This is one of those borderline machines where I suspect I might be purchasing trouble. Unless I'm a complete bonehead and don't understand the ins and outs of Elna-ese (I don't have a manual), this may be hard to fix. Other than that, it's obviously a quality machine -- all-metal except for one part I found underneath the lid (a gear whose function I haven't yet figured out, as I've owned the machine all of 2 hours).
It looks OK for a thrift store machine that was sitting on a shelf w/out the protection of a case. Included was a box with cams, some thread and bobbins (no feet, though), a small screwdriver that is bent to the point of useless, and I assume this box slides under the free arm. The pedal was also included, thankfully.
Upon powering it up, the light worked and the machine ran slowly. It gradually picked up speed and the needle bar moves smoothly, quietly, and quickly. I've seen these machines in pictures, blogs, etc. and have never been attracted to the design, probably because it looked like a simple zig-zag machine. However, this particular model has a cam stack for several built-in stitches and takes cams for extra decorative sewing. The bobbin area is accessed via the back of the arm, oddly.
Hopefully I can get this thing sewing.
My mother had an Elna like this--I remember it being blue and white--and she made all of our clothes on it when we were little. She "upgraded" to a Bernina that never quite worked properly. Now she doesn't sew much and has a little Brother that she got at Costco just so she can hem and mend. I've often thought that if I could find one like her Elna, I would get it just for sentimental reasons.
ReplyDeleteI've since figured out that it has two problems: a) the needle position dial is frozen solid; b) the hook pinion gear is likely stripped. The former is an easy fix, the latter not so much. I hope I can find a replacement for it.
ReplyDeleteDid your mom like hers? I've read mixed reviews of these vintage Elnas (several models) that basically boil down to: they sew really well if you can get them to sew. Temperamental and with plastic parts in crucial areas. But they stitch beautifully.
I've seen some Berninas that have tempted me but I've never been able to justify their prices. I just don't see how they could be worth that much money, not when I have a bunch of $25-or-less Kenmores that are smooth, quiet, rich in features, lots of attachments, and do beautiful stitches.
Addendum: New pinion gears are readily available. Score! So, $20 for the machine and about $20 for the gear. Not bad so far but I hope that's the extent of it.
DeleteI think she did like it; I remember she didn't like the Bernina much at all. I'll have to visit with her about it. She sewed everything--Barbie doll clothes, all my sister's and my clothes until we were in middle school, bathing suits, hats, you name it. She took all those Stretch and Sew classes and I think she would have been sewing on her Elna around that time. Maybe she just wore it out. :)
ReplyDeleteI have a Singer 503 that she said is just like the one her mother used when they were all growing up. I think I am going to gift that machine to a young budding seamstress I know. It came with a box of cams and after I cleaned it up and oiled it, it sews beautifully. I am not going to keep it because I have a Singer 500 that I have been sewing on pretty regularly lately. When I bought that machine, it was missing a bunch of parts, was filthy, and was completely frozen up. I am surprised it hadn't been sent to the landfill. I paid $10 for it and probably put another $30 worth of parts in it. Totally worth it. Maybe your Elna will surprise you.
$30 for a great-running Singer 500? Score! You did very well. I've heard/read so many good things about the 500 series machines.
DeleteI would be pleasantly surprised if the Elna turned out to be a keeper. I have so many machines but I don't buy them to flip or even to sell -- I like buying machines I don't yet own, cleaning them, and getting them running (if I can). Once I've put time and effort (and a little money) into them, I've bonded with them to a certain extent and have a tough time letting them go. But I'm getting better about that because I'm running out of space. :D
Machines keep following me home, even though I said I would not buy any more. We worked a fundraising auction last week for our local volunteer fire department (he's a fireman/EMT) and someone left a Singer 15-90 there. No one claimed it, so I brought it home. The finish is okay--not great--so I am kicking around the idea of having it stripped and repainted. I need to take a machine apart completely and put it back together and this one is a good candidate.
ReplyDeleteI also got a Singer 301 at that same auction for $20. Lordy.
Both my kids will be in Spokane in school in the fall and I am looking forward to hunting down some machines there. I was there in February and brought home a Singer 201 that I picked up for $10 in an antique store. I don't mind working on the machines, but I am getting a bit tired of working on motors. And the motors all need work.