I still will need to cut holes for the hinge pins, thread stand, and light mount when I receive them, but this is how the main cutouts turned out. The template worked. It was a tight fit on the back edge, so I still needed to route a little more out (maybe 1/8″?) to fit the machine well. ** (addendum: 06/13/08 It ended up being a lip that was 3/8″ deep, corners at 1/4″ deep, 1/2″ deep at hinge pin locations on the lip portion — 3/8″ deep where hinge pins (circular portion) fits into top, and 1/2″ deep x 1/2″ back into that circle for movement where hook and pins meet at the top. Also, the belt opening needs to be a 1/4″ closer toward the back of the machine – wider than I have marked.) That may be because I traced the inside edge of the template line, rather than the outside. If you use this template, you may want to go along mid-to-outside edge. It is a close-enough tracing to allow for adjustment without the machine falling through the top. I used a sharpie marker and should probably have used a pencil to get a cleaner line.

The routing went much better than I feared. After making the initial inside cutout, using a jigsaw, I almost went to Home Depot and bought a sheet of 1/8″ luan to put on top rather than attempt routing the ledges. But alas, I had that thought at 8:49 pm and Home Depot closes at 9 pm. So, I took a deep breath and did it! It worked out really well, I think.

A tip: whenever you use a jigsaw to make a cutout (such as a sink cutout or for a machine, it’s helpful to use a scrap of lumber (in my case a 1×2), put a nail into it’s center and nail it to the center of your cutout. It must be long enough to extend beyone your cut. This will in effect hold the cutout from the top of the table and keep it from slipping down before you are finished your cut – this slipping could – at best – jam your equipment – at worst – break your saw blade.

For the inner ledge cutout, I used a straight cutting bit and made successive passes to get the depth of the profile needed (as my old Black & Decker Router) isn’t too accurate. Once I had the depth of the corner pieces, then I lowered it another 1/8″ to get the ledge. This depth requirement did end up deeper than I originally had thought (about 3/8″). Still, it was a matter of just slipping the machine in and out of the hole until I got a depth I was comfortable with. Here is a closer look at the cutouts.

If you don’t have access to a router, gluing up another sheet of 1/4″ or 1/8″ (whatever the necessary depth of the reveal is), will work. After you make the outer edge cutout, just make sure it’s glued down into a position that will leave the necessary reveals. Without a router, you will need to probably use a wood chisel to dig out any spots lower than the base of the machine, like in my case, the hinge pin base clearances (they rounded down slightly in the back, like a 1/2″ half circle of steel).

Here is a view of the edge profile. I used a rounding-over bit (Norm would be proud!). Mainly because it seems my kids are always hitting table top edges with their foreheads. This step isn’t necessary, but you do want to make sure you seal and sand those edges. I’ve seen where people have used wood putty on a spatula to fill the edges of plywood, but I really like the toned lines in finished plywood.

I put two coats of water-based poly on the top and bottom and cutout edges (remember, if you seal the top, you need to also seal the bottom and any edges. or it may warp (the unfinished edges will absorb moisture from the air). I’ll sand the works down and continue putting more coats until It’s as smooth as I need. Water based stains and sealers raise the grain, so you must sand in between. This isn’t difficult tho, a fine sanpaper on a dense sponge or a block of wood works really well and quickly. Just take your time and do several coats sanding in between and the results will be really pretty.

In the past, I’ve used the oil based sealers and Johnson’s Paste Wax and Carnuba Car Wax. Most of the furniture in my house, I refinished with the waxes, as this is a hard durable finish that I can recoat as kids muck up without stripping. In this case, tho, I just knew if I waxed it, I’d set a hot iron down on it one day. So for now, I left the poly. Granted it still won’t hold up to an iron, but it will most likely leave a nice milky white spot to remind me never to do it again! I’m not sure how the oil based finishes would have dealt with it. But, hey, I’ve got to stop being lazy and use my ironing board for it’s intended purpose anyway.

All in all – I highly recommend making your own top. It really isn’t difficult and took me, using power tools, about 4 hours total (to the end of the 2nd coat of sealer) If you don’t have access to power tools, you can cut it with a hand saw that you can put through a drilled hole. It will just take awhile. The top cost: 30.00 + tax. The birch ply was 15.00 for a 24×48 sheet. + wood glue and sealer if you don’t have them. Not too shabby!

