The new girl - Davis Rotary
 

I am really excited to be adding this one to my collection. Davis rotaries are quite rare, and this is one made for a treadle too.

it's nicer in person than in pictures.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps1ade9411.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps6518414d.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps5a28b093.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps9ce2cfa3.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps3530b300.jpg

Though this part is bent/broken. Not sure what it's purpose is other than a tension guide.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps1026281b.jpg


This is neat - when you raise the presser bar this hook goes down and seperates the two disks to release the upper thread tension.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps774f5e4c.jpg

Bobbins and Case - I would not have bid on this one without them.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps11185bee.jpg


And attachments.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psdf67783c.jpg

This is a set I didn't have. It's not quite like any others, as the feet are high like standard but the underbraider and shir plate are like Free/Westinghouse.


It also came with some interesting hand needles. The larger may be just a leather needle, the lower came in the packet and is different- it only has one sharp edge.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...psb514959e.jpg

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...ps98e84619.jpg

Your collection just keeps growing in scope and in variety! Grats on your newest rotary machine! Can't wait to see it after you've worked your magic on it.

So far I've not actually worked on any machine! My DH is my mechanic, and he's very good! I want to do some myself, but so far I've not found the time - I so hope life will settle down for a while, I've had enough drama to last for a long time.

I've refinished several cabinets though, but the last one I stripped over a year ago and it's been sitting down in the basement since.

very cool. Can't wait to see it cleaned all up!

Cathy,

Very nice. I thought the Davis Rotary attachments were different than the regular underfeed ones but wasn't certain. I grew up in a town that was originally called "Alliance" in NJ. If the timing was better I would have fought you for that Davis on ebay but it was not to be. Lots of fish in the sea.

Jon

Jon - at least you do get to enjoy reading about this one -

The feet are different. The Davis VS underfeed has a noticeable needlebar offset to the right, the rotary has a noticeable offset to the left. The underbraider and shirr plate for the Davis Rotary are the same as that for the Free Rotary. However the feet for the Free Rotary are narrow gap with needle centered, so that part is very easy to tell the difference.

I'm pretty sure this machine predates the Free Rotary, so maybe Free got that style attachment from Davis. I've not seen it used anywhere else. It is an exact fit, so the distance from the needle bar to bed attachment holes is the same, but the needle bar to presser bar distance is different.

There were 2 different Davis Rotaries---old and new style. The old style had a bobbin case set up similar to the Wheeler and Wilson D9. I have a PDF owners manual for this machine but have never actually seen one in real photos. The new style is like yours with the easily removable bobbin case. Not sure how rare the Rotary is but I only see a handful up for sale per year. Think there's one on ebay now and I'm having a hard time trying to ignore it. :)

Jon

I'm going to pretend I did not read that . . .

I have a manual for a newer style Portable Electric Rotary, and mine is quite similar but has an older stye tension and the throat plate and bobbin winder are different.

I have seen an older manual and it looks like the underside is quite different.

I did find one electric Davis Rotary on eBay right now - but it's local pickup only. I've no desire to get another similar to what I have, but I'll keep an eye out for an even older one . . . I found an older style WW9 and now I want one of them. Got to stop doing this, but I love rotaries and I love variations.

OK - so I just love sewing machines!

I was afraid you'd say that about the Old Style (bidding war!) but if it's any consolation I'd imagine the attachments are the same. Think I'd be pretty excited just to see an actual photo of one.

Thank goodness the ebay Rotary is somewhere in NY, a few hundred miles away. I'd probably be really tempted if the BC was pictured. I did pick up a Low Arm near Syracuse.

Jon

I'd love to see an older one, but I'm fine with the one I have. I do have to be careful not to go overboard! At this point the only other Davis I'm looking for is the 3/4 size VS one :)