Well done on getting a Bernina 830 Record – they are beautiful machines. Apparently this is the one machine that Bernina got totally right, and thus commands high second hand prices.
I inherited my mother’s 830, bought new in 1975, and whilst she had used this it had not been overworked. I happened to make a note of the feet that came with this machine and then added a few more. So the machine originally came with the following:
Zig Zag foot no. 000
Embroidery foot no. 030
Overlock foot no. 470
Blind Stitch foot no. 016
Buttonhole foot no. 452
Tailor Tacking foot no. 419
Pin Tuck foot no. 028
Zipper foot no. 007
Darning foot no number on this.
(However I have a feeling that Mum was given two free feet at the time of the purchase, one being the pin tuck foot)
I know you said you are near Bambers, and a long time ago there was a link to Bambers where they showed what happened to an older Bernina during servicing, so perhaps go and search the internet to see if you can find this. I buy all my Bernina accessories direct from Bernina (Bogod) in Cardiff which is their warehouse. The two ladies there Rachel and Jackie are really helpful and go that extra mile to help (I happen to have two Bernina sewing machines and two Bernina overlockers) and I know that they have lists of the appropriate feet and attachments for the older Berninas. Bernina - well Bogod Machine Company’s Cardiff phone number is 029 2079 2079 Now I know that dealers will order feet/accessories for you, but I found that sometimes I had to wait until they had a big enough order to put in and then still pay for postage and packing! By ordering direct from Bernina I do not have to wait, often the package arrives within the next day or two, and I am paying exactly the same price plus postage and packing. This also ensures that I have the exact foot/accessory for my particular machine as over the years Bernina have changed the numbers on the feet, and have now categorised the numbers on feet for particular machines.
Two feet which I find absolutely essential and so useful on the old 830 are the Edge Stitch Foot which is No. 10, and an indulgence that is the Straight Stitch Foot no.13 and a straight stitch needle plate – Cardiff could tell you whether these last two are still available.
I have also found that by religiously cleaning and oiling around the bobbin area that the machine is always purring along, it is amazing just how much fluff and debris from the needle penetration accumulates down there, and it does not take long to do.
I find the instruction manual excellent, and it was in following the instructions in this manual that I found the corded buttonholes – these now feature in my sewing today a lot!!!!!
One word of warning, when I decided this machine ought to be serviced (nobody knew whether my mother had ever had this serviced and this was now 2003) it cost me over £100, they had to change the bobbin winder and change the electric plug on the cable to one that had the prongs sheathed if you know what I mean.
Keep on looking on e-bay and asking around any Bernina dealers as to whether they have an extension table for this 830 machine – you may just be lucky, as often these machines when no longer repairable are broken up for spares.
Spend an afternoon getting to know your new machine, they are beauties, and if you were a member of the old forum you will recall the name Hevsi – she had one of these 830’s and said that the embroidery stitches, particularly the satin stitch were divine, they just stitch out so perfectly – so have fun.