# I got a treadle machine for Christmas!!!



## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

My middle son is engaged to a very lovely girl:angel:. She had only ever sewn on her grandmother's treadle. I told her (after I found out grandmother is in nursing home) that if the family wanted to sell it I would be interested.

She and my son gave it to me for Christmas!!!

It has the serial number W56102 which I think falls in the "files lost" portion of Singer's records. I"m trying to figure out the model because I think it may be missing some parts.

I am very excited though!

Mary


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

Wow - that is certainly a nice Christmas present and very thoughtful of them.

I hope you find a manual and can figure out what parts are needed.

Angie


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## Delrio (Mar 11, 2007)

Awesome!!!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

WIHH - I don't know that treadles have a stitch length setting. They might just be go forth with this stitch and sew type of machine. 

See you're other post about the matching of quilt block points. You may have to get a more modern machine to get the stitch length changes, etc.


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

> another turn screw right in front of me when I face the machine.


A silver knob on the machine's upright, about the size of a penny? On the old Singers, that was usually the stitch-length adjust. Even on the machines used it treadles.


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## ginnie5 (Jul 15, 2003)

on mine there is a small knob on the right in the front of the machine that adjusts the stitch length. I can take a pic for you if you want!


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

On mine there is a thumb screw down on the base on the front right side. 

I am pretty sure mine is a model 15-30. But it doesn't look exactly like any pictures I am finding thus far.

I'm pretty excited about it. My husband and my son were looking at a local Amish auction barn (Dinky's in Montgomery, IN) and they say this one is in far better shape than what was selling down there. One of the drawers is missing part of the front. BUT my husband's Christmas was all related to his new woodworking shop. I would think he and my boys could help me out w/ that problem!

My husband is very mechanical. He is a farmer and has done industrial maintenance professionally for 25 years. I'm sure between the two of us we will have it "Singing" in no time!

What fun!


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## AngieM2 (May 10, 2002)

WIHH - you have a bullet bobbin machine. Wow, my first machine (was electric) had that bullet bobbin feature. 

Neat looking machine.


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## Guest (Dec 26, 2009)

If your son doesn't marry that girl then he should be fairly warned that his Mother will beat him with said sewing machine..LOL:lookout:

WIHH..BEAUTIFUL machine!


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Countrysunshine, way to go! If you post pictures, some of us may be able to help you figure it out. You'll love it, I'm sure. 

WIHH, your machine is quite a bit different from mine, but I did a little searching. Here's a link with a manual to your machine. It's kind of fuzzy, but usable. Click on the page you want to see, wait for it to load and then click over the page again to enlarge it.

http://www.digitalchangeling.com/sewing/machines/manuals/Singer27-VS2/index.html

According to this, the larger round silver thumb screw above is for your needle thread tension. Turn it right to increase, left to decrease. The smaller screwdriver slot is for your shuttle (bobbin) tension. Again, turn right to increase and left to decrease. On your picture, I see three screwdriver slots, but my guess would be the larger one in the center of the large silver disk. You may just have to experiment with that.

The manual doesn't mention it, but I think the "thingymabob" on top is the presser bar. It adjusts how light or heavy your presser foot presses down on the fabric. Light fabrics require a light pressure, heavier ones like denim require heavier pressure. Again, I would think right (or clockwise) to increase and left (counterclockwise) to decrease, but don't quote me on that, lol.

Here's a manual and pictures of the attachments available for your machine.

http://www.treadleon.net/sewingmachineshop/atttachmentsmanual/attachments.html

Here's a place where you can also purchase a manual, if you'd prefer. It might have more info or it might not. Maybe you could write to them and ask before spending any money.

http://sewingmachine221sale.bizland.com/store/page19.html


Good luck, hope this helps!


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## sewing nana (Oct 18, 2002)

Is the thing on the right, by the wheel the bobbin winder? Wow what a machine. Learned on my gm machine. Would have loved to have had it. Happy sewing. When you sew your blocks you can leave your needle down and turn block to backsitich your squares.


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

Thanks, Callie. Posting pictures is a problem for me because I have a very slow dial up connxn.

