OurWorkbench

Great!!! Will they bring a machine, too? We're looking forward to seeing the "Guhl & Harbeck chain stitch, which may or may not be sewing." AND meeting 'like minded' enthusiasts.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

Gray fox

The Guhl & Harbeck is stitching, at least for the moment! My husband cobbled together a spool pin, (rather complex, with a spacer, spring, and cap) and then readjusted it, and now all is well. Promise not to laugh when you see it. Actually, only the nut on the top looks significantly different from old drawings of these machines.

Dianne

SteveH

Dianne - Shoot me a picture of the assembly. If I do not already have a more "period correct" part, I may be able to fab one up.

Gray fox

Steve,

The spool pin consists of a metal tube, with a threaded part inside which extends out the top. There is a brass part which fits on top of the spool, then a spring, and then a knurled nut. The part atop the spool is a little too tall, and the shape off, but not bad. The spring is a shortened Singer spool pin spring, nice and light. The problem is the threading on the knurled nut does not match the threading on the spool pin, and unthreads itself when you turn the machine. So, in use, it needs the extra nut on top to keep it from spinning off.

Dan is very inventive in coming up with solutions, and these parts are from a box he keeps of things scavenged here and there. Bear in mind, this started as a wood dowel and two washers on top of the spool. Something is needed to keep the spool from hopping with each stitch, making for loose stitches, and a simple spool felt could not do the job. That explains why old drawings show these features.

These are the first photos I loaded into and adjusted on my new computer. Challenging, and I've no idea how the picture of the machine got that interesting shadowed effect in the background. Will figure it out eventually.

The gist of this is I'm not unhappy with the way this looks as a display piece (without the nut) and finding parts that match up exactly is probably next to impossible. If you have suggestions, they would be appreciated, and if you know of sources for odd little parts with threading like used in 1890s Germany, that would be stupendous!

Dianne

Gray fox

My fingers messed up the heading......and it doesn't seem to be editable. Sigh. It is, of course, Guhl and Harbeck.

SteveH

Looks good, and I see why you dislike the nut on top. What I would do in this case it to verify the thread and pitch of the threads and make a new lock nut in brass.

If you can tell me the thread info and the diameter of the existing brass knurled nut, I could make or find one pretty easy. I would consider a brass acorn nut as well.

Edit: Also I am curious about the angle of the thread entering the upper tension. I know of no machines designed to have that type of offset. I wonder if it should be in a different sequence of assembly (brass waisted part on the bottom. I will do some research to see what an all original looks like.

Edit 2: OK, that was quick.... I would suggest that the spring should go Above the tension disks. that would lower the tension. If you put the brass waisted part under the spool the alignment would be better.

Gray fox

Moving the spring under the tension disks - where it sits atop the thicker part of the pin - it now looks correct, with the thread lining up as in the drawings. Did I ever mention that I'm not terribly mechanical?

Really looking forward to tomorrow!

Dianne

OurWorkbench

I've read about the Row by Row but not familiar with the time frame. Will it be able to coincide with the June 3rd 2016 or will it be later?

Got home a little bit ago.

The Guhl & Harbeck is sure cute and sews a great stitch. I forgot to ask if maybe could use thicker thread. I'm not sure I answered correctly, but I think that the hole in the front of where the needle goes is so thought one could thread cording (maybe crochet thread) through and stitch it on. BTW does any one know the correct pronunciation of Guhl? Does it rhyme with rule or pronounced like gull?

Ila brought her Featherweight. We couldn't hear the unusual sound if there was one. Maybe the oil had marinated to where it needed to be or we just couldn't hear above the background sounds.

Sorry there weren't more of "us" but we surely enjoyed it and had nice weather, too.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.

iadhikari

It was so much fun to meet some other vintage machine addicts! Loved seeing the little chain stitcher. My sullen, impatient teen-ager liked it enough to say that she might be interested in learning to sew if I buy a similar machine.
I doubt those are easy to find, or inexpensive... we'll see.
Let's try again for November. Maybe the weekend of the 14th-15th? That's in three weeks. The weekend after that is right before Thanksgiving. It's fine for me, but might be harder for others.
Wish I could have stayed longer,
Ila

Gray fox

It was great fun meeting fellow sewing machine fanatics, and hearing stories about their machines and adventures. The little G & H was carefully examined, and we enjoyed Ila's featherweight, as well as Janey & John's Singer pinkers. Susan and I had never seen one 'in person' before and thought they resembled pencil sharpeners more than anything else!

Anyone who missed the gathering today and would like to be included in emails planning future meetings should pm me, and we will be sure you get the information needed.

This will be the start of something grand!

Dianne