sewswedish

Greetings!
My aunt gave me my grandmother's Sears Kenmore Model 1400 and I cannot figure out how to remove the machine from the carrying case base. I asked my aunt and she didn't know, and sadly, my grandmother passed many years ago. I would like to learn how to do it without inadvertently breaking anything!

cashs_mom

This is a thread with generalized instructions for removing a machine from the case How do I remove a machine from a carrying case?.

Google also has a lot of answers.

OurWorkbench

Thank you, cashs mom. That pretty well covers removing the case. and has some good info. I do see that the 1400 and some other Kenmores had a doohickey (I'm sure that's what it is called, LOL) on the front base. While it is a little different and possibly broken off like in this picture

There is a 1774 that has what I believe it should look like -


I could not find a free manual for the 1400, but I have one for the 1774. I was hoping there would be something about the doohickey in the manual, but it does not. A couple of thoughts is you want to tilt it back and not up to get to the back of the machine where the hinge pins are. You will need to hold down on the outside part of the base. The two shown above are very thin, so maybe you can hold the base down as you tip it with the ledge that goes around the base. Also I will reiterate that one needs to have some thing on the back of the machine, like a tall pillow, or cut pool noodles to hold the head about as high as the base when the machine is tilted back.

And I'll ask the same as in the thread cashs mom linked to. Are you wanting to remove it from the base to put it in a cabinet or another base? Or just servicing?

sewswedish

Thank you for your response! I did see that thread but I was worried about breaking the doohickey on the case. I also tried Google and YouTube but couldn't find anything specific to this model that explained the doohickey and how it should look. I'm assuming the one on mine is broken, but I'm not sure.

sewswedish

Thank you for your response! My aunt texted me after I left that she found the original manual, but it only references the machine itself, nothing about the case or how to remove it from a base. I want to remove it from the case base to put in a cabinet, but I don't want to break anything on the base during removal because the case/base is in great shape and I'd like to keep it that way. I'm assuming the doohickey has something to do with removing the machine from the base, but it appears that mine may be broken or in an incorrect position. I can't tell and haven't been able to find a photo of this machine in the same type of case.

OurWorkbench

It appears that if you gently push the doohickey out a little bit with your right hand and holding the arm of the machine in the left can you tilt the machine out of the base?

We like pictures. In order to post pictures on Quilting Board, you will probably need to reduce or compress the picture to a file size that is smaller than 2MB. How to post images can be found at https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...020-01-17-.pdf and on an ipad at Posting Pictures From an iPad

Don't forget to scroll over to the far right to find and click on the "Upload" button. As shown at Standard Sewing Machine Co. Paragon

I have found that only the big red "Reply" button or "Quote" work to give me the paper clip icon to work for adding pictures.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/attach...p-location.jpg

Some additional info regarding reducing images at post #4 and images for the scroll and upload button can be found at #5 of quilt block ID?

Another way to post pictures can be found at 2021/2022, 2.5” Birthday Swap
And how to use an ipad to post pictures can be found at Uploading photos

Or simply - Make sure pictures are smaller than 2MB
Click on red "Reply" button
Click on the paper clip icon
Click browse - choose picture/s. (only 5 allowed per post)
Once they show up as being loaded, Scroll over to the right side and click on "Upload"
After the pictures show up as being attached, you can close that window and go back to the screen to finish posting your post.

Some additional notes -
The photos generally need to be reduced to less than 2MB in size. I have heard of people sending an email to themselves as it will ask if you want to reduce the size.

I have an android phone and when I tried to reply on Quilting Board while in mobile view None of the options for adding pictures was available. However, there is an option down at the bottom left of the page that is for Full Site when I tapped on "Full Site" It then looked like the way it looks on my lap top. So it would have the Red Reply and the Go Advanced options.

Do Not Preview post.

bkay

Be aware that the Sears machines do not fit into a Singer cabinet. I found that out when someone gave me a Sears cabinet.

bkay

OurWorkbench

Excellent point, bkay. The 1400 has those really square corners.

A picture really would help tell how to remove it.

OurWorkbench

A couple more Kenmore doohickey cases.

This is one that twists.
Then there is this one that is similar to the one that cashs mom linked to