The Good News Thread

[Feraud]

Last year, my grandmother died at the age of 97. She left this world with her 1951 Singer 99k sewing-machine in the hands of her family...

In honour of her memory, I decided to try and restore this machine to health and functionality.

It took about a month of work, but it's done!

I had to clean EVERY SINGLE IOTA of this machine, from the top, down, in and out, topside and underside. That in itself took several days' work. I had to pick out 61-years-worth of dust, crud, thread, fluff and gunk using needle-nosed tweezers. And this was a long, challenging, fiddly process.

Then, I had to clean the machine and polish it (continuing to pick out crap using tweezers), then I had to learn how to work it and thread it (and still pick out more fluff). I tested the bobbin-winder (and cleared out more fluff), I bought spare needles for it (and cleared out MORE fluff), I researched it and read up on it (and cleaned out yet MORE fluff)...

Then I spent all of today oiling the machine using high-grade machine-oil.

This took a lot longer than I thought it would, but after several dozen generous squirts in all the right places, and a lot of coaxing, I have got the machine RUNNING AGAIN!!!!!

All it requires is a replacement slide-plate, and it's complete! I can get one online, so I'm gonna buy one as soon as I can.

A video of the running machine is currently being uploaded to YouTube. It shall be posted here when it is available.

Great job Shangas!
I too like to get my hands dirty and find taking things apart and putting them back together very satisfying. You get to know the condition and function of every piece in the item.

 

[AmateisGal]

I had a hysterectomy last week at the age of 36. The surgery went VERY well and I'm at home recovering. Thank the Lord for laptop computers and the Internet - I'd be bored stiff without them!

 

[rue]

Last year, my grandmother died at the age of 97. She left this world with her 1951 Singer 99k sewing-machine in the hands of her family...

In honour of her memory, I decided to try and restore this machine to health and functionality.

It took about a month of work, but it's done!

I had to clean EVERY SINGLE IOTA of this machine, from the top, down, in and out, topside and underside. That in itself took several days' work. I had to pick out 61-years-worth of dust, crud, thread, fluff and gunk using needle-nosed tweezers. And this was a long, challenging, fiddly process.

Then, I had to clean the machine and polish it (continuing to pick out crap using tweezers), then I had to learn how to work it and thread it (and still pick out more fluff). I tested the bobbin-winder (and cleared out more fluff), I bought spare needles for it (and cleared out MORE fluff), I researched it and read up on it (and cleaned out yet MORE fluff)...

Then I spent all of today oiling the machine using high-grade machine-oil.

This took a lot longer than I thought it would, but after several dozen generous squirts in all the right places, and a lot of coaxing, I have got the machine RUNNING AGAIN!!!!!

All it requires is a replacement slide-plate, and it's complete! I can get one online, so I'm gonna buy one as soon as I can.

A video of the running machine is currently being uploaded to YouTube. It shall be posted here when it is available.

You did a beautiful job Shangas!

 

[rue]

Well, despite many crazy bumps in the road, disappointments and heartbreaks I won't go in to, my wife and I are finally travelling to eastern europe to adopt a special needs orphan baby. We leave on the 19th.

Good luck in your journey

 

[rue]

I had a hysterectomy last week at the age of 36. The surgery went VERY well and I'm at home recovering. Thank the Lord for laptop computers and the Internet - I'd be bored stiff without them!

Glad to hear everything went well AG!

 

[Shangas]

Thanks, Feraud, and Rue.

The job is nearly done. I have a copy of the original manual now (printed off teh intranetz). I still need to clean off some gummy old glue residue (it's being stubborn, but it's coming off slowly!)

After that, the big thing - The slide plate.

A lengthy discussion with my cousin in Singapore led to him offering to buy the plate for me, and then posting it to Australia as a gift towards restoring our grandmother's machine. He said if he can find his eBay and PayPal details, he'd be happy to do it (the plate costs $16, but I don't have a credit or debit card to buy it with).

We'll see what eventuates. It's the last missing piece of the puzzle.

 

[Gin&Tonics]

Good luck in your journey

Thank you so much! It's quite an intimidating undertaking, to be honest. I'm just going to have to make the best of it and hope we have at least a bit of money by the time we come home lol.

International Adoption is ruinously expensive!

 

[Swing Motorman]

My good news is starting out in this new job!


-Steven