MAKE A NEW FOOT-POWERED SEWING MACHINE

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

The machine I "inherited" from my mother-in-law had been stored in a leaky shed for some 20 years, so it was more than a little rusty when she gave it to me. I soaked the mechanism with WD-40 (a spray-on penetrating oil) but none of the moving parts would budge. So I tried holding a hardwood stick against various parts of the inner workings and beating the wood with a hammer. A few parts moved a bit at that point. Finally, I oiled the whole thing again and set the head aside for a day or so. By the next evening I was able to turn the flywheel by hand . . . and the machine was ready to adapt to my frame.

THE TABLE IN BETWEEN

When using a sewing machine, a person must have a smooth, flat surface on which to work . . . so I had to put a tabletop between the head and the frame. I used a scrap of nice plywood for it (after first rounding off all the corners).

To insure a proper fit, it's a good idea to set the sewing machine head on the plywood . . . and then draw around the protruding sections beneath the unit's thin "stitching surface". Cut a hole following the marks . . . and if the unit doesn't slide in just right at first, file the wood to a fine fit with a rasp. (The lower workings of the head slip through the hole, while its flat upper section should rest on the plywood.) Finally, fasten the table to the frame by driving four screws in from below. The head itself is not actually fastened anywhere, but its weight will hold it securely in place.

WHAT MAKES IT ALL GO ROUND

Although at this point my recycling project looked like a treadle sewing machine, it still wasn't functional because I hadn't added the belt. I obtained an inexpensive leather drive belt from Newark Dressmaker Supply (Dept. TMEN, 4616 Park Drive, Beth, Pennsylvania 18014), and drilled two large holes in the table for it to pass through. After the machine itself was in complete working order, I noticed that the bobbin and its carrier were missing. Fortunately, I was able to use standard replacements, which I found at the local Sears store.

AND SEW ON...

I've discovered that most electric sewing machines can be converted to pedal power, and that even badly abused "heads" can often be restored to service. And since a treadle is not difficult to manufacture at home, why not take a load off your utility bill and reacquaint yourself with a more self-sufficient way of stitching?

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print