The cabinet top is looking good.

I went to check on the treadle cabinet top this afternoon to see if had stuck properly this time.  It looks like it has.  I wasn't going to push my luck though, thought I would give it another day before I started to stain it.  I covered it back up and put the slab of marble back on top until tomorrow.

And a reminder of what it looked like before I took off the old veneer.

 Can't wait to get it finished............

two steps back but then three steps forward

Today I went to to the workshop to work on the cabinet. I was upset to see that the veneer had raised up in a few places. I set about ironing it back down again but this time applying the heat for longer. It took awhile and now hopefully it is all stuck down.

I also trimmed it to fit, at first I tried using an Exacto knife, with a new blade, but that was splintering the veneer. Then I went to the new long bladed tin snips we had bought when doing the camper reno. They trimmed it almost to the edge then I was able to sand it so it was flush.

I covered it and placed a marble top on it to hold it down while the glue was setting. In hindsight I should have done this yesterday. I sanded down two of the main body of the cabinet's corners that had been scuffed and applied some stain.  They look much better. Other than the top and these two corners the cabinet is in very good condition considering it's age.

I cleaned the metal treadle framework the best I could and gave it a good oiling including the little metal wheels. The treadle just hums along now and it doesn't squeak when you push the cabinet. The metalwork is in very good condition and I couldn't see any rust anywhere on it.

I found a manual for this exact machine on ebay.  I had downloaded one from the internet but it was for a later model.  The one on ebay is in quite worn condition so I will photocopy it then keep it somewhere safe where it won't get any more worn and use the photocopied one for reference. It has been mailed so should get it in a few days.

I am also keeping an eye out for a set of the original accessories that came with the machine but they are just a 'want' and not a 'need' at this point in time.

And the big bonus of the day is I know how I am going to fit it into my sewing room without too much upheaval.  It came to me in a flash, one of those lightbulb moments! I have two two drawer filing cabinets in my room with a worktop sat on top which makes a desk for my Singer Sewmate. Bingo! if I take to worktop off the treadle machine will sit in there nicely and it is under the window so will get light.  I can use the Sewmate on top of the treadle cabinet when it is closed or I have other places I can use it.

Now to see who I can find to help me get it up the stairs when it is done.........

Some more progress on the treadle machine cabinet

Yesterday I got the metal support pieces in place.  The theory of one strip of metal went by the way because of the apparatus to raise the machine that is also attached to the back of the frame.  On the plus side, the two pieces of metal that my husband cut to attach the clamps on to when I glued it were the perfect size to use.  I marked where the holes needed to go and he drilled them out on the drill press for me.  That was a not so strenuous job that he could do without getting out of breath. I had to round the back of them on the grinder so the frame would go down properly and in true clumsy fashion I ground my finger too.  I then attached them to the frame and bolted in the brackets in that hold the machine in the frame.

Today I cut the veneer and ironed it on and my husband tried out some stain to see how close we could get it to match the existing wood.

Tomorrow I have to trim the veneer and shape it round around the curved corners then start on the staining.  I think it will take several coats to get it close.

After the stain has dried for a day or two I will put the varnish (seal) on it.  I have a couple of spots to touch up also with stain then I will give the cabinet a good clean and polish and oil the treadle mechanism then I should be able to try it out.

That might not be until the middle of next week though as Sunday we have to go to Columbia so we can be at the VA for 7.30am Monday morning.  We will stay Monday night too because we have an appointment on Tuesday morning there too plus they may keep him overnight on Monday after they do the cardiac cath.

I also tried to scalp myself today.  I thought I would blow off the cabinet and metal frame to get any loose dust of it.  Instead of doing the proper thing and turning on the air compressor I picked up the leaf blower and turned it on to blow the cabinet off with. Well, I hadn't tied back my hair and it got sucked into the air intake on the blower. Pretty scary and it pulled out some of my hair.  Nothing too drastic thankfully!

Hit a bit of a snag!

The winter tricked me into thinking my knees and arthritis were better.  In reality, I was just doing day to day indoor stuff and working on the treadle machine cabinet in the workshop and no outside work so my knees, especially, were not being too strained.

Yesterday I went to the workshop and spray painted the metal sheet inside the cabinet. The day before I had given it a coat of primer so it needed the top coat.  I used Rustoleum so it wouldn't rust.

