Authorized reproduction of the users / instruction manual for the New Home, series A, treadle sewing machine. White rodgers 50a55 843 installation. It has a vibrating shuttle and the tension is on the face plate. It includes brief directions for the attachments and has a parts list and diagram of them. This is an initial list of all the available downloadable sewing machine manuals, service manuals, parts lists and instructions that could be located. It is not, nor ever will be, complete but we will endeavour to update it when new sources come to light.
When I was young, I’d watch in fascination as my mother used her treadle sewing machine (a late 1800’s Singer that belonged to my great-grandmother) to fashion all sorts of clothing, blankets, couch covers and schoolbags. I’d sit on the floor and watch as her feet deftly pedaled fast on the straightaway and then slowed as she rounded a curve or reached an end. Built before electricity, the heavy Singer emitted a peaceful clicking sound, interrupted only when the ancient leather belt flew apart.
Mom would stop pedaling, rejoin the leather ends with a bent nail and bit of tape, and resume sewing. Without realizing it, I was learning much about mechanical advantage just by watching my mother sew. Before and After Finally, at age 11, I was allowed to use the machine myself. What a thrill to pick out a Raggedy Ann pattern at the Ben Franklin store in town for my first project. The fabric, buttons and stuffing came from my mother’s scrap box – what she called “glad rags.” They may only have been faded remnants of former garments, but she was “glad to have them.” To make the dress ruffles, I used the Singer gathering attachment. Embroidering the facial features called for bolting on another ingenious gadget. I followed the directions in the yellowed manual, eventually trying out each attachment as I completed Raggedy Ann.
As a teen, I made clothes for myself or modified straight-legged jeans by adding jumbo triangles of gaudy fabric or bandanas to transform the pants into bell-bottoms. It was the 70’s. What can I say? After a car, my next big investment as a young adult was a New Home sewing machine that could form buttonholes and even had some extra fancy stitches (that I never used). I just plugged the machine in and away I went, consuming a million miles of thread over the years as I crafted curtains, quilts, clothes and even a boat cover or two. Needs some TLC Nothing compared, though, with the satisfaction of sewing with that antique treadle machine.
I quickly surmised the whir of an electric motor is impersonal and challenging to control. But, I grew up being told technology is better. My mother, too, gave her treadle to a neighbor and then bought a modern plastic and tin sewing machine. At least her treadle did not end up in the city dump with so many others. On our journey to self-reliance, we’ve been gathering human-powered tools when we can find them. It’s surprising how quickly hand- and foot-powered tools were abandoned when electricity became available.
From 1850 to 1890, more than 100 apple-peeling devices were patented. Then the peeling inventions ceased, except those running on electric power. And so it goes with thousands of other nifty human-powered appliances. I drove by a fix-it shop recently and couldn’t believe my lucky find – an antique stainless steel hand-cranked washing machine sitting out front. I zoomed in the parking lot and ran over to the washer, only to discover petunias blooming in the rusted basin. Sewing machine box refurbished Our search for old-fashioned tools intensified last year as Darren worked on another invention – a pedal-powered PTO.
The original intent was to develop a device that could pump volumes of water from our well, not the measly 2 cups per stroke a common hand pump yields. Once that was accomplished, Darren decided the PTO had so much more potential than just pumping water. So, he set it up to operate our grain grinder and a low-RPM alternator for charging batteries. Now, we’re continually thinking of other tools around here that can be adapted to the PTO (the drill press, metal grinder, band saw). Ultimately, all this led to the. Meanwhile, I continued searching for an old treadle sewing machine like my mother had. Finally, we found an abused White Rotary treadle machine at a Springfield thrift store for $60.
Even though I was discouraged by its neglected condition (I didn’t even take a picture of it), I was eager to get it home and start refurbishing. I wasn’t interested in beauty; I just wanted a working treadle machine. I’m so pleased to read this article. I, too, remember my grandmother using the treadle Singer. About a year ago, I found an old Singer treadle on Craig’s List.
1890 New Home Sewing Machine Manual Free Download
The guy wanted way too much for it and would not come down. OK, I bit and bought. It is a 1902 Singer with six drawers and the bobbin drawer in the front.
1890 Singer Sewing Machine Value
It has several bobbins and the original manual. It is in pretty good shape except the belt is way too long and no device to “set it” that I can find. I thought there was some way Read more ».