Treadle On Bulletin Board
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2012 Seattle Summer TOGA
Saturday, July 21, 2012 .... Starts at 9:00. General gathering for potluck, show and tell and sewing machine market at the Captain's house. Anyone will be free to exhibit/demonstrate any sewing machine repair or clean up techniques. I myself am looking forward to doing nothing but standing around and kibitzing! Potluck, casseroles, dessert, salad. Mucho food! Also a TOGA raffle. More food! Lots of fellowship. More food! If things go as usual, there will be plenty of salads and dessert. Weather willing, the barbecue will be on. If you want meat, bring what you want to put on the fire.
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Some Details:
There will be the usual TOGA raffle of donated items, the money going to support the TO effort. Donations for the raffle will be appreciated.
There should be more space than last year. The new lawn is in and strong enough to be walked on, so we can use the driveway, front yard and back yard.
Souvenir Blocks - If you wish to exchange souvenir blocks, make and bring them. 9 1/2" blocks, any pattern.
The weather in Seattle in July should be good, but keep an eye on it. It is the Northwest, afterall. Bring a plastic tarp. Remember the year it poured and we had to cover all the sewing machines up!
Dick Wightman "The Captain"
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Here are some pix from previous events:
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Directions to Dick and Ann Wightman's House at 10527 12th Ave. NW, Seattle, WA:
NOTE: There is construction on various sections of NW 85th St.... constantly changing. Anticipate some delay and possibly being detoured down a few blocks.
To get here, assuming you are on I-5 and coming from the South:
Take I-5 going North. Get off at the N. 85th St. exit, which is a right off. It will cross over the freeway and head West. Proceed on N. 85th St. for a long way. It will eventually become NW 85th St. Stay on it until you get to 15th Ave. NW, a major intersection. Turn right on 15th Ave. NW. Within a few blocks it will swing to the right and become Holman Road. Stay on it for short while, a dozen blocks or so, and you will see a large 1950's style hamburger drive-in coming up on your right. It's called "Dick's Drive-in". Be prepared to make a left turn as you get to it. Your turn is from Holman onto 12th Ave. NW. There is a bi-directional middle turn lane. You will be looking at a long downgrade on Holman. Make the left onto 12th Ave. NW, which is a less than 90 degree turn and immediately goes up a short, steep grade, then levels out. Proceed on 12th Ave. NW until you come to our house at 10527 12th Ave. NW. There will be one stop sign at NW 100th St. Be aware that the other intersections are largely unmarked, though a few have yield signs. Our house will be on your left. It is brick, up a slight rise, and will have either or both of two cars in the driveway... a white Dodge Caravan with the license "KITEGUY", or a small black Metro Geo. Phone number is below if you need it.
To get here if you are coming on I-5 from the North:
Take I-5 South. Get off at Northgate Way exit. It is a right off. Turn right onto Northgate Way. Follow Northgate Way around a couple of curves. It will swing through a couple of curves, be 109th St NW for a short bit, and then become 115th St. NW, but it is always obviously the main route. Just stay on it. You will cross Aurora Ave. and Greenwood Ave. After Greenwood, the street you are on will be called Holman Road. Stay on Holman Road and you will climb a long hill. Very close to the top of this hill you will see a 1950's style hamburger drive-in ahead on your left. It is called "Dick's Drive-In". You will want to make a very sharp right turn off of Holman Road onto 12th Ave. NW just before you get to Dick's Drive-In. Not only is the turn very sharp right, it immediately goes up a short, steep grade, then levels out. Proceed on 12th Ave. NW until you come to our house at 10527 12th Ave. NW. There will be one stop sign at NW 100th St. Be aware that the other intersections are largely unmarked, though a few have yield signs. Our house will be on your left. It is brick, up a slight rise, and will have either or both of two cars in the driveway... a white Dodge Caravan with the license "KITEGUY", or a small black Metro Geo. Phone number is below if you need it.
To get here if you are coming from Downtown Seattle
(such as if you came in on a ferry from across the Sound):
From Downtown, take any of the North streets up to Denny Way. This could be Western, First Ave. or Fourth Ave. At Denny Way, turn left (there are traffic lights that will guide you.) From Western, you will be immediately routed onto Elliott Ave. From First or Fourth, you will proceed a short way on Denny Ave. and then be forced to swing right onto Elliott. Take Elliott Ave. North and it will eventually swing and turn into 15th Ave. NW, crossing the Ballard Bridge. Stay on 15th Ave. NW. You will cross Market Street, then NW 65th Street, then NW 85th Street. After the intersection with NW 85th St., 15th Ave. NW, will swing to the right and become Holman Road. Stay on it for short while, a dozen blocks or so, and you will see a large 1950's style hamburger drive-in coming up on your right. It's called "Dick's Drive-in". Be prepared to make a left turn as you get to it. Your turn is from Holman onto 12th Ave. NW. There is a bi-directional middle turn lane. You will be looking at a long downgrade on Holman. Make the left onto 12th Ave. NW, which is a less than 90 degree turn and immediately goes up a short, steep grade, then levels out. Proceed on 12th Ave. NW until you come to our house at 10527 12th Ave. NW. There will be one stop sign at NW 100th St. Be aware that the other intersections are largely unmarked, though a few have yield signs. Our house will be on your left. It is brick, up a slight rise, and will have either or both of two cars in the driveway... a white Dodge Caravan with the license "KITEGUY", or a small black Metro Geo.
