Maybe a little bit? These were some of the first stitches I made using my New Home treadle machine. I must be a slow learner on the treadle because it took me two days to get the hang of it. I even resorted to beginner methods and used a scrap of paper to sew on without the machine threaded.
Having something to actually sew on helped me get used to the rhythm of the treadle. Pretty basic stuff --even though using paper is recommended for teaching children to sew I don't think I ever did --my mother threaded the machine up and said go.
Now here is something about
some very old treadles:
That is the tension disc. That silverish plate on top with the screw through the middle. The thread goes through the slot in it and under.
Where it comes out on the end there is a slotted lever called, I think, the tension spring. Then the thread goes through a guide and through a hole in the top of the needle bar and down the side through some guides before it reaches the needle.
The screw in the middle in the middle of the tension plate must be loosened or tightened to adjust it (along with the shuttle tension). I've played with it and got it working a lot better.
I've come to appreciate the tension knob on modern machines a great deal this week --and by "modern" I mean those with a round tension knob, even if it's from the 1920's.
Another thing affecting my stitches is the needle. It's stuck! It's an old needle and it won't budge out of the needle bar. I've used pliers with a rubber gripper thing and still can't get it out. I'm afraid of breaking it off and having the end stuck in the machine at this point. Any tips on this problem?
8 comments:
What a cool machine. I'd soak the needle area with oil (if you can get it up there) and give it a day or so. It will come out eventually.
WD40?
I would also vote for machine oil and wait for that to penetrate sufficiently...
Lovely machine, and interesting tension device :D
I'd use some liquid wrench you may need to spray it on a couple of times but it will definitely loosen those old stuck parts with no problem
Put machine oil on a cotton swab (fairly saturated, but of course, not drippping) and push the needle through it up to where it is inserted into the needle bar. If possible, then tlt the machine back so that gravity assists in lubricating the "joint" if you will.
Keep us posted!!
Tricia
AKA Consumedwithsewing
Thanks! --I'm going to go put some oil on it right away. I had some Liquid Wrench for this type stuff and completely forgot about it.
I hope you were able to get the needle un-stuck! Everyone had great tips and that would be my exact guess, too!
I have the same model. I find that kind of ugly tension when I pull the bobbin/shuttle thread too fast. The shuttle will shift a little in it's cradle, and the hook will no longer be in the notch. Just last week, finished up a seam ... that wasn't. :(
Modern needles fit this machine, but you might want to insert it a millimeter or two short of totally IN the notch. With mine, I had to actually removed the needle screw before the needle would come out!
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