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Question on Wheeler-Wilson machine
Someone I know wants to give me her mother's Wheeler & Wilson treadle. She says it does not work & 2 drawers are missing in the cabinet. I haven't seen it, but I'm thinking it must be in terrible repair, or she wouldn't be willing to give it away. I'd love to have a treadle, but I'm not into restoring machines. And since I can't do it myself anyway, I'm sure it would cost to have someone get it running. I don't know if all the parts are there, & it's no use asking the owner, since she doesn't sew. Any thoughts on this?
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Would need pictures to properly assess the machine. It's mostly likely a later made #9 with the clip in bobbin. Earlier #9 had a different method to hold the bobbin in place. I do not know if you can get needles for it (it does not take a common size) and bobbins are only available vintage, and they are not cheap.
Attachments are also on the high end, so if it's got a bunch of bobbins and attachments, it may be worth it for them. Paying someone else to get it running for you - IMO not worth it unless it has sentimental value to you. |
If it's reasonably fair shape these type of machine usually shine up nicely with basic cleaning and oiling. With a bit of effort bobbins and shuttle can be found if they are missing, the odd bobbin plate can be a bit more difficult to find, but even it will usually turn up, give it time, keep an eye open. It's usually a qestion of time and money and even hard to find parts turn up. It should be fairly obvious if the bobbin plate or shuttle is missing, and usually these machines are intact, just very dirty. Drawers turn up too, at least for the more common models. The wood probabably needs a bit of polishing, the veneer might need a bit of gluing. A machine that doesn't work often means cleaning, oiling and figuring out how to thread it correctly. You have to ask for photos or to first hand see the state it's in. If the basic foot is stil on the machine, it's at least a start. If it's hard to find needles for it, it's not a very practical machine to have, but often there are ways around it; some have found replacement for Singer model 12 needles. And a buch of needles can be ordered if you find a seller on line. It all needs a bit of research :- )
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Thank you, Macybaby & Mickey2, for your help. I haven't seen it yet, but I will try to get a photo of it to post. Hubby is not enthusiastic about it & I don't know much about these things. I know enough to look for a bobbin, but I will check out needles & original foot. It does sound a bit daunting though. Thanks, again!
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MacyBaby is the expert and knows her stuff. Ask a lot of question of the giver. In this case it is okay to look a gift horse squarely in the mouth. It is worth something to someone out there. Do whatever you can to keep it out of the trash, because it is an antique for sure. Some collect W&W. You may be able to put it in another case or cabinet and who knows, get it sewing again. Ask for local help. There are QB people in your area. Everybody started out this way. You never know until you try.
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Yes. needles are a pain for the W&W, they are a tad longer, but sometimes available on Ebay. I learned to sew on an old beauty and have rued the day I ever got rid of it for an electric machine.
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Did anyone try the current Schmetz MY1014B needle on a W&W No. 9? There is an old post on this subject mentioning this as a possible alternative but I can't find any further feed back on the experiment.
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Hehehe! I'm not an "expert" I just happen to have a lot of different machines to look at. I started out collecting one machine for each type of item in the Boye display case, and that is why I know have two WW #9 machines, a full size treadle and a 3/4 size hand crank.
There are several people on the VSS that I would consider experts on the old machines though, and they know way more than I do about fixing up machines. |
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Where's that Maria? I found the groups.io site, but not much further. However, there are a few very good Yahoo groups, some of them have very knowledgable members, old (and not so old) sewing machine technicians, enthusiastic amateurs etc. There is a W&W group too.
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