Originally Posted by jackkip
Hi everyone. I need a little help. I am in the market for a restored Treadle machine. I have the cabinet. Last year I purchased a machine and cabinet. I had plans on restoring both pieces. Well, let's just say I did better on the cabinet than I did the machine. It is still in pieces and my hubby has given up on me ever putting it back together. Today he told me, "just go and buy a machine that is already done". So now my mission is to find the perfect treadle machine. Any suggestions on where to start? Thanks in advance :D
Do not feel too bad about giving up - I have had to give up on a couple before too. They make real good parts machines. Just go buy another one just like it. Then make sure it doesn't need the total spa treatment. The other thing you might do if you find another one is use it to look at to fix up the dud. I have to do that sometimes myself.
PLEASE NOTE: You do not always need to do the TOTAL spa treatment to get a machine to work. If the machine is actually working just a good cleaning is really all it needs. The total spa treatment should be for those that actually are gummed up, rusted out and in general don't work right. Having to do a total spa treatment can be a fun and very satisfying experience if you can figure out how to get it back together if not it can be shear frustration. I have one machine that took about 2 years to get it right. I learned SSSSOOOOOO much doing it though. If you do have a next time for disassembling a machine, keep a camera around and take tons of pictures. Put parts in a muffin tin in the order they come off. Keep tension parts in one muffin pan, bobbin area parts in another. Keep kids away... Do it pretty quickly so you remember how it went. Keep a good service manual around - these days you can get them - service manuals used to be the deep dark secret in the service man's back room or some such.
Let us know what the perfect treadle looks like?