OT: Gonna learn to sew ... on a machine - UPDATE 1

[J Miller]

But not just any machine.
I'm gonna learn to sew on a 101 year old Singer treadle machine.

Mdl 66 a.JPG

Pollyanna had to supervise of course.

Mdl 66 b.JPG

It's a Mdl 66 and was made in 1910. The cabinet is in great shape with only one loss of finish on the top cover. The machine itself has some rust and a lot of dirt and gunk build up from use over the years.
The original owners manual is still with it although the 100 year old paper is falling apart. Singer had a downloadable version on their site so I printed that out.
Been oiling it up this afternoon and put a new belt on it.
My cousin bought it for me about 11 years ago before she died. It's been in the garage and storage locker ever since.

So, now I've done all I can do, it's wifie's turn to get it running with thread and see if it will sew or if we need to take it to the repair shop for some finer touches. Then after I've read the manual she'll teach me how to sew.

Joe

PS: I won't touch an electric machine. I was traumatized when I was about 8 or so when I watched my mom stitch her finger into what ever she was sewing. I had to get the screw drivers out and remove the needle so she could pull it out of her finger. Electric ones scare the pelosi outta me.

[gamekeeper]

Joe, that's exactly like the one my mother had.

[rjohns94]

wish you luck Joe. that talent will surely come in handy.

[piller]

My Grandmother sewed a bunch of quilts on that type of machine. If you could find the right fabric, and make a quilting frame, you might make a firearm themed quilt. I bet it would sell at any gun show.

[Pitchy]

Way to go Joe, i knew all my spinning and sewing machine threads would rub off on ya
That`s a good machine, i have several and they work good, and power goes out you`ll be the one laughing.

[junkbug]

So that one is pedal powered? Cool.

My mom has an electric one. The bobin sometimes jams. Although I like machines, and trying to figure them out, her sewing machine has always mystified me. It doesn't help that even these days, she doesn't like for me to fool with it.

I would like to find a manually (or pedal powered) machine strong enough to patch blue jeans and sew canvas tarp material together. That would be useful.

Great luck with your project.


Sean

[RIHMFIRE]

"scare the pelosi outta me."

now thats funny....i dont care who u r...thats funny!

[RIHMFIRE]

Hey Joe ...watcha gonna make with that singer......besides fixin stuff....
gun socks..cylinder bags and such?

[m.wun]

My Grandmother had alot of those machines.She had a shop selling and repairing
sewing machines but mostly delt with Viking machines.I have a 1955 Viking that works
like new.some of these machines are not cheap!

[J Miller]

Hey Joe ...watcha gonna make with that singer......besides fixin stuff....
gun socks..cylinder bags and such?

RIHMFIRE,
Yep, that's the general idea. Plus I've never learned to sew so I figured I might as well do it.

m.wun,
Not cheep is an understatement of global proportions. My wife inherited a Bernina about 11 years ago. To replace it today would run over a thousand dollars. She uses it a lot so thankfully it's a good one.

junkbug,
Don't know where you are at, but a local sewing machine shop has several industrial machines that would do that with ease.

Joe

[Blaine]

That's all my Grandmother used, and like most of her generation, was a master at it. I think my sister has it, but I doubt she uses it anymore.

[J Miller]

That's all my Grandmother used, and like most of her generation, was a master at it. I think my sister has it, but I doubt she uses it anymore.

And that is the shame of it. Grandmother used it, mother uses electric.
Mother and children inherit it and use it for a flower pot holder and it goes to ruin.
It seems that 90% of the old treadles I've seen have circular stains and places where water has damaged the finish. Mine is like that, but not so bad it can't be fixed.

We saw one at a yard sale today, a White treadle. Parts of the head were missing and the cabinet was in bad shape. Made me sad. Had I a place to work on them I would have bought it. I'm sure the parts for the head could be found, and cabinets can be restored. But it was not to be.


Joe

[Rusty]

My wife bought a Viking about 25 years ago that was the most expensive piece of junk I've ever seen. We found a really good sewing machine man that told us there was something wrong with it but he couldn't put his finger on it.

He also gave me the skinny on those old machines. They make exact copies of them in China so any parts you need for yours can be had. Singer also did something that made a lot of sense. As newer versions came out, for quite a few years they used the same sized frame. A lot of the electric machines you see with the little motor on the outside of the right rear corner of the machine will bolt right into your cabinet with the foot treadle and drive belt. Where your machine will only make one standard straight stitch some of the newer machines will make button holes, zig zags, stretch stitches and on and on. All you have to do is take the newer machine, bolt it to your carriage and throw the electric motor away. Your drive belt will fit right in place. You can also fit some Kenmore machines in the same way since they were made by singer.

[Chuck 100 yd]

COOL Joe, I have one just like it but mine has been converted to electric motor drive.
They still make that one over in China.

Mine will stitch 3-4 layers of elk hide leather or 5-6 layers of denim just slick as can be.

[J Miller]

Janome is now selling a machine head that will drop right into a Singer treadle cabinet. All the features of a modern machine with out the need for electricity.

If I ever get proficient on this one I'll consider one of the newer multi featured ones.

