The Curved Needle

Now that the 1870s Howe sewing machine is running well enough to be functional, albeit it needs more cosmetic restoration, I'm working on the Wheeler & Wilson No. 1 sewing machine from the 1870s. It is older than the Howe and probably dates to 1872. It is unusual in that it does not take a straight needle, it's needle is bent into a curve! Also setting this machine apart is the fact that it does not sew fabric from front to back but from left to right. That part takes a certain getting used to. It's a whole new ball game, but quite nice!

Wheeler & Wilson is the company that made my No. 8 which I've shown before:

There is still a lot of work to do on the No. 1. The bed is in rough shape and needs lots of TLC. I'll be working on it a little bit at a time. The bobbin is also in really bad shape, it was very badly rusted. I've managed to get rid of the rust but it is quite pitted. It works, though, and that's the important bit because they are not easy to obtain. The cabinet also needs some work.

In this very short video, I'm showing it sewing a short length. There is still some troubleshooting to be done for the bobbin and the way it sits in the bobbin case. It needs to float correctly or else the upper thread will not flow around it causing a failure to make a stitch. If it's seated too tightly the thread will get stuck between the bobbin and the clamp. But I'm heartened to be getting any stitches at all, so there's confidence it will end up running smoothly over time.

In this very short video, the 2 small drawers that reside in the cabinet are removed so I can clean them. The No. 1 getting it's feet again after who knows how many decades:

It's been a busy month! And it's going by quickly, but coming up will be a few posts about my Christmas decor and baking. Also on the docket will be updates on my projects.