I’ll wash, sand and repaint the legs today, in between the coats of sealer. I’ll also add a tape measure to the top’s edge. It should be nice and dry by the time my parts come. Yippeee!

A HUGE THANK YOU in appreciation to the folks on the WEFIXIT group on Yahoo! Especially Bob Cavenagh! His encouragement and informative answers gave me the needed confidence to tackle this job. I highly recommend doing it yourself!

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Motor Specs:

I was pleased to discover today that the ole’ rusty motor just purrs along like a kitten. DH took the plunge and plugged her in – moved her arm – and wah-lah!

Motor was from 1985. 1725 hp, 1 phase. Not really sure what that means, except it will probably sew faster than anything I’ve got downstairs. Looks really aren’t everything! I admit to having bought some ‘Tiffany Blue’ testor paints to paint it if it runs well. If it runs really well, I might stick a rhinestone or two on her needle bar clamp!)

Motor and Machine Mounting Questions:

There is an arm, (circled numbered one with arrow) attched to the metal framework below, not hooked to anything else.
Is that for a missing knee-lift setup? that then gets also attached to the machine back? or does that go to the ?? foot peddle?

Left End:

It has wiring to attach for a table-mounted light and a plug for a 60v lamp.
Picture shows the two peddles below. A treadle and a foot?? peddle. Is that an “either/or” peddle for the motor arm?

Upper Back Center:

The picture above shows the back of the machine, with knee-lift bars and spring. These aren’t attached to anything. I’m guessing that since these need to pass below the machine, that it should not be resting on a lowered platform in the table, but rather that the machine should be mounted on hinge pins.

The two hinge pins from an old Necchi are on the table just inside the belt.

The belt is a Smith Kelly utility v-belt I purchased from Auto Zone today. It’s thickness is slightly more narrow than the one described online for the machine. It’s circumference is 50″. It was 2$ more than the sewing sources online, but with shipping costs and having to wait, I decided to go ahead and try it out. I can always purchase one onlne and return this one if it doesn’t work out.

Machine and Table From Above:

Machine – Table – and Lower Shelf? Support:

The white shelf is just a scrap of laminate shelving I set on what looks like a heighth adjustable bracket. (Bolts when turned raise up and down that are in the framework of that bracing). Again, tho, this would prevent the knee lift from coming down. (Or an oil pan?)

Motor and Shelf Support from Below the Table:

Here maybe you can see this framework for what appears to be a lower shelf support (green pearlescent painted structure), with the laminate shelf scrap on top of it. The black bolts in the corners can be turned to raise and or lower the shelf.

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Okay, so where does an oil pan fit into this? The belt also rubs slightly against the back edge of the cutout when the machine is moved as far left and center as it can (This can be relieved easy enough with a routed long oval shape to give it room).

The machine wouldn’t be so stable tho, because it’s not attached to anything and the belt is pulling down on the handwheel pulley to the motor ever so slightly.

I’m perplexed until I can see how an industrial Consew is supposed to look. Maybe it’s time to fill the truck up with some of that gold go-go juice and take a trip to Atlanta, although that would probably pay for a new top – wouldn’t it? lol. Argh!

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I just want to say (and if you read this J C I hope you gush with pride!) J C Sprowls, a sample maker, custom clothier and all-around terrific human being, owner of Declan Steed is consistently my angel unawares! If you ever need anything sewn (except machine repairs – I don’t think J C would appreciate getting that end of the business) please never hesitate to contact him! He is always one of the first to help in the Fashion Incubator forum and it would be really great if ya’ll just flooded his gates with business!

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As we drove past that day, one old industrial sewing machine after another came out of the rubble along with lots of industrial stands and other items unrecognizable. I urged my husband to pull off and ask one of the workers if they were going to be selling those machines. Nervous about doing so, he finally agreed. The guy leaned against a telephone pole and said, with a car salesman smirk – “Depends – ummmm whatcha wanna pay for one?”. I just leaned across my husband, laughed, and said – “I don’t know – is CHEAP an amount? I don’t have much!”. He grinned and said – “Well – we can probably work a deal here. Come back in 20 minutes after my bossman leaves for the day and I’ll meet ya behind the building with a machine.”

