Sewing machine turns out much better than expected.
There is one place that I like to stop at when making thrift store runs but it is at the bottom of the list because it is more of a dumping ground for junk than good usable thrift items. They throw the sewing machines outside in the back of the building and sell them all for $5.00 no matter what they are. Most have no case or foot control, parts missing, broken. They are pretty sad really. I brought one home a few weeks ago, and finally got to it last night for its cleanup. I always start underneath and work from the bottom up. Black widow spiders love to hang their egg sacs in old forgotten sewing machines here in my neck of the woods. She is a New Home model #560.
When I tipped 'Sunshine' over it was sooo clean I was amazed but...wait...it had a cover over the bobbin assembly and all the way around were dark brown orange stains. CRUD!!!
Sure enough when I removed the cover it was a mess. Then as I moved around cleaning I started seeing lots of small lightly rusted areas, major paint chips, the chrome pieces were dotted with rust and didn't feel like chrome at all, they feel like some sort of cheap imitation material. All in all she was in bad shape cosmetically. I decided I would clean her up and give her to someone as she wasn't a keeper for me.
Long story short...Sunshine IS A KEEPER! All cleaned up, still spotted with rust, many paint chips and needs some new parts and the cams but she sews beautifully, and I love the built in buttonholer. Such pretty stitches for one so battle scarred. She sews quietly and is a very feel good save for me. She is set up on the big table in my sewing room next to my beautiful Supernova and in the next room my other keeper the Necchi Bu Mira. Both very expensive machines and perfectly beautiful and yet here is $5.00 for Sunshine taking her place between the Necchi's. I like and enjoy her as much as the Necchi's. LOL
I also am posting a picture of two bobbins of white thread that came with little thread keeper sticky tags on them labeled 'white'. Too cute, does anyone know if these little tags are still available out there somewhere?