Who Do I Call To Get A Sewing Machine Cabinet Made?
 

My DD has a vintage (1970's) White sewing machine that she inherited from her Grandmother. It's in the original cheap cabinet that is falling apart. It's a great machine and I love the way they mounted the foot pedal under the cabinet by your knee. We want to get someone to build a new cabinet but I'm not sure who to call. Do I call a cabinet maker or a carpenter? I was wondering if anyone has ever done this before.

Are there any cabinet makers in your area? Perhaps that would be a good place to start.

I'd probably look on craigslist first. Any custom woodwork by either cabinet maker or carpenter is going to be expensive. Either craftsman should be able to do the job for you but the cabinet maker will likely make a prettier piece. At a price, of course. Around here, machine cabinets can usually be had on CL very reasonably.

Have you tho't of using a 'kneehole' desk? I had a 7 drawer oak desk that I wanted to use in my s. rm. I went to a local cabinet maker and explained that I wanted a hole cut in the top so that I could mount my Elna Carina(it's now been over 20 yrs & still using the desk)....he came to my house, cut the hole to fit, mounted the hardware that allows installing the machine (yours is in the old cabinet)- so it can be swung up--but locks it in), and I have really enjoyed the convenience of all the drawers. You can prob find a desk at a thrift shop--the knee control can be mounted inside the knee space...it's made a perfect sewing table for me! The Elna is now in a closet, and my DH filled the hole with plywood so I could set my big emb/sew machine on the space. As I recall (way back then) the man charged me under $50!

What a great idea. I think DD would like this as well because of the great storage with drawers. Thanks for the idea.

Do you have a community of Amish near by? I have an Antique table that got damaged during my move here and my SIL and I went shopping in a local Amish Comm. While looking at all their beautiful wood furniture I mention the damage to my table and a young man told me to bring it along the next time we visited. OMG I was so tickled at the out come.You can not tell that the leg is new. And I was able to find the history of the table. I bought it in a 2nd hand store in Toledo,Ohio and it was made right here by none other then the young man's Grandfather only 25 mile away from my new home in Lebanon Mo. Their workmanship is the most beautiful I've ever seen and their prices are so much more reasonable then a cabinet maker in your yellow pages and it will be some thing that will last for generations to come.

Search Amish made treadle sewing machine cabinet. I saw somewhere the other day they make cabinets although it may be more money than you wish to spend.

Watching CL will be the cheapest/most convenient route for you to take. Measure the mounting brackets from center to center, and the hole where the machine fits in the current table/desk; and go looking everywhere you might be able to find used furniture. What you find will most likely be one of the four-legged type sewing machine cabinets, but you just might be lucky enough to run up on a TOL sewing machine desk when you least expect it. Think of giving yourself more time that getting it set up next week.....

Any good custom cabinetmaker could probably do it. If, by some miracle, you are in central Ohio, I know someone. If you want the name, PM me.

I f there are mennonites in your area they often do custom work and could probably make a pattern from the one falling apart.