Hehehehehe! I've been having fun!
Last weekend two new to me sewing machines landed here from Freecycle, via a friend...
The first is a rather nice 1950's style straight stitch Novum Delux Mark II machine, made in Ireland. It's a Singer 15 type, with some modifications. It has an external motor. The machine was very clean, but...
The motor was loose and held in place with an elastic band! GEEP!
The power cable was partly wrenched out of the plug and held on with SELOTAPE! ARGH! Not even insulating tape! Geep! (Easily 'fixed' by me with a screwdriver, but... )
When the pedal was pressed, the light dimmed and went out!
The foot pedal was 'sticky' to press
The motor was a bit tired...
The drive belt is perished.
Now, the following process is NOT to be undertaken lightly or by anyone who doesn't know one end of an electron from the other! I gave the hubby the motor and foot pedal to play with (remember, this fella has a degree in physics and electronics and has been fiddling with electric things for over 40 years, and has the right equipment for testing), and he took it apart, polished up the coil, and reattached it to the machine: the only reason it wobbled was because the nut holding it on needed tightening! I'd sussed that and sorted it before the motor came off and was fettled... Next the man looked inside and cleaned up the foot pedal. Dead spiders do not help resit type foot pedals to work!
The machine was now rather happier, but the light still dimmed! Experimentation with the meter and trying this and that revealed that the plug had been scrambled! After that was sorted, and I'd done my bit (removed bobbin case, shuttle, needle plate, and cleaned a wodge of lint out of the feed dogs, removed the face plate for inspection, turned the machine upside down, and oiled and greased everything that needed it (looked like the poor thing had NEVER been greased or oiled!), removed the hand wheel, greased the drive shaft, and replaced everything, and cleaned some dust out of the tension mechanism, we tried the machine again... It goes! It goes damned fast! Oh, and it has a REALLY nice stitch!
The foot pressure is adjustable with the push-spring type adjuster (not as good as the screw type, but at least this one works!), and the feed dogs can be half dropped to a 'silk' setting or fully dropped for free-motion work. In the case were several bits and feet:
3 bobbins, one rusty. I binned that one! Type 15 bobbins are neither scarce nor expensive - I have about 50.a lint brush - never used! :(
a screw-in seam guide
a rolled hem foot
a zip foot
a bias binding attaching foot
a shirring foot
a darning/embroidery foot
There was also a nice big GADGET with the machine - a buttonholer! :) I've fiddled with it, but I haven't tested it... yet! This one is a 'Vanguard', exactly like this one on Helen Howes site (OK, Helen sells stuff, and is a good supplier for old parts. I'm not spamming here, just showing you a picture of my gadget)
We got it to bits without damaging anything (well, if you don't count the bruise on my foot from dropping a cast iron treadle table leg on it!), so that was OK> It now sits in my conservatory waiting a rub over with a damp cloth and a spare pair of hands to hold it together as I screw the bolts back in! Then it will need a new belt to get it treadling again...
The head is a Saxonia type, badged Adria. You can see it and some details about it on the NeedleBar site, here:
The domed top has a little damage to one corner, but otherwise looks good, except that some rat has snaffled the handle! Bums! Still Helen may have one for me... The table also has some small damage, with a bit of the veneer missing. If I decide I don't have the time or skills for that, I'll save me pennies and get the bloke who restored my dining table to sort it for me. :)
Once I have this little darling in full working order, I shall decide if it needs to stay here or if it should go elsewhere.
All this sewing machine fettling is hard on the hands, especially if, like me, you hate having grubby, sticky, oily paws! So they get washed a lot... and they dry out! And they get rough and the rough bits catch on the customer's satin frock! Grr! Argh! Luckily, no damage done! My cure? A sugar scrub!
Take a wide mouth jar. Half fill it with soft dark brown sugar - the Muscovado type. Pour in some grape seed oil, to about 1/4" above the sugar level. Add a few drops of tea tree oil and some vanilla or chocolate essence... Mix thoroughly. When your hands get horribly rough, take a heaped teaspoonful and rub into your hands fairly vigorously. Scrub really well! Then wash your hands with a mild soap to get rid of the excess oil, and dry well, patting with a soft towel. Your hands will be as smooth and sweet smelling as the most expensive chocolate! :)
The frock is coming on well and will be completed tomorrow. I have the concealed zip to put in, a couple of bits to tack down, and the straps to sew to the bra... The hem is measured and just needs trimming and sewing. Not too much for pick-up tomorrow at four! I shall keep well away from the sewing machine hospital until the frock id done! :) There will be pix of the finished frock, and, especially for Pora, pix of the way we fitted the bra inside it! :)