Originally Posted by trupeach
OHHHHHH how I wish I had one but I don't. I have an inner ear disorder so I can't use a sewing machine because of the sound of the motor but a treadle has no motor I would be in heaven. The things I could make, right now I sew everything by hand. If I had one I would use it for everything. Maybe one day I could afford one.
You may be over-estimating the cost of buying a treadle. I have purchased two this year, both from Craigslist. I paid $50 for the first, a 1911 Singer 66K with Lotus decals, and $45 for the second, a Singer 27. Both are probably usable as-is, though they need belts. I'm cleaning up the cabinets and plan to give the heads some attention too, but I think some oil is probably all they need. There are lots of ads that ask far more than that for comparable machines, and I have looked at several in that price range that I didn't buy for one reason or another, but I'm sure if you look around you will find one you can afford, or even one that someone will give away if you give it a good home.
I want to learn how to treadle on the 66K, though I doubt I will get much use of the 27 because of its funny bobbin. I just hate to see those machines getting covered with cobwebs in someone's garage, and it's so sad to see an ad that says "we're selling grandma's treadle...". I have no idea what happened to my own grandmother's treadle, but there were so many children and grand's and great-grands that I'm sure it wound up in the family somewhere.
Billy, my question is, do you cover the feed dogs and free motion on your treadle?