Cabinet Ready

Portable or cabinet? That is a question I think should be asked about every sewing machine purchase. There are reasons for each:
Portable

• need to travel with a sewing machine
• no room for a permanent cabinet
• larger number of sewing machines in limited space
• infrequent use
• space needs to double as guest/dining/laundry room

Desk or Cabinet

• need to leave projects set up in order to finish
• desired machines are to heavy to lift and carry
• have/can make space for a sewing area
• can disguise a table as other furniture

There are people who only sell the sewing machine "heads" with no carrying case for portability or cabinet for stability. That probably cuts down on the storage space you need as a dealer but I think there are some sewing machines that need a cabinet/desk. For example, the Singer 185 looks so compact and cute but it's way too heavy to be carried around comfortably:

Singer 185: 26 lbs. without a carrying case

I now have a Singer 201 in a bentwood case which looks absolutely beautiful:

Singer 201: 45 lbs. with case

Bentwood case: extra long!

 I can hardly lift it. To my way of thinking, if the sewing machines size or weight is going to keep you from sewing, you need a more permanent structure (or a different machine?).

No room? there are many cabinets that are only 22"-24" wide and about 18" deep. When opened that can give you four feet of work space, including the sewing machine itself. Okay, that's not going to let you maneuver a quilt, but for garment construction that's pretty good. When not in use you can close it up and put a lamp back on top or whatever you use to decorate your space. Please, please, please, don't put a live plant that needs watering on top of a sewing machine cabinet; it will inevitably get watered too much and spill over onto that nice finish and make those white rings that eventually turn black. Even refinished, this was the best I could do with a Singer 99 cabinet that's getting ready for a Singer 185:

Finish is smooth but faint rings remain

Then there are cabinets that take up a much larger amount of space but the remain opened up:

There is a whole line of cabinets for the Singer 401, 403, 404 series because they have larger beds and the older cabinets just won't work. Pretty sneaky of Singer to produce a whole line that required new cabinets! They all have a 1960's styling so there was great appeal on top of the new size.

So where do I put all these cabinets and how do I work on refinishing them? Welcome to my garage in the summer months:

You might see a few you recognize but when they are done I'll post their photos, just like a line-up! For now, there is a reason for cabinets and I would encourage you to find space in your home so you can have a designated place to sew (you'll be more likely to sew!)