Road trip: Boye #10 needles and all sorts of goodies
 

For several weeks I have been waiting on enough funds to buy some Boye #10 needles from forum member path49. She also mentioned she had found a shuttle and a clip of 10 Davis #9 bobbins for the Minnesota machines. If I wanted them I could buy them too. At first I said no, I’ll just get the needles. Then I measured the shuttle in my Minnesota ~B~ and it was the same as the one she had. So I contacted her to add them to my purchase and she made me one of those “Deals You Just Can’t Refuse”.

If I bought the needles, shuttle, and bobbins there was two machines and some accessories I could have for free. All I had to do is drive down and get them. ROAD TRIP TIME!

We set up a time for us to meet at her home to visit and buy the goodies. That was Monday between 12:00 and 1:00.
It looked like rain so before we left I put a new set of wiper inserts on the Pathfinder. I also replaced the fuel filter due to some sluggish running problems. It helped.
It started raining just before we left and rained on us nearly all the way to Pat’s house. She’s got a really nice older house. The kitchen dining area is bigger than the front room in our little “doll house” abode.
We talked for quite a while about sewing machines, old and new, and many other things people talk about. Then she let her cat out of the bedroom. Such a pretty grey and white female kitty. She was a bit stand offish so she wouldn’t let us pet her much.
After a while we ended our conversations, carried our booty out to the Pathfinder and headed home. On the way back we stopped at the Jack In The Box at Troy and ate. Bought a couple new antenna balls too.

So now to the pics of the haul:

We paid for this:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...andshuttle.jpg
We got seven tubes of Boye #10 needles, a clip of 10 Davis #9 bobbins, and a pristine shuttle. All this was intended for Minerva my Minnesota Mdl. ~B~.

And got all this for free:
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...andgoodies.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...scloseup-1.jpg
http://i119.photobucket.com/albums/o...ckstitch-1.jpg

A Minnesota Model ~A~, a set of old Greist attachments for the Minnesota that will fit both the A and B models,
Some Davis # 7 bobbins in a clip and some unidentified bobbins in a little zip lock bag,
In the other zip lock bag was some hinges, some unidentified presser feet and a thumb screw.
There was also a belt, but I don’t know what it will fit.
And a strange shaped small foot controller that needs rewired. No idea what that one fits, but it is marked “Style 6” and has a bunch of patent dates.

And …… a Wilcox and Gibbs: Type 10 Highspeed Industrial Lockstitch machine. ( As best as I can determine anyway. ) :D :D
Both machines are free and functional. But they’ve both spent the last 4 decades + in the basement of Pat’s house. The Minnesota is in my cleaning tub right now and the plated parts will be in the Evapo-Rust pretty soon.
The W&G is sitting on the landing waiting for me to do something with it.
The only bad thing is the W&G did not have a needle in it and I have no idea what it takes. Not a curved needle though, that I’m sure of. Looking up into the needle shaft using a mirror it looks as if it should use a round shank needle. I’ve contacted forum member jlhmnj and he’s trying to find the info for me.
Tomorrow I’m going to take it to my LSMG and see if he has one or some needles and perhaps bobbins. If so I’ll be able to make this one run.

Our road trip was a really nice trip and an unqualified success. I enjoyed our visit with Pat and her cat, and the trip was a good one too.
Thanks Pat.


OK, now to get arm pit deep in cleaning these machines.


Joe

Very nice haul.

Good deal, Joe!! So glad you got your stash of #10 needles...I have been buying all I find and am hoarding them for my Davis HAVF1. It takes the old boat shuttle, and I was lucky to find an extra one. Anyway, you got a great deal. I LOVE that W&G machine...can't wait to see how it cleans up.

Both machines are nice, the decals on the Minnesota look very nice, can't wait to see her when she is all cleaned up. I really enjoy seeing all the different decals on the various machines.

I got a real surprise last evening. I've been emailing back and forth with Jon trying to figure out which needles the W&G takes and comparing notes on the Minnesota A & B I now have. Jon said, "Give me the serial number on the ~A~ and I can date it for you. I did: D3532574, and Jon said it was made in 1909 or early 1910. 100+ years old and in this good of shape. That was a big shock.

Much of the shellack is still on the machine. If I can get the gunk off of it I'll get with Glenn and try his method of refurbishing the shellack around to make it look better.
So far I've got all the external plates and parts removed and have started with the oil and cotton balls. Don't know how much that will get clean, but I'm totally paranoid about using anything else.

