Originally Posted by
redbugsullivan
Now if only I could get MY timing right to keep her starting the right direction. The treadle is so smooth that a slight nudge to start results in several stitches. Yeah, except when it goes backwards and breaks the thread!
I had a guy at the antiques restoration place tell me that you should always give the hand wheel a little turn towards you as you start treadling. This prevents you from going backwards and breaking threads. I tried it when I got home, sure enough he was right.
It's how I start almost all of my machines these days, electric or human powered.