Necchi BU Mira Update and First Project

I'm posting this update fast on the heels of my introduction for this machine.  I may have forgotten to actually post the intro a few months ago and just came across it when I started writing this update. Ah well, this will minimize any feelings of suspense you had about how this machine would turn out.

I started by cleaning the machine inside and out. I really wanted to get as much of the oil residue off as I could, and the chrome polished up nicely.  Next, I tackled the crumbling wires that attached to the motor.

Old wires

I took the motor bracket off the machine and then took the motor out of the bracket.

Wires coming up through bed of machine

White caulk extends around side of machine

The wires coming up through the bed of the machine had no insulation left on them.  There was a white putty substance that crumbled easily and then a line of white 'caulk' that went around the side of the machine.  All of the connections inside the box looked good, so I just planned to swap out the wires with crumbling insulation.

Take that gray wire out

A trip to the Goodwill for a power cord and to the hardware store for eyelets and then I was ready to go.  Once I got started, the process didn't take very long and I had a working motor upon completion.

From then on it was attention to detail that got this girl looking her absolute best. Here she is ready to take on her first quilting project.  I do not have a cabinet for her right now, but I will keep looking for one because she wandered a bit while sewing on this table.

She is beautiful!

There are a few marks on her paint, but she has aged well. 

Oil residue spots are minimized

After tension discs were cleaned, she threaded up easily

There is no crumbling insulation on that power cord

The needle plate has some rust that I couldn't get off, but it sanded to a pretty smooth surface

I took the wonder wheel off the machine for now.  I will need to replace the tire and find one missing part before I try it out.

The light works

 The first project I worked on with Mira was piecing a baby quilt.  This one was made from a jelly roll of Moda fabrics.

Assembly line piecing

Here is the finished top waiting for a backing

I loved sewing with this machine.  There was not one time that the thread or needle jammed up.  I was able to figure out the bobbin winder without the manual, and I like the sound the machine makes when it's working.  The machine feels like it has more power than was needed for this project and I'll have to figure out another way to put her through her paces.

Necchi BU Mira

This machine was a gift that I bought for myself while on a girls' weekend in Wisconsin.  My college roommate and I met in Milwaukee this summer for a couple days of fun.  We checked out the Schlitz Audubon Society, Havenwoods State Forest, and great restaurants.  J, what do you say, shall we do it again next summer?  On the first day I got to the hotel a bit early so I made a quick side trip down the street to the Goodwill.  There was only one machine in the whole place, but I was completely taken with it.  The machine was hidden in a broken cabinet in the back of the store surrounded by furniture and buried under some boxes.  I almost walked right by it, but the type of legs on the cabinet spurred me to take a closer look.  Inside the cabinet I found the discolored and somewhat worn BU Mira. The hand wheel would barely turn, but the wiring was crumbling and I didn't want to plug it in to try it out. Near the hand wheel was an attachment that I did not recognize and I guessed it was a wonder wheel. There was a small box of accessories and three discs for the wonder wheel in the door of the cabinet, and I practically ran up to the counter to purchase all of it.  I spent the next few days hauling a sewing machine and cabinet in the back of my car everywhere we went.  I was tempted to carry it into the hotel one night so I could look at it, but my friend gave me the 'you might be a bit too crazy' look, so the machine stayed in my car until I got back to Chicago.
When I finally got home, I took the machine out of the crumbling cabinet and threw the cabinet away.

The lighting is a bit dark in the garage

Top view: Lots of oil residue discoloring the paint

The bed looks to be in pretty good condition

  The tire for the wonder wheel and the bobbin winder need to be replaced

The belt looks to be in good shape

There a good collection of lint and such behind the faceplate

Handy panel for access to innards

You can see some wear on the side of the bed--maybe from the cabinet

Oil ports keep out dust, but have accumulated a residue around them over time

Some paint worn off on the bed and body

I did not get a manual with this machine, so I had to go online and do a bit of reading before I started cleaning her up.  This machine is from the early 1950's.  The Mira is a top-of-the-line Necchi and it will sew straight stitch, zig-zag, and reverse.  The wonder wheel allows the machine to do a few decorative stitches, but I don't think that I have all the pieces for this wheel right now.  The motor has two speeds, high and low, with a switch on the back.  There is also a built-in light. Since the wiring is crumbling, I did not try to see if the light works. The box of accessories came with a few class 15 bobbins, two needle plates, several different feet, an automatic threader, and what I am hoping are the wonder wheel rods. 

The plan was to have this machine working by Christmas.