The CL treadle
About two years ago I got an itch to buy a treadle machine. The last time I was on one it was during a shoe making course in Spain, and it was an experience, you really need to relearn sewing when you are operating one of these, it's all about the hand, eye, foot coordination, and I'm sure to lose some weight until I can get it to run properly. It was listed as a Singer, but it is not. The cabinet is a Singer cabinet, but what was inside the cabinet is a Clone.
So here are the inconsistencies on CL, they said it was from the early 1900's (the cabinet might be, but not the machine, the machine is dated to around the 1950's), it is a Singer (not the machine), they said it worked (the leather belt was rotted). When I asked when the last time they used it was, they said they had never used it. When I tried to test it, the needle made contact with the bobbin, and the leather belt broke. It was covered in dust and she said they had bought it 30 years ago as conversation piece but they had never used it. There was a fully loaded bobbin and the machine was threaded. It's always interesting on CL. They were none the less a really nice couple, and they helped me load it in the car. While it's not one of the sexier Japaned finish Singer machines, it does have a bobbin mechanism I'm familiar with and it's in pristine condition. I am anxiously awaiting the parts ordered to get it running as originally intended. Of course if it doesn't work I can always look for another machine head (maybe even the red eye I've always wanted).
So here are the inconsistencies on CL, they said it was from the early 1900's (the cabinet might be, but not the machine, the machine is dated to around the 1950's), it is a Singer (not the machine), they said it worked (the leather belt was rotted). When I asked when the last time they used it was, they said they had never used it. When I tried to test it, the needle made contact with the bobbin, and the leather belt broke. It was covered in dust and she said they had bought it 30 years ago as conversation piece but they had never used it. There was a fully loaded bobbin and the machine was threaded. It's always interesting on CL. They were none the less a really nice couple, and they helped me load it in the car. While it's not one of the sexier Japaned finish Singer machines, it does have a bobbin mechanism I'm familiar with and it's in pristine condition. I am anxiously awaiting the parts ordered to get it running as originally intended. Of course if it doesn't work I can always look for another machine head (maybe even the red eye I've always wanted).
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