Help with Shapeleigh Treadle
 

I am a new member. I just acquired a very old Shapeleigh treadle machine in poor condition. I have never seen a tension assembly like this and believe the set spring is broken on the end. The set spring is mounted on a screw inside the machine directly behind the tension assembly which is on the front of the machine. There is an opening between the body of the machine and the faceplate where the set spring protrudes out and somehow is supposed to connect to the tension assembly on the front of the machine. The set spring is not mounted on the main tension screw on the front of the machine like on Singer machines.

Also, the spoked handwheel has a small screw that may be the stop motion screw, but it is not in the center of the handwheel, but is offset from the center. There is a small opening in the center of the handwheel, but this opening does not appear to be threaded to accept a screw. Just wondering what this center opening is for.

Does anyone have a Shapeleigh machine and/or manual they would be willing to photograph so I can better understand this machine? I can email photographs if anyone could answer my questions.

Although I am a new member, I have enjoyed reading this board and learning. Recently I was searching this board for Shapeleigh information and found that in 2011, someone posted asking about a Shapeleigh treadle and they tried unsuccessfully to post a photo. I printed the post and an answer from a member with some brief information about the Shapeleigh Hardware Co, but now I cannot find that post. I was hoping to go back and perhaps locate the person who owned the machine and who asked the question in 2011 to see if I could ask them about their machine.

Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you.

Renea

Welcome! Can you post your pictures here? At the top of where you write your posts the third icon from the right is the button you hit for uploading pictures. It's very easy once you've done it once. You're more likely to get the help you need if people can see what you're talking about.
Rodney

I will post photos tonight. Thanks

Since you said "shapeleigh hardware company" I'm going to assume this is a branded machine, so we'll need pictures to figure out who the actual MFG is. Many companies (except Singer) would put the name of the reseller on the machine.

Once we determine the Mfg and model, finding other information will be a lot easier.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475657[/ATTACH]This is the handwheel on my Shapeleigh machine. Is the small screw the stop motion screw? I can turn it backward. The needle continues to go up and down, but I have just started working on this machine and it needs lots of help, so the needle going up and down may be able to be solved as I get into this more. Not sure what the hole in the center is for. It is not threaded.

I am new and am learning how to post photos Will post photos of the tension assembly and the entire machine next. Thanks for any help anyone can give. mygrommi

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475658[/ATTACH]Here is the tension assembly. What looks to be the set spring is connected to a screw inside the machine behind the faceplate and behind the outer tension assembly. I am not sure all the pieces of the tension assembly are there. It seems the set spring should have a loop on the end and it must be broken off.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]475659[/ATTACH]In this photo the tension disks and beehive spring are removed showing the main tension screw.
This machine is in bad condition, but I have cleaned it up some since making these photos. The machine has sentimental value to a friend so I hope to make it better.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475660[/ATTACH]In this photo I have adjusted the set spring since it seems that it is supposed to protrude through an opening between the faceplate and the body of the machine. The other end of the set spring is fastened very tightly into a hole in the rim of the screw and the spring wraps around the screw several times. I tried to remove the spring from the screw, but could not get it to budge it is fastened so securely in the hole of the rim of the screw.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475661[/ATTACH]This photo shows the opening between the faceplate and the body of the machine where it seems the set spring is supposed to protrude, but there is no loop on the end of the spring on which to catch the thread like on a Singer machine. I do not know what the hole in the body of the machine is for (just above the tension assembly. Does anyone know where I might find a replacement set spring like this?

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475662[/ATTACH]Here is a photo of the entire machine. The word SHAPELEIGH is on the box cover and I can see a faint, faded SHAPELEIGH decal on the machine front of the machine body. I would love to have a copy of a manual for the machine. I believe it is a 3/4 size machine.

I appreciate any help.

mygrommi

One more thing about my Shapeleigh machine. I have not found a serial number on the body of the machine. However, after removing rust from the front throat plate, I see a number 332792 on the throat plate. None of the other parts have a number (as most Singer parts do), so I am now wondering if this might be the serial number.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]475668[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]475669[/ATTACH]

Here are photos of the machine front & back. It looks really bad here because when this photo was made I had done nothing to the machine. I have removed some rust from the throat plates and needle plate and have done some cleaning on the head of the machine. This may seem like a futile effort, but I really want to try to make this machine as good as I can for my elderly friend.

mygrommi

You have a machine made by Standard Mfg - the back screw is the stop motion - it tightens against the ring that is right behind it. this one works a bit different - that secondary ring is what the belt goes on, so the flywheel will still turn the needle, but if you watch, the belt drive will stay still - it disengages the belt drive from the flywheel - not the flywheel from the machine.

not sure if I can help on the tension. My VS is a top tension model, and my two Standard rotarys have a slightly different tension setup.

It looks most like the Standard "Paragon" class, though not identical. At least getting shuttles and bobbins won't be super hard - there are plenty of them out there that fit Standard VS machines.

http://needlebar.org/cm/displayimage..._display_media

BTW = the item that easily identifies this as Standard is the needle/throat plate configuration - this is a very unique design that only Standard has. And the two holes to the right of the needle are also unique to Standard - and they kept that so even the rotarys, including the GE Sewhandy (one of the last machines made by Standard) has the same two holes. It is how the underbraider and shir plate attach to the machine.

I'm going to add one more item in case others find this thread while searching - I've looked at some other "Shapeleigh" machines that look like they are made by a different company. It is likely that Shapeleigh contracted out with different companies for their machines at different times, and may have even made some of their own early on.

NOT a futile effort at all. This machine could clean up very nice and most likely can be made to sew very well.