Help trouble shooting Treadle Machine
 

Mom and I have been working on trying to get our Singer Treadle Machine working. We don't know what year it is, but the number on it is: G330170.

We installed a belt and it seams like it is tight enough to work, but what we're noticing is that the hand wheel is not going forward like it should, it goes back and forth, and sometimes the treadle pedal freezes.

Any suggestions or websites or you tube videos would really help. We can't figure out why the hand wheel is going backwards and forwards instead of forwards so you can stitch. When we just pull the hand wheel forward we get nice even stitches, but if we try the treadle we just get a thread nest.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Hold the thread tails when you start, for about the first 3 or 4 stitches.

Treadling takes practice. One foot goes on the front of the treadle and the other foot goes on the back of the treadle. Turn the handwheel with your hand to get started. Then try to keep the rhythm. I've learned that it's harder to do on thick carpet.

Good Luck!

If that is the complete serial number it was made in 1910. The serial numbers that start with G can be a problem for accurately finding the correct time from and from my own experience can have the wrong info. Sometimes it is because a number is omitted and just look at the 6 digit numbers and not the 7 digit numbers. Plus they started the numbering again with 7 digits, but a 0 in front of the other 6 digits.

As quiltedsunshine said, treadling takes practice.

I had tried treadling when I was younger and decided it wasn't for me. Then my brother and I refurbished the treadle my sister learned to sew on. She was so appreciative and would tell me how much she enjoyed sewing on the treadle. I finally gave it another try. It really is fun.

I will PM you, too. Here are some threads/posts, sites and videos about treadling.
https://www.quiltingboard.com/8515875-post14.html
https://www.quiltingboard.com/vintag...n-t177037.html
https://www.treadleon.net/sewingmach...totreadle.html
https://www.treadleon.net/sewingmach...eadlebelt.html
https://www.helenhowes-sewingmachine...totreadle.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXEoZIBserE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8IUBJry6Ro

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

Thank you for the info, with some practice I got it going forward (most of the time!) LOL.

I have a few more questions. Do you think it's okay to oil the treadle part of the machine? It's very squeaky.

Also, right now I'm getting pretty tiny stitches. I'd like a stitch length that's closer to 2 to 2.5. Do I just want to adjust the top tension for this, or do I need to adjust the bobbin tension?

Yes, oil the treadle joints and wheels. There should be a stitch length knob on the front of the machine that twists to get a longer length.

Yes, the treadle needs cleaned and oiled, too.
I'm going to guess that your pitman is not wood. I can't remember what it is to do with the wooden pitman, but yes oil will help the other places.
https://sewingservices.tripod.com/oiling.html
https://i0.wp.com/www.treadleon.net/....jpg?strip=all

As quiltedsunshine said, to lengthen the stitch, you turn the knob on the pillar clockwise. There are some manuals that I believe would be for your machine at https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_mac...e-manuals.html I think that the 66 and both the 66-1 manuals are for your machine. One isn't the greatest, but it is for a 66-1

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
Not affiliated with off-site link(s)

I’ve figured out how to treadle and there is definitely a technique to it! But I noticed that there’s a rod that’s attached to both the treadle and the metal piece that helps move the belt and it’s un-screwing itself as I treadle. So every time I am sewing, I have to take a peak underneath after a while and check to see if the screw needs to be tightened up again, because otherwise it just falls off. I will take a picture of the rod tomorrow so you know what I’m talking about.