SteveH

We can help with that...

ThayerRags

You might want to change that “all” to “most”. The balance wheel on my Grandma’s 1906 White VSIII turns top towards the operator like a Singer....

CD in Oklahoma

J Miller

Roxanne,

Treadles can be refurbished and refinished to look really good. It takes a lot of work and time, but it can be done.
I did one a couple years ago that had been used as an aquarium stand. The top was all but ruined. It now looks really nice, and I'm not even an experienced wood worker.

Having your mothers treadle in good running condition and knowing you did it yourself would be a wonderful feeling.

There's lots of how to info here on the forum and we'll always help if you undertake the project.

Joe

tessagin

That is so sad. I asked for the where abouts of my mother's machine and no one really knew til I found out a few months ago. It slipped in conversation online. I know the person who has my mother's uses it daily and loves it. Ihope who ever has your mother's machine at least treats it with respect.

Roxanne

Hi again and thanks for all the input and offers of help---I think I'll take ya'll up on them starting now with this Domestic.
I plugged her up and found that the motor hums but the wheel doesn't engage. It will move the needle slightly if I manually turn the wheel. I'm more than intimidated to start taking anything apart, but I also noticed that the power cord is very worn where it plugs into the motor so it will have to be replaced soon if I get it working and can use it.
I also opened the door for the bobbin and found 2 baggies with lots of weird looking attachment, a few bobbins and needles.

I can't find any tag giving a model, but a metal tag on the motor which reads Domestic Sewing Machine company Cleveland OHio and the number 9100-1. I searched google and found some utube videos of a 153 series that looks exactly like this one (even the crinkle brown paint) so I suspect that is indeed what it is. It is fairly lightweight outside of the carrying case.

Can someone suggest what might be the next step to see if she'll "unstick"?

Annaquilts

Sew cute! I love the finish and the dark chocolate color. Please post pictures of your mom's machine too.

Rodney

It figures you would have the exception to prove the rule. There's a Singer that turns backwards too.

There's a few things you can check. Make sure the clutch knob is engaged, it's the knurled knob on the back of the handwheel. Try it at both extremes of it's range. If the needle still doesn't move, either the machine is frozen from sitting, there's a thread jam or some combination of the above. Take the bobbin case and bobbin out plus anything else in the hook/bobbin area that comes out easily and clean out all the lint, oil lightly and reassemble. oil everything under the machine that looks like it should move and put a drop of oil in every hole you see on top of the machine except the motor.
Here's a copy of an owner's manual that should be close enough to help you.
http://ismacs.net/domestic/manuals/d...ine-manual.pdf
There should be oiling instructions inside.
Chances are you have some old oil gumming up the works. New oil will loosen it up but it takes some time. Be patient, your machine didn't become stuck overnight. It might take a little time to free it up again.
Rodney

Wanabee Quiltin

I like to refer to myself as vintage and not old, were you talking to me ?

pjnesler

For me part of the joy of the old machines is memories of the previous owner - my Grandmother, my mother-in-law, even on the machines I have no idea who the owner was, there was promise in the machine when it was purchased, and now I get to keep it going!

ppquilter

Love the brown crinkle finish on it!