I can only imagine what you have been through. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Hugs, Sheree

Thanks to everyone for your support, it has been overwhelming and much appreciated! This board has been so supportive! My machine was a 180E, which is a step below the 200. What's ironic is the fact that I had been wanting to get a new machine and was planning on getting a dumpster for major spring cleaning. I decided I had way too much stuff in my house and I was tired of cleaning it. I was going to become a minimalist. This is not how I planned to do it though!! There were easier ways of doing this! LOL. We are moved into a new apartment and the only thing left is to bring home Lacey Jane (dog) and Rudy(the only of 3 kitties that survived). I will not have internetphone access until Thursday. No sewing, no internet...I am going to go a bit crazy!!Maybe my Connecting Threads order will come tomorrow and then I can fondle fabric for awhile. There is a sewing machine/LQS right new door to the apartment complex..maybe I'll hang out there for awhile!

Good attitude. If you hang out at the LS long enough they might put you to work - on one of the machines!!

So very sorry for your losses---the machine and the kitties.
Am so glad that you and your son made it out with minor problems. I cannot even imagine what you are going through.
Prayers to you----hang in there---you will find a way.

I have seen it on another post somewhere, even if your machine did not sustain any damage on the outside, the second hand smoke will have caused underlying damage in the computer side of your sewing machine within a year. Also same goes for your computer. Anyone else seen this?

Sounds logical.

Oh, I just feel so sad for you. How scary to have that happen. So sad too to see the photo of your machine. I don't know about you but my machines become like family. Right now my Pfaff is in the repair shop and it's like someone in the hospital. That probably sounds nuts but that is how I feel.

God love you, I am so sorry to hear about this and the loss of your fur babies. The loss of life is what hurts the most, you can always replace the world belongings. It might take a while to get back on your feet but you will recover.

As far as your Bernina is concerned if its just smoke damage then yes you can fix it but just how much heat was in the room. Plastic will have a tendency to get soft and melt under the right temps. Also you have the circuit board in the machine that might have heat damage, but the processor gives off quite some heat so it might not even bothered it.

Lets say the housing is not distorted and you can manually move the handwheel and the machine works. Check to make sure all of the little parts like the bobbin cover and switches and so forth move and fit like they are supposed to. If everything does then I can say you are good to go with cleaning and start using it again.

Now from what I saw in the photo the chances of the plastic housing will more than likely be stained for life but it will not effect the use of the machine. I would try some 409 or maybe Greased Lightning (that stuff is the bomb :thumbup: ) and start cleaning it up. The LCD screen can be cleaned with a baby wipe. Is it a touch screen?

Once you get all of the soot off of it then oil every where where metal touches metal and use a grease for the gears. The shop next door to you should have what you need, if not use a white lithium grease you can find at an auto parts store in the small tube.

To grease the gears you might have to take some covers off of the machine top and bottom but you can do it!!! No need in having to take it anywhere.

I will email a friend of mine in Australia that repairs machines and see if he has a service manual or a blow up picture of your machine so you can use it for reference for the restoration.

You know if you really wanted to have a little fun with this after you get it running again you could always go to the craftstore and buy a boat load of those stick on jewels and Bling the crap out of it!!! :mrgreen:

Ice it out and list it on ebay and who knows Paris Hilton might buy it for 10 time the list price and then go buy a long arm!!!

Billy

Billy, you are too funny but the sad thing is she probably would. Thanks for the laugh.

I love that, "bling the crap out of it". That would make the poor machine feel a whole lot better.