Lafpeaches

I was thinking about learning to sew on a treadle. How easy are they to maintain as I am not mechanically inclined at all? I am used to modern machines though I do take FW when camping. I have my mom's old singer because my sister was going to throw it away. The wood base was falling apart: hubby was supposed to fix it. I had it serviced and it still sews a beautiful stitch. I dont use it much because it is so heavy to lift and dont have room to keep it on my sewing table. I think its from the early 1950's because our mom made a lot of clothes for us kids on it. The number is AJ340013. Anyway, I thought it would be fun to learn to treadle when I retire next year.

quiltingcandy

I love my treadle. They are so easy to maintain because there are no electrical parts. My treadle is a Damascus, which was the store brand from Montgomery Ward. It belonged to my great, great Aunt May. I did have to replace the belt which was about 60 years old. It is fun to use.

ThayerRags

It sounds like you have a Singer 201, but you need to figure out what the submodel number is. If it’s in a portable case, it could be either a 201-2 or a 201-3. If you plan to treadle it, things will go a lot better for your conversion if it’s a 201-3. It has an electric motor that connects to the machine with a belt. If it’s a 201-2, it will have a built-in motor that lives inside of a small canister attached to the back of the pillar. That one would be much more difficult to convert to treadle, but a great electric machine.

CD in Oklahoma

Lafpeaches

On CL I saw a treadle for sale in Petoskey (about 1 1/2 hours north) at a resale shop. Cant afford to get one for a couple of months. It looked good in the picture but didn't have time to go at that time. No way could I turn any machine into a treadle. I can barely oil my machines. Im a technically and cumputer challenged RN. I admire all you are able to do with these beautiful old machines.

cmrenno

I bought one two years ago. A 1915 Singer model 15-30. I learned a lot cleaning and oiling it. I also learned about cabinet refinishing. I made some mistakes but it was all worthwhile. I taught myself to treadle by watching videos on the web. The machine originally cost $35 on Craigslist and its some of the best money I have ever spent. I have enjoyed many hours restoring and now sewing on it. I have made several small items like potholders and a lap sized quilt. Just watch and wait! The right one will come along!
Colleen