Quiltingboard Forums - Edison Update

WWWWWaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy back in 11-21-11, we acquired an Edison clone from shopgoodwill.com.
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We went to Terre Haute, IN to pick it up and found a nice treadle in a parlor cabinet too, but that's a story for another thread.
The poor Edison was a disaster. The case handle was broken and taped together with duck tape. Inside it was littered with bent, broken, and chipped needles. That was a warning I would have heeded had I not already paid for it and driven half way across the state.
It did have a full compliment of accessories and owners manuals for everything, so those helped.

Once home I tried to make it work and it just would not sew. I tinkered with it for quite a while and didn't get anywhere. I just didn't know what I was doing. The presser foot shaft was set too high, the needle bar was set too low, and the timing was off. I fixed those the best I could by comparing them to my HOTHER. But the HOTHER is just too dissimilar. Then I ended up making matters worse by undoing some screws and turning a counter balance on the main shaft trying to fix an interference fit. I really messed it up then. After that things just went down hill. I found out how to adjust that interference problem later, but still couldn't get the machine right.

While I was trying to figure out the mechanics of the machine I rewired the cord block and motor and cleaned the insides of the foot controller.

The machine sat for nearly a year until I got a 15-91 in late 2012. That was similar but not enough. And the singer parts were set up opposite those in the Edison.
Tinker on it for while, then put it away again. I even use the belt grard / bobbin winder, hand wheel, motor and wiring to run the 15-91 for a test while I fixed the potted motor. Worked good too.

Finally a breakthrough. In October of 2012 I bought a Commadore clone. I compared it to the Edison and internally they are identical. I removed all the plates, covers and motors from both of them and sat them side by side on my work bench. Then gradually I reset everything in the Edison to match the Commadore. There was a few little glitches, but we were getting somewhere.
Then the Edison was put back while I worked on other machines.

Last month I pulled it out again and refreshed my memory as to where I'd left off. It surprised me and sewed. The only thing wrong was instead of moving the fabric smoothly through the feed dogs it moved it back and forth as it sewed. I looked and looked and looked at it trying to figure out a reason.

Then I was doing something else and had an epiphany. Perhaps the feed dogs were too high so they never released the fabric. And if I used the feed dog lowering screw to gradually lower the dogs I could confirm or deny that theory.
A couple weeks ago I made the test and as I lowered the dogs the problem stopped. It just sewed along nicely. I made a few adjustments underneath to lower the dogs and then started sewing with the Edison.
A long time coming. For the last couple weeks I've been using the machine, fine tuning the tensions, and working with it.
I put a new bobbin winding tire on it, a new belt, polished the needle pricks off the needle plate. Polished the needle hole with the abrasive cord Sew-Classic sells and gave it a good test run.
I made a Whacky Bag with it. Turned out pretty good too.

I also replaced the broken handle on the case with a handle from a broken case Miriam gave me.
Now the Edison is complete. Back in his own home with all the goodies he came with. One more success story. :D

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The Edison is now sitting snug in his case in queue for his next project.

Joe

PS: Someone asked me to take pics of the progress and I never did. I apologize for that.