Originally Posted by
Mrs. SewNSew
Thank you. I seem to choose them order of what I know I CAN do, and then each one takes me a step further in learning! I found a machine yesterday I nicknamed Frankenstein. It's the worst of the bunch. It's an old 15, rusted, missing parts, no motor. That's the machine that will likely teach me the most! I wonder if I could get it running and convert to a hand-crank like yours? I have spare faceplates, back plates and a whole slew of needle plates. Who knows?
I'll read carefully through the tool tips. Not only could there be more tools there, but the idea that there are antiques that could end up in the dump at the end of the day haunts me. I checked the scissors I found yesterday and they are a Model A and would have been produced in the 1930's. Probably early in the 30's because they are marked "patent pending" and the patent was issued in 1934. It's items like these that I would hate to see end up in the dump. Either I would like them or I am sure others would miss out on real life history!
Odds are since it is a 15 that you should be able to make it work if you can find enough parts. It has a motor boss so it will hand crank. It has a smaller spoked wheel so it isn't quite as old as you might think. If you can clean off the serial number you can figure out what it is. Yeah I wouldn't start with that one but those are the ones that intrigue me now that I've done a few. What does the bobbin area look like? There isn't much to go wrong with those 15 unless the parts are missing. Evap-o-rust is your friend but lately I've been putting the parts I want to clean the next day in a zip bag - cover with water & sprinkle a tiny little citric acid or just soak in vinegar. Then I wash up with Dawn. Get the parts good and dried. Then you might want to wire brush any residue rust. Usually it comes off quite nice. You want to coat things in oil a little so they won't re-rust. If that doesn't do it get a Dremel tool with a wire brush and polish it up. The paint is shot on that one but you might be amazed at how it would clean up with some touch up paint & Glenn's method of French polish. It could do wonders. When you get it done you would have a machine you could beat the crap out of and it would sew 2X4s together.... well not quite...
I would for sure go back and dig through the tools but I'm into tools.