Miriam, do you mean did it work prior to this bung up?
Yes. The lady who had it before me sewed for years, all her kids' clothes.
I got it last year, and cleaned it up, and sewed a bit on it, but I am afraid I can blame myself for the thread jam because I was not smart enough to properly thread the pig-taily thing on the bobbin case. It is definitely my fault.
When it sewed (before I jammed it up), it sounded like a dream, mechanically, and made possibly the most gorgeous zig zag I have ever seen. That is why I named him Ziggy ;-)
Please don't give up on me - Miriam, you are one of the last bastions of hope out there :-)