
That’s great! Thank you so much!!
Do you know anything about what vintage sewing cabinets this model would fit into? I’m trying to find a cabinet for my White 477 that I love sewing on, but can only come across Singer cabinets and it doesn’t seem like they’re interchangeable. Any advice would be amazing!
White 477 is a Singer class 15 clone sewing machine. It will fit into a Singer sewing machine cabinet.
I think it would be possible to have a gear printed on a 3D printer. My local library prints things for just the cost of the plastic.
Some of the more common printing materials like ABS and PLA would most likely not be strong enough for using inside your sewing machine. You would most likely need to use the 3D printer for printing a mold of your gear instead. After the printing the mold, you could then pour a nylon casting into the mold to create your gear. In the future, I may experiment with this myself. Please do let me know your results. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Hello, I just finished working on a 455. This machine has a built in triple stretch stitch as it’s only other stitch besides zig zag. The reverse function is using nylon gears. The manual has a warranty card dating it at 1-6-76 so it is a matter of time before nylon gear failure. Do you know a source I may buy these two gears/parts? Best regards, Mike
Many of the 1970’s machines like yours are great because they have stitches for handling stretch fabrics. The down side is these machines came out when nylon gears started to be a thing. Yes, your nylon gears will wear out over time. Once the gears wear, you’ll have to get creative about how to replace them. You got 3 replacement options:
1) Buy a junk machine off Ebay and source parts from that machine.
2) Purchase similar looking gears from sewingpartsonline, cutextilemc (ebay), or amazon. Then, alter the part to make it work with your machine.
3) Buy a molding kit and cast your own gear (please let me know if you would like to see this process in a blog).
Just came home with a white 477, thanks for this little bit of knowledge. It is appreciated before I start going deep into research.
Nice Post. Thanks!