I hope I learn what I am doing.... maybe some day...

wow, some great suggestions...Beautiful machine. Keep it and if you can't figure it out find a REAL sewing machine mechanic!

Good luck with that one...

I agree that it may be set in step #3 of 4 step buttonholes. Do you have an instruction book so you can pretend to make a buttonhole? This happened with the Elna once. My daughter didn't finish up a buttonhole and when I started to sew, the machine ran backwards in ZZ. Took me a few panicky minutes to figure that one out.

My favorite repairman is working part time at the LQS. Every time I see he's there, I wonder if the Elna needs anything - she doesn't, but it's good to know he's around again. He had the Singer store for a while. I should have look at this T&S before I start dismantling it.

As far as repair people go - we all started out at the same place - experience will teach a lot. When a person quits learning or thinks they have arrived they better watch out.

I'm with Irish Rose on this one. To me, that reverse button - which I assume is the round button - looks stuck. I worked on a Morse like that. The Kroil should free it. You may have to get it via mail. And yes, the spring could be broke.

Everyone has good ideas. Nice machine! Worth fixing, in my opinion.

I'm in Oklahoma City and our local auto parts store carries the Kroil oil. Good luck in getting your "beauty" working again.

I have a similar problem that has to do with the feed dogs, but that I was able to trace back to the reverse button. I'm trying to resurrect an old machine and the reverse button was completely gummed up. Yours looks much newer and nicer than mine, but it has the same reverse button, so I'm guessing the internals may be similar. I took off the end and the top and shot all the joints and levers liberally with PB Blaster as recommended above and the button eventually freed up. There are a lot of levers, cams, gears and springs that come into play to make it run in reverse. From what little I know, if they get balky and gummed up, the old oil and grease need to be dissolved to get things back on track. I posted as Universal Model 5510, if you're interested.

The first thing I would do is to find a new repairman. If he didn't appreciate the machine for what it is, I would want him to touch it! I have a Morse that I love, as well!

following this thread, I'm anxious to see how it all plays out - it's such a pretty sewing machine - one I would definitely try to salvage! Get yourself to a real sewing machine repair shop. That man did you a major injustice by telling you it was not worth fixing! The nerve!! Please let us know what happens!!