The Machine That I Fiddled With Today
07-19-2015, 12:12 PM
#1271
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
I fiddled with “Old Dirty”, my Singer 111W153 Combination Feed Walking Foot machine today. It had been over a year since I’d used him. He’s the high-speed walking foot machine in my herd, and with a 3470 RPM motor and no speed reduction, he does cover some ground. I’ve never ran him wide-open, but I’ve ran him fast enough to break the polyester thread that he uses. I did that top-stitching a mesh and webbing pool cover repair a while back.
While the head itself lives in the bike shop, at least during the winter, his power stand lives out on the back covered patio under a custom-made vinyl cover. I found very little damage or contamination to the stand having it outside covered and unused for over a year. The thread tower is developing some surface rust as well as the cheap screwdriver in the drawer, but the top hasn’t received any damage at all. I had a little trouble controlling the speed, so the rubber V-belt may be drying out. And since I hadn’t run him for a long period of time, maybe I’m just out of practice, too. At any rate, it didn’t take us long to replace a sun-damaged surface fabric for a stand-alone hammock with him.
Working out on the patio in the Oklahoma heat, my wife and I used Sunbrella to sandwich with the fiber pad and mesh bottom fabric that were still good in the existing hammock. Nearly everything was long runs, so the speed of Old Dirty was actually a plus. We set up a temporary table (saw horses and a sheet of 3/4” plywood) to begin cutting fabric at around 10 this morning, and had everything put away by two-thirty. We took at least three breaks to start the laundry and have a cool drink during that time, and for most of the morning, my wife was working on letting out a bedazzled dinner coat on her Singer 301A inside at her work station. We don’t hurry too much around here on a Sunday, so we took it nice and easy. But still, the air conditioning in the house sure felt good when we got back inside to stay! Now, to see if it still fits on the frame when my friend tries to put it back together on his stand.
CD in Oklahoma
While the head itself lives in the bike shop, at least during the winter, his power stand lives out on the back covered patio under a custom-made vinyl cover. I found very little damage or contamination to the stand having it outside covered and unused for over a year. The thread tower is developing some surface rust as well as the cheap screwdriver in the drawer, but the top hasn’t received any damage at all. I had a little trouble controlling the speed, so the rubber V-belt may be drying out. And since I hadn’t run him for a long period of time, maybe I’m just out of practice, too. At any rate, it didn’t take us long to replace a sun-damaged surface fabric for a stand-alone hammock with him.
Working out on the patio in the Oklahoma heat, my wife and I used Sunbrella to sandwich with the fiber pad and mesh bottom fabric that were still good in the existing hammock. Nearly everything was long runs, so the speed of Old Dirty was actually a plus. We set up a temporary table (saw horses and a sheet of 3/4” plywood) to begin cutting fabric at around 10 this morning, and had everything put away by two-thirty. We took at least three breaks to start the laundry and have a cool drink during that time, and for most of the morning, my wife was working on letting out a bedazzled dinner coat on her Singer 301A inside at her work station. We don’t hurry too much around here on a Sunday, so we took it nice and easy. But still, the air conditioning in the house sure felt good when we got back inside to stay! Now, to see if it still fits on the frame when my friend tries to put it back together on his stand.
CD in Oklahoma
07-19-2015, 12:31 PM
#1272
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
I've started working on an older German made Singer 15 in a treadle stand. Being German, I'm not sure of the age. Apparently Singer's records were destroyed during WWII. The stand is in pretty decent shape but the veneer has lifted in a few places and the shellac is badly deteriorated on the wood. Right now the woodwork is disassembled and is being reglued and refinished with more shellac. I've already freed up the head. It was frozen solid. I've still got a bunch of rust to remove and there is a few square inches of japanning missing around the base of the pillar.
It was 95* here yesterday and more of the same is expected for today. I went out early this morning while it was still cool and got some sanding done. I'm hoping to have the entire machine ready to go by Saturday. Given the heat, we'll see. It's going to be close.
Rodney
It was 95* here yesterday and more of the same is expected for today. I went out early this morning while it was still cool and got some sanding done. I'm hoping to have the entire machine ready to go by Saturday. Given the heat, we'll see. It's going to be close.
Rodney
07-21-2015, 12:00 PM
#1273
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Mendocino County CA
Posts: 1,976
I finished the Pfaff 11 base (for now) The corners were re-glued and veneers glued down, some patching of rough edges and voids, stained, shellaced and just waiting to cure. On a whim I decided to pup the machine back on the hinges and take a look at my work. The machine is not resting properly. *sigh. Same base, same hinges, same machine, what could be wrong?
