Exquisite work and machine! I'd take that off your hands ANY day (not that I could afford it now that you've gone and made it all awesome and stuff...)

Wow, what a great job you've done on that machine, it looks all awesome as Steve said.

Cari

Thank you Steve & Cari. Steve, maybe we'll "talk" closer to June 3rd :)

My thinking is that I want to try the boiled linseed oil and vinegar on the table. It is too cold to do it any time soon but Colorado weather is very changeable. I remember when it didn't get above 0 degrees for a few weeks in January and I've also seen close to 70 degrees in January. I'm not sure about the drip pan as it is nailed, rather than screwed, to the board.

Does anybody know what the "original" drip pan is like? Would it have been like galvanized sheet metal? There is a very thin layer of kind of a goldish color coating that scratches with a fingernail, but I can't tell what it is.

For the irons, my current thoughts are to rub down well with sewing machine oil. I found one oil hole that is pretty well clogged that will need to be cleaned out. I"m thinking that for now I will not try to do anything with the pitman. It is wood and looks black. One set of instructions I have seen seem to indicate that one should oil where the metal fasteners are on the pitman. I don't have a picture but there appears to be something similar to a wing nut only it is not a nut but more like a screw/bolt head on the lower end of the pitman.

Just for fun I weighed the machine on just household scales. It weighs about 13 pounds. I tried to weigh the irons and it appears they weigh over 45 pounds.

I'm also wondering about the bobbin winder tire. I do have the larger Singer type but I was hoping to try to brainstorm how to use the one that is on the machine. Maybe by finding a rubber band to fit over the wheel it rides on. Or try to find one to fit over the bobbin winder tire. I noted that when the bobbin winder was swung into position to wind the bobbin that it doesn't seem to actually run parallel to the wheel - it comes in at an angle. Is it supposed to do that? AND if so how well does that work?? Maybe should find a different type/size of tire?

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

Janey,

Beautiful work. I was looking through some online Scientific American articles and found something you might enjoy.

Happy and Healthy 2016 to all.

https://archive.org/stream/scientifi...ge/n0/mode/2up

Jon

Jon, Thank you.

no "might" about it -- YES, yes, yes I do enjoy!!! Thank you very much.

Several things in there - neat article - even tells how they did the japanning and mentions the process for ornamentation.

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

Janey,
I don't know how well it works, but I'm pretty sure the bobbin winder is the way it's supposed to be. See
http://www.possumjimandelizabeth.com...wing_weed.html

Amazing transformation! That machine hasn't looked so good in a very long time.
I think it might be the gunkiest one I've seen so far. Dried oil and crud everywhere.

One thing I like to do with small non japanned parts is throw them in a container of alcohol and let them sit to help dissolve the crud. You still have to manually clean them but I think it helps speed up the process.
Rodney

Yes, I've seen that but they haven't sewn with it.

Here is a not so great picture of the bobbin winder tire resting on the wheel.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]539197[/ATTACH]

Yep, it sure was gunky. Good thing, though, that it was oil and not rust. Also, you have to be able to get the parts off before being able to soak them in a container of alcohol and/or clean them well.

I was able to clean the one oil hole on the shaft for the flywheel. I also tried to measure the length I would need for the treadle belt and it looks to be about 48". I think that one side of the treadle pedal may be worn as it seems like it wiggles a little more on the right side than the left side. It makes the pitman rub slightly as it is being treadled. I was hoping not to totally dismantle the irons.

It looks like the track for the belt is japanned or at least had been painted black. How would one clean that? I don't think oil would be wanted in that area, but it does need to be cleaned. Any suggestions?

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

I guess like needles and shuttles, that the bobbin winders were machine specific at the time this machine was made. According to a cropped screenshot of http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollect...es/image52.htm it shows that the winder would have ridden parallel to the wheel.

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I may have to check Ace out and see if they have something that is a little thinner and still fits over the wheel.

I started to take off the hardware from the table top. One of the socket pieces that hold the machine to the table has a leather piece under it - the other side didn't. I'm having trouble getting one of the screws out for the receptacle piece for the hinge of the bonnet. I was able to get the screws out for the bonnet lock receptacle but the piece did not come out.

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

Hmm. I can't understand why the bobbin winder is at an angle unless it's designed to be that way while you're sewing. In that case, there should be some kind of lever or bar underneath the winding mechanism that will straighten it out when you are winding a bobbin. From your picture I can't see that a thinner tire would help.

