[TheForge] Re: antique machines and thoughts

[Terry L. Ridder]

hello;

i agree with you about the old sewing machines you find at the
salvation army thrift store, goodwill industries thrift store,
or advertised in the local scandal sheet (newspaper). these i
obtained at several amish benefit auctions to support amish
missionaries. they are in nearly new condition. in amish families
for several generations. decals are worn from 80+ years of fabric
sliding over them, but other than that nearly new. even have the
original owners manuals.

my scroll conversion would require that the sewing head to modified.
two machines it would be reversable, one would not.

a jeweler saw blade fits right in where the needle normally is held.
it needs support and some linkage underneath for tension. the timing
of the linkage needs slight adjustment but nothing major or that cannot
be worked out.

an alternate way to modify them would be to make a large u-shape frame,
just like a jeweler saw with a deep throat. it would fasten to the
where the sew needle normally is held. the frame would come up from
underneath to hold the jeweler saw blade and provide tension.

poor ascii picture:
            ___            +---+  |v| <- treadle belt pulley
            | |------------+   | -+ |
            | |                | -+ |
            | |------------+   |  |^|
            | |            |   |
            | |            |   |
            -+-            |   | <- sewing head
+============O             |   |
||           | <- saw blade|   | 
|| <- u-frame|             |   |
||-----------|-------------+---+---- <- base plate
||           |
+============O <- jeweler saw blade holder and tension screw
             H
             H

the u-frame goes up and down just like the sewing needle would.
speed is controlled by how fast a person would treadle. i am not
sure what the ratio is for the treadle pulley and the sewing head
pulley. the stroke is about 3/4 inch.

the bobbin linkage would still need to be removed but the modificaiton
would be reversable. the bobbin mechanisum would also have to be removed.



On Mon, 20 Jan 2003, Mike Spencer wrote:

mike> 
mike> It's not uncommon to find old sewing machines .. um... Let me start
mike> again, because it *is* now uncommon to find old sewing machines.
mike> 
mike> When you *do* find an old machine, chances are it will have been
mike> stored in a dampish place or used as a plant stand so that the
mike> (walnut?) veneer has delaminated while the oily parts of the machine
mike> are still okay.  Using the legs, treadle and pulley of such a machine
mike> for your saw while passing the machine proper on to a restorer would
mike> be pretty good behavior, I think.  I'd feel the same as you about a
mike> beautifully maintained or restored machine.
mike> 
mike> I have two, both work, and one of them I found put out for trash day
mike> on Boston's Beacon Hill in 1965.  I trundled it home a couple of
mike> blocks in the dark over Boston's brick sidewalks and cobbles on its
mike> tiny little wheels and found I had a perfectly operable machine in
mike> good condition except for a somewhat beat up finish on the wood.
mike> Still goes fine. (You can't have it, Terry. :-)
mike> 
mike> - Mike
mike> 

-- 
Terry L. Ridder ><>