The machine fits on the hinges but the front lip is not resting in the recess. I would have to cut away a smidgen of the wood in front. When not on the hinges it would set in the recess just fine. If I cut the wood I will have to re-stain and re-finish the front edge again. *sigh
The machine fits on the hinges but the front lip is not resting in the recess. I would have to cut away a smidgen of the wood in front. When not on the hinges it would set in the recess just fine. If I cut the wood I will have to re-stain and re-finish the front edge again. *sigh
07-21-2015, 01:11 PM
#1275
Super Member
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Mendocino County CA
Posts: 1,976
Originally Posted by Rodney
Is the machine fully seated on the hinges?
Rodney
Rodney
07-24-2015, 11:51 AM
#1276
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
I'm still messing with the Singer 15. I "think" it's a 15-30. I'm not 100% sure though. Olivia and I just cleaned and oiled the treadle irons and put another coat of shellac on the top this morning. I would like to put more on. We'll see how it goes. It's been hot most of the week. Today now that I would actually welcome some warmer weather to cure the shellac faster it's cooler and overcast. The machine itself is as ready as I can make it. The finish is far from perfect. It spent years in less than ideal storage conditions. I spent a bunch of time just cleaning petrified mouse poop and rust off it. The rust was probably caused by the mice peeing on it too. Yuck. There's a bunch of japanning missing around the base of the pillar and a few other random rust spots plus some silvering on the decals on the back side. I suspect it's more mouse damage. I cleaned up the rust as well as I could. I debated on it for a while and decided to leave it as it is. It would probably be worse if I tried to touch it up somehow. I also didn't want to erase it's character. The machine is going back to the family of the original owner.
The inspection plate is badly pitted on both sides. I turned the worst side in. I completely disassembled the nose and polished the plated parts as best as I could. There are some deep pits that are just going to stay. The same with the spool pins. They're far from perfect but at least they're not rust from top to bottom now. You don't have to worry about tetanus just from touching them.
In spite of all the cosmetic damage and the fact that it was frozen solid when I started a week ago it makes a really nice stitch and turns over easily.
I should be able to finish assembling it this afternoon.
I really like the machine-warts and all-and I hope the original owner's grand daughter likes it too.
Rodney
The inspection plate is badly pitted on both sides. I turned the worst side in. I completely disassembled the nose and polished the plated parts as best as I could. There are some deep pits that are just going to stay. The same with the spool pins. They're far from perfect but at least they're not rust from top to bottom now. You don't have to worry about tetanus just from touching them.
In spite of all the cosmetic damage and the fact that it was frozen solid when I started a week ago it makes a really nice stitch and turns over easily.
I should be able to finish assembling it this afternoon.
I really like the machine-warts and all-and I hope the original owner's grand daughter likes it too.
Rodney
08-05-2015, 04:01 AM
#1277
Power Poster
Join Date: Mar 2011
Location: Somewhere
Posts: 15,507
Originally Posted by Rodney
I'm still messing with the Singer 15. I "think" it's a 15-30. I'm not 100% sure though. Olivia and I just cleaned and oiled the treadle irons and put another coat of shellac on the top this morning. I would like to put more on. We'll see how it goes. It's been hot most of the week. Today now that I would actually welcome some warmer weather to cure the shellac faster it's cooler and overcast. The machine itself is as ready as I can make it. The finish is far from perfect. It spent years in less than ideal storage conditions. I spent a bunch of time just cleaning petrified mouse poop and rust off it. The rust was probably caused by the mice peeing on it too. Yuck. There's a bunch of japanning missing around the base of the pillar and a few other random rust spots plus some silvering on the decals on the back side. I suspect it's more mouse damage. I cleaned up the rust as well as I could. I debated on it for a while and decided to leave it as it is. It would probably be worse if I tried to touch it up somehow. I also didn't want to erase it's character. The machine is going back to the family of the original owner.
The inspection plate is badly pitted on both sides. I turned the worst side in. I completely disassembled the nose and polished the plated parts as best as I could. There are some deep pits that are just going to stay. The same with the spool pins. They're far from perfect but at least they're not rust from top to bottom now. You don't have to worry about tetanus just from touching them.
In spite of all the cosmetic damage and the fact that it was frozen solid when I started a week ago it makes a really nice stitch and turns over easily.
I should be able to finish assembling it this afternoon.
I really like the machine-warts and all-and I hope the original owner's grand daughter likes it too.
Rodney
The inspection plate is badly pitted on both sides. I turned the worst side in. I completely disassembled the nose and polished the plated parts as best as I could. There are some deep pits that are just going to stay. The same with the spool pins. They're far from perfect but at least they're not rust from top to bottom now. You don't have to worry about tetanus just from touching them.
In spite of all the cosmetic damage and the fact that it was frozen solid when I started a week ago it makes a really nice stitch and turns over easily.
I should be able to finish assembling it this afternoon.
I really like the machine-warts and all-and I hope the original owner's grand daughter likes it too.
Rodney
08-27-2015, 10:14 AM
#1278
Super Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2011
Location: Frederick, OK
Posts: 2,031
This doesn’t have anything to do with quilting, and not a whole lot to do with working on machines, but I did “slightly remodel” my machine for a job this morning.
