I wrote a previous post about this treadle sewing machine and how I picked it up from the thrift store for $15.
The machine itself was in beautiful condition, hardly a scratch and no rust whatsoever which is pretty rare. The cabinet however was showing it's 100 years (born in 1913) on the surface. The door had a large crack stemming from the bottom half-way up. The door would fall open with nothing to hold it shut.
There was a huge water stain and crack on the top.
The bottom was looking really worn and almost brittle and there was a wheel missing which made the cabinet wobble.
The cast iron pedal and wheel inside had their black finish worn in several areas. I also didn't like how the pedal and wheel blended into the inside of the cabinet. They were such a cool feature I wanted them to stand out!
I took it all apart! The cast iron pieces, the hinges, pulled the wheels off... everything! I did TONS of sanding! Thank goodness for a belt sander that did an awesome job on the large flat pieces. I used my orbital sander for the smaller areas and then sanded by hand with the smaller details.
I spray painted all the cast iron pieces, hinges and screws with a black hammered paint - an instant new look (not pictured).
I made a large piece of wood to screw to the bottom to protect the brittle corners and edges of the existing cabinet and I also wanted it to be thicker on the bottom to match the look of the top. Thankfully one of my kids decided to take pictures from inside the house because I totally forgot to take a picture of this step! Here I'm aligning the bottom to screw in place. Next I filled in the gaps with wood filler and sanded it for a flawless finish.
Here's the cabinet all sanded and put back together ready for a life rejuvenating stain coat! I had already taped, primed and spray painted the inside by this point.
This shows the bottom corner with the new bottom added and the metal slides I put on the bottom instead of the wheels it had before.
It's much more stable now.
The old leather belt (on bottom) was really worn and actually the diameter was smaller than what it should have been. So I bought a thicker one (on top).
I added a magnetic closure to catch the door when it's closed.
The bottom of the door scraped the cabinet when closing so I added a thumbtack. Now the door closes and rests right where it should be.
What do you think?
I love how the lighter inside shows off the metal pieces!
The machine itself got a cleaning and polish...
...and some new bobbins! She didn't need much.
Oh yeah, and I put a new knob on!
Picture of Jordan treadling. He can barely reach! :)
Labels: DIY, restoration, sewing machine, tutorial, woodworking
