I found this little beauty at an estate sale this weekend. I'm pretty sure it is (was) some sort of sewing machine (It has the remains of a broken needle). It may have had a more specialized purpose. I don't need sewing machine, but this little guy spoke to me (sounded a bit like, "Help me!"). It mostly has surface rust and is seized up from this. All the parts seem to be there (except for a power source) and I'm sure I can get it moving again with a little TLC (and a lot of WD-40).
I'm hoping you all can help me learn more about it. The body and major parts are cast iron. These are well made and finished. If I had to guess I'd say it dates to between late 1800's and early 1900's. I am not able to find any branding or other label that would identify the maker. This may change as I begin to clean it. Below are some more pictures and details.
The finish is Japaning. It's coming off in some places. You can see patterns like the one above there were painted onto the tool.
It appears to have been belt-driven. The black cylinder is about 2" wide and slightly thicker in the middle (to help a belt stay centered). There is also a slot through the base as you can see in the picture. This would allow the belt to go around the tool's drive and then a power source mounted below. It's likely the power source was foot-powered.
I was surprised when I removed the work plate. Expecting something simple, I found this complex mechanism instead. I questioned myself when I bought it. Now, I'm actually getting excited to bring this back to life. Who knows what I'll learn in the process?
I'm hoping you all can help me learn more about it. The body and major parts are cast iron. These are well made and finished. If I had to guess I'd say it dates to between late 1800's and early 1900's. I am not able to find any branding or other label that would identify the maker. This may change as I begin to clean it. Below are some more pictures and details.
The finish is Japaning. It's coming off in some places. You can see patterns like the one above there were painted onto the tool.
It appears to have been belt-driven. The black cylinder is about 2" wide and slightly thicker in the middle (to help a belt stay centered). There is also a slot through the base as you can see in the picture. This would allow the belt to go around the tool's drive and then a power source mounted below. It's likely the power source was foot-powered.
I was surprised when I removed the work plate. Expecting something simple, I found this complex mechanism instead. I questioned myself when I bought it. Now, I'm actually getting excited to bring this back to life. Who knows what I'll learn in the process?
