sewing machine lift
 

hi,
I have a question.
Has anyone got a sewing machine with a lift on their sewing cabinet? or has anyone ever built a sewing machine lift for a cabinet? I have a friend who loves to sew. She has her sewing machine installed in a nice wood cabinet, But because of health issues she is finding it very hard to raise ad lower her machine by hand.
Her husband will not pay for a sewing machine lift ( $200.00-$500.00) , and wont let her get a differed cabinet. She has a old sewing machine motor (belt driven) she can use for the power . Her sewing machine is not a very heavy machine.
Now my question is if he (the jerk)went to hardware store, What hardware would he get beside wood for platform does he need to buy. (He is a cheep uncaring jerk).

I have never seen a sewing machine lift, but when I googled it I see that it come two different ways push on the machine to bring machine up or electric. I think she could use either.
thank you for your help in helping me help my friend in need.

Is there any reason she can't leave the machine set up and just make a nice cover for it? If he won't pay the money for a lift for her he probably won't take the time to make one for her either.
I can think of a bunch of ways to do it. Is her machine on a hinged platform or does it need to lift straight up and down? Old Singer cabinets used a spring loaded lift assist. They're adjustable so they can be made to take most of the load. If that's not an option then a pulley and counterweight to balance the weight of the machine could be rigged.
Some old treadle cabinets were pretty ingenious. When you lift the lid the machine is raised automatically. A system like that would give her a lot more leverage to raise the machine.
Hooking up a motor gets more complex. My gut feeling is a sewing machine motor is too small.
Rodney

I'd leave it up and tell the jerk to close his eyes if he doesn't like it......

Rodney,
she need something that will raise straight up and down. like in a sewing machine sitting on apiece of plywood and when you open the lid it comes up even with cabinet. it is a free arm machine so maybe when she need to use free are it goes a little higher, if I knew how to do it anf what to get, I can get a litt;e help and her jerk hubby don't have to help. just need to know what to get at hardware and how to build (put ) it together.

You can buy the lift by itself from Horn of America, or a dealer who carries their cabinets.

Watch on Craigslist. Horn or Koala cabinets come up from time to time. You could also do a search for one.
Colleen

Your best bet might be to find an old Kenmore cabinet with the vertical lift for cheap and transfer the guts to her cabinet. The trickiest part is giving the lift a smooth track to raise and lower. You don't want it binding and catching where it's not supposed to. Take a look at different lift setups online. That should give you some ideas of what will work with her cabinet.
Rodney

Rodney,

How do you adjust a spring loaded lift assist mechanism?

Patrick

Thank you Everyone.
All great ideas. and I am going to check on line.I have see some (just guts) of the spring load kind Rodney is talking about. But Patrick has a good question ..how do adjust it?, And how many position will they stop in. I know you push on machine for it to come up and down (right)?
Thank you every on for your help. If these spring load had more than one position they stop in (like so she can use her free arm. That is what I will try to find. Anyone got extra one let me know.

It's also worth looking at a woodworking type of shop. Here in Canada, we have a place called Lee Valley and they have a lift: http://www.leevalley.com/US/hardware...21&cat=3,48759. That's their US page but I have a feeling there may be better/less expensive options Stateside.