Leaving a working treadle outside in the Pacific Northwest USA
 

re: sewing outside. We are very fortunate here to not have bugs other than the occasional fly.
I'd love to take my treadle out on the covered deck
but that is a two man job and Rob is often out of town. (re: taking it in and out)

My concern is we do have rain here and I'm worried about the machine or stand or irons drawing moisture if left out on the deck.
I'd feel terrible if I damaged it by carelessness, it was a gift from Dick Wrightman, the Treadleon founder.

any experience in this line, leaving a working treadle outside spring and summer?

Myself personally I wouldn't do it. I had to strip a machine for parts not too long ago(it was beyond repair) and I put the stripped head out on the covered front porch. I was amazed at how fast it started to rust even without any rain.

Cari

It's the morning dew that gathers during the night, even in the driest climates it can't be prevented. It only takes a night or two for rust to develop on cast iron and some types of steel. Except for the chromed parts, nothing is stainless on an old sewing machines. Maybe you cold settle for a vintage portable for the porch either hand crank or electrical?

It has always amazed me that people would leave them outside - or out in little sheds with little protection. Do you have a nice garage? Does your treadle have wheels? Maybe you could move it in and out of a garage. I certainly would not leave it outside even if it were covered. My grandmother kept one out in the "Shop" - it was a garage that was originally built to work as my great-uncle's radio/gun shop. They stored it out there since they had another one in the house and it was fine the last time I saw it 26 years ago. It is the house now, and the irons looked good when I saw it last summer - didn't open it up, sure wanted to but didn't have time.

I would not leave it outside. I am in socal and have also thought about putting mine out on my covered porch but decided against it. Instead I have it set up by a bank of windows that open up. This way I have the best of two worlds. It is not good for the iron but the wood will be ruined outside also.

I wouldn't leave it outside either. I live in a damp climate and anything left outside rusts in record time. Best to leave it inside maybe near a window so you can enjoy the beautiful day without actually being outside?

I keep mine in the garage for the moment, but it's coming in the house. I had to rearrange furniture to make a space.

You've pretty much mirrored what I figured. Thank you for your opinions, very much.

I'll continue on with my sweet little hand crank.

I wouldn't do it. I lived in Oregon for years and also SE Alaska where there is plenty of rain and I know how the moisture can cause the wood to swell and parts to rust.

I would never leave mine out side.

I wouldn't do it either. I haven't quilted on my treadle in decades.

Common sense prevailed. Good for you. They rust too easily with any moisture and are too hard to clean off again. The portable hand crank is a getter idea.

I have a screened in deck and someday I am going to spend a day quilting outside. I will use my Singer99k as it is not so heavy or big.

Not a good idea. You apparently have a 'treasure'. I would keep it inside to enjoy and nurture. It would have lots of problems very soon it you left it outside.

Take it from a cabinet-maker's wife. In 1982, we had a tremendous flood in our little town in North Central Florida, with 13" of rain in one afternoon (about 3 hours). All the custom wood cabinets, including large pantry(s), etc., were threatened by incoming local flooding, and loss of part of the roof which blew off. Even with stacking concrete blocks and putting the wooden cabinets atop the blocks, they could NOT be protected, and were a total loss. Anything you want to preserve should NOT be outside! The weather just brutalizes furniture/iron left outside!

Jeanette

I understand Jeanette, we had our town flooded in mid-December and only just got our post office back a few weeks ago and still don't have police, city hall, and library back in business.

SW Washington is not a good place to leave a machine outside. Yep use one that can be put in and out, wish you could though it would be fun.

I have a covered patio that is great for enjoying the fresh air while sewing, but I do keep my machine inside. :)
I wouldn't want the morning dew, or overnight showers to start anything.....

I'm in Ocean Shores and our barbecue rusted out. My husband has recently refinished a 1904 Singer for me. The only thing he couldn't do was protect (coat, have plated?) the bobbin winder. It is in the house but he says even in here if he can't figure out how to protect the bobbin winder it will rust.

My husband wont even leave a tractor or farm equipment outside, What the weather doesn't rust, the sun will rot tires and fade paint.

I would think just a coating of sewing machine oil will help a great deal. Or maybe some non-abrasive metal polish, especially since it is in the house.

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

checking back, rereading all the good advice. Limeygal, I love going through Ocean Shores just to see all the deer in your yards. and be glad they are there and not here :)

What I did was pitch the TV we never use out of the quilt room into the living room which we also never use, which opened up a big space, so in front of the windows I have my '46 White Rotary on the left, the Singer treadle in the middle, and the Singer 404 on the right. Happy daze! As close to sewing outside as I can get with those machines

thanks again for the responses