Originally Posted by greaterexp
I'm just interested in Billy's general tutorial on evaluating and the basic repair of the electrical systems of vintage machines. He had mentioned that he was going to do one at the end of his cleaning tutorials, but I don't see one anywhere. I'll just PM him and see if he ever posted one. I have several vintage machines I want to take apart and repair and hoped he would have some great ideas.
Billy hasn't been around much lately due to illness.
Look at your wires. Are the wires covered with plastic or with fabric? Are the covers brittle? Do you see cracks, exposed wires or breaks in the wire covers? Does the light flicker? What does the motor sound like? Does it run quiet and smooth? Does it growl? Does the motor smoke? If you are cleaning an old machine you want to be careful to keep any solvents away from the electric. If you are unsure about the motor, you can remove it in some cases, and take it to a motor shop and they will rebuild the motor for you. I've done a lot with old electric machines. If you have questions I would be happy to answer what I know - I don't know if sew classic has a tutorial or not. She does sell wire, replacement cords and foot controls and some motors. I think Billy mostly turns electrics into treadles by removing the wires and motors and puts them on a treadle base.