Where to Begin

So many parts in wiring a Pfaff 130

I was so proud to finally find a Pfaff 130 that I almost disregarded the state it was in. Not to be too discouraged, I got the price down to what it was worth at this stage of disrepair, but I would need to put  quite a bit of time into the cabinet as well as the machine itself. The cabinet is another very long story of grief I wrote about in this post but today I will address the sewing machine itself. Hubby and I looked over the wiring, knowing it had to be replaced, determining we would have to order a new set of wires. Order was done and I had to wait only a few days but it was with bated breathe. On the day it arrived you can see by the mess on the kitchen table what happened.

Wires done wrong!

In discussion about how electrical wiring works, I followed my husbands advice but didn't dare try it out until he checked it over. Glad I waited until he did because the next photo notes the wrong way to put the light and motor wires onto the three pins. We tested and reversed wires until it was running correctly.

While waiting, I cleaned the part of the machine that would be more difficult to clean when the light and motor were put back on but you can see it's in pretty poor condition with paint bubbling up and peeling off the bed. This is not acceptable for sewing when paint chips off onto your fabric! I fear we are looking at a new paint job. Will this sewing machine be worth it?

Note poor paint condition on bed

Stitch sample

With the wiring all done and put back together I got it all oiled up and started to sew. Many adjustments later and warming up in general (how long had she been on that porch before coming home to me?) I finally got it to sew. Note the fine stitches I got right from the first! It's a honey of a sewing machine and will be worth a repaint job.

Her papers

I even took a photo of the paperwork that came with her (no longer an "it" but now a "her"!), noting it was bought on April 28, 1953. The cabinet model number is 144,  The Californian, so modern, so new. It's not love but it's certainly admiration that I have for this old girl who is going to enjoy getting spiffed up.