It is easy for you to lift but some of us old people don't want to do any more lifting than we can help. A hole doesn't weigh anything. LOL

The German machines are the ones that seem to have the front bobbin with a side slide...my Anker is that way too.

I have a Bernina with a side slide and the bobbin goes in the BACK. The machine sets in a case - the case has a little door to access the bobbin. Very hard to use. That is one machine you need a manual to figure things out... lots of tricky little weird stuff.

My Pfaff 60 treadle has the side loading bobbin, so glad the cabinet has the hand hole to make it easy to change the bobbin.
Sharon W

New to this whole thing although we purchased the following machine about 30 years ago at an estate auction. It is a Bartlett-Our Very Best-sewing machine. I have found very little information online after checking many different sites, and I still haven't seen one quite like this. So any info you add would be greatly appreciated. I do know that at some point Bartlett was sold or part of the National Sewing Machine company. [ATTACH=CONFIG]432540[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]432542[/ATTACH]The head is beautiful, and basically nothing has been done to it in over 30+ however many years before. Included are the attachments I found in the cabinet drawers. [ATTACH=CONFIG]432545[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]432546[/ATTACH]The cabinet drawers are curved and I can't find anyothers who have curved drawers. I'm sure they are out there, but I just haven't found them. There are even some very interesting buttons in the drawer. The cabinet in front of the sewing machine also have a 13" ruler. [ATTACH=CONFIG]432547[/ATTACH]I got a new belt for the machine. My next step is figure out how to put the belt on and then get the machine threaded. I'm dreading the bobbin part because I'm not sure exactly how it works. It may take a little cleaning. I dared to look in there yesterday and it looks like it make take a little work to get it out. I'm hoping the bobbins is salvageable. It looks to be a shuttle type which I know is going to be a little more complicated. I didn't really see any extra bobbins in the goodies.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]432550[/ATTACH]I also have this puzzle box that I have had for a while. I'm not sure if it was with this machine. My gut tells me no. I think it may have been from a Singer machine that was in my husbands family. It has a ton of attachments. I think there are some that may not have shown up i the picture. I can only speculate what they are for. (They don't look much like my attachments for my 1985 Bernina 930 which I'm guessing by some of the pictures is on its way to becoming a vintage machine, but I absolutely love it and wouldn't trade it for anything.)

Thanks for the chance to share and thanks for any info you have to share. DReid

Here's my next venture into the vintage sewing machine world. It arrived yesterday after I purchased it on eBay. I love it. It is an 1886 fiddle-base Singer machine. Serial #7432068 with an osciallating round bobbin using a a 15x1 needle. It is titled "The Singer New Improved Family Machine." The hand painted flowers during this time period appear to have been made in Kilbowie Scotland, but I haven't found any literature to back that up nor can I find anything on the machine to verify that either. It moves like a dream. The vendor who sent it did a great job of cleaning it up and getting it humming from what I can tell. I love it. I bought with the idea I would just display the head and enjoy its beauty and let others enjoy it also, but now the bug has bitten me to get it into a cabinet (don't have one yet) and get it back in service. Enjoy the pictures and let me know if you have any more information on this one also.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]432552[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]432553[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]432555[/ATTACH]Thanks from the Newbie, DReid

Welcome to the club, DReid. I'm not a newbie but feel like a newbie when it comes to knowing much about the vintage machines and how to fix them up. I'm still learning but find many here that help so much.

Your machines are wonderful..... isn't it fun to find such pretty machines that work? Thanks for sharing.

I just sold (like 10 days ago) a Bartlett Rotary Treadle in the same cabinet. (Later version of your machine)

How exciting! I wish I could have seen it. Was it in working order? If so, what type of bobbin does it have? I still haven't had time to try to tackle that yet. Too many appointments and other commitments since the other day, but I still want to give it a whirl. Little scared that I may mess it up, but I will never get it working if I don't give it a try. Thanks for your comments, and your help. Everyone has been great. Diane