JabezRose

2768423 - D-9 221 bobbin. Picked the little jewel up at a resale shop couple years ago for $25, gave it to sis and she had it refinished. Gorgous piece of furniture, yea, she don't sew much on it. I have put more time on it than she has. My personal one here is a Singer. Love it to pieces and it just cruises right along but will be looking for a home for it soon.

Charlee

JR, is your Singer a 9W? If so, will you share the serial and bobbin style?

TinkerQuilts

Charlee- One of my treadle machines is a Wheeler & Wilson in what I believe is called a library cabinet. It's a parlor type cabinet, and the front door has a mirror on it with two rows of fake books under it. The serial number is 2762558, and wish I knew more about her. The last patent date on it is August 2nd, 92, and bobbin is the flatter one with no holes in it, I'm sure it's the donut/bagel type. I put a new belt on and she runs fairly smooth, however I have not attempted to sew with her yet. When I have a little time to spend with her I intend to clean her up and do some sewing! I will try to attach a photo or two if I can figure out how.

Oh well - I've fiddled around with it for about an hour and cannot get the photo to a manageable size. Operator error I'm sure . . .

Lyn

JabezRose

#2768423 is a Wheeler & Wilson
#G9881500 is a Singer, with the donut bobbin in a treadle table #G0280005 looks just like the Singer in my treadle table only it has a motor mounted on it. Donut Bobbin
Do not see anything about them being a 9W, what do I look for?

TinkerQuilts

"Charlee- One of my treadle machines is a Wheeler & Wilson in what I believe is called a library cabinet. It's a parlor type cabinet, and the front door has a mirror on it with two rows of fake books under it. The serial number is 2762558, and wish I knew more about her. The last patent date on it is August 2nd, 92, and bobbin is the flatter one with no holes in it, I'm sure it's the donut/bagel type. I put a new belt on and she runs fairly smooth, however I have not attempted to sew with her yet. When I have a little time to spend with her I intend to clean her up and do some sewing! I will try to attach a photo or two if I can figure out how.

Oh well - I've fiddled around with it for about an hour and cannot get the photo to a manageable size. Operator error I'm sure . . .

Lyn"

OK I believe I figured out the resizing, so here are photos of my 9W.
Lyn

quiltdoctor

Serial Number 2771081, donut bobbin. Machine length 10.5", Width 6.5", Throat Width 5-1/8", Throat Height 5-3/4". Carrying case is 15" long x 7.5" wide x 12" tall.

Charlee

Thanks Everyone!! Jan, I forwarded the photos of yours to John...

MaryLane

Mine is a Singer 9W and I think it is the 7. The serial number is W56102. I will have to check the bobbin when I get home.

quiltdoctor

Thanks !! Hopefully he will know something about my little Half Pint !!

Texas Jan

Charlee

Thanks Mary!

Jan, I got this email this morning...this is what John had to say about Half Pint:

Hi Charlee,

That's magnificent. Thank you so much. And your contributors.


Jan's machine is super cute. The only reference to the short-base portable I've seen is a 1904 UK advertisement. There is so little written about W&W and no production records - some pretty trade cards and that's it. It's hard to believe considering it was the market leader in the early days,


The short-base D9 is definitely a 20th century product and only produced for only a few years. It is clear that, when Singer took over in 1905, it streamlined the product line down to a full size portable and full size treadle; though the treadle could come with 1, 3, 5, or 7 drawers, or in an enclosed 'parlour cabinet'.


You will notice a smooth vertical groove to the right of Jan's machine's wooden base. This, like the holes in the bases of old Singers, was to provide a route for the treadle belt if the owner wanted to mount it (complete) in a treadle. With that style of base, you had the option. There was another version of the (short) base which doesn't have the groove and was for hand use only.


All the short-base machines seem to have used the same decal set, with side-by-side Ws. The contemporary long base had two Ws superimposed and a large '9'. There are a couple of exceptions, but that appears to be the rule. The regular horizontal arm decal wouldn't fit on the shorter arm so W&W put its name in "Gothic type", instead of the usual, rather wide, slab-serif face.


Always good engineering, Wheeler & Wilson; I like the way they re-located the captive thread post so that it folds behind the arm, not above - reducing the overall height. And interesting that Jan showed it next to a 221. Not only did Singer introduce a 221-style bobbin (well, almost identical), but they also abandoned the captive thread post and mounted the post on top of the arm cover plate. Another feature that was eventually to be found on the Featherweights.


It's often overlooked but a lot of the FW - the stitch-forming mechanism and the feed - is a development of W&W 's inventions. Even the idea of having the arm cover plate on top of the arm was W&W's. Singer had always had their's at the rear.


I think Singer bought a bargain.
Best wishes,
John