Elevators

I must be a sucker for the small surprise because I've fallen for those sewing machines that seem to rise up when you push a lever or open the lid. Remember my Singer 66 in its new cabinet that I wrote about in Easy Peasy? I love to show that off and see it rise up: everyone is surprised and a few are even astonished! Then I found a White in a Martha Washington table and was so enamored. I started looking for one and when you search you are just gonna find one. And here's what I found:

Martha Washington cabinet

It looked like it would work until I opened it up to find:

MW with nothing inside

It was empty inside, no mechanism to hold a sewing machine. That wasn't going to keep me back so I found a White treadle that I could take out the part that held the machine and I got to work. I would explain the process but it was so many months ago that I'm just a bit foggy on how I did it. But I took photos to share:

Insert in place

Insert ready for the machine

It fit but there was something missing. I got in contact with someone who sent photos of what hers' looked like inside to discover I was missing a small lever that engages when the lid lifts and the weight of the machine helps to start the downward motion. I had to set it aside until this week when I got one that's intact and affordable:

Martha Washington cabinet #2

As the lid lifts up the machine rises (the elevator!) until it's open and ready for sewing:

MW#2 open to a nice White rotary sewing machine

I had to change out the wire for the plug and it was one of the two-prong type but now it is safe. Here it is as the lid lifts and it is going down:

On the decent back into the cabinet

All in all, it had some of the same parts and some are different and I long for warmer weather when I can put this out on the garage floor and look it all over. For now it will have to do in my kitchen (yes, another sewing machine in the kitchen!). How does the sewing machine work? It stitches just fine but think there are bearings in the handwheel that are causing much noise. The motor is quiet but the handwheel is slightly wobbly so it is going to take some work. My husband says I need to use a gear puller and I found out he's right so now I wait until I have the right tools. It's going to be a nice sewing machine when I'm done and I have hopes for refinishing both cabinets this summer but for now I'm just going to admire them:

White rotary cleaned up and sewing again

Just goes to show you: wait long enough and the right one comes along. Oh, that sounds like love advice, doesn't it? But who says this isn't all for love of the sewing machine? Not you, my friend!