How do you treadlers do it?
 

I just finished on of my Whacky Bags using my Singer 66-1. The machine works great, but I had trouble with the belt slipping, slipping, slipping ..... I shortened it by an inch and that didn't help much. It's an aquarium tube experiment belt so I'll get a real one tomorrow. That should take care of that.

OK, but how do you treadlers do the parts where you need to keep going and go slow????? I can go good on straight sections and gentle curves, but when it comes to start, stop, start, stop like I have to do with my bags it's a pain in the xxx. When I get to the point of going slow the machine want's to stall and spin backwards. Can't have that it screws up my work.
I'm hoping a new belt cures most of that.

I'm not a complete novice, but I could use some tips. Oh, and please no Youtube videos, I can't watch them with this sloooooow dial up I'm on.


Joe

I want to know that too - I have better luck with a hand crank

its not easy....i have one too. My friend has one and she makes it look so easy. I guess its like everything...practice, practice. I do not have any problems with the belt slipping. I do have the leather belt. They are pretty cheap. Be sure to oil everything and clean it out well. It did make a huge difference once I cleaned and oiled. It was clean on the outside but disgusting on the inside.

I have a similar problem - once I stop for any reason, when I start again, I am sewing backwards! Any hints for the treadle challenged?

No kidding. I put the hand crank we got on the 127 on the same 66-1 and it worked great. It took a long reach to get to the crank but I could sew sooooo slow if I wanted. One stitch at a time if needed. But the hand crank is destined for Mr. Rusty, as soon as I find a case for him.

I think, but am not sure that 90% of my problems was the home made belt. No matter how tight I got it, it slipped. I could not even wind a bobbin with the tubing belt. Just that extra load of the bobbin tire brought things to a halt.
Once I get a new belt I'll see what I can come up with.

Joe

Linda, do you stop with the treadle horizontal or at the top/bottom of the stroke? I realize you can't always stop with your feet in a specific position but when I can I try to stop with the treadle horizontal. My legs (I'm actually getting the two foot thing down at last) seem to remember which way they were going and I almost always start up again going the right direction. In fact, with that revelation I'm going to try the 9W (opposite throw of the hand wheel) again since I won't need to help start it by hand as often.

This is a very good question. I have 2 treadles that I haven't tried yet, but would love to. I was told that I need an older lady that owned one to teach me how to treadle. Is that really neccessary? Or can one just get on board and treadle?

try 'sewing' with it for about 45 - 60 minutes with no thread - sew how you do

Joe, I finally have the tubing belt working on Colette. At first I was having terrible slippage problems but once I cleaned the track on the flywheel most of it went away. Then I shortened the belt a couple of times until it seems it finished its stretch in period.

I just sat down and jumped in. Took me a bit to get the rhythm of the thing. Once that was done I can do pretty good. Except for the start, stop part.
No matter what someone else tells you, it's your body that has to learn the motions.

Joe