Joe

[Griff]

Joe,

It's so easy a neandrathol could do it. I sew all the time on the wife's 'lectric machine. Ain't sewed me to nothin'... yet! But, I've patched jeans, shirts and even made two pairs of pants on it several years ago. Just a couple of weeks ago, I found some holes where they ought not've been... and sewed in some patches (them iron on things are great for positioning, but they don't last thru a washin')! All went ok, till I thought I was done... seems to crimp gettin' pants on when you sew up half the leg hole! Never said I was good at it, but... I figure the wife'll not always be there... and I lived for several years (maybe 2) on my own... had to learn to do all sorts of things.

My mom was a professional seamstress for awhile in NZ, and still, at 87, is quiltin' and sewing for friends, family and the church. She always said that pants were the hardest to get right, but I ain't successfully made a shirt, I just cut up an old pair of Levi's for the pattern for my pants... gosh and all... they fit! One pair out of corduroy with leather seat (ala riding pants), and the other pair were all leather (buckskin from several deer).

[Ysabel Kid]

Joe's going old school!

Way cool!!!

[41 Redhawk]

I hope you have better luck with this than you did with the bicycle.....jus sayin

[J Miller]

I hope you have better luck with this than you did with the bicycle.....jus sayin

Well, yeah ...... that shouldn't be too hard. I can't fall off this like I did the bike.

Joe

[Old Ironsights]

Joe's going old school!

Way cool!!!

The more that more of us go "old school" in as many things as possible, the more likely "we" will survive when the "country" (Government) Fails...

[91B40]

Watch it...Singers are as addictive as Colts.
We have 7 Model 221 Featherweights, 2 Model 301's, a 66, a 99, three 501's...
Older Singers are great works of American industrial art and will pretty much work forever unless abused.
Enjoy!

[J Miller]

91B40,

My wife's life long desire to own a 221 Featherweight. Each time she's seen one it's been when she's broke.

Welcome to the forum. Pull up a stump and join in the fun.

Joe

[Ben_Rumson]

This is very cool... I love seeing old machines or tools still doing the work or getting one up & running to do it.....The only improvement a lot of machines ever saw was getting an electric motor put in place of steam power, man or animal power...Melvin M. Johnson, IIRC along with a cohort went down into a museum basement drug out an old Gatling Gun an adapted an electric motor to it and the beginnings of the Vulcan were born...

[J Miller]

Ah well, electricity is a passing fad. After TEOTWAWKI these old treadle machines will be worth their weight in gold. And us anachronisms that who know how to use them will finally get the respect we deserve.

J e

[OD*]

That's pretty cool, Joe.

[LeverBob]

Joe...you better fageddaboudit...you might sew your fingers into the toes of a pair of socks. Then where'll you be pard? All trussed up & screaming for mama...stuck trying to back pedal that monster, not knowing your back stitching. It goes from bad to worse. Especially with the size of porkies on your hand.

Then there's the union pukes who'll come callin' when they hear about your little enterprize. They'll take you to court & force you to join the "seamsters" union, run by Jimmy Hoffaman....you know how tough they are! The thugs will visit you late at night & put your feet into a concrete filled wash tub as you scream hysterically like a little girl. It's a sight I wouldn't want to see...horrible. It's more than I can bear...

Lake Michigan ain't to far, not for the mugs they send out. You'll be screaming & whining so they won't throw you off into 700 feet of water....but they will! Don't ask me how I know.

Worse than that is the coordination factors, just try jumping up & down & patting your head at the same time! All of the women can do that & make us look like a bunch of fumbling gorillas (they're nefarious & come from Venus-remember?). Remember Pard, a black widow eats her suitor...you don't want to get 'et do 'ya?

I'm worried sick pard...this may be a trap! It ain't funny having you fingers sewed together.

Sewing is better left to women like nuclear physics...or anti-gravity.

LB

[J Miller]

UPDATE 1

Well I got it all oiled up, got the belt on, and we sat down and started by loading a bobbin. Getting the thread routed correctly was the easy part, but getting the treadle going and keeping it going is not as easy as it should seem to be.
The belt kept slipping so I tightened it some more. The manual says not to get it too tight, but it doesn't say how tight to get it. So I started out a bit loose.

Once tightened so it didn't slip I finally got it going and was able to keep it going till the bobbin was full.

Threaded the machine. That was also easy. I just followed the pictures in the manual. I used to watch my Mom do it and she threaded them so fast I never could really see how she did it.
BUT ~~ when it came to threading the needle she asked me about every other time. Mom was far sighted and had fits getting the thread through that tinsy lil hole. I still got the nack for that ... ha ha.

We got the bobbin in, wifie showed me how but after that I pulled the threads the wrong way and tangled them all up.

Back at it again after many many many tries I got it to run long enough to stitch about 8" without a mishap.

Here I am going like mad:

Joe making it go.JPG

for about 30 seconds until the treadle came to a stop, the machine back up, the thread broke and the belt popped off the big wheel under the cabinet. Grrrrrr ....

