Hidden Compartments

I love to watch those who-done-it television shows and movies, trying to figure out the solution to the mystery. The same thing goes for sewing machines where I'm trying to figure out what went wrong and how to fix it. Sometimes there are secrets to discover and this post is about a sewing machine cabinet that has a secret and I'm on the hunt to find one!

It all started with Judy who traveled down from the Fargo/Moorhead area to buy a Brother Select-O-Matic. She already had one and wanted mine to try and fix hers. But why was this machine so prized? I've had several of them and agree they are really nice but it was a very long drive to pick up this particular sewing machine. Judy had a cabinet that was very, very special:

Treadle/electric cabinet: Brother decal

It's convertible from treadle to electric: the iron treadle foot peddle is hinged on the side so it can be disengaged. Then there is a door that covers the whole rest of the treadle parts (wheel, rods, etc.) and now there is room to place the electric foot control on the floor, where the treadle foot peddle was, so you can run the machine via electricity. There would be a minor step of changing the large treadle belt for a smaller belt that would now attach to a motor, but that should be fairly easy. That's what I call a "convertible treadle" cabinet.

Door opens to reveal wheel, stores electric foot control, hinged treadle peddle

Judy has only seen one other cabinet like this and I have not seen even one so I figured they were pretty scarce but I'm patient. That lasted about a minute and then I went searching. So far I have found two in the Midwest, one about four hours away and on the way to Illinois or Milwaukee:

Another version

Pretty rough shape and the opening is only for a sharp edged machine like a Kenmore. I kept looking and found one in Nebraska that is is much better shape but not on the way to where I might travel:

Right idea and in much better shape

I will keep searching and will find one if I'm just patient enough to wait it out. It's like a mystery, isn't it? It might not be listed as a treadle but only a sewing machine cabinet and you have to look at the photos carefully to see if it has a hidden compartment that holds the treadle components.

The search is on!