If you've done much sewing, you probably know there are two types of sewing machine. There's the sort that would break your foot into small fragments in an unperturbed manner if you dropped it on it, and the sort that would only hurt a lot and would probably shower you with plastic fragments.
There being a time when I was convinced I could make kites, I purchased one of the former type of machine, because I needed something other than my industrial machine for sewing zigzag and applique. That machine was a Pfaff 297.
In fact, a very nice feature of the Pfaff 297 is that it is made of cast aluminium, and not cast iron. This means that moving it around does not actually require gym training, and yet it is still rigid and highly robust. I felt safe moving it around wearing sandals, though this was probably a mistake on my part.
However, the story starts with the sad demise of said machine. One day, the motor would not turn. Since there was actually very very little in the way of electrical components between the motor and the mains, suspicion immediately focused on a strange silver thing hanging off one end of the motor. After much disassembly, said item was removed, but there the trail runs cold, because I could not identify this thing. So the 297 was laid respectfully to rest in a Really Useful Box, and remained there for at least the next 15 years.
© Mark de Roussier 2021, all rights reserved.