I have a quick question for all of you awesome pro's out there :). Can you use stove polish paste on the irons (legs)? I used to work for a stove installer and we sold it at the shop. Its black paste that you rub on cast stoves (wood mostly) and it cleans them up and brings the color back. Not sure if it would rub off on my feet as I treadle lol. Just curious if anyone has ever used it.

never heard of it, but it is now on my list of things to try

There have been several members that have used stove black on the irons and have has good results.

I have two manuals for a free machine only mine are treadles. If you can send a picture. That would help. Sometimes we can look at the machine and walk you through the threading process.

Well, I am new here but have a few older machines and if I am not mistaken you can just stick a little piece of cotton batting in there and then oil it. If I am wrong hopefully someone will correct me and give us both the right answer.

I have the following machines: Free No 5 treadle, Davis VF2 one treadle and one electric (but now treadle), Singer 99 electric, and 15-91 electric. I recently sold a Singer 127 handcrank (or 128 I get them confused). I have to fight the urge to buy old machines when I see them, but lack of space helps control that.

BTW, can someone tell me how to date the DVFs?

Thanks,
Jp

The machines can be dated from the serial numbers on the front slide plate. Here's a list of some dated Davis Vertical Feed warranties

Jon

Was wondering if Jon could work his magic and tell me what Davis machine I've got, lol. I hear about the burdick and Minnesota but no models that just say Dayton? Serial number 808498 and there is an H stamped on the plate as well so I assume around 1901 model H? And which needles? Thanks so much! [IMG]http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/g...8/IMAG0019.jpg[/IMG]

jenak1998,

Beautiful Dayton, not many survive in that nice a shape. Your correct, it is a model H, Underfeed rather than Vertical Feed. 1901 is a good estimate on it's date as I've never come across a dated warranty for this model. The warranty card probably would have been a page in the owners manual and filled out by the owner. The first Davis Underfeed, the Advance, model E was introduced around 1892, shortly after Davis moved to Dayton, Ohio from Watertown, NY.

The most common available needles for the "Davis Long" is the Boye #10 and MTx190. The Boye #10 is a new old stock wooden tube with three sometimes 4 needles that would have been sold in hardware or general stores. Cost is around $10 per tube on ebay. MTx190 is an industrial needle with the same dimensions as the Boye #10 but with a round shank instead of flat. The MTx190 needle must be aligned so the scarf is to the right and the long groove to the left for the machine to sew properly. Cost is about $4 for 10 on ebay.

Here's a manual for a Davis Burdick, model G, slightly smaller sister to the model H.

http://www.sil.si.edu/DigitalCollect...f/sil10-37.pdf

Enjoy,
Jon

Thanks so much for the info Jon. I thought it looked rather like the Burdick. It works really well and I haven't even cleaned it up much yet.

The Burdick, later called Minnesota B, has a slightly smaller bed size than your Dayton. The only way I can tell the difference from a photo is the slightly different position of the stitch regulator. Nothing fussy about the older Davis Underfeeds once you have the right sized needle. I've found quite a few 15x1 needles in my Davis' which fall short of the shuttle.

Jon