Phone number if you need it is: 206 784 0883
Dick Wightman, Seattle WA
email: rwightman@mindspring.com
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Mystery Treadle Frame
March 13, 2012
I am working with a National Park Service archeologist to identify an old Singer treadle frame that was found in a house that was submerged in the early 1950's due to dam construction in the Southwest United States. Due to the condition of the frame, it is kind of difficult. I have obtained permission to post the photos below to help in the idnetification. Details on the stand are obscured because of its condition underwater (covered with invasive mussels and sediment) but the design of the stand is relatively visible. Other artifacts on the site lead lead the Park Service to believe the house dates to the 1930s, but they are not certain.
My first impression on seeing the frame was "early Singer". Afet reviewing pix in my books I have pretty much pinned it down to my own satisfaction as being the frame from a Singer Improved Family, as pictured on page 161 in my edition of Law. I would like to be able to offer the Park Service a good non-copyrighted photo showing this base, one that they could use if/when they document the project they are working on. Does anyone have one of these machines, i.e. an early Improved Family, that they could take some good pictures of and send me, along with permission for the NPS to use?
Based on my post last night, I received a couple of pix of similar, but not exactly the same, treadle frames from Model 12 Singer New Family machines. The upper arc of the brace piece on these is noticeably narrower than the lower, the treadle pedal is also narrower and they have a cast in curlique on the front of the side frames. Also, I have not seen the with the six draw frame structure that is obvious here. So, I'm still looking for a picture of an actual Improved Family treadle frame.
Here are the pictures, including the specific drawing done by the Park Service diver:
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March 15 -16, 2012
There is strength in numbers! After posting to the Treadle On email list and posting this web page, many list members checked in. Over a period of two days, various pictures were submitted, indicating the Singer Improved Family Model 15 was very similar to the Singer New Family Model 12. However, pictures and information were also submitted on the Domestic Sewing Machine Company machine of the same period, late 1800's. The brace arcs clearly fit the pattern. I had considered the Domestic, but the only picture I had of one was with a prominent star in the center of the brace. Someone finally pointed out that while some Domestics had this star, others did not. The clincher was that the Domestic was the only one with metal drawer frames on the sides. The fact that the drawer frames were still completely intact, even though covered with marine life, pretty much establishes that they were metal and that this is the correct identification.
Apparently it was later models of the Domestic didn't have the star. I have never had a Domestic or knowingly run into one, and was unaware of the use of the metal drawer frames. My assumption regarding the visible drawer frames was that the owners had saved the drawers but left the frames attached. (This was common. My dad did that with the drawers of my mother's Redeye and I grew up with those drawers holding the nuts, bolts and screws in the garage.) It was pointed out to me that the wood frames would have disintrated. Not sure I buy that totally as I've seen some awfully old wood under both fresh and salt water. However, the metal drawer frames lasting is much more likely. Combine that liklihood with the fact that the Singer Improved Family was (and is) a pretty rare old machine. Sales of the Domestic would have been much greater. All things considered, the Domestic leapfrogs over my initial ID. (It should be noted that all three of the machines conbsidered are listed as being available in the period 1870 to 1890's, but were probably available longer than that.)
Note: Another possible factor here is that this model of Domestic was, for a period of time, the machine offered by Sears Roebuck under their "Minnesota" label. Their late 1800's catalog shows the machine pretty clearly with this frame, without the star. It's possible that the star was used by Domestic on machines they put their own brand on, but not on contract or "badged" machines.
Also, it's amazing what perspective can do for you. Someone pointed out that we are so accustomed to viewing sewing machines from the front, it was two days before anyone realized that we were actually looking at the back of the frame! The drive wheel mechanism is in fact with the machine, just on the opposite side from where we would expect to see it. I took it for a clump of mussels :^)
More later....
March 17, 2012
It took a couple of days to round up appropriate pictures of members' machhines. Here are pix of two representative Domestic Sewing Co. treadle machines of the late 1800's / early 1900's period. Obviously, the head is missing from the underwater pictures, but this is what it would have been like:
Domestic Treadle without star in frame (photo courtesy Tina Kacanowski) |
Domestic Treadle with star in frame (photo courtesy Paula McCracken
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Domestic Sewing Machine Head (photo courtesy Paula McCracken)
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Domestic Sewing Machine Head (photo courtesy Tina Kacanowski) |
All in all, I think the group did a terrific job of pinning this issue down. I am referring the Park Service to this page, which I think gives them as much information as we can provide. If I eventually receive a copy of their report, I will share it with the group.
Captain Dick
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Dick's Bobbin Stand
OK, I desperately needed a break from what I've been doing, so did a little woodwork. Here are two VS bobbin holders I did in a wood called Katalox. Very dark brown and extremely close to Ebony in hardness, hence i didn't spend a lot of time on the finish. These guys are just a "let's see what happens and what it looks like" prototype. Not sure if I want to make a bunch of them or not. To do them in nice woods would be spendy and labor intensive to get a nice finish. Fun though, and effectice (IMHO). Might be practical in a softer wood. Have to see what I feel like (today has not been good) and how my time goes. Anyway, here's what home made VS bobbin holders look like:
12 bobbin stand
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6 bobbin stand
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6 bobbin stand in drawer
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This one is an 8... just happened to be that long. It is made of olive wood. Fun to work because it smells like you're in an Italian restaurant!
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The exotic woods are heavy and the holes are drilled to less than half the depth of the wood, so these things are pretty stable.
If you make one, a couple of words of caution, the natural inclination is to use a 3/8" drill. It makes a hole that fits. However, use two sizes larger. If you get a moist season or put it in a damp area, the wood will swell some and make the hole smaller. I used 13/32". Also, leave enough space between the holes. The spacing control is not the size of the bobbin but the size of the human finger.
It occurs to me that my 3/4 treadles both have only one drawer. The single line holders seem better suited there. The double row would be fine in a treadle with multiple drawers where you can organize things more.
Captain Dick