Has the groove in the wheel for a belt and by looking at the base of the machine one can see it has the holes in it for the belt to go through which leads me to believe that the base was cut from the top of a treadle machine thus making the machine portable, well as portable as one of these heavy brutes can be. Just my observation, looks like the work can be reversed. Have not figured out the little slide lid there on the right, must be for parts? Wood grain don't match up so could of been added at a later time from pieces from the top of the treadle machine.