Joe, Here is the link to the youtube video on the spring metal belt:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q83So...eature=related

She did an excellent job with the video!

Isn't that metal one noisy?

Not really since I put a rubber band in the groove of the handwheel.

I know I have a Pathfinder(I call Lewis) and a New Champion all by Davis. I call the New Champion just "Champ"

Like Gene Autry's horse?

vintagemotif,

Thanks for the video. I watched most of it last night. She answered my questions about the belt in the first minute or so of the video. At over 9 minutes it took well over an hour to download maybe 3/4th of it. I watched about that much then clicked off.

I don't think I'd go for a metal belt unless I could get one for cheep. I can see it would come in handy for a "one size fits all" treadle base. One base with a belt that would stretch and contract for use on a variety of machines.
Leather doesn't work too good for that.
But I'd still be concerned about excessive wear on the drive wheel and hand wheel.

Joe

And from Lewis & Clark

I have to agree with Joe on this issue. I'd never put a metal belt on any of my treadles - they were not intended to be used with a metal belt. They have survived a hundred years, but I am not so sure putting a metal belt on them would give them another hundred years. I will stick to the leather belts they were intended to use. I also think the aquarium tubing would be a good choice, but all my treadles have regular leather treadle belts. I am too much of a traditionalist I guess, but I feel we should put on those old machines things that were intended to be used on them. I just don't like the idea of metal - for the noise, or the wear and tear on the machine hand wheel or treadle wheel.

Nancy

On a fun note, I got my 31-15, and 31-20, both working last night. Geeze, are those powerful machines! They almost scare me! The 31-15 has to be hand cranked, as it does not have a treadle. Cathy can I put a hand crank on the 31-15? The wheel is huge! The 31-20 was hooked up to electric, but to get it to sew you have to push down the treadle pedal. That is what puts pressure on the belt to get it going. Kind of cool, but I really would like to convert it back to a treadle. The treadle is all there except for the wheel! Cathy, I had asked you for a treadle pedal, but it is the wheel that is missing not the pedal. Anyway, I have not tried to thread and actually sew with the machines, just got them cleaned up to see if they'd run. My DH had to solder the 31-15's rod back together that lifts the foot when it is hooked up to a knee controller. I, also, had to reconstruct the tension disk on the 31-15 - it had been taken off and taken apart! I was really amazed at the power of those old machines, though. I hope today I can try them with thread!

Oh and Candace, I have heard nothing on the long bed 301. I guess he didn't like my offer of $100? Oh well, like my husband says to our 3 year old grandson - too bad, so sad!

Nancy

Nancy how is your dog today? Kathie