Need help with treadle sewing machine restoration
 

Can someone advise me about getting a treadle belt to move the handwheel? I bought a Brunswick treadle sewing machine with a vibrating shuttle for a bobbin. I have taken apart what I knew I could put back together, cleaned the gunk and rust, took off the brown paint from the sewing table (it is a beautiful dark oak with carvings on the drawers) and just stained it to show the grain. I cleaned the base. So now I replaced the belt. It works for the bobbin winder but when I tighten the handwheel, the pedal won't move. When I turn the handwheel, the pedal moves but not the other way around. Help!

Picture of the Brunswick
 

Here's a picture of the machine. I still have to put knobs on the drawers and waiting for the stain to dry on the leaf extension of the sewing table.

Sorry I can't help you but am sure someone on board here will be able to, I just want to compliment you on the beautiful machine and cabinet.

Welcome. What a beautiful machine. I am not sure that I understand. If you turn the hand wheel and the pedal moves, but not the other way around, does not make sense. If you turn the hand wheel does the needle bar move? Are you moving the hand wheel in a anti-clockwise direction? Does the needle bar move when you wind the bobbin?

I also think that the Brunswick takes a 20x1 needle, but there are some that will use a 15x1 by dropping it a bit.

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

With the handwheel clutch tightened, does the machine turn freely? Does the needle bar move up and down when turning the handwheel by hand?

With the handwheel clutch loosened, does the handwheel spin freely on the shaft? Does the needle bar move with the handwheel clutch loosened while turning the handwheel by hand?

When operating the pedal, does the large pulley move freely?

If the machine turns freely with the clutch tightened, and the pedal moves the large pulley freely, then put the belt on, sized correctly (hopefully Janey will post the link about sizing a belt, but you should be able to find that easily). When you are ready to start operating with the pedal start the machine with your hand turning the handwheel towards you from the top (counter clockwise when looking at it from the handwheel end of the machine). I have owned only 3 treadle machines and on all 3 I had to start the machine moving with my hand, not just trying to push on the pedal.
If you make it this far and have cloth under the presser foot, the cloth should move away from you with the handwheel moving counter clockwise; if the cloth moves towards you then the machine operates with a clockwise spin.

Actually, the link for belt measurement would be for electric motor v-belts and is at https://www.quiltingboard.com/8436654-post13.html

Treadle leather belts pretty much come in 72" lengths, unless you get a roll of belting. There are other things that can be used besides leather belting. There are many sites and youtube videos as to how to install a treadle belt. My go-to is actually https://www.treadleon.net/sewingmach...eadlebelt.html I know that it needs to be a little looser than one would expect. Also, it will frequently need adjusted after some use. In the link to treadleon it will mention stretching the belt, before putting it on.

I didn't think I would ever treadle, let alone enjoy it, but it really is fun. I haven't done a whole lot, but enjoyed it once I played a bit on it.

Janey - Neat people never make the exciting discoveries I do.
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I tested what was suggested and found....
1. if the handwheel is not locked, it runs freely, like for the bobbin winder.. AND the pedal works freely to control the speed. AND the needle does NOT move up and down.
2. if the handwheel is locked and I move the handwheel, the needle goes up and down. The handwheel is a little stiff but it moves the needle up and down
3. BUT when I use the pedal, the handwheel will NOT move even when I tried to start the movement by rotating the handwheel counterclockwise the pedaling. And the belt starts slipping. It doesn't do that when the handwheel is not locked.

I oiled the handwheel. I oiled every hole I found. What am I missing? The belt i got is the leather belt that is 3/16. It seems to work fine with handwheel unlocked for the bobbin winder and moves that perfectly. But once I lock to sew and the needle moves with the handwheel, the pedal and the belt won't coordinate. Could it be that my handwheel is too stiff? I dont know how it should feel (as loose as when it is unlocked??).

