Miriam I think that's a machine only a man could love.

Cari

Well DUH..........

You mean they're supposed to sew? Heck, I don't know. I just buy them and clean them up and admire them.

Seriously, I used the Necchi Solution (90% kerosene/10% sewing machine oil) and got it freed up, polished the brightwork, replaced the tires (winder and pulley) and it runs. It's known as a rough runner and it's loud but it can sew through anything:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]489567[/ATTACH]

(The pic was taken before I had purchased and replaced the tires.) I need to tighten the winder mechanism slightly and completely clean the bobbin area, probably with a kerosene bath. The machine was covered in oil varnish and smoker's haze. Still, for $3.99 it was a great purchase.

I think I'm not vintage enough for the Quilting Board. Most folks here are into the really old machines whereas I like the later but still all-metal, mid-century machines. Kenmores (obviously) are my favorites. Here's another Kenmore that is really cool (made in Germany by Gritzner-Kayser, of which there were Gritzner/Domestic/White/Kenmore models):

[ATTACH=CONFIG]489568[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]489569[/ATTACH]

I understand completely as I'm a mid century person too only my focus is the Brother built machines instead of Kenmores. I think it's great that there are so many people here with different interests in the old machines. BTW, that black Kennie is gorgeous.

Cari

You're both in the right place. I know I like the mid century stuff and I know others here do too. KenmoreRulesAll I would really like to know where you shop. You keep showing great machines like that double tension Kenmore that I just never see. My machine purchases tend to be very low budget and opportunistic. My usual finds are the dime a dozen stuff like the boring white stuff of the mid 70s. I just haven't ran across the right machine at the right price and the right time to buy any good examples of a mid century machine yet. The closest I have is my white and blue two tone White basketcase.

On a completely unrelated note there's enough of us in the Puget Sound/NorthWest area some type of get together might be fun.
Rodney

One for sale on eBay as of yesterday. I asked the seller what was under the waffle lid. ... That is how you change the lightbulb.

Sounds like fun, maybe you should start a new thread.

Cari

Welllllll, After giving birth to nine children I think I might not be a man?! I DO also like the pretty lavender blingy machines, too. Ugh! Is this what they call a gender crisis? Miriam, thanks for the offer, but I can't start adding to what I just purchased (treadle) and the electric 60's with cams I am looking for (the latter has to be pretty low priced as the former got the bucks.) I will probably wake up in a cold sweat that I turned it down, only to fall back asleep and have dreams of everything in my life is that machine.

Did you obtain this machine in this condition or did you restore it? Gorgeous.

On the sleek, black Kenmore what are the two knobs next to the left of "Kenmore"?

As to "You mean we are suppose to sew......." I would seriously like to have an entire wall all sewing machines, tightly packed and going in all different directions. That is my idea of art. Room dividers built with sewing machines would be cool, too; especially if all different colors and bling from the sixties.