Rodney

I already mentioned I have a couple donor machines. The problem with those is they take up the same amount of space as a more desirable machine.
Rodney

miriam

Then if you pull parts off them you never can find what you need........ ask me how I know.

tessagin

I just don't take any machine that needs major work. I'm not that ambitious or smart. If my 401 didn't look as good as it does and work as good as it does, it wouldn't be in my room.

elnan

Rustbuckets are far beyond me. What I do does not qualify as repair, but I do enjoy buying an inexpensive machine, usually Kenmore, and getting it up and running to then pass it on. Several have gone to teens, but most to adults. I have never sold one, just freely given, but if it is going to have recurring problems, I don't want to pass that on to a newbie sewer. That said, I will now be more careful about picking up one of those bargains that has what I think of as a clamshell body, those that are plastic and have several sections to remove before you get to the really fun part of splitting those two sections that connect at a seam running along the middle top. I now have two very clean "parts" machines. One a bottom of the line Brother clamshell that I was asked to see if it was worth passing on, or toss it in the dumpster. I just cannot toss it in the dumpster! The other is a Kenmore 385.1210 that had something like coffee with cream spilled where it dripped down under the needle plate and hardened, probably a long time ago. All clean now and the reverse tab again will move the feed dogs, but the feed dogs only go up and down, no forward or back motion. The foot pedal and power cord are worth three times what I paid for the machine, so I will console myself with that, but no more machines that split in the middle to get to the workings. I have some desirable vintage machines I could pass along, but I work with people who have to be taught how to thread a simple machine, and are amazed at how quiet one gets after oiling, just that they think once is enough in the life of the machine. I have only trashed one, but that was another one of those I was handed to "check it out or throw it in the dumpster", and that one I saved everything that could be taken off, then gave the skeletonized head to a scrap metal dealer. So, instead of trashing, I will be more careful in buying.

Cari-in-Oly

I think I'll make this one a donor machine. It's a Brother Project 651, left needle machine so it's nothing special. I can use some of its parts on other, more desirable machines. Besides, every time I look at it I still get mad all over again. If it hadn't been boxed with just packing peanuts it would be a working machine.

Cari

elnan

Speaking of donors, does anyone have a green colored White Automatic, model 655 that is need of a transplant?

greywuuf

I have had a 128 crinkle with a Slightly ( just enough to be annoying) bent shaft for a couple years , every time I buy a donor I end up fixing it to... one of these day I am going to pull the shaft and take it to the shop and pretend it is a race car engine crankshaft and whack it back straight with my lead hammers.....