I was putting my 401a into its new home (cabinet), when it tumbled out of my hands and fell over backwards to the carpeted floor. The only thing I can tell is not working is the back dial stack. This may be due to operator error as much as the fall. Is this something I can open the machine up and check out or do I need to take it to my local repair man? What do you think? Do I dare turn it on before checking it out?

Thanks, My husband is going to fix it up for me someday. I'll send pics. Also have a crazy quilt over 100 yrs old, very ornate, painted, embroidered, silk and velvet. Will get pics of those too. Cheryl

Sheryl she's very very nice!! I'm so happy you found your long awaited Red Eye....

Been absent a few days due to DD being here with DGD for my other DD's birthday. It was great having grandma time!!

I found a boat shuttle for my Davis VF...got it and a bobbin already, and a few #10 needles....now just waiting for the VF to arrive. The seller has been great with info on the shipping, etc. Hope she arrives safely...he's not a SM person at all, so I hope he packed her well enough!!

try Sew-classic parts for the belt

You can turn it on and you can gently try moving the stack. If you get it to move set it up for just disks.

I have one someone either dropped or hit with a hammer. I've been trying to fix it for a while. Every once in a while I pull it apart and try to re-assemble. I think mine has a bent shaft. The donor machine I have is a 500 and they do not interchange. If nothing else you would need a service manual. Looking back, I would take it to a repair shop if I had plenty of money. It may cost more than you can buy another 401 to get it fixed. What I did with mine was to set it up to just do disks and then use it just with disks. You have to take the disk out to straight stitch though. To set it on special, you can manually move the readers by unscrewing pieces (and that is hard) and set them in the disk only position or have it done. Those stitch selectors are delicate aren't they. A repair shop could do that - hard to tell what they would charge to do it. Then you would have to have disks even just to zig zag. Maybe you will be blessed that it still works.

I thought Riccar was its own company, not related to Nelco? I know Nelco is long gone, but Riccar is still around, making vacuums.

Yes, I have done a lot of piecing with my Free #5 pictured here on page 627. Trish has one on page 780, 111, and 816. Nana on page 774, Monica (Vintagemotif) on page 782, Kitzone on page 816, Lauren has one, Playswithcolor has one, Debbie, Rajean on page 1236, and Buslady on page 1209. These are the ones I noted. The Free #5 is a very easy machine to treadle and sew with. The Free Sewing Machine Co. was in business from 1910 to about 1958, although, some report that the company had started even earlier. The Free #5 takes normal 15X1 needles so it is an easy machine to use/own.

My piecing machine now is my National Two Spools, though! The Two Spools runs so much longer with the 'two' spools of thread as opposed to a bobbin, plus the regular foot of the Two Spools is exactly 1/4"!

Nancy

Janice, congratulations on your new Davis and WOW, I am impressed that you actually found a shuttle! Those, I know, are very hard to find - and very pricey if you do find one! I hope your machine arrives in great shape!

Nancy

Yippeeee, put a picture of the quilt in our Quilts made using Vintage Machines photo shop!

Nancy