Greetings,
I took both of my new (to me) Singer 401 and 431's to the shop to ensure they were in good shape before using them. The good news is: the 401 is back, and there was nothing wrong (besides a little cleaning and oiling). My daughter will be spending this week with me, and we can start on one of her projects.
The 431, on the other hand, suffered some damage due to poor packaging when shipped, and the repair shop is having problems finding parts. Specifically, I'm looking for:
1) I think it's called the lockwheel (it's inside the handwheel, and is used to engage/disengage the drive in order to wind bobbins, etc.). It is plastic, and while we can try to glue/epoxy it back together, I'd like to find a replacement if possible.2) The sliding plate that is in bed in front of the throat plate. This piece was missing on the machine when I bought it. The sliding plate from the 401 will not fit (the bed on the 431 is smaller, since it is a free-arm machine).
Also, does anyone know how to extract one of the (for lack of the correct name) split-head spring screws that holds the throat plate in place? One of them shattered in shipment, and 3 of the 4 segments have already broken off. I'm afraid that the cost (as well as having to completely disassemble the machine) to have it EDM'd out will be a bit high.
The remaining damage was mostly cosmetic (the clear-ish plastic nameplate on the front of the machine, for instance), but it would be nice if it could be replaced too.
Thanks!
Malcolm