Everyone loves a good before and after

The problem with before and after... you have to have decent before photos to appreciate the after.  I don't have decent before photos.

"What's the story with the two sewing machines in the Dutch Barn?"my beloved asked this morning, "Are they trash?"

"Nooooooo..." I said just as the canines and I were heading up the hill.

"Oh, so now you are storing machines in there, too."

"Well, actually,"  I lied, "I was hoping that you would help me put that up on a couple of saw horses when I get back from the walk so that I could wire brush it and paint it." Referring to the 114 year old treadle base I bought last Saturday for 10 bucks.  It came with a machine and a cabinet.

So now I was committed.  DARN.  I wanted to SEW today...

The treadle works.  It clearly was re painted at some point.  It has some rust and is dirty.  Its a project.

 I took the cabinet off.  It was held together with "carpenter's duct tape."  AKA the sheet rock screw.  These little C brackets attach the drawer casements to the treadle stand.

So rather than sewing, I spent the day with this treadle base.

Steven, helpful man that he is, offered his drill and some wire brushes.  I was hoping he might take over....false hope...

I determined that it would be best to take the treadle apart.  It is so rusty that I have to be able to really clean it before I repaint it.

But I could not get the pedal off.

I was afraid to bang on the pin holding the wooden (imagine MY surprise, wooden parts on treadle irons) pitman rod in place.  So I didn't.  But I think that I will later when I work on this project some more

The cabinet has been "repaired".  More sheet rock screws.  I don't think that I will keep the treadle top.  I have already ditched the drip pan...it reeks of mold... and the top is is bad shape.
I did salvage the drawers and their casements.  But just in case I keep the top, I replaced those sheet rock screws with the some wooden screws of the correct length.  Morons.

I could sand it and stain it and it would look ok.  But the plywood is delaminating on the right side and there is dirt and debris embedded in there.  That is a decision best left to another day....

Not photos of after,  but during...

PS I got the pin out of the pitman rod.  Because it is wood I think that I will gently clean it and paint it.

Singer 27 vibrating Shuttle treadle

They wanted 50 bucks.  I offered ten and they balked but finally relented when they knew I was leaving.  I am sure I was the only interested party. It is missing the shuttle, the bobbin and the slide plate.

 UPDATE: November 22, 2012

I just checked my Boye Needle dispenser and found a shuttle and a bobbin for "Singer New Style" 

It looks a little small.  I will have to test it out.

 Everything is varnish and I think it is real varnsh over dirt....The cabinet had been "refinished" the veneer is gone and the irons spray painted silver.  They are rusty but work.

Its old:

1898 according to the ISMACS website.  I could barely read the serial number.  So I picked out the numbers and coated them with Mothers polish so that I could read them.

Now that I know it is that old,  maybe I will have to restore it.....

I have a fiddle bed VS I think I will look up that serial number and choose between the two.

Honestly, I have enough to do....

Treadle On

We had a BLAST. It was cold in there but we managed to have a few folks actually try out the machines.  I wish I had taken more photos.  I just was too busy sewing and chatting with people.  I could retire if I had a thousand bucks for all the people who said"I wonder whatever happened to that old machine we had?"  or "My grandmother had a machine like that."    We even had some kids try out the hand crank and the treadles.  A.  actually made a tote bag on the hand crank.  Here she is winding the bobbin  She loved that little hand crank.

Two darling sisters made tote bags as well.  I helped Z  and Betsy helped L.  Z. ran the hand crank as she sat on my lap and L. guided the fabric as she sat on Betsy's lap.  I would post their photos, but I don't have permission.  They are adorable girls and so into sewing.  L. kept saying she wanted to buy a machine.  Let's hope she gets a vintage one.  Not a Wal mart special.

Looks like we could go back for another demo.  But in the warmer months.  Just the same, it was fun to be there showing folks these great old machines. 

In the photo above.  A Hand crank VS 28,  Betsy's "new" Red Head treadle and my VS 27.  All these machines are older than dirt and still stitching.