A young lady brought me her denim jacket to sew her back patch on for her. She had ironed the patch on (as instructed when she bought the patch, I think), but after wearing it a couple of times, the edges all came loose.
I don’t know about other places, but here in Oklahoma, we get our share of embroidered patches with feathers included around the outer edges. The feather tips make for a nightmare of narrow points to tack down. I’ve seen some that the sewist didn’t even try to follow the raised border, because they’re hard to do. When you cut across though, those feather tips end up curling up with use.
I started out sewing it on my Singer 319 Treadle and regular Tex30 thread, but I couldn’t see all of the changes in direction that I needed to follow, because the foot blocked my view. I ended up ripping those “choppy” stitches out. Finally, it dawned on me that the best machine to use in this case would be my Singer 31-15 Treadle. It is set up with an original roller foot that runs on just one side of the needle, making needle placement a bunch easier. The view of where the needle hits is never blocked. The second benefit of the 31-15 is the knee lift. Although the narrow roller allows for lots of direction changing while sewing, there were still plenty of times when the knee lift was needed. Lifting the presser foot on the 319 about wore me out in just a few inches of sewing earlier. Also, I have my 31-15 set up to use Tex90 thread, and the heavier thread looks good on an embroidered patch anyway, IMO. The larger harp size to spin that jacket in didn’t hurt anything either.
The modification that I did to my 31-15 was nothing more than dropping the treadle belt off and sewing with it by using one finger in the spokes of the hand wheel. Kind of like a poor man’s hand crank. Starting and stopping every one or two stitches trying to treadle required me to have my right hand on the wheel anyway, so dropping the belt off illuminated the interference of the belt. I still had to stop and use both hands for a lot of the positioning because the denim fabric wasn’t stiff enough to use just one hand to spin things without getting wrinkles, and I had to pay close attention not to let my knee rest against the lift lever while making a stitch, but things went very well and it didn’t take very long at all.
CD in Oklahoma
A young lady brought me her denim jacket to sew her back patch on for her. She had ironed the patch on (as instructed when she bought the patch, I think), but after wearing it a couple of times, the edges all came loose.
I don’t know about other places, but here in Oklahoma, we get our share of embroidered patches with feathers included around the outer edges. The feather tips make for a nightmare of narrow points to tack down. I’ve seen some that the sewist didn’t even try to follow the raised border, because they’re hard to do. When you cut across though, those feather tips end up curling up with use.
I started out sewing it on my Singer 319 Treadle and regular Tex30 thread, but I couldn’t see all of the changes in direction that I needed to follow, because the foot blocked my view. I ended up ripping those “choppy” stitches out. Finally, it dawned on me that the best machine to use in this case would be my Singer 31-15 Treadle. It is set up with an original roller foot that runs on just one side of the needle, making needle placement a bunch easier. The view of where the needle hits is never blocked. The second benefit of the 31-15 is the knee lift. Although the narrow roller allows for lots of direction changing while sewing, there were still plenty of times when the knee lift was needed. Lifting the presser foot on the 319 about wore me out in just a few inches of sewing earlier. Also, I have my 31-15 set up to use Tex90 thread, and the heavier thread looks good on an embroidered patch anyway, IMO. The larger harp size to spin that jacket in didn’t hurt anything either.
The modification that I did to my 31-15 was nothing more than dropping the treadle belt off and sewing with it by using one finger in the spokes of the hand wheel. Kind of like a poor man’s hand crank. Starting and stopping every one or two stitches trying to treadle required me to have my right hand on the wheel anyway, so dropping the belt off illuminated the interference of the belt. I still had to stop and use both hands for a lot of the positioning because the denim fabric wasn’t stiff enough to use just one hand to spin things without getting wrinkles, and I had to pay close attention not to let my knee rest against the lift lever while making a stitch, but things went very well and it didn’t take very long at all.
CD in Oklahoma
08-27-2015, 01:01 PM
#1279
Super Member
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: Centralia, WA, USA
Posts: 4,890
Nice job CD and that does look like a nightmare to sew down.
Not really working on any machines as such at the moment. I am building bases for a bunch of the machines I already have. It's part of getting my existing machines into usable shape before I go out of my way to increase my herd. I've built 3 more bases so far including starting a base for the MW (National made) Streamliner Macybaby gave me. I'm excited to finally start getting that one into usable shape. The Streamliner case will also get a lid. I want to be able to take that one places with me.
Rodney
Not really working on any machines as such at the moment. I am building bases for a bunch of the machines I already have. It's part of getting my existing machines into usable shape before I go out of my way to increase my herd. I've built 3 more bases so far including starting a base for the MW (National made) Streamliner Macybaby gave me. I'm excited to finally start getting that one into usable shape. The Streamliner case will also get a lid. I want to be able to take that one places with me.
Rodney
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