DH brought home a Free-Westinghouse
11-15-2012, 07:12 AM
#11
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 274
I bought one used as my only machine, trading in a worn out treadle, in 1956 and later traded it for a pink Universal zigzag in 1958. It was still doing good but I wanted the zigzag for toddler clothes. It was in a similar cabinet and I would guess it was made after the war so late 40's to 50's. But I have no real knowledge.
11-15-2012, 01:14 PM
#12
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Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 84
congrats-pretty machine and pretty table too..i have a "free" that was made sometime in the first decade of 1900...and it works like a charm. it came to me for $65.00 and included all of the attachments, the original oil can and the original book (very fragile but readable). they are easy to care for as long as you remember to oil, oil, oil. 15/1 needles do just fine. i hope that you use your attachments..the hemmers are fantastic. westinghouse bought out the free company and if you read the history of these machines you will find that brother is the current company..the history and the patent application process is fascinating history of these machines.
11-16-2012, 06:47 AM
#13
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 274
congrats-pretty machine and pretty table too..i have a "free" that was made sometime in the first decade of 1900...and it works like a charm. it came to me for $65.00 and included all of the attachments, the original oil can and the original book (very fragile but readable). they are easy to care for as long as you remember to oil, oil, oil. 15/1 needles do just fine. i hope that you use your attachments..the hemmers are fantastic. westinghouse bought out the free company and if you read the history of these machines you will find that brother is the current company..the history and the patent application process is fascinating history of these machines.
11-19-2012, 06:50 AM
#14
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Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Western Washington
Posts: 274
Update: Stella is oiled and I used her last night. Going through her to oil, she is actually really clean and in very good shape for her age.
The threading was a little tricky. I was putting the thread through the needle from right to left. She would not make a stitch and the thread kept coming out. I checked everything: feed dogs, overall threading, bobbin, tension, the needle, etc. Finally as a last ditch effort I put thread into the needle from left to right and it worked! Funny how one little thing like that made such a big difference.
Anyway - she makes a really nice stitch. I figured out adjusting the stitch length, and going backwards to lock the stitch. The tension is better than on my 'modern' (but cheap) machine. Stella is a bit (ok, a lot) noisy, but we think the motor is loose. DH is going to try to find a way to tighten that up.
Ey, I've found yet another sewing addiction.
The threading was a little tricky. I was putting the thread through the needle from right to left. She would not make a stitch and the thread kept coming out. I checked everything: feed dogs, overall threading, bobbin, tension, the needle, etc. Finally as a last ditch effort I put thread into the needle from left to right and it worked! Funny how one little thing like that made such a big difference.
Anyway - she makes a really nice stitch. I figured out adjusting the stitch length, and going backwards to lock the stitch. The tension is better than on my 'modern' (but cheap) machine. Stella is a bit (ok, a lot) noisy, but we think the motor is loose. DH is going to try to find a way to tighten that up.
Ey, I've found yet another sewing addiction.
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