Gregory's ServerSpeaking of sewing machines, and Things That Just Work… got a new old tool today: Pfaff Model 30 treadle sewing machine from 1950 🥰
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31 comments
@daniel_bohrer I recently got a Köhler 11-30 (about the same age) and it runs so smoothly! I will have to replace the leather belt sooner or later, but everything else :blobcat_chefskiss:  @daniel_bohrer would you be interested in comparing detailed photos? @gim yes probably, but I'll probably not gonna come around to it today… @daniel_bohrer me neither. I'm rather tired and prefer not to turn on bright lights to capture some photos^^ @gim btw this playlist was the start of my rabbit hole a few weeks ago, you might find good views there: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnWs0YbIPEEeYGvr-d3emeH66GLnnBYT0 Forgot to take a "before" picture, but here's a "during" picture. The insides was only a bit dusty, and the caked-up oil went away well with isopropyl alcohol. Okay, let's see if I can restore that nice lacquer finish with my home-made mixture of lamp black, isopropyl alcohol and shellac… Sadly the Pfaff logo on the back side is already too much gone, I don't think I'll be able to restore that. #AntiqueTools #ToolRestoration #SewingMachine #Pfaff #Pfaff30 "I don't like these old sewing machines, they can only do straight stitches. How are you gonna do button holes?!" Well, 1950's tech had a solution for that. (Disassembly in the thread above)  @Maker_of_Things went for 1€ on eBay, apparently it's a niche product :D search for Singer or Gerster brand, but there are probably some more our there @daniel_bohrer The first buttonholer I bought for my Singer 301 cost more than the machine (which came from a thrift store). This was pre-eBay, so I had to get the buttonholer at a local specialty shop that sold vintage parts *and* had the slant-needle version. Now I see them all over the place, and they're usually $10-$20--not a bad price for a bit of vintage wizardry. :-)  @daniel_bohrer My husband has been using these old Singer machines in his design class because of our power outages. The students love using them. @daniel_bohrer that's a cool gizmo but I'm extra impressed by your deft hand with a razor blade. Every time I've tried to do that I've sliced up my fingers. Weird how long it takes to feel the cuts from those things. @eamon I guess since my "main" hobby is hand tool woodworking, I'm kind of used to working with sharp objects… :) @eamon @daniel_bohrer A small chisel from the local hardware store and an old block of scrap wood is safer for me - don’t get ripped off by specialty sewing stores wanting to sell you a “Buttonhole chisel set”!! @daniel_bohrer And here's me not brave enough to use the automatic button holer on my modern machine!  @daniel_bohrer @frogglin You should see the number of attachments that came with both my Grandmother’s and my Great Grandmother’s treadle sewing machines! Amazing what they could do. I love the buttonhole attachments on the Singers - choice of buttonholes, even!  @daniel_bohrer @mos_8502 I remember my Mum having something like that on her mid century Singer - she had scissors which allowed her to cut the holes afterwards, too. Hard to describe – a U shaped piece of metal where when the U was compressed the triangular blades (thicker towards the closed end of U) would join first and you could just cut as far as needed. Safer than a razor blade! @daniel_bohrer impressive! I love sewing on my antique Singer, I had no idea buttonhole attachments like this existed for them. |
And it just runs and runs and runs… this machine was obviously well cared for by its previous owner(s), I didn't have to oil anything at all (yet). Will still clean it up before its first productive use though.