Help with Sewing Cabinet Operation
 

I am new to the site. Found you looking for help with sewing machine and cabinet issues. I just inherited a Minnesota C treadle with a cabinet. When I received them, the machine was outside of the cabinet. The machine will work as far as I can tell except no bobbin in the shuttle. So, I have a few feelers out for that and will take any suggestions from anyone here as to where to find them.

As for the cabinet, the top right drawer handle is in the drawer, easy enough to fix, and some delaminating on the back side of the top. What I really need help with is getting the top to open. It’s stuck after lifting about3 inches. I don’t want to yank on it and break something. There is a chain of sorts that looks like it is attached to shelf that the machine will attach to and raise it into the sewing position when fully opened. You can’t see any of the mechanisms from the outside as it’s all enclosed within a wooden case (very inconvenient) but it sure is pretty to look at.

Not sure if there is a locking pin or something that needs to be removed or is the chain or another mechanism rusted in place?

Any suggestions?
[ATTACH=CONFIG]594113[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]594114[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]594115[/ATTACH]

I found this in my search and looks really close to what I have.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]594116[/ATTACH]

I have a couple that without the machine in there, a lip gets in the way and I've got to move it up so the machine will fully open. though with them, it will open about 70% before that part interferes with the tray the machine is on.

There is no secret latch on them, so get underneath and make sure there is not something stuck in the chain, or interfering with it going up.

Thank you for your response. I will see if I can get it open far enough to see inside.

or crawl underneath it and look up. I've had obstacles from old glue releasing.

I will do that. I'm willing to try anything before the course moves onto brute force.:o

I would not try to force it by opening the lid. Get underneath and push on the lift part and try to determine why it's not moving. There are a lot of different mechanisms and many are not attached to the wood all that securely, so if you try to force it you'll most likely pull the anchors out of the wood, and not budge what is sticking.

I have one that has a metal rod that is like a big screw, and the lift rides on that so it can easily get a bit rusty and not want to move. I have others with cables and if the pulley gets jammed, it won't go. And others with a chain and those seem to bind up along the wood. I've seen plenty were something came loose and you can not get it to open without external help (like a hand underneath).

With all that can get hung up, I understand why Singer went with the manual lift for the machines - the operator is the one doing the lifting.

We got it opened. They're is a metal "guide" that helps to guide the machine back down into the put away position that was loose and the section that the machine will screw on to was catching on it not letting it pass.

Welcome Jaxinwv I have family near the beginning of the panhandle of WV.

Thank you for posting what was holding things up from opening. Did you or someone else get underneath? I was wondering if laid the whole thing on its back if it would make it easier to see and fix what was going on.

Cathy, thank you for your insight to various mechanisms.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

The person that helped me had it happen too them. The entire "garage" where the machine lives in the put away position is enclosed and turning it over wouldn't have helped. I'll take some pictures and post them. Might make more sense.

Happy you got it figured out without damage.