Class with Ray White

This past week I made the 6 hour trip down to Belleview, Missouri to take my fourth sewing machine repair course from Ray White. I have looked forward to every one of these classes and I always learn so much from whatever projects I get to work on over the three days. I also look forward to seeing what machines/projects the other students in the class bring with them because everyone is willing to talk to and learn from each other. As this was my third advanced level class, I felt more confident predicting how long each of my projects would take and how many machines I should take with me. This time I packed 7 machines into the car and I was able to finish up 6 of the 7 during my stay.  The last project turned out to be more involved than I anticipated, but I will get it finished up here at home in the next few days.

The projects that I took for myself included: a Bernina Nova that needed a foot control/power cord conversion kit install (Ray sells the kit and I was glad he'd be there to supervise my installation), a Bernina 830 that had a broken nose cover plate, a Simplicity Easylock serger that did not make a stitch and needed to be re-timed, a Singer 301 that needed new wiring and a tuneup, a Bernina 1130 and 1230 that had both been purchased recently and had not been tried out yet (hoping for minimal work needed), and a Singer 201-2 that ended up needing rewiring, motor-cleaning, and some restoration.

Bernina Nova

I started the first day with the conversion kit install on the Bernina Nova.  One of my customers had purchased the kit online from Ray's website and then I brought the machine and kit to Missouri to have Ray oversee my first installation of the kit. The directions in the kit are pretty straightforward and there are detailed pictures to follow, but it was not a fast process and I spent the whole morning on that project. Ray's approach to his advanced classes is that he lets you work on your own until you get stuck or until he sees you doing something that might hurt you or the machine. He is willing to answer any question that is asked, but he really does want to give you space and time to problem-solve on your own. I appreciate that. The installation went well and now the Nova control pedal does not race uncontrollably when she sews.

Bernina 830

The Bernina 830 came to me with a broken nose plate and a few scratches on her paint. Who knows what challenges she has faced over the years--perhaps a fall at some point?  The nose cover hinge was bent and the cover did not close correctly. This meant that the top cover would not close either unless it was forced and that was already starting to chip off more paint. Taking off the hinge and straightening it out was a great improvement, but it revealed that at some point this machine had actually had a replacement nose cover put on.  This new one is wider than the machine and it does not sit completely flush with the front and back. Since this is a machine for me though, I can live with the 'character' that this adds to the machine.

Simplicity 804 Serger

The serger turned into a time and labor intensive project. I was not privy to the history of this machine either and it seemed to have been tinkered with multiple times, possibly by multiple people. I don't know when the last time was that it actually worked, but it was hard to find a part of this machine that had not been tweaked at some point. This turned into a group project and two of my classmates were instrumental in figuring out how to get everything running smoothly again. I loved being able to consult with others across the table. Usually, I'm alone in my workshop---it sure was fun to collaborate in person.

Singer 301

The Singer 301 had frayed cords and the foot control got rewired. After a complete cleaning, lubrication, and tuneup she was sewing confidently. She came out of a cabinet and will go back in to that original one before I sell her.

Inside a Bernina 1230

The Bernina 1130 and 1230 were purchased after I knew I was going to Ray's class and I wanted to wait until I was in MO before I serviced them. Fortunately, it turned out they were both in great condition and just needed a cleaning and lubrication. I look forward to trying those out in the coming weeks. What are some noticeable differences between the two machines?

Singer 201-2

The last project was a Singer 201-2 that I had purchased earlier this spring. Last year I had a 201 that I wanted to repair, but it had too much rust inside the machine and the motor had water damage beyond recovery. So, this was a second chance to see why this machine is sought-after. A complete rewiring job, motor cleaning (such a messy job), and machine cleaning took me the entire last day of class. There are still several things I need to do on the machine now that I'm back home, but even without sewing on it yet I can see her start to reveal her charm and strength.

This class proved, yet again, to be a delightful way to improve my skill set. Ray, the other students, and the variety of projects available each time already has me looking forward to going back next summer.