I picked this machine up at a local auction for $25 but would have paid $50 for someone to load it into my minivan for me - It is a MONSTER! I was surprised to get the machine that sells in the $400 range on Ebay for such a low price, especially because it is treadle-operated and there were several Amish bidders in the house.
The decals are not complete, but more prevalent than many because these machines were used in shoe factories and saw a lot of use.
I took the machine home and put it in the storage shed, intending to get to it later - I never did. When we moved to our present house four years ago, I put it in the garage and piled lawn furniture, bicycles, yard working equipment, and a table saw in front of it and have never dug it out to tinker with it.
I hope it works because Kathie bought a carrying case for her Janome Jem
and one end of the zipper did not get caught in the sewing process.
I tried to repair it on a flatbed machine but just can't get the fabric to lay down flat enough to sew it. I have tacked it by hand for now but would like to effect a permanent repair by machine and the 29 is the only machine I have that might do the job. It has a narrow free arm and the feeding foot rotates to feed the fabric in any direction.
Ed's Vintage Sewing Machine Shop
I have that machine...and I love it dearly.
ReplyDeleteI too have a 29-4 and its somewhat of an extravagance, but very useful when nothing else works. (mine is not in as nearly pristine-for-its-age condition as yours, it has a brazed repair at the rotating needle assembly, and I paid a lot more than $25 for it) I've used mine mostly to repair and refurbish backpacking packs, adding new straps, tiedown loops, etc. and one project making large equipment covers from 18 oz laminated Vinyl. I often use it in "portable" mode. I take the head off the treadle stand, and just run it by hand using the huge balance wheel. I've seen pictures of them with cranking handles added to the wheel. My main complaint is the small bobbin size, and the bobbin doesn't fit my stand-alone bobbin winder, so I filed a tapered pin from a small machine screw; it jams into the center hole in the bobbin, and I wind them with my cordless drill. I generally use #92 thread, I haven't tried it with smaller thread on lighter weight material.
ReplyDelete--frank
We have one of these in our shop, but I have never actually sewn on it. They are super cool and everyone is always asking about it and wanting to buy it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI have one too, slightly different version (29-52k, I think) because the drive is different.
ReplyDeleteThey were called 'shoe closers' and I think called Patchers because they're used for sewing patches or badges onto clothing sleeves.
Mine hadn't been oiled enough and a link lever in the feed system wore down enough so it won't make full length stitches, only very, very short ones. A replacement part costs about $25, but I haven't used the machine much and so haven't ordered one yet. I mention it for you and other readers.
DougVL