Good for you !! That's what keeps us going. I'm a 12-yr. survivor of cancer AND a stroke. I value each day and each new yard of fabric. :lol:

:D :D :D :D :D

If I knew how to make the smilie jump up and down, I would!

Don't worry about fixing it up. There are groups online that can help you with that, and it's pretty easy to get replacement parts for just about anything on those old Singers.

Yes, free motion was what I was refering to. i had a 150 quilters edition for a few years and that machine would not free motion quilt metallic threads. I used the 401. then I just got last year the 450 anniversary edition bernina and that one too will not run metalic threads so again I use the 401. I quilt allot using the Metalics.
Kim

Thanks for letting me know your experience and on what machines. Apparently, you're not alone as many other have troubles, too. At least you have a machine that WILL sew beautifully with these threads! :thumbup:

Happy sewing!

I got it! ----- I got it! ------ I got it! Right here at my house. BUT it is still in the car as I have to wait for our son to come over and DH to bring it in the house. It looked gorgeous and it worked. It needs lot of cleaning, but I can do that.
5 1/2 trip and a tank of gas.

Yooohoooh!!!!!!

There IS no reason why you shouldn't grab a Singer 401A. My local sewing machine guy said if I had to choose between my 401A and a newer fancier machine I have, the one to keep is definitely the 401A!! He says it's the last one Singer made that is all metal parts and that they're truly workhorses for dependability.

Congratulations! I've cleaned many an old machine in my day. Mild soap and water works great, with a soft toothbrush for the tiny crevices. Have you oiled an old machine before? I just take off as much of the case as I can and put a drop on every moving part (sewing machine grease on gears). After oiling, I usually "burn in" the new oil by running the machine without a needle full speed for about 3 minutes. If you smell any burning, though, stop as that may mean that the motor brushes are wearing out and need replacing.

For the cabinet, once you have the grime cleaned off and any parts that need it retouched with stain, I can recommend Howard's Feed-N-Wax to restore luster to the wood. Found this at Home Depot and just love it for all furniture. Formsby has some good stuff too, but I generally use that only for very beat-up cabinets. Yours appears to be in great condition.

There are several good email lists on Yahoo! about vintage machines. Try Singer, Vintagesingers, and Wefixit. I think you are going to love this machine!

you will never regret getting your 401. did you get attachment feet with it? to purchase them the cost is not nearly so high as for the newer" big name" models. I have gathered miles and miles of ruffels with my ruffler, and the walking foot is wonderful. no need to worry about paying the high price of those feet for my viking, they set side by side in my sewing room. your persistants paid off, congrats!! :D

[quote=Prism99]Thanks, that is exactly what I needed. I have cleaned up the box that came with it just now with Soft Scrub and warm water. It turned out nice. The cams I just washed and dried and some of the feet, if they didn't have any parts, I brushed with a toothbrush and dried. Now they are all back in their places. The machine is still outside as I cannot carry it, my DH can't do it by himself, and our son hasn't shown up yet.
The cabinet is very nice. The top has some webbing on it that my husband said could be fixed if refurnishing it. The wood is solid and drawers in excellent shape, but dirty. But I probably won't do that and use what you suggest to just clean and shine it. I really haven't had any opportunity to see the machine run. The guy had it plugged in and it ran, but I don't know how it sews, etc. If all else fails there are a couple of good service guys in the area and I may have it serviced. But first I'll try oiling and lubing it.
There are some parts that I'll never use and some are missing.
What kind of bobbins can I use. I have 100's of Vikings and other Singer bobbins, but this only had only two.

Thanks for your help.
Gilla

What does the walking foot look like? I have a couple, one for my D1 and another generic that came with my Quantum XL. I can probably find one either on eBay or somewhere as I really use the walking foot a lot.