I inherit a Singer 281-21 sewing machine from my grandmother, and I know nothing about it. She was a seamstress by trade, and brought this one years after she retired. Can you point me in the right direction to find the information that I need?

You have a high speed (for the time) industrial Singer sewing machine. If you click here you will find a free download of the servicing manual for your machine: it's very comprehensive and includes the operating instructions, but as it's aimed at professional users it assumes the user already knows a bit about sewing machines. Note that on the 281-21 regular maintenance and correct lubrication is even more vital than on their domestic machines from the same period.

I hope that you are pleased with the speed and content of my free answer, if so then please take a brief moment to rate my reply. Good luck with your machine, it's a bit of a heavyweight but should give many more years of faultless use if looked after.

I don't see that model number listed in Singer, maybe, call Singer (1-800-4singer) and ask for their assistance. They do have free downloads of their manuals but yours is not listed.