October All Topic
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
Yes, and virtually round, about 3/16" diameter, with a steel wire piece joining the ends that would most remind you of a thick staple.
There's a Youtube video that shows someone opening a machine, but it's done wrong. It shows them flipping the machine upright with the belt already in place, slightly stretching the belt to get the front deck into place. It's a good way to break out the end of the belt.
In practice, the belt is always derailed from the larger pulley before putting the machine away, and then re-railed after upright when activating the machine for use. There's actually a little re-railer cast into the large pulley for this purpose.
Pop
There's a Youtube video that shows someone opening a machine, but it's done wrong. It shows them flipping the machine upright with the belt already in place, slightly stretching the belt to get the front deck into place. It's a good way to break out the end of the belt.
In practice, the belt is always derailed from the larger pulley before putting the machine away, and then re-railed after upright when activating the machine for use. There's actually a little re-railer cast into the large pulley for this purpose.
Pop
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,400
Likes: 319
From: Whittier, CA
We could chat about embroidery if you like
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 17,400
Likes: 319
From: Whittier, CA
Those old treadle machines are a cool antique to have, and even better if you actually use it. I can remember my grandmother owning a Singer which looked a lot like that, but it was electric and so I assume a later model. But the Singer family tree was still obvious. I have no knowledge of such, but business doing what they do, I would bet they sold some kind of upgrade to put a motor on the old machines.
I still remember the cloth insulation on the power cord, and thinking how old fashioned that was.
I still remember the cloth insulation on the power cord, and thinking how old fashioned that was.
Hotshot
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 17,988
Likes: 207
From: La La Land
I still have some of that fabric-covered power cord. It gets used to fix old electrical things, and is still available here:
Cloth covered wire from Sundial Wire
Pop
Cloth covered wire from Sundial Wire
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Brett Foote
Fleet Owner
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 28,609
Likes: 18
From: Lake Tahoe, Nevada
That's my grandma's machine!
Hotshot
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 12,186
Likes: 18
From: St. Charles, Missouri.
Good, Because the one on mine is missing.
No, This one doesn't have a woven cord. All the wiring in the house is though...Very scary...
(See quote below)
Sorry for the confusion, that IS NOT mine, I was just showing what it looked like, mine is a little bit different, I saw that one on eBay, after I starting lookin' at them.
No, This one doesn't have a woven cord. All the wiring in the house is though...Very scary...
(See quote below)
Well, after my dad got shocked and the wires arcked out, we learned my room still has the original woven wires from 1929 (When the house was built) or the early '30s.
we just took a wire cutters and cut the whole thing, they were starting to burn, that thing could have burned this whole house down to the ground.
we just took a wire cutters and cut the whole thing, they were starting to burn, that thing could have burned this whole house down to the ground.