Blackberry

I am still working on my Lotus and I have a few more questions. I probably will have more but this is just for starters at this time. Did the Lotus come with a decorative round plate to cover the hole at the back upper part of the machine? I am really stumped about the bobbin winding area. The tire that I took off was pretty well worn, but the center of it is so large that I can't find any tires like it. Also when I took it off it appears to have small rough edges on the inside of the tire area. Is the belt supposed to go inside this bobbin winder and the winder grip the belt along the rough sides when the winder is engaged. Also the bobbin winder will turn but when I push down the lever to engage it, it doesn't come down far enough to ride on the belt. If I hold it down with my hand it will turn somewhat. Also is the thread lever supposed to be very loose. It was really loose when I got the machine but I just don't know how that part really works. It also seems that the bobbin winder doesn't quite line up evenly on top of the belt if that is the way the winder works. It the winder uses the belt then I wonder what the purpose of the tire was. As always, thanks to everyone who can help me. I would really like to get this machine working. Here are some more pictures of what I am talking about.

ThayerRags

That bobbin winder was designed to ride on the treadle belt. When it was “electrified”, they put a rubber tire on it to have it ride on the motor belt.

The thread guide of the bobbin winder is not in position to operate. The thread groove should be facing “up”, and the round lever should be riding on the edge of the little piece that looks like a “heart”. The “heart” is the cam that makes the thread guide move back and forth to wind thread across the bobbin evenly.

CD in Oklahoma

manicmike

Yes. Just looked through all the pics I've taken of all my Lotus 66s and I didn't take any of the full plate. This one is half of it:


There's usually nothing in that winder wheel. The fact that it's aligning with the belt and not the hand wheel suggests that the belt is supposed to drive the bobbin and the belt runs where that cracked thing was.

Macybaby

This is the parts machine we bought for $10 to get the belt guard, except that I found a really nice one on eBay last week so don't need anything off this machine anymore.

The seller had turned the cabinet into a fake planter, and we bought that too for $20. She had taken the top lid off and then put a tray in the opening and painted the top - used the drawers for something else too. However the top she removed was in near perfect condition - and the iron hadn't been messed with either.