DawnFurlong

Thanks Rain. Very helpful. I will be watching those before I let anyone else touch my machine. From looking at the videos and the descriptions I can tell you the guy that worked on my machine was not that extensive. I believe it would be more accurate to say that he "replaced" the foot pedal cord and power cord, and he "re-sleeved or reinsulated or re-cased" the cord to the light and also the wires to the motor. He said there was nothing wrong with those wires (and they looked shiny, silver, clean - unlike some of the ends of the wires I saw housed in the 3 point terminal - those didn't look as good). What gripes me most is that the cord/wires from the light down in the 3 point terminal where they connect inside that housing - he left those alone - and the casing is cracked open, those wires are exposed in that area (just the ones to the light)!!! The other wires in there are encased. And he kept saying that the wires don't touch, because one is connected to the 1 post, the other to the 3 post, they do not come into contact with each other, all wires are in an enclosed area, they other wires are not exposed, there is no danger - and he has worked on these machines for 40 some years and never had a problem unless someone is going in there and poking and prodding at it and monkeying with it. That is what I was understanding him to say, what I repeated back to him. He said he would be happy to replace the light (for $30) - but that most people want their original and you can't rewire that. He is insistent that this is proper and that this machine will last for generations more, good solid motor (which he didn't clean), etc.

On the *rewiring* job - fail. Quite frankly, I could have replaced the foot pedal cord and the power cord, and I will be replacing the light. With regard to the tune-up, tension - on the other side of the machine - I think that is okay. It sews even better than it did before, tension is easy to work with (I don't have to keep fiddling with it).

I will be purchasing a replacement light from Sew Classic. She has the piece ready to go (she called it plug and play). Just have to take the screw off to remove the other lamp from the back of the machine, then unscrew the connectors on the other end (in the 3 point terminal housing area - trying to use right terms, but I might miss here and there as I am learning). Then she has them color coded - just have to reconnect the new one and screw it in on the machine.

Meanwhile I have found Bennett's detailed tutorial on cleaning her machine - and I have also seen Billy's. Lots of pictures, descriptions. Will be studying that. I have also found someone closer to me who restores these machines. This will be someone I will continue conversations with.

I don't really have a desire to learn to solder - but the rest of it - I think I should be learning and getting hands on. I am afraid of messing up my machine - that's the problem. What I'd really like is to have it cleaned by someone who really knows what they are doing - and watch. That would remove some of the fear for the future.