I noticed Shahid had this lovely old Elna SP on his bench earlier today. Now this is a true Elna sewing machine and it dates back to the 1960’s & 70’s when Elnas were made in Switzerland. This is one that we sold from our old shop on Regent Road, Salford. I remember years ago we used to sell lots of Elna sewing machines to customers who valued the workmanship and quality of the brand. In those days the top brands were Bernina, Elna, Viking & Pfaff. These days the top Brands are Bernina, Janome & Brother.
Anyway, despite it’s age a quick peek under the top cover reveals that this Elna is still in lovely condition. It isn’t just down to a loving owner, it’s also the quality of the manufacture that keeps a lot of these old Elnas sewing along. They always produced a lovely stitch and would sew a wide range of fabrics.
You can see that the shuttle drive gear has had enough and finally failed after many years of faithful service. The teeth have given way and have become distorted. If you look closely you will notice some of the teeth lying on the floor of the free-arm, like the dentists floor after a busy day…
Here is a shot of the same gear from another angle. We’ve removed the shuttle hook to expose the damaged gear.
Shahid has removed the old and damaged gear and replaced it with a nice new one. The split pin will hold this gear in place for the next 30 odd years. By that time I will be as old as my father who celebrated his 83rd birthday just a few weeks ago. When he was my age he would have been knee-deep in the models Elna SP, Elna TSP, Elna Stella, Elna Lotus etc. etc. etc.
I will add the conclusion to this post in a few days time. By then the machine will have been re-timed and fully serviced.