After that, this beautiful weather we are having lured me outside and I decided to get the riding mower going and attach the trailer and go pick up some logs we cut last year, before the snakes come out.  This involved dragging the big battery charger outside first, then the air compressor to pump up a partially flat tyre and then the full 5 gallon gas container to fill the mower up. Then it all had to be took back into the workshop.

My husband is so poorly right now he can't help with outside stuff and I am a stubborn cuss and think I can do it all myself.

Well I did all that and drove up to pick up the logs but my right knee went out on me when I was picking them up. I managed to get back on the mower and drive back to the house.  It was fortunate we had the windows open and I could call to JET to bring out a walker.

So for now I am chair bound. I am wearing a knee support and using JET's walker to get to the bathroom. Between us we are managing the day to day things like cooking.  We are quite the sight with the walkers and wheelchair!  I ordered another knee support which I think will be better than my existing one.  I can stand and walk with the walker but about every fifth step I get a searing pain go through my knee.  That is an improvement on yesterday though so I am hoping with lots of rest and the knee support it will get better quickly.

Earlier in the week I had put in a bid and won a used shuttle for the treadle machine on ebay.  It arrived Friday and it fits my machine.  It was only $4.25. To buy them new they are $15+ so I was happy with the purchase and it came with two long bobbins too.  My machine did have the original shuttle and one bobbin so it wasn't a necessary purchase but I thought if I could get it at a good price it would be worth it to have a spare on hand.

I am itching to get the cabinet finished and put the machine back in and try it. As soon as my knee is a bit better I will get back  to it.

Some progress on the sewing machine cabinet today

I had originally planned to do something on the cabinet yesterday but I was just too worn out from the trip to Columbia the day before.  I do not know why it always wears me out but it does. Wednesday was a bit busier than usual because we had two appointments and I did some running around in the stores in between.

First I went to Home Depot to get some veneer.  I had researched it online and theirs was the best price and they had some in the Columbia store.  I walked the length of the store twice and then some in my bid to find it .  Next was Sam's Club to pick up supplies.  Again, another huge store and a lot of walking.  Back to the hospital for second appointment then the three hour drive home stopping at Walmart to pick up our belated Valentine's presents for each other and a few more groceries.  Home to unpack everything then bed.

So yesterday was a bit of a chill and recovery day.

Today however I have been busy.  It is a beautiful day here and it was very pleasant to be in the workshop.  The new heat gun arrived this morning.  It is a better brand than the previous one but only came in a cardboard box.  With a bit of modification to the old one's plastic container I got it to fit in it nicely.

I finished removing the old veneer and sanded down the top ready for the new veneer.

Next I had to remove the temporary fix that someone had done to the cracked frame. That was the hardest job of the day.  I had to unscrew from underneath and kept catching my hands and arms on a thin cotter pin and have scratches all over them.  I eventually found a screw driver with a thin enough head that I could manipulate upside down plus I was not able to see to undo the screws that were in there crooked.  I got it done though eventually.

Next I had to glue the crack in the frame.  I am also going to attach a strip of metal underneath but I wanted to glue the wood first.

I had bought a strip of metal to do this and my husband cut a couple of pieces of it to place above and below the crack so I could put the clamps on it.  This will need to dry for 24 hours. I wiped off all the surplus glue I could see so I hope the metal won't stick to the frame.

Next will be marking and drilling holes in the strip for the hinges to go through that attach the machine to the frame and also some holes to put some screws in to attach the metal strip to the underneath of the frame so when I take the machine out the strip won't fall down.

After that I will attempt to do the veneer.  Once it is on staining and sealing it will be easy but I am a little worried that I won't get it exactly the right size.  I believe it is easy to trim so as long as the piece is exact or a little bigger I should be OK on that.

woopsie! I blew up the heat gun

Today, with the help of my husband with his walker, we got the sewing machine cabinet out into the workshop. Although still heavy, without the machine attached it was a bit easier to lift. We only had to carry it across the gravel driveway and up the gravel path to the workshop so it wasn't too much of a strain on him hopefully.

He had explained to me that the top of the lid was veneer and that it should peel of with heat.  He also explained that we could buy new veneer to replace it.  That was helpful advice indeed because I would have spent hours and hours sanding down the top in the hope that I would eventually get a smooth surface to stain and seal.

