EARLY Elias Howe sewing machine

LOL, you are now the second person to refer me to this vendor. I just sent him an email. thank you!

Steve

Cool story... Michael from Wolfgangs just wrote back. Earlier he had a descendant of Elias Howe contact him about getting the bits needed to get the "family" machine up and running! Apparently someone in the family in the 60's with substance issues sold most of the families machines... so because of that he only has one slightly defective boat and one bobbin left!! They are going to be mine muhahaha!

The shuttle and the bobbin will cost more than I paid for the machine, but what can ya do.... I am just happy to have found one.

Thanks again for the referral. (p.s. the nice lady Linda from Relics was the first to refer me to him)

Wonderful Steve. It was meant to be yours. So, will the next step be to re-manufacture the boat shuttle?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SteveH

here is a link to a four step GIF animation of the movement

https://dl.dropbox.com/u/18576541/El...20Movement.gif

(not sure how rude it might be considered to post an animation...)

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Wow I can't wait to see the finished machine!

This process is truly inspiring. When and where is the TOGA you are aiming to demonstrate at? Take towels for the folks drooling with envy!

"unfortunately" I found ONE of the very rare versions of the boat shuttle and bobbin for $65 so, no making those... yet.

Updates for tonight... Good news and bad news...

Good news. I looked at the originals from museums and the finish seemed to be a bit deeper and smoother on the bed... So, I felt the need to try to do the same (without doing "filling" just paint and sand..

Sequence, sand400, paint flat, sand 400, paint flat, paint flat, sand, paint flat, paint flat, sand, paint satin, paint satin.

Then two hours working out the design on the PC for the bed goldwork,
Attachment 387754


Cut one corner out and "test fitted" it.
Attachment 387755

here is the inspiration for this
Attachment 387756

so for the bad news...

I was walking through the operation and noticed that there were two issues. One there was nothing keeping the stitch length control arm in place, and the stitch length knob screwed down onto nothing. Upon closer examination it is missing a "protuberance" on one end of the feed dog control arm.

Here is a picture of a complete one.
Attachment 387757

and the end of mine.
Attachment 387758

the screw under the stitch length knob has nothing to push on.
Attachment 387759


Now to figure out a "clever" way through this one...

here is a show of my old forged tool that i use as an "ironwork" tester.

this is three gold paints
Attachment 387765

Here is a picture of the testing process. I am using yellow wax free tracing paper from JoAnn's and testing it on the bed of the 241-12 Work's great
Attachment 387924

...and here it is traced onto the first two corners. I am only doing two, then the DD will paint it. then we'll trace the other side
Attachment 387926

Here is the DD. Camera shy, "plugged in", with her magic brush set.
Attachment 387927