Lost and Found

It's always fun to find a good sewing machine tucked away on a shelf, looking a bit neglected (with a low price tag!). That's the story behind the Morse 6100, a terrific sewing machine that has gotten very little press. Here's the one I found at Goodwill last week:

Morse 6100

I recognized this machine immediately because I already had one that came in perfect condition, carrying case, box of accessories, and box of 21 cams for decorative stitches. No so with this one that only came with it's power cord and foot control. Actually, you could tell it came straight from a cabinet because the foot control had an added lever for knee control and the bottom wasn't there because it had been mounted inside a cabinet. I have a few others with missing bottom plates and it's a bit annoying because you really can't  just set them on the carpeting with the carbon contacts exposed. You need another control or to put the whole works into a cabinet. No problem, I have many cabinets! It was also missing the front plates on two of the dials but that's okay, too, because I have another machine to compare it to. She came home with me and sat on the floor while I took care of another situation (maybe it was Bernina day when I was given a 730?).

I finally get back to the Morse and give her a nice cleaning, quite a bit of oil, and grease on one gear. She starts to run pretty nice, a bit loud still, but she sews a very nice stitch. I get out the other Morse 6100 and try out some of the cams in this machine and she works great. How do I get just the right cams for this model when there is nothing written up about her? No trace on ebay? I try a search with just the terms "sewing machine cams" and it produces a huge number of listings but I'm patient and find the same ones! Exactly the same box, I compare to my other set: perfect match. But they are $30, way too much to complete this sewing machine. I ask the seller if they will take $20 but no reply so now I've insulted them. Sigh.

Stopping by a different Goodwill this week (yes, I visit 3 on a regular basis) I walk through the aisles and spot a cam box and accessory box taped together. I can't believe it. My heart starts to race. I open it up and yes, yes, yes it's the Morse 6100 cams!  No price sticker but there is quite a bit of tape wrapped around them. Oh yea, they were supposed to be with my machine but somehow got separated. They price them for me at $5 and I'm a very happy camper, practically singing my way out the door. Here's a few photos of what the Morse 6100 can do:

Cam case and accessory box

21 cams for special stitches

First attempts with a cleaned up Morse 6100

Now the lost has been found, put to the test, and measured for a cabinet. So many to choose from, which one will it be? I found one in the back of the garage that we kept all winter because it was just to nice to give away. It would fit in that one, a nice desk model and don't all those cams and accessories just beacon for a desk? Let's try it out:

Mores 6100 in desk cabinet

Not bad, huh?