Nanna up north, I believe you have a 15-91. It looks like it has a potted motor, there is no belt going from the hand wheel to the motor. If it is a 15-91, you thread it from right to left. Learned that the hard way with mine. I love your cabinet, mine is so plain in comparison.

Thanks, Miriam...... I do the cleaning of the machine in about the same order but I don't take everything off. I guess I should... one at a time, of course. I've never removed a tension to clean it. I just oil a cloth and run it between the discs. I know that there are instructions in the manuals about removing, cleaning, and returning the tensions but I'm a little nervous about it. If I can get the tension going well I just usually leave it alone...... clean what I can. I watched Muv's video about cleaning early on and was amazed at how clean I could get everything with metal polish and a piece of cotton string. Do you remember the old treadle I cleaned up? That was a job but everything works so nicely now. I have 5 machines that I bought last summer still waiting for cleanups..... since I broke my arm 2 days after we got home from the cabin last November I couldn't do anything till just before we came back up this spring. This summer I haven't gotten as many machines and my clean-up stuff is back down-state.

I do wish my GKs were closer..... They live 1500 miles from here, 750 when we are back down-state. Maybe the next time the GGD comes up she'll be old enough to tinker with the machines. She's 4 and a ball of energy.

I haven't decided yet if I will keep this machine up here or take it back with me in the fall. I originally wanted a 15 to do quilting but my DGD wants a sturdy machine so her DH can make some pillows. I have my original Viking that I gave her years ago that she might want that one back now...... I had to take it back and do a lot of repair because her roudy brothers messed it up. I'm kind of not wanting to give this 15 to her...... and it's so heavy to move around.

I was going to take the machine out of the cabinet to transport it but the foot controller was direct wired and the wire went through a metal plate in the side..... I didn't have many tools with me (I should have known better) and it was dark in that basement.... I sure don't want to take those wires apart and not know which one to connect back to what. So we carried the whole thing. I wasn't having any luck removing the drawers either. I need to figure out what keeps them from coming out. We put it in the well house. I have good lighting in there and plan to make it my repair station up here.

My DH isn't bad at repairing veneer..... he's done some of that on antique tables, etc. But, I'll have to check everything out in a couple of days. We have company coming up on Tuesday again. When you live on a lake, everybody wants to come fish!! And I have to order that cord and spool pin. I have time.

Thanks Pennycandy, the book says to thread from right to left but I don't have the cover to tell if it's a 15-91. The book starts at page 7. When I looked up the serial #, it just said 15. Do they leave off the -91?? I guess I should check out that description that Rain has on his blog to figure out the differences.

Well, you'll know pretty quick if it threads R to L or L to R just thread it up and see if it works. Some of the Singers have an arrow on the throat plate pointing which way to thread.

That's exactly what I did when I bought my 1st FW. I threaded it up wrong...... had a panic attack...... rethreaded it the other way and have been enjoying it's lovely click- click- click ever since. Ha Ha..... I need more patience!! Lord, send me more patience..... right now!!

I put the needle in a clone backwards and had fits with that - I was just sure I had it in right.... If there is a needle in it check to see which side the groove is on. Thread from the groove side and see what happens.

from my 15-91 manual - so if yours looks the same, it's correct

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psb6274dff.jpg

BTW- I picked up a 15-91 in the same cabinet for $75 locally, I was after the cabinet - now I have extra 15-91's around.

Jean, here is some information on the different versions of Singer's Model 15! You should be able to determine which 15 you have! What year is your new machine? http://needlebar.org/main/15chart/index.html

Nancy

Well, the manual isn't exactly the same. The setting the needle is on page 13 and the picture of the upper threading is on page 15..... and the face plate is the fancy one.

So, I'm not sure???

Miriam, the needle wasn't in the machine.... I think the auctioneer took it out because he was afraid someone might sew their finger or something. It was sitting on the machine bed. It looks like a newer needle.

And Nancy, WOW! I didn't realize there were so many 15 models!! I'm going to have to go out to the wellhouse to check on all those features. The serial # says it's a 1942. If the cover and 1st pages of the manual weren't gone, I'd know.... if that is the manual for this machine. There was a 66 manual as well but no 66 machine.

I should be working on the quilt for the guest room. Guests are coming on Tuesday.... but I'd rather be tinkering on this 'new' old machine.

Oh, I forgot .... I got the machine, cabinet and stool for $10. I guess there weren't any sewers at that auction yesterday. Most auctions I've been to this summer have machines going for $40-50 and they were missing major parts.... Okay, this one is missing a cord but that's not a biggie problem compared to bobbin cases and entire tension assemblies.