Originally Posted by
karissabob
Hi, new here!
I guess I can count the old Cresta as 'vintage', so I thought this to be the best place to post first!
My dad moved house recently, and I took the chance to retrieve some old stuff that has been in his house for many a year, mostly my old junk, but also a few things I know he's unlikely to really want... such as this sewing machine. I'm pretty sure it was my Gran's, and I have vague images of recollection from when I was little.
Now, unfortunately, I'm not into sewing, except when the buttons on my coat fall off, and I have never really understood just how sewing machines work.
However, seeing as this machine has probably not seen the light of day for maybe 20-25 years, I thought it would only be fair to get it out and take some interest, so tonight I did... It's rather musty smelling and very greasy, so I guess the first thing to do would be to clean it up. I'm not sure plugging it in and turning it on straight away is the best idea... Anyway, here 'it' is!
Dusty old case
Any tips on taking one of these apart and cleaning it?
Many thanks
If you don't know what you are doing DON'T take it apart. That one has had someone overly enthusiastic with oil drench it good and what you see on it is dried up oil. Much better than rust though. It is a very cool old machine - I'm guessing it was made in Germany or somewhere in Europe. As far as learning to sew goes - that one is not a beginner sewing machine either for sewing or fixing up. There are lots of great videos on Utube for learning to sew. If you want to learn to do repairs, buy some old junker Singer 66 or 15 or a Japanese 15 or something else black and learn to fix up. If you want to sew, look for one already working, sew on it first so you don't ruin that machine. As a machine in the shape it is in it isn't worth very much. To someone who loves to sew and can fix it, it would be a great machine and you probably wouldn't be able to pry it away from them at any price. Try turning it by hand. Does it turn freely or is it a bit hard to turn. If it is hard to turn don't plug it in - it will only wear out the motor.