bearisgray

Is there any point/condition that you will look at a machine and say - the only place left for it is to be trashed or sold for the metal in it?

I've seen some amazing rescues of machines that looked beyond help to me.

If I buy a machine, I want it to be in good running order and still look decent.

I do not have the skills - or desire - to do repairs or reconditioning.

Just wondering.

Sewnoma

I haven't taken anything I'd have to discard, so far.

I avoid machines with a ton of rust, I'm not ready to take something like that on (yet). Maybe some day.

I do have one machine (Singer 15) that's pretty darn rusty, first old machine I bought and I just snatched it up to play with it with no real goals in mind; I just thought it was cool and wanted to have it. I wouldn't buy it again it now that I know a little more, but since I already have it I've been slowly rehabbing it and replacing some minor parts. I call it my "learning" machine. I will probably never be able to make it look pretty, but I think I can make it sew again. Maybe some day I'll paint it.

ManiacQuilter2

I think it is great that we have members who ENJOY finding sewing machine and restoring them back to health. I was amazed at looking at some of these members collections. It is not anything I could do but I admire ALL of you who do this. We need to recycle everything that can be recycled. So tired how we have been such a disposable society. And yes, I will bend over with cane in hand to pick up a penny.

J Miller

When I first started on the sewing machine thing I'd try to buy machines that interested me and that I thought I could rehab. I did acquire a couple that were pretty darn bad and managed to get them up and running.

Now, I won't pay money for a machine that's really bad. I've learned a lot from them, but I've gotten to the point that I want them in decent shape and as close to functional as they can be.

At this point I haven't run into any that are so bad I'd scrap them. I may have one though. It could be fixed but I don't feel it's worth it. So ..... he he, it's gots lots of pieces I can use though.

Joe

Cari-in-Oly

The White Rotary that sat outside for years before I bought it, then sat on my carport for a few years after that. The cats peed on it enough times that I gave it away. I don't know if its' new owner has decided to try and get it working or scrap it.

Cari

M.Elizabeth

My sentiments, as well!

Macybaby

If I can't give them away, then I scrap them out. I'm not going to warehouse derelict machines. I have bought a few just for parts, and I've ended up with more that came with cabinets I was after. Since DH is my mechanic, I'm not going to buy anything that needs more work than he's willing to give it.

I've got several machines that are in rough shape cosmetically, but they are much older and quite rare - so worth saving for that reason.

LilRedRocker

The love of my life had a sewing machine when we got together. It was in bad shape over 30 years ago. When we bought this house we had no place to put it and it wound up in a storage building that was very damp. Life happened, he got sick and I took early retirement to care for him. Three years ago he decided he wanted to show it to his brother and insisted I go get it. What I found made me sick and him too. It was so rusted over that you could barely tell it was a machine and I mean completely rusted. He wanted to throw it away, but I said no, I will work on it. If I can do something with it the head, you can help me redo the cabinet and irons. I didn't know what I was doing, but I got all the rust off and made it sew again. The only thing I regret was asking an artist friend to paint it. I should have left it black and I may yet sand and repaint again. It is a Class 15 improved model fiddle back dating to 1888. The coffin top had no back, so sweetie made one that I stained to match. The veneer was bubbled and he refused to let me take it off and re-veneer, instead splitting and gluing it down. He took the irons down to the metal and I repainted them.

My mother's Hudson is pretty rusty, but still had all the decals, so it is in no way as bad as the fiddle back. I am planning to restore it as much as possible but I am saturated with machines now and am not planning on redoing any more rust buckets.

miriam

Links on your topic:
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...y-t232536.html


Some times you can find a very amazing sewing machine under a to of grunge.
http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...e-t261967.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...r-t259574.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...h-t257669.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...r-t256543.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...t-t248839.html

http://www.quiltingboard.com/vintage...d-t227831.html

I may have more that could be linked on this topic but it is getting late and those should keep you busy a while.

Cari-in-Oly

Miriam I just read "This Old Lady Wants To Work Hard" and I have the same issue in reverse with the black 301 I bought in January. Inside the top of the machine and on the underside I swear it's tan under the black, but it hasn't been repainted.

Cari