Can I use a more standard singer shuttle for my Kayser treadle machine?
 

So I recently came to acquire a very lovely Kayser Stuttgart sewing machine. Other than the damaged shuttle and a wrong insert plate it is perfectly functional and complete. I am working to refurbish it to functionality as I want a fully portable machine for my merchant booth (where there is often no electricity, frequently no water, and I am living out of a car).

I however know next to nothing about the machine other than how it works and how to keep it running. I got it from it's previous owner who told me that it was working about 20 years ago before being shoved into the closet until recently. According to her it was being often used for quilting before her forced retirement from the activity.

My question is how I could replace the unfortunately damaged shuttle, the screw is rusty and the spring is broken around the location where the tension screw holds it in place. Hopefully I can get a standard singer or wight model, but when I looked into the whole affair it looks as if I need one from the company that made the machine.

As most of my attempts to even find a similar machine online were fraught with floods and floods of Singers, and only a couple of relevant articles that didn't have any information about the shuttles, I feel a little stymied.

I would post more pictures of the machine, but my photos are a bit big for uploading.

Help would be appreciated, I would love to be able to use this machine to it's capacity for my business.

the machines I've seen have a lot of similarities to the Singer, so you could try a Singer shuttle (very easy to obtain) and see how it goes.

BTW - don't look for a Standard shuttle, as that is something very different from a Singer shuttle.

if you can take very detailed pictures with measurements, I'll compare it to the different US mfg ones I have and see if we can find one that appears similar enough to work.

length: 1.950in
internal diameter: .375 to .380in
External diameter: .461in
bobbin length: 1.34in
bobbin diameter: .360in
setscrew hole diameter: .072in
[ATTACH=CONFIG]521321[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521322[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521323[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521323[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521324[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521325[/ATTACH]

I think that a 2 inch singer one might work, the shuttle has a bit of wear (almost enough to account for the 40 thousandths). The last photo is a back view, I'm not exactly sure if the long diagonal slit is common.

Thanks for the help.

Julia

Here's some photos of the machine. [ATTACH=CONFIG]521326[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521329[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521330[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521331[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]521332[/ATTACH] right now the head is off of the cabinet because I'm working on cleaning it. But the treadle is the original one, in excellent condition, and works. I'm going to put the belt on when I get it ready to start running.

How interesting I have the same machine in a treadle and it sews great. I will have to check my shuttles out and see what i can find that will work.

Thank you, the information would be greatly appreciated. I think that I'm going to try a two inch singer 27 to start, meanwhile keep an eye out for a Kayser shuttle.

Julia

That is a fascinating machine. I've never seen a bobbin winder that's anything like that. And I love the tooling on the face plate. I think you'll be drawing crowds to your booth with this beauty!

Glen, I'm looking forward to reading what you find out about shuttle compatibility. Keep in mind to try different sized needles it can sometimes affect if a different shuttle works or not.

I would soak the shuttle in evaporust and then polish it up it may work.
HelenAnn

Maybe. You'd still need to remake the spring.

Yeah, if it weren't for the broken, potentially bent, spring, I would have already had it operational. I was also told by the sewing machine repair shop I took it to that running a machine with the shuttle that rusty and pitted might not be a good idea.

Part of what caught my eye on this guy was the bobbin winder and reverse lever on him. I lucked out on him using standard needles, a fact that I am ecstatic about.

I intend on using the machine mostly for leather, with a few cloth pieces interspersed. I will not be doing anything like shoes, mostly garments and bags. A friend of mine has a comparable age and size singer that he uses for shoes to excellent effect.

The reason why I want a portable workstation is that I catch more eyes and end up selling more when I'm working on the spot and can do improv impulse buys for people. As of now all of my sewing has been done by hand, either with a stitching awl or with endless elaborate braiding. Which drives my cost up.

I would have gone electric, but I need to be able to stop on the needle raise or needle fall, and after using my Dad's industrial (yes the thing is actually industrial) Juki to stitch through my fingers because it went too fast, I wanted a slower paced machine. My Mom found this guy in La Grande and I fell in love with him. Which is good, because if I hadn't felt a connection towards the machine I don't think I would ever get good work from him.

Julia