So I set about with the heat gun and a scraper (or two or three, well actually four) to remove the veneer. I was going great guns too until the flipping heat gun started to wail, then spark and finally smoke. Well maybe, I thought, if I leave it off a little while it will be OK. Well so much for that theory, I plugged it back in, it sparked some more, stopped working and smoked a lot more.

I did get quite a lot done though.  Now to order a new heat gun to be able to finish it.

The surface underneath is made up of different grained wood so I think it will be best to put new veneer on it, maybe we will get a chance to look for some tomorrow, if not it will be another online purchase.

Meantime, while waiting to get the heat gun and veneer I will set about doing the repair to the frame underneath.  Thursday might be the day to do that.

The cleaning and oiling of the sewing machine head is done

I have spent the last few days cleaning the machine.  It has been quite the job but very satisfying when it was done.  I was hoping to make it like brand new again but that was an impossible dream, after all it is approx 100 years old.  This model was made between 1910 and 1920.  Some of the metal is pitted and some of the paintwork has chips out of it.

I found the best polish was the wadding type, in the UK it was known as Duraglit, here it is called Never Dull.  I also bought a bag of soft rags which were such a big help and they left no lint.

I couldn't get the throat plate off despite oiling the screw many times but I was able to dig out a boat load of compressed lint from around the jaggety things that move the fabric along (whose name eludes me right now!)  Feed dogs! I remembered 10 minutes later.

                       Here are some before pictures:-

And some after ones:-

In the process of doing this the household became quite chaotic.  I did it inside so that I wasn't abandoning my husband for hours on end while he is poorly.  I did do a bit of tidying up this afternoon.

 Next I have to work on the cabinet so it will have to go to the workshop for that,

The belt I ordered for it came today and I am itching to try it but I want to repair the cabinet first. 

I had a mental block on how to seat the shuttle into the machine but after watching a couple of you tube videos I found out how to do it.  Another example off 'it's simple when you know how'! 

We have a hospital trip coming up Wednesday so won't get anything done that day.

I am the world's worst photographer so please excuse the poor quality of the pictures.

Upwards and onwards!

Restoring the treadle sewing machine is underway

I am going to try and document the restoration of this treadle machine and cabinet. Hopefully I will update regularly.

We traveled on Wednesday to the house in Kansas City to meet them at 5pm.  We set out early which was just as well as we were held up for some time because of an accident.  Always hate to see those. There were police cars, ambulances and fire trucks all with sirens going so it was pretty bad.  We arrived dead on 5pm.

There was some difficulty opening it up which was a bit unnerving but the guy got it open and the machine all seemed to be intact, even the shuttle and a bobbin were still in it.  The wheel turned and the spindle went up and down. The back lever raised and lowered the foot. The belt was broken which was expected from the pictures. The treadle peddle turned the treadle wheel.  From these observations I was hopeful that I could get it running.

I paid the man the $75 and he lifted into our van for us and tethered it down with seat belts and some bungy cords.  We drove home in the dark which I don't like but it was worth it.

We were totally exhausted by the time we got back home so I just left it in the back of the van until yesterday morning,

We unloaded it and got it into the house. I had the same difficulty with getting it open. I finally managed it and had chance to look it all over.

I printed up the manual which I found online and found out how to take the machine off the base. (Amazing how easy things are when you know how!)

The problem with it opening was a piece of metal on the inside which it slides up when the top is opened. It had come loose at the bottom so was above the level of the piece of the frame that goes over it so was getting caught preventing the lid to open.  There is a chain that is attached to the lid and to the mechanism underneath that raises and lowers the machine. It is really quite clever how it works.

I secured it down with a screw and it works without the machine in it, the test will be when I put the machine back in it.  But first it has to be cleaned and oiled.

I think that this had been a problem for some time because the back of the frame where the machine sits was cracked as I suspect people had strained to get it open.

We discussed how to remedy this as the frame was weakened by the crack and we decided that a piece of metal underneath with two holes in for the hinges that connect the machine to the frame to go through should remedy it.  Also I will glue the wood to strengthen it too.  I was looking underneath this morning to see what size of metal we would need and it looks like someone had tried to fix it before as there is a small strip of metal attached with screws which span the crack.  This has stopped the frame from actually breaking completely but I believe our plan will be even better.

