Naked Sewing machine!

I wish I could say I’ve got a few loose screws but when it comes to this sewing machine it isn’t sew. I couldn’t get every thing loose that I wanted to so I decided to go with it as is. I had bought some paint stripper that was citrus smelling and easy on the hands, applied it all over the machine and let it set for a while. (Got impatient and started using a scrapper.)

 

These shots show the paint thinner on the machine before I started to scrape it off.

  Here is a shot with nearly all the paint off of it. I think one more coat of paint stripper will do the trick before I can really clean it up.

Vacation

I’ve been on vacation all this week and don’t feel like I’ve accomplished anything at all!

I had fully intending to go up north to Virginia and take my pregnant daughter, Jeannie shopping. I did manage that in between running with her and her car. Seems like on Saturday a week ago she stopped for gas and wound up with a half a tank of water and mud. She has managed to get that gas station shut down for the time being, they have paid for the gas she put in it that day and the tow back to her house. (Her’s isn’t the only car that got messed up from this either) She was supposed to get her car back today.

While I was there I went to my sister’s in Manassas to pick up the sewing machine I asked her to get for me. This one is a Standard Rotary that was made somewhere in the early 1900’s. From what I read production was stopped on them about 1910.

When I got back home on Wed. I decided I needed a day off from all the running and did nothing except for cook dinner. Thursday I did laundery and ironing all day, must have ironed and folded about 17 of my husband’s shirts. (I hate ironing!)

Today was a good day. I ran the roads, did the grocery shopping then got my grand daugther, Giana for the afternoon. I really would have loved to have her spend the night but she’s got a makeup day at school. Poor baby has to go to school on Saturday.

Tomorrow is my last day of freedom before I have to go back to work. Wonder what is in store for me?

What I Do Best!

 

 

 This is what I like to do more than anything in the world, tear stuff up! Here is a shot of some of the parts from the 66. The long straight pieces are from the inside of the machine.

 

   Here is a shot of the underside of the machine, I haven’t taken the last bar out of it yet.

 Here is a shot of what is supposed to be the bobbin assembley. That was sitting on the kitchen counter with the other parts. 

  This shot is where the wheel is supposed to be. I won’t have much time to work on more of the tear down till I get back from my daugther’s at the middle of next week. Hopefully the weather will be warmer and I’ll be able to start stripping the paint off the head.

New Projects

Here it is, 4 1/2 months into 2008 and I’ve really slacked off posting on my blog. Work has kept me more than busy and I’m really looking forward to getting back to my part time hours so I can finish the few projects that I’ve got going.

One of the projects that I have in the works is a total restore on a 1919 Singer sewing machine that I obtained from Ebay back in February. It was sold as a parts machine, took me over a month to get it from the seller due to a mix up.  After getting the machine in my possession I discovered that it was intact as far as it’s parts, making it a very good candidate for restoration.

I’ve been waiting on warmer weather to get the project going in earnest and was able to get started a few weeks ago. I had a heck of a time finding enough Kerosene and the right sized container to soak it in. Why the kerosene you ask? It does wonders for loosening up frozen parts, dirt inside and out and won’t hurt the gold leaf on the outside. The container of choice wound up being a 28 quart cooler just big enough to hold the machine and 4 gallons of liquid.

The machine set soaking for nearly 3 weeks before I could get back to it last week spending the better part of an afternoon taking it apart. I’m still having problems with a few screws that hold in the needle shaft and the presser foot shaft, may have to resort to brut force with them.

1919 Singer Model 66 Redeye aka Ebay Machine.