Lostn51

One Rocker coming up!!! Come to think about it I think I might get one for me too. :wink:

First question: what is a treadle?

A treadle is the power source for operating the sewing machine. It is a foot powered table as such with the cabinet and the machine sitting on top of that. The foot pedal is attached to a pitman arm that connects to a band wheel. The bandwheel has a belt that goes from there to the machine. when the foot pedal moves so does the machine!!

A badged machine is a machine that is made by a company that makes a sewing machine and puts the buyers name on it like Kenmore, Morse, Universal, and the list goes on.

Now for the last one........I like the non-Singers because they are not that mainstream and there were literally hundreds of sewing machine makers during the "Sewing Machine Wars" (1870's to 1920's) and there were a lot of innovations during that time.

The Eldredge/National 2 spool comes to mind first, they didn't have a bobbin they just used another spool of thread. Then the different shapes and names......

Billy

Lostn51

I couldnt look at the photos but I would pay what you think its worth.

These old machine are hard to kill but some of us here will say that you can break stuff off of them! :lol: (Sorry Jan)

Billy

raynhamquilter

I had a FREE machine (my niece has it because she liked the cabinet-It is a light oak or ash with a medalion that looks art deco, I think.) it is in her hallway. I will have to get a picture. This thread is FUN. Thanks Billy

Ladybugnana

Ok, you got me curious. I have had this out on my front porch (ok I know I was bad). I bought it at a yard sale for $50. It's a Free machine. The numbers I could find were 880883. The top says "The Free Sewing Machine Co. Chicago" Anybody have any ideas? I have never heard of them before.

Andii

Thanks for the info-you explain things well.

I think I may have a treadle and all I really know about it besides it being a Singer is that it is Heavy!! That'll have to be his name. My husband and I were out walking our dog in the neighborhood and found Heavy sitting near the road waiting for trash pick-up. My husband casually scooped him out of the trash and we continued our walk. We were probably only six blocks from home but it felt like miles! I volunteered to spell hubby and lasted only about a block.

We hoisted Heavy onto the top of our entertainment center and he's been there every since. I'll have to climb up and dust him off. His serial number is AJ434948.

I like the idea of rustic rockers with wide arms to balance our beverages on and a deep wide seat to curl up in.
Andii

Lostn51

Well I want to say THANK YOU for all of the post and photos of the machines. I think this is going to be a really big place before its over with.

If I miss a post or a question bear with me. It is really amazing the volume of questions and inquiries that have been coming in. I have been checking in about every other hour or so and there are several pages of post to go through!

But boy the Shops business is booming and I love it!!!:D :D :D
It has been open for what 3 days and we are going to be bumping 14 pages in a bit.

But it is all of you that are making this place special and remember we are all family in here!!!!

Billy

Lostn51

Now that is what I call dedication!!! And a GOOD score!!!!

You have a 201 with 25,000 of them allotted on March 16 1950. The question I have does it have a potted motor like the one Charlee posted a little earlier in this thread? Or does it have a belt going from the motor to the machine.

Billy

Kat B

Billy
Thank you so much for the great cleaning descriptions. Now, as a newbie to taking machines apart...what exactly do I use the 3/4-1" and toothbrush on? Are there pictures somewhere to show me what to use kerosene on and what not too?
Thanks again,
Kat

Lostn51

Me likey!!!!!!

Surprisingly enough the decals on the arm and upright look to be in really good condition. It will clean up nicely if you take your time and do it right. And you will have an Heirloom to pass down for generations.

The Free Sewing Machine Company was located in Rockford, IL and was in an area known for cabinet makers. Your sewing machine is an early model and was probably made before 1910. These machines were known for (or advertised) as the smoothest running Vibrating Shuttle machine out at the time. According to information I read on the NeedleBar the machine had a "Rotoscillo movement" which was a lot smoother that the swinging motion of the the vibrating shuttle.

All in all this is a very nice example of a very early version of a machine made during the Sewing Machine Wars. And this is the reason I like the Non-Singers so much!!

I would clean it up being very careful of the remaining decals and repair what needs to be repaired on the cabinet and preserve the machine. Not many of these left......


Billy

Lostn51

I use those brushes to clean the mechanics of the machine like behind the faceplate, under the machine, Bobbin area, anywhere that you would have oil and lint build up.

I will see if I have any photos of my restorations I can post while I was doing them. Maybe a tute will be in order for this.

Billy