Wow! What an amazing job you did on cleaning up that beauty! It looks fantastic!

Suzanne

Kind of at a standstill but still working on
 

I haven't been giving as much attention to the machine, but have been doing a few things. I will need to work on the wood (black walnut - oil rubbed originally), but need some warmer weather to do that.

I took off the brass bits and found that one of them had a leather piece under it as shown in this picture.

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and the left one had something under it but not as thick.

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I tried brasso and a cotton ball and this is how they looked after polishing a bit.

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I decided to try Nevr-Dull that I had gotten back in 2010 when I was working on my sister's machine. It seems to have dried out some, but evidently still has what it needs to clean off the tarnish. I don't if you can tell in this picture, but it seems to me that they are a different color, maybe a different batch of metal used for the lefts and rights.

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I think I may try to plug the screw holes for the hinge screws as most of them were not sitting flush with the hinges.

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I've been corresponding a bit with someone else that has a Weed FF and it appears that her machine has a leather piece under the bobbin winder. I would think that this might raise the bobbin winder to a position that would allow the bobbin winder tire to ride closer to parallel to the balance wheel. I also noticed a couple of brass pieces on the front opening of the table that may have been worn down or broken off. I'm thinking that originally they would have propped the bed up some in the front to help some more to raise the bobbin winder, also.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]542042[/ATTACH]

I also wiped down the irons with sewing machine oil. There are some missing paint spots, but it looks really nice. (I didn't take any pictures of it yet, though.) I put a thick rubber band on the flywheel guard thing. I think that it will work to prevent the flywheel from going the wrong direction.

Seems like I'm missing something that I was going to write about, but can't think of it right now.

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

Definitely didn't think that all the way through. If it lifts the bed, it will also lift the balance wheel. So now what are those little posts for? What did they look like originally?

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

those spots look like the location that they typically put pads (Leather or rubber) to help isolate the vibrations from the machine. Early Howe machines even have the rear hinges in a padded cup...

Those spots are non-ferrous metal and the left one has a hole in the center that goes down about 3/8" - Maybe some type of ferrule? or maybe kind of like a thumb tack with leather on top??

I'm thinking maybe leather since the holder pictured above had leather under it. I couldn't see any wear spots on the base of the machine, but the right one looks like the metal was worn down.

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

Murphy Oil Soap OK?????? for oil rubbed wood????
 

Finally, a decent day to wipe down the wood with BLO and vinegar. I took before pictures but haven't put on computer, yet. I didn't take any of the process. I wish I had started earlier in the day. I think that it was only outside about a half hour after I had wiped it down. I only did the inside of the bonnet and the underside of the leaf and table. I actually put the BLO & vinegar in a tuna can and stirred it with a plastic spoon and then daubed my wadded rags in it to wipe on the wood, let sit about 10 minutes and then wiped with a dry rag. Next time - I'll use a glass jar so I can shake it. I put the rags I used into a plastic coffee can with Dawn & water, swooshed a bit and rung out and hung on the clothesline.

I was very favorably impressed, however, I'm thinking I may want to clean the top off with something else, first, before I wipe with BLO. I have Murphy's in a tub and also a spray Murphy's Oil Soap. Do you think that would be okay? I know not to drench it and then to dry it off.

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

Quick Update
 

We had some decent weather over the weekend and decided to do something with the wood tops. I used Glenn's reviving solution #1 and then skipped solution #2 and wiped down with mineral spirits and then a dry cloth.

A lot depends on how you look at the wood but it sure looks better -- I have made Before and After in the same image as follows.

Bonnet - I didn't get a full shot of the bonnet like the after so did the front and top to show what it looked like before.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]543797[/ATTACH]

not the whole top - just the corner - The white ring is darker and the other rings might be varnish or poly??? this morning I took a straight edge and scrapped some off - pictures later

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and the leaf --

[ATTACH=CONFIG]543800[/ATTACH]

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

Nice work, it looks much better. I think the scars give it character.

Cari

Great improvement, and a much better idea than totally refinishing. It wouldn't be logical to have the cabinet look brand new.

Dianne in Colorado

Do you think if I punched a hole in a piece of leather about that size and rubber cemented it on top of the brass pieces that would help bring it closer to what was originally there? Or do you have any other suggestions?

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

Thanks Cari & Dianne in Colorado :) I agree. I think it is a whole lot easier to do, but really wouldn't know as this is the first time I've really done any wood work.