Got it back on and wifie tried to show me how it was done. Got it going, then right off broke the thread. She got it rethreaded ... with my help and took off again.

Mrs J Miller trying it.JPG

That lasted about another 30 seconds when the same thing happened to her.

So my question to those of you who have used and did use these is what is the trick to keeping these things running forwards.
Is it that the machine has sat for so long and perhaps the oil I've put in hasn't gotten to everything yet? Or is it because I have no idea what I'm doing? Or (fill in the blank)______________________?

But I'm trying.

Joe

[Pitchy]

Lookin good Joe and misses, if ya treadle it without thread does it turn free with no binds or sluggish?
I don`t put my whole foot on the footman, i just rest my toe on the edge and leave my heel on the floor. It just takes time to get the rhythm down, you`ll get it.

[J Miller]

Lookin good Joe and misses, if ya treadle it without thread does it turn free with no binds or sluggish?
I don`t put my whole foot on the footman, i just rest my toe on the edge and leave my heel on the floor. It just takes time to get the rhythm down, you`ll get it.

No, it will run fine for a while but then seems to get sluggish and binds up. More so when there is a load on it. I'll try the foot tip and see what happens.

Joe

[J Miller]

Couldn't get it to keep going with just my toe on the edge. But I did find that if I keep spinning the balance wheel on the machine as I work the footman it will eventually mesh in and then I can keep it going. Seems like it needs to build up some speed to smooth out the impulses of the crank.

I think I'll try making some cylinder bags.

Joe

[Pitchy]

Something sounds wrong, with no thread in the needle you should be able to smoothly treadle it slow or fast.
Ya may have to remove the machine from the cabnit and turn it upside down and oil all the moving parts. Maybe clean everything with W-D also.
Don`t know what ya mean by meshing in, there is a clutch on the flywheel that ya engage by turning the center knob.
It should sew freely in all respects.

[J Miller]

Pitchy,

"Mesh in", perhaps a wrong choice of words. Not sure what I want to say other than when it gets going the rocking motion of the footman, it's vertical rod and the wheels just seem to come together and mesh in.

As far as taking the head out of the cabinet and turning it upside down for a good oiling, that is not a bad idea. This machine has sat unused for the last 13 years, and probably much longer. It was very dry inside. Might still have some dry parts.

The instruction manual says to soak them in kerosene when they dry out then oil them.
Or the best idea might be to take it to the sewing machine man and let him work it over.

Joe

[Pitchy]

I have nine of the critters and they all sew, had to clean and lube them good first, no big deal. Do it yourself no big deal, get it off spray WD everywhere while turning it and pretty soon it will free right up. Either that or ya have a nasty ole mouse nest and a bunch of acorns in there.

[J Miller]

I have nine of the critters and they all sew, had to clean and lube them good first, no big deal. Do it yourself no big deal, get it off spray WD everywhere while turning it and pretty soon it will free right up. Either that or ya have a nasty ole mouse nest and a bunch of acorns in there.

Meesus .......... I hate them meesus to pieces.

I've looked up under the bottom and there isn't anything growing there.
Thankfully. Probably just dry.

The idea I was trying to get across when I used the words "meshed in" was that once I got it to going the big wheel had a flywheel effect and didn't tend to slow down or stall.
One of the gals on Homesteading said a Singer treadle is a rhythm type thing. She says, think metronome. I noticed a bit of that last night as I was working with it.

Watch it...Singers are as addictive as Colts.
We have 7 Model 221 Featherweights, 2 Model 301's, a 66, a 99, three 501's...
Older Singers are great works of American industrial art and will pretty much work forever unless abused.
Enjoy!

Well, I'm not sure about Singers but last night I counted the sewing machines we have accumulated.
1 Singer Treadle
1 Singer 70s vintage
1 Singer 5 head searger
5 other sewing machines in cases.

Lets see ..... 1+1+1+5= 8

8 of em. I think we got a collection going already.

I'm working on the case of the smallest right now. It's a Greyhound Mdl 30 by Newhome best as I can tell. Has most of it's attachments and both owners manuals and the original warranty card. Once I get the case fixed then I'll have to replace the wiring, it's dry rotted and cracked through to the wires.
After that an oil job for the head and it will be ready to sew again.

And then ............. Oh boy do I need a work shop.


Joe

[KCSO]

We have two of those one was my grandmothers and one was my wifes. Both are in full working condition but the only time we use them is to sew light LEATHER. They work much better than a new machine on light leather.

[J Miller]

We have two of those one was my grandmothers and one was my wifes. Both are in full working condition but the only time we use them is to sew light LEATHER. They work much better than a new machine on light leather.

I have an order for a small leather pouch for keys, but we have been so darn busy I'm looking at the idea of doing it myself while my wife who usually does the sewing part does other things.
That's kinda why I'm doing this.

The other why is Pitchy is making me feel lazy and guilty.

Joe

[Pitchy]

The other why is Pitchy is making me feel lazy and guilty.

[J Miller]

Well, my sewing education is progressing. Got the old Singer running right along. Told the wife I needed a project to actually do. I was getting tired of running lines of stitching up and down scraps.

She said ............ hmmmm.

Joe