Have you moved the bobbin winder out of the path of the belt? According to the treadleon link : "The key thing is not to get it too tight. It will cause the machine to be sluggish and your foot to get tired. The treadling should be easy and the belt just tight enough to sew, but not to slip"

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

[QUOTE=regencynut;8472660]I tested what was suggested and found....
2. if the handwheel is locked and I move the handwheel, the needle goes up and down. The handwheel is a little stiff but it moves the needle up and down

With the belt off and the handwheel locked in, the machine should cycle freely with no stiffness at all. On older machines in can multiple rounds of oiling to dissolve old dried up oil and gunk that are slowing things down. In addition to the oil holes, remove all covers and put sewing machine oil everywhere you see metal moving on metal. It will help to cycle the machine as you oil; you will find small oil holes inside of the covered pieces.

I'm oiling everything again. There's a hole in the back of the machine close to the handwheel, approximately in line with the spool holder. It seems to help loosen the handwheel somewhat.... still a little stiff but less than before. Im going to work on that for a while and then I'll check the belt and see the options like you guys suggested. Im hoping to get this iron lady back in service. Can't wait to treadle. Wish me luck.

There are other chemicals people use to loosen up parts, you can search the board for some names. Others use heat, either from a hair dryer or heat gun, to loosen old oil. If you use heat, do NOT apply the "if some is good more is better" principle, as I did recently on a machine by being in a hurry and setting the heat gun to "High"; all I did was burn the old oil in place...set off the smoke alarm in the garage too, if that tells you anything.

You machine should be simple enough in its mechanisms that once it's loosened up completely and thoroughly lubricated it should turn several revolutions/cycles easily by giving the hand wheel a good spin.

Can't help a great deal....you got some good suggestions here. You might also try a search on line for a manual for you machine and model. They sometimes have a diagram showing oil points and perhaps a blow up or exploded view of various parts. I have a 1915 Singer 115 treadle and find that you do need some minor maintenance on them!!! Sounds like you are half-way there. Good Luck!!

Thank you so much for all your wonderful suggestions. I have been trying all of them. I do have the original manual. Lucky me. I bought the machine from the grandson of the original owner and he kept all that came with his grandma's sewing machine. It's take a few repeated reading because the language assumes people with more common sense compared to me who I like my manuals to be like YouTube..... someone to hold my hand. Haha.

So I have been oiling these 3 holes near the handwheel.... letting it sit.... then I turn the wheel.... and repeat. I have been doing that everyday since you suggested it. It feels a little looser but it is still stiff. Not what you say turning freely. And I can't take apart that part of the machine because it is solid.

I'm afraid to try heat because I don't know what I'm doing and I don't want to ruin anything but I do have a hair dryer... Do I just point it to the hole? Low setting?

Just a thought, once upon a time I thought the problem was in the upper arm as the hand wheel had a sticky spot. Turns out it was in the bottom. So be sure to keep oiling the bottom as well. I've used kerosene to clean out old oil, but followed up with sewing machine oil. As you are oiling keep turning the hand wheel to distribute the oil.

You are so lucky for having a manual, even if it is not as straight forward as one would like.

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

If you're not comfortable with heat, don't mess with it, but as Janey says oil underneath also, and in the nose of the machine, where the needle bar and presser foot bar are. And cycle the machine as you oil to make sure the oil is working it's way into all the joints.

By "spin freely" I mean that the entire machine mechanism should move freely through a cycle by turning the hand wheel, with no sticking or slow spots.

One more remote possibility, that I had come up on a machine, was the feed dogs hitting the needle plate. I would remove the needle plate and see if that affects the movement of the machine.

Success!!!! Thank you. Thank you so much for all your suggestions. I oiled the holes near the handwheel for several days in a row with not much change. So I also oiled near the feed dog. I oiled the bar that moves the needle up and down. I used a hair dryer to warm the machine. I kept at it for all this time. And today for the first time, IT WORKED!

Now I have to work on the belt because it slips. But it works!!!!. Thank you all so much. I almost gave up and was going to look for someone who repairs treadle. But all your suggestions and advice were spot on. I will work on the belt.... maybe I need to tighten it. It was a new leather belt which may have stretched this past week. Once I have it all working, I will post you the before and after pictures. Maybe if I'm really smart, I can figure out how to compress a video to fit for download. If not... definitely pictures.

Congratulations https://cdn.quiltingboard.com/images...es/thumbup.png Sometimes it does take a while for things to loosen up. Yes, the belt may need to be tightened, but not too much. Also, sometimes the oiling will move the sticky oil to a new spot, so keep using it to work all the old oil out.

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