So, you can see the after and before pics here. I got this wonderful machine from a lovely lady, complete with all the original fiddly bits and stuff. The cabinet, as she put it, came with "Free dust and cat hair included! No extra charge!" and as you can see it cleaned up quite nicely :)

Cabinet restoration guide

http://domart.home.comcast.net/~domart/refinish.htm

So I decided to write a guide to cabinet restoration...
It will be finished somewhat soonish!
or not!
:D

This is the plug on back of the older Singers, doesnt matter which model, they all pretty much look exactly the same.
Inside is the wiring. Before running any antique machine, you want to make sure that this stuff is in decent condition. Otherwise you are risking shocking and or electrocuting yourself.
Which is never a good idea!

Motor motoring!

So the newly wired motor is much improved.
Yay!
This <-- is a Singer model 15.
It's gear driven like the 201, but with a few differences.
1. the bobbin hook is vertical
2. the needle thread tension sort of sticks out of the face of the machine, rather than sticking out towards the person running the machine.
3. the light is rear mounted and not integrated into the design of the machine.

The practical effects of all of this?

Well, having a vertical hook means the thread travels a shorter distance for each stitch, which supposedly make it better for free motion quilting. I don't free motion quilt, so I can't comment as to that.
The needle tension not facing you means you have to reach around the machine to adjust it, not the easiest/safest thing to do in the midst of sewing. Though really, you'd have to be an idiot to hurt yourself that way anyway.
The light is the one thing that I don't like for real.
It's behind the machine which means the head casts a shadow. as does the frame of the machine in general. also, turning the light on and off is slightly more dangerous, it's a tiny switch right next to a glowing hot bulb, both located in a place you can't see clearly..
The 201's integrated light with front mounted switch... much much better.

Crazzyyyy Train

So, after the power cords, I decided 'heck I might as well check out the wiring to the motor...
well, on one of the machines the wire's insulation was brittle and crumbling, so I decided to rewire the motor itself...
this should be an experience..

Rewiring

The power supply cords for a few of my machines were a bit wonky...so I just rewired them all :D

It was surprisingly fun!

Effects

My experiences with Victoria left me aware of this type pf machine and curious abut the quality of others like her.
So I started scanning Craigslist and watching thrift stores for machines of that stripe.

The next one I found was a model 15, the same model that the user's manual was from (in the button holer)

When I got her she was not running. 20 minutes later, she was purring along.
Unlike the 201s, however, the 15s do have a more mechanical sound. It might be due to the vertical rather than horizontal bobbin. I'm not really sure, all I know is there's a difference in tone and I prefer the hum of the 201s.
These machines are also gear driven and belt free.

Consideration

The more I thought about it, the more floored I was.
Victoria was made in 1946. That's 64 years ago....
And she still runs perfectly.

Look around your house/apartment/hovel/whatever.

How many electrical devices do you have from 64 years ago that still function perfectly?

If you have a modern sewing machine, you KNOW it's not going to last that long. If you get 10-15 years out of it you'd be extremely lucky.

"It's too expensive to manufacture machines that are that well built/engineered these days, blah blah blah"
I cry "Bullshit!"

Things have not gotten HARDER to make, they've gotten easier!

The problem is a shift in how we perceive things, a shift that serves the interests of corporations at the expense of the consumer.

More on this later....

More info, and a new hobby began

So, I started researching, and I discovered this machine is a 201-2, a gear driven beasty with a reputation for being the best straight stitch machine ever produced.

After a bit of puttering with it, I realized that I ENJOYED sewing on it so much more than any machine I'd used prior to it. The design works in harmony with the crafter. So, my Janome took a back seat and she took center place. I named her Victoria.

But, I had no accessories or feet beyond the simple 1/4" foot that she normally uses.

This quickly changed.
No sooner had I set her up and started using her for my main machine than I discovered, in a thrift store I frequent, a button holer for her and a box full of the right feet.
Some things are just meant to happen....

In the button holer case there was both the manual for the attachment and a manual for a model 15 sewing machine.....

The clincher

From the sound alone, I knew this machine was something I was going to love.
I expected it to sound more mechanical, like an old fashioned typewriter, and less organic.
What I heard was a cross between a happy cat and a device dreamed of by Tesla.
It whirrrrrs!

And it sews, straight and beautiful stitches. It's stitches put my modern Janome to shame.(of course the Janome does 600 billion types of stitch, and the 201 only does straight...so it may not be a fair comparison)

I decided to test it out on a project I was working on, just to see what it felt like to sew on it.

As I was sewing a seam, my cat pushed a pair of jeans off of the shelf above me, onto the project I was sewing. I turned to scold her, and when I turned back I found I had sewn the jeans to the other fabric and the machine had not changed pitch at all.
This made me curious.

So I decided to test her and see what the limit of her penetrating power is.

I'm still not sure.

From what I've tried, if it fits between the presser foot and the bed, she'll sew it.
12 layers of heavy denim? SURE!

I haven't tried leather, because I don't have any laying around. But she went through 1/4" of denim as if it wasn't there. And the stitch?
Still beautiful!

So, I brought her home and started cleaning her up.
Now, my goal here wasn't actually to sew on this machine, but rather to have a nice looking conversation piece.
I knew very little about these machines and their history, so I started poking around on the intarweb looking for answers.
Amazingly, in this age of cheap bastard corporations, Singer has a database online of their early models, to help you identify them by serial number, and many of the manuals are available as free downloads. Kudos to them for that at least!
I cleaned and polished her, I made sure the grease was fresh and the interior was was lubricated, and then on a whim... I decided to try sewing on her.

I was floored.

From the first time I pushed the pedal down and heard that whirring noise..I was astounded.
This is a machine made entirely of metal. there are no belts, no plastic gears, nothing but iron and steel.
And it purrs.

It was sitting next to a piece of mid 70's plastic sewingtrash, yes it's a word, which was marked nearly twice as high.
I didn't really know that much about the antique machines but when I saw she had no belt, I knew it was one of two possible models.
The machine was complete, albeit missing the original attachments so I paid the piper and had her carried out to my car.

Thus began my journey into the world of vintage and antique sewing machines.

The beginning!

About 6 months ago, I was in a thrift store and I came across an old Singer machine still in it's original cabinet.