Tickled yet feeling really – really guilty – we ran to the ATM got $20.00 out and came back. The bossman wasn’t gone – so we circled – he still wasn’t gone. With each circling, we felt even more guilty – like the police were going to get us – maybe this guy didn’t even have the right to sell it – what if it was stolen property – we’d get charged with theft by taking!!! Just when we were about to forget it and go home, one more turn around the building to take us to main street to leave, the bossman comes out and says – “So I hear Tom has offered ya’ll this sewing machine and table for $20 (Yeah, he said he’d sell us a machine for $15 throw in a table for $5). “Yeah” I said as I saw Tom, head bowed inside the building as if he’d just been chewed out! Awww man – I didn’t want a sewing machine THAT bad!

The boss said it was okay and that he’d sell me this one but if I wanted anything else I’d have to pay alot more because he could get good money for the scrap metal! I thanked him profusely, totally relieved, and told him Tom just caved to my begging – He said it was okay. The next few days we saw Tom smiling as he worked finishing to clear the building and waved.

Tom – Wherever you are – THANK YOU and God Bless YOU! You were a godsend to me!

Here she is before she was whisked away in the arms of my sweet Slobo to the repair shop this morning:

Consew 225 – Front

Consew 225 – Back

I’ve had my eye on the Juki DDL series for many years, but even at 700. I couldn’t get it – especially with shipping costs running another 250.00 for a head with table. I’ve spent the last couple of months, cleaning and scrubbing up my new baby. I dipped her in Kerosene and scrubbed her with wire brushes to get the rust off. She’s felt old toothbrushes, q-tips and lots of flannel rags! I polished the oily kerosene residue with rubbing alcohol. Got her a new belt, bobbin winder, bed plate and a missing screw from Southstar Supply and lo and behold – she looks like she did the day she was left behind! I’ve attempted to time her – thought I had it – but the bobbin thread is still nesting under her. When I got her, she was frozen, the original steel tread belt crumbled in my hands, a waxy lint covered her bobbin case and a piece of tarp – still left in her – revealed her original problem with nested threads.

She’s gone off to our local repairman for a fixin’ fine tuning time and I cannot wait to get her back. Then all I’ll need is a new table top (the old cutout is way too big), a gooseneck lamp, a thread stand and a servo motor (the old one is rusted and I don’t have a clue about motors). A new ensemble would only be $250. My repairman mentioned he might be able to find a top and motor for me. That would be really great because I wouldn’t have to pay shipping of a new one.

Say your prayers she’ll purrrrr like a kitten and Slobo gets lots of new offers for paid postings, we have an old couch to reupholster and the boys need new jeans!

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Meet my dream house. I’ve been in love with this house since first moving into our new home four years ago. I told our builder, the day of closing, that it would only be temporary, because one day I was going to be living in that house down the road. I know, some people have other ideas about what their luxury home would look like. I’m looking for a certain feel. Somewhere that was home for generations, one that was loved.

My dream home sits on several acres that used to be farmed. It is situated with the rising and setting of the sun. It has two outbuildings (delapidated old cedar buildings with tin roofs). One for my art studio, one for my sewing studio. haha. This house had a new roof put on 4 years ago, to which our builder said, “Why? To protect the termites?”.

It’s lawn is mowed regularly, yet from what I can tell, no one has lived there in a very long time. When you drive by it, you can see the daylight between the siding planks, so I’m not even sure it has walls or floors. But it does have an original leaded glass door, craftsman columns and a gorgeous setting and appears in the Historical Society’s book for our area. The family that lived in it had given land to the gypsies and it was quite the talk of the town for generations. I would love to see inside of it, but there is a big No Trespassing sign on the door. Otherwise, the only thing I’ve still to find out now is who owns it!

The detail is an idea based on Frank Lloyd Wright’s designs. The kids added cowboy hats, birds and pigs to the original design of the horse. It’s a fun place to hang out and be a kid. (No matter what age!)