Thanks for your reply, Mark.

Did you say you just picked that off a giv-a-way pile at the street? I cannot believe that. Probably from the home of a real young couple that don't have sewing parents/grandparents. Anyway, congratulations. What you are doing is amazing to me. I haven't had the gumption to go that far into restoring a machine. Daddy made a believer out of me about "breaking something that didn't need to be bothered."

yep! it wasnt a give away pile it was next to a trashbin.

*grumble grumble* bakelite screws suck muchly. one of them had a previous break and repair that i didnt notice until after the head snapped. luckily i was putting it back together. its was one or the bushings. arrrgghh! *scurries off to ebay...*

Will be watching your progress. :)

A 6 Second vine video of her first stitches!!! I didn't wire the lamp in because i forgot to label the 'switch' wire and I have to crack open the lamp anyway because i need to check the connections.
https://vine.co/v/MTi0vTI3UIu http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1c6qNMR5nJc

As promised her first stitches... her only stitches. haha. It went then i could hear the motor trying but the wheel wouldn't turn anymore. So back to the drawing board. lol At least I know she can go! Oh yea, I totally rewired the potted motor. There was oil on one of the bushings and the armature the copper part looks worn down. Replacements? Ideas? anyone?

Cleaned off some green stuff (oxidation) from the terminals. I had to reuse the old foot controller but after a good scrub down to where everything was shiny and new looking, it works. Then I took it off and put it on my other 15-91 because i really hated that other foot controller. LOL

So far I've:
1. wiped down the body of the machine with dawn dish detergent.
2. wire brushed anything rusted that was not chrome or painted.
3. ball of aluminum foil and water for any chrome or shiny parts that needed rust removal.

4. Oil. Oil. Oil.
5. Soaked parts, a couple of rusty screws and the thread cutter, in white vinegar; not anything that has chrome/nickel plating for rust removal or penetrating oil (bobbin hook, that really rusty bit i posted earlier).

6. continued spot cleaning rust, and oiling. Let rest for a few days
7. More oil.
8. motor removal, cleaning and rewiring. Here I snapped the head of one of the bakelite screws that holds the bushing in the motor. Turns out it had broken before and someone glued it together. I didn't see it so when I was putting the motor back together the glue that was there didn't hold.

9. slap everything back together after replacing old wires that needed replacing.
10. Borrowed bobbin hook and a foot from my other machine for test.
11. Test. semi successful.

I think there's still a bit of stick somewhere inside. Which is why it didn't go as it needed to go.

Things still needing to be done:
1. removing bobbin from bobbin race if possible. That blasted thing is still glued together. LOL
2. shellac touch up and paint fixing. <-- probably will be a while for this step, because i'm chicken. lol.
3. purchase new foot controller I swiped the last one for another machine.
4. new bulb and rewire of lamp.
5. new bakelite screw for the bushing.

Any whoo... That all so far. LOL I did promise a video of her first stitches. :D So here ya go!

She is one lucky girl. I would never feel confident enough to let her follow me home, I 'm still too new at refurbishing machines to tackle her. Please post steps of the process you use. Your video shows she will be a great find, I love my 15-91. Good luck.