And They Keep Coming

The start of the weekend was fun with a surprise discovery of a Singer 99 crinkle finish sewing machine in a bentwood case:

Singer 99 with crinkle finish

It was in great shape, especially the case, so I snatched it up thinking there probably wasn't anything seriously wrong with it. I could see the power cord had been cut so I was prepared to do some wiring on it but that had been done before, too.  My $5 discount coupon made it even sweeter. Once I got it home and took it apart I could see it was wired a bit differently with wire nuts so I would be breaking new ground with my wiring skills. That's good! It is dated 1941, appropriate to have such a somber and durable finish during those difficult years in our history.

Cut power cord!

With the weather turning cooler I could finally get some of the cabinets in shape so I got one stripped on Friday night:

Singer 99 table base

This is the cool model that has a bentwood case to fit down into it so it's truly convertible as a table (above) or carried out in the bentwood case. Didn't turn out too bad but it hasn't even been sanded yet so I hope for even better end results.

Sunday afternoon I tackled the latest Singer 15-91 cabinet that I think is going to be a real beauty:

Singer 15 Queen Anne style cabinet

It is so difficult to get out those spots that have appeared when the original finish flaked off: now there are patches that are very light in comparison to the rest. Sanding might help that but I doubt I can get it looking like new again. But it's not new! You would think I could embrace the antique quality of these woodworking projects with a bit more grace. I love to bring them back to life and usable quality and get so much satisfaction in selling a great sewing machine in a cabinet that is also a compliment to the machine. Plus, I need to get them out of my garage and in desirable shape means a better chance to sell!

Sewing machine garage sale coming up!