Here is a picture of the varnish rings that I scraped. I had wanted to wipe it down with Glenn's Solution #1 yesterday before I went to work, but weather wasn't cooperating.

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I'm wondering if I took really fine sandpaper or those foam fingernail files with various grits would get some more of the shiny rings off.

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

Tickled pink !!!!
 

Excuse me while I ramble a bit... I really am excited. I knew this day would come, I am extremely happy.:D I was able to get some additional bobbins which were hand crafted by fellow QB'r - Jon. I had gotten some needles from him, also. I sent him the dimensions and he made me some. I thought I would try to wind one of the new ones he made me, rather then the single one that I had gotten with the machine. There is a learning curve with winding the bobbin. I didn't get it very even and not completely full. At one point, I couldn't get the bobbin winder to turn and realized that the thread had wound up below the spool. How it did that, I don't have a clue. After undoing that thread I was able to continue winding some more on the bobbin. I had cut a few layers of felt for under the bobbin winder to raise it a bit. The tire that was on it - is still on it. The tire is extremely dry and loose. I had put some small rubber bands under it and filed some of the tire to try to rough it up to make contact with the hand wheel. It would spin a bit, but still not catch the way it is supposed to. I cut some fingers off some latex or nitrile gloves and wrapped around the tire. They were starting to come off so I quit winding the bobbin and tried to put it in the shuttle. That took some time. Fortunately, I had instructions but getting it threaded in and out, over and through took some time.

Instructions for threading the shuttle
"Now pass the thread from under side of bobbin out of the lower slot and in through the upper slot in the shuttle; thence out through the hole in spring on opposite side of shuttle; thence, from the inside through the long curved slot, slipping the thread between the last-named places under the pointed end of the flat spring, whereby the tension is obtained; then draw it tight, stitch will bring it to place between the spring and the side of the shuttle."

Pictures of shuttle before cleaning but they show the slots-

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I had to loosen the tension a bit to get the thread under the spring.

I actually used one of those floss threaders (like for threading sergers) to get it through the slots. I also used the floss threader to thread the upper thread until the needle. I was even able to thread it through the hole in the bar. I wish they still made floss threaders like that and sold them in the $ store. To set the needle I used a "Nifty Notions" needle inserter. I put it in as far as it would go. I have never set a round shank needle and was nervous about getting it straight. The long groove goes on the left. After I had gotten it in and needle clamp tightened, I realized it was a little off. I inserted a wire needle threader into the eye as far as it would go and loosened the needle clamp screw. I turned it so that the long groove was in what I thought was the correct position and tightened the screw. I turned the hand wheel so that the needle was in the lowest position and it looked like "the eye even with the bottom of shuttle-race when the needle-bar is at its lowest point."

I had gotten a piece of black felt to test the stitches. I used size 50 Coats & Clark thread with a size 5 notched top Domestic needle. and TA DA --

[ATTACH=CONFIG]544200[/ATTACH]

I still could use some tension adjustments, but will probably need to tweak it when I finally actually make something. The first stitches are in the lower right of the above picture.

The bobbin side with the very first stitches in the upper right in this picture.

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Oh yes, I used airline tubing for the treadle belt for now. I thought I had the stitch length in the mid range. It is really a pain to undo the treadle belt to change the stitch length and then get the "belt" back on. Also I didn't have the hinge pin holder thingies screwed on. I put a couple pieces of felt under the front left as the machine seemed to wobble a bit until I put the felt under.

IT SEWS!!!!!

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

Yay! Nice work!

Cari

Worty Dirds
 

:( :( :(

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

Oh no. How did that happen?

Jon

I'm not sure how it happened. I wound bobbin, and that looked decent. Installed in shuttle. Threaded the bobbin and tested the tension. Felt like it was the same as it had been the first time. Installed shuttle, threaded upper thread and needle making sure that upper tension was about the same as first time. Drew up the bobbin thread, took tool and drew both threads to back under presser foot. I thought I held the ends, lowered presser foot and took a few stitches by turning the hand wheel. Started treadling and the back plate popped off. The shuttle was out of place and a small piece of metal was in the track.

Dunno - I feel like I had done everything the same way. I was sewing on a different piece of fabric (than shown above), but it was on the same piece that I was sewing on when the pink bobbin thread ran out. I hadn't changed needles or anything else. Same type of thread, different color.

So absolutely frustrating.

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

Oh so sad, sorry about that Janey. Now what?