DogHouseMom

Seriously?? I don't think I'm that far north of you (I'm 30 miles south of I80) and we got 10" !!! I'm not complaining though ... I love the white stuff ... although it DID prevent me from keeping an appointment to pick up yet another new machine - rescheduled for the weekend. This was one my husband bid on (and won) right under my nose.

Neecie

Its beautiful, but why would they give it away? I wouldn't give mine up and i just got it (rusted as the poor thing is!)

Neecie

Ok ladies and gents, i need an opinion (please don't throw me out for it) I know someone will think this is a sin, but if I'm keeping a machine that I want to use, isn't it ok to take it down to bare metal and repaint then put new labels on it? I mean they are both pretty rusty, and i REALLY want one to show off in my forier.

Neecie

I was poking around here, and thought i would post my little problem. I recently bid on a Singer on ebay, she wasn't treated well, but I wanted todo some sprucing anyway. Then my uncle shows up with a Commodore. No problems here...except it is a lot of work Im sure. Now, my dilemma's.... thinking up new issues as I go it seems. I want to sew on them, but i wanted a treadle machine. The commodore has a motor, but the singer does not- yet it looks like bolt holes where one might have been. Can motor driven machines be changed to treadle powered? Also, I need opinions on changing paint colors and/or the stickers. I would love to change the Singer to white with a white and gold table to sit in my forier and be pretty but sometimes sewn on. On the Commodore I thought to leave black but I prefer the red and gold emblems. Does it sound like I'm off my rocker yet?

miriam

The commodore is a 15 clone I betcha. You can treadle it and it will run smooth - it might go better if you get a spoked hand wheel. They do have pretty decals. If you want to paint you can - the hard part will be to do the prep - google search how to paint a sewing machine. My BIL paints cars and has offered to use up paint on a machine - I just haven't taken him up on it yet. I have one that is part way down to bare metal. I think it would be a messy job to get it prepped. Some day I'll do it because I like the machine and it would work a lot nicer with paint on it.
Here is a link to the 15 clones: http://www.quiltingboard.com/picture...p-t164361.html - there is a lot of info and you can find a copy of the manual to print on there.

BoJangles

Neecie, you are referring to posts from 2010. Billy was great back then, lots of fun, but he doesn't come here much anymore. He got very ill at one point and stopped visiting this shop.

As far as repainting, redoing your rusted up/messed up machines, that is a personal preference. There are thousands and thousands of vintage/antique machines out there. Most of us would much rather someone took one of those machines and re-painted/re-decaled it than just throw it in the dumpster, which is where most of them end up. Go for it, but please post before and after photos so we can all oooooh and aaaaaah over your work!

As far as making a machine with a motor boss a treadle. Most of us have done that too. It was really common practice to do the opposite back when - to add a motor to a treadle. A lot of us have done a motorectomy and put the machine back in a treadle.

Welcome aboard and please keep us posted on your renovations!

Nancy

J Miller

Neecie,

I'd leave the Commodore as an electric and treadle the Singer. Although both can be treadled. And although they do turn a bit faster with the spoked hand wheel, you don't have to put one on them. They'll sew just fine with the solid wheel.

Joe

SteveH

Neecie,

Welcome! There is nothing wrong with doing what you want with what you own. We usually don't "judge" here so much as we support and give advice. There is no "one true way".

The key is to enjoy the machines and hopefully put their little behinds back to work....

Steve

grant15clone

Neecie, I agree with what is being said here too about restoring your machine. I have restored several and some did have some paint on them that was far from mint but I left the paint on them alone. Recently I bought a Treadle base and basically it came with a free machine. The cabinet was great but the machine was a mess. The paint had chipped off the machine so much that someone spray painted much of the machine to cover the bare metal. I decided to repaint it for that reason. The only advice I could add is you need to do your homework. Very few decal sets are out there for Sewing Machines. I know that there are "Red Eye" decals but they run about $80 for a set. That is just the decals. The rest of the project can get pricey fast.
Good Luck, and post some pictures!
~G~

miriam

I just sold an old gray and navy blue White zz machine last night. The girl fell in love with the machine paint nicks an all - she felt like it had been loved.