Rodney

I mentioned I wanted to to a tutorial on assembling a base for a sewing machine that just about anyone could build with simple tools.
I'm not quite sure I achieved that goal. A tablesaw makes much of the cutting MUCH simpler though all the cuts I made can be done with hand tools.
I'm going to do this in three parts due to the amount of steps and pictures involved.
Here's what I came up with for a Singer 99 I have that needs a base.

Tools Needed.
Paper and Pencil
Sturdy work surface
Square
Ruler or Tape Measure
A saw. A table saw is preferred but you can get by with a chop saw, skil saw, jigsaw, hand saw or some combination of the above.
Hammer
Drill and Drill bits. If you're using Singer cabinet hinges like I did you'll need a flat bottomed bit 1 1/8" diameter and a tiny bit for predrilling your nail holes.
Wood Clamps
Chisels- I uses a narrow 1/4" chisel and a wider one
Sandpaper(could be put in materials)
A quick pic of at least most of the tools I used.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]482516[/ATTACH]

Material needed:
Sewing Machine: You need to measure your sewing machine to get the right dimensions for your base. One size does not fit all.
Sewing Machine Hinges (optional): You don't need to make a base with hinges, The base gets simpler if the machine just drops into it. I chose to make mine with them. Different machines, different hinges, make your base to accommodate what you have.
8 ft 1x4 board (you won't use all of it) I used a hemlock trim board due to it was straight grained and had no knots. I also wanted something that should be in most hardware stores for the demo. Any species will work including cheap pine. Get the straightest one you can.

Small piece of thin plywood for the bottom. I used some 1/4" shop grade fir I had laying around. Again any species will work, or you can use masonite if you prefer. It can be any thickness you want.

Nails. 4d finish nails are about right for putting the sides together.

Brads. Brads are small (tiny) nails for nailing the bottom board on.

Wood Glue. Elmers white glue will do in a pinch. It's almost as strong but isn't water resistant like most
modern wood glues.

I think that's it for tools and materials. Now to get started.

Step 1: Make a measured drawing for your base. This is probably the toughest and most critical part.
I made my base so the machine is secured in the back by the hinges and sits on a recessed lip
in the front like on Singer sewing machine cabinets. I don't own any vintage cases to look at.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]482515[/ATTACH]

Step 2: Cut 2 end boards to length. In my case it worked out to 8 1/8" long.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]482504[/ATTACH]
I made the first cut with a handsaw to show it can be done this way. I admit I used my tablesaw for most cuts though.

Step 3: Cut your front and back boards to length. My board was 3/4" thick. I made my front and back
boards the length of the machine plus twice the thickness of my end boards for a total of
13 5/8" each.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]482505[/ATTACH]
You should have 4 boards like this when you're done.

Step 4 (optional): Rip your boards down to what you want the finished depth of the case to be. In my
case I chose 2 3/4". I needed at least 2 1/2" below the machine to clear the moving
parts. You can leave the board full width if you choose too. No pics of this step.

Step 5: Cut your plywood to the finished size of your base. It worked out to 13 5/8 x 8 7/8" for mine.
You can also leave it just a tiny bit oversized and trim or sand to fit after the box is assembled
you like.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]482507[/ATTACH]

I think this is a good stopping point for the first section.
Rodney