The piece of metal with the indentation is the repair that someone had done previously.  The other piece of metal is where the raising mechanism is attached so has to remain intact.

The top of the lid needs sanding right down and re-staining and sealing and a few other places need some work but I don't think I will have to rub it all down which is a blessing.

I found some excellent links on the internet and some great videos on how to clean and oil these old machines. I need to get some metal cleaner and polish.  The metal is pretty dull and underneath the rods have dried gungy oil on them so that all needs to be cleaned off.  How on earth did we manage before the internet?..............but we did.

I really need to get it out into the shop to work on it but that means I would be out there for hours at a time and my poor husband and the dogs would be neglected as I really immerse myself into doing this type of thing.

The bobbin winder works and I will give it a good cleaning

I am bidding on a spare shuttle on ebay and have ordered a new belt.  I will also order some new bobbins.

To say I am excited is an understatement.  I am so happy, happy happy!

A bit of excitement yesterday and today and maybe this will get my mojo going again!

This is at least about thinking about making things.  I have been looking forever for a hand crank or treadle sewing machine.  I know, I know, I already have three electric machines (well four actually if you take into account the one stashed away in the workshop) but I want a machine I can use if (heaven forbid) we lose power on a long term basis.

There seems to be quite the demand for those and prices have been more than I am able to pay or they are in such a bad condition that it would cost an awful lot to restore them.

So yesterday, I abandoned my searches on ebay and Shopgoodwill and turned to Craig's list.  There were a lot off machines for sale both hand crank and treadle and most in the $200 or more range.  But nestling within them all was one for $75.  It wasn't a Singer which is what I had been looking for. The brand name is Franklin.

First of all I had to see if it was still for sale as it had been listed 15 days previously so I sent of a reply email to them.  Within a short time I got a reply that it was indeed still for sale.

It is located in Kansas City about 115 miles away. So that is doable.

The seller didn't know if it was working, it was his mother's who had passed away and the family didn't need the machine.

So I set into action to research about the machine.

Where would we be without google eh?

Franklin was the model name of the machine that Sears Roebuck sold.  It was made about 1911.

The "Franklin", manufactured by the Domestic Sewing Machine Company of Buffalo, NY, was introduced in 1911. An almost exact copy of the Singer Model 27/127, it uses the same shuttle,bobbin, needle.

That means Singer parts will fit and are available.  Woopee!!!!!

I even found a copy of the original manual and operating instructions online and downloaded it.

I expect it will need a good cleaning and oiling and the cabinet needs some TLC but I am pretty good at restoring old furniture.  For sure it will need a new belt and maybe a shuttle and bobbins.

We are going to see it and buy it this afternoon, we are meeting the sellers at their home at 5pm.

I am so excited I can't keep still.

 

Absolutely nothing, zilch or nada!

My making things mojo has gone into hibernation.  There are some mitigating circumstances but can't blame it all on those.

My husband is not very well at all.  We spent three days last week in the hospital after he was life flighted from one ER to another on a stroke protocol.  Luckily, it wasn't a stroke.....well it might have been but the neuro doctors and the cardio ones couldn't agree so we took the better option of 'it wan't a stroke'

But what is it then?  He has these episodes at night where his body shakes quite violently then subsides but sometimes they roll one after another.  He has many things going on healthwise, neurological, cardio and diabetes.  But they don't know what is causing the episodes which are pretty scary for both of us.

So with all that going on I have not felt like making anything.  I have slowed down on the reading too, I think I was using it as an escape mechanism.

The dogs are doing great, Boris has perked up with our daily walks now that the weather is better and Maggie just likes any excuse to run around like a loonie.  The walking is good for me too.  We are blessed to have the land to walk on and the dogs can run free. One day we will have to up and sell but we are hanging on as long as we can.

My husband is keeping himself busy on his computer.  He is trying to get it to run better and use a different operating system.  This has been thwart with problems but it is keeping his brain active even if his body is not doing so well.

I watched all of the Superbowl on Sunday night, he gave up halfway as his team was leading by a lot. I was hoping for my team to have a come back and they did and won, it was a very exciting second half.

But no knitting or sewing or leatherwork happening.  Hoping for some inspiration soon.........