Joe

You have the most interesting road trips :thumbup:. What is the round thing on the front of the W&G? Was it a commercial machine? Very interesting.

Be careful with that finish if that's a Davis Minnesota. (I'm not sure how to tell???) Someone else with a Davis tried to clean up the finish and ended up taking every decal off of it.

Caroline,

The small round wheel on the right front of the machine is the bobbin winder drive wheel.
The much smaller round thing just in front of the presser foot is the bobbin and bobbin case.

Joe

I do believe it just might be a Davis Minnesota. I have no idea on how to tell either. I'll ask Jon. And thanks for the heads up, I will be very gentle with the cleaning.

Joe

I am talking about the BIG round thing on the front that looks like an embroidery hoop.

Oh, that big round thing ....... that is, according to the manual, a "tension wheel". When threading the machine you wrap the thread around it twice on it's way to the needle.

Once I get some needles for this this thing I just must thread it up and see how it works. I have no table for it so I've no idea how I'll make it work, but I'll figure something out.

Joe

Yes, it's a Davis "New Minnesota A". I tell by the square needle plate compared to Singers and most others circular needle plate. (VS)

Interested to hear what needle your A takes. Right around 1910 Davis switched over from the "longs" to 15x1.

Jon

Well, that pretty much dates it then. This machine had a Davis Long needle in it when I got it. So if they changed around 1910 that must make this one a 1909 like we thought.

I was thinking of resetting the needle bar to use the 15x1 needles, but I think there might be interference with the presser foot if I do.

Joe

I enjoyed my visit from Joe & Elaine...really nice, down-to-earth folks! And it sounds like my old "basement tenants" found a good home! I'm betting the Minnesota will clean up real nice...it looked like it was in pretty good shape (under all the grime!)

My interests are mostly in electrics from 1930-1965 or so...So I knew I wasn't going to mess with them. I'm happy I found someone who will! Post pictures when they're done...OK?

What a deal!!! You get the best deals, Joe.

Pat,

I'm working on the Minnesota now. The paint and decals have pretty much been cleaned as much as I can, but the plated parts are going to take some work. Lots of rust and corrosion I'm trying to polish out.

The W&G is just dirty. I'll get to that in a while.

I will take pics when I'm finished.

Joe

I have a W&G too
 

Hi I have a W&G lock stitch too and use it as my main machine. I have an 11-A, a bit newer than yours; it has the auto-lubricating unit on the front but otherwise it's identical. For needles yes you'll need a round shaft needle with the groove and the needle is inserted with the groove to the right. Organ still makes them, the size 16 needles I have are marked LA X 1617 75W SY8780. Also, to change the stitch length hold down the silver button on the right side of the head (to the left of the wheel) and then turn the wheel (either direction is fine) until it engages inside the machine (you'll feel it.) Then keep turning the wheel until the stitch length changes. This is an industrial machine, very fast, it runs about 4,000 spm at full speed. You should be able to fit it into any industrial stand and it takes a clutch motor. The only negative thing about it is that they have not been manufactured for decades and parts are impossible to find, when the timing belt goes it might be history. But enjoy it while you can! I did some blog posts about mine and here are some photos:

http://coudremode.com/mccalls-5525-s...different-sort

Also there is a link to a Smithsonian site where you can download a manual. I also have a threading diagram if you need one.

CoudreMode


Welcome to the Quilting Board.

Thanks for the information on the W&G. I did get some needles but they don't seem to fit properly. Could you post a pic of the needle and the grove you mention? It would help me a lot.

Joe

Joe, The groove she's talking about is the long slot/groove that runs up the round shank...the part that gets inserted in the machine.

Pat,

Now I feel like a total dufas. I just looked at those I got from you and saw the full length grove. Never noticed it before.
Ahh..... where's my sign?

I still haven't had the time to get to this machine. Too many other things in the way. But when I did try one of these needles in it, it didn't seem to go up into the needle bar as far as it should. So that's why my comment about they don't seem to fit right.

Joe

W&G needle photo
 

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I hope you can see these...the needle on top rights might be the easiest to see, it has a square U-shaped groove. When I insert a new needles I do need to loosen the nut pretty far to get it in there. Phyllis

Phyllis,

I can see the pic very well, thanks. That is what those I got from Pat, path49, look like. Perhaps I'm just not putting them in right.

I'll try again. I don't have a table or motor for the machine, so all I've done with it is turn it by hand. I'm thinking of making a work table for it. But just don't have the space or time right now.

Joe