Ok, I know my treadle machine works great -- my husband can sew with it just fine! I guess, he use to play with his grandmother's treadle! I can't get it to go forward! Thank you for the tips -- I will practice without thread and with the foot raised, but, I still think it needs a new check spring. Every other machine I have, after the thread goes into the tension disks and through the check spring there is some kind of guide to pull the thread back down before going up on the head thread guide. On this machine the thread goes through the tension disk, into the little wire, and up to the thread guide -- there is nothing to keep the thread in the tension wire thing. I will go take some pictures and post them.
I almost bought a second machine today -- it was a rough coated Singer with a motor, but it too had those funny little bullet shaped bobbins! I had never seen one before yesterday when I bought my treadle! I am so in love with these old machines -- my husband is going to kill me! I now have a featherweight, a Spartan, and 3/4 Singer in a cabinet (same as the Spartan, but much fancier and it has a light), a Pfaff 130, and now the Singer treadle!
I am going to go practice treadling and take some pictures!
Nancy