The features mine have is that it is NOT a vibrating shuttle. The tension knob is on the left side of the machine (not the front). But, the stitch regulator is a thumb screw on the horizontal surface of the case on the right side. The bobbin winder is down low but does not have the "chrome colored wheel" I found described on other web sites.

WIHH, your machine is lovely. My cabinet is nice but the machine has been used and the decals show that where the fabric slides.

I have to do the blocks for the tattered pioneer and one other "Birthday project". Then it is back to work for two weeks. I hope during that two weeks to figure out something and get it running.

Mary


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

WIHH, 
Yours is a model 27, Sphinx decal pattern. Possibly the most common treadle head. Mine is the exact same thing. 
You can download a free PDF manual here: http://www.singerco.com/accessories/manuals.html from Singer. 

Yes, that silver knob (about the size of a penny) right above your bobbin winder is indeed your stitch adjust. Most of Singer's earlier models had this type of stitch adjust (up until they went to the lever style when they brought in back stitching)

Mary, 
I'm glad you're starting to get your machine figured out. Much easier when you know what it is so you can get replacement parts and pieces!


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## RusticOkie (Feb 26, 2008)

How very wonderful for you. And very sweet of them.


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

WIHH, did I have sewing experience before? LOL...Practically my whole life. See my thread on "How old were you?"

I have sewn on all sorts of machines - good and bad. I just never felt I had room for a machine I couldn't see myself using extensively. Now that the kids are grown I am more interested in some of the novelty. Besides, if the SHTF I want to still be able to sew.

The fact that it was my future DIL's grandmother's only adds to the charm. My husband collects old tractors so he can't say much about my facination with sewing machines.

I have a couple of machines to "get acquainted with" now. I am going to do another project on my quilting machine soon, too.

I am so lucky to have such wonderful additions for my hobby.

I am glad this thread was so informative for you. It will make sewing more fun for you!!


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

I figured it out!!! FINALLY

I knew the bobbin was not a class 15 and it is a vertical rotary hook. The other oddball thing was that the belt is on the outside of the wheel.

It is a Singer #9W. It is the Wheeler #9 that Singer bought in 1905 and continued to make w/ their patent. I found some info that said only 5 machines of this type had been found w/ the W serial number. Guess there are 6 now!!!


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

WAY cool!:goodjob:

Now we need to see some pics!


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## calliemoonbeam (Aug 7, 2007)

Wow, that's cool CS. That might actually be worth a lot of money one of these days...or even now, lol. I'm so glad you figured it out. I tried to do a search, but with only the serial number to go by didn't come up with anything. If you're missing decorative parts on the drawers and your husband can't come up with something, I found a tutorial that tells how to make replacement parts out of plaster and how to refinish them so that they look just like the original. 

Erin, thanks for adding that info. In all my details, I never did mention to WIHH that hers was a Sphinx model 27, doh! However, I tried to pull up the free manual for a model 27 on the Singer site, and it didn't match WIHH's machine exactly, not sure why. That's why I posted the other site. Although the manual is not as clear, it matches hers more exactly and gave more detailed info about her specific questions.

I learned to sew on my grandma's Singer treadle when I was seven or eight, but hadn't used one in 30 years until I got mine two years ago. I have a Singer and a White. They were pretty rough, and I've been slowly restoring them. There's lots of info on the net, and I ordered a manual from eBay called "The Complete Guide to Treadle Sewing Machines" by Reuben O. Doyle, which walked me through the cleaning, oiling and use of the machines. Not sure if he's still selling these or not. Enjoy ladies!


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## countrysunshine (Jul 3, 2008)

WIHH, here is a link to a fellow that has free downloads of the manuals for your machine. It might take a little while but it is free. I downloaded some last night looking for my machine.

http://www.a1sewingmachine.com/manuals.htm


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

calliemoonbeam said:


> However, I tried to pull up the free manual for a model 27 on the Singer site, and it didn't match WIHH's machine exactly, not sure why.


Did you find the same link as I? Because that's the manual that I use for my model 27 treadle... (top knobby deal (aka pressure adjust) is on page 15, right under stitch length) 
In fact, I'd always wondered what that knob on top was and didn't know until I posted that link and glanced at the manual again! I've never changed it... lol


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