Ideas are Forming
My sister and I enjoy using old Singer sewing machines. When we were growing up our mom had a treadle that we both learned to sew on. Years ago the Cowichan/Salish Indians in BC Canada built attachments that fit onto the top of a treadle sewing machine cabinet, which were basically a bulky flyer with the orifice pointing to the left. They are famous for their warm, hand-knitted sweaters, with designs worked in natural colors of bulky, single-ply wool.
Also on the internet I saw a video of a spinning wheel attachment for a treadle sewing machine cabinet that was actually manufactured in Germany, but I haven't been able to ever locate one to buy.
So after learning the simple components of the DODEC design, I have decided to make my own that is a spindle style and faces forward. It could be attached or removed with the sewing machine still in the cabinet, something like the German design above.
Also on the internet I saw a video of a spinning wheel attachment for a treadle sewing machine cabinet that was actually manufactured in Germany, but I haven't been able to ever locate one to buy.
So after learning the simple components of the DODEC design, I have decided to make my own that is a spindle style and faces forward. It could be attached or removed with the sewing machine still in the cabinet, something like the German design above.
Getting Started
This will be presented kind of like a mysery knit-along format. I will show each step of my idea and progress, then the final product.
This spinning attachment will be fairly lightweight and simple. It all centers around the connection with the leather drive band. This part will need to be sturdy and in the correct position and correct height., then the rest of the gadget will be built around that point.
The groove in the sewing machine that receives the drive band is 1/4 inch wide in a wheel that is 2 3/4" in diameter. I would like to find something I could use that's close to the same diameter, to keep the ratio about the same. Today I considered several ideas for this part. I thought maybe two wooden toy wheels with rounded edges and glued together might do the trick, but had trouble finding any of the right size on the internet.
Then I wandered through the Savers thrift store searching for round wooden objects and found this! These four wheels are exactly perfect for what I had in mind. Just over 3" diameter with the perfect groove. I think considering that they are rounded on the edges, they are pretty close in size. The flat sides are nice, since I plan to glue all the parts in this assembly to each other, side by side.
It occurred to me while in the store that some other possibilities for drive wheels, would be wooden canister lids or two coasters could be glued together with a smaller disc between them to form the groove.
I would also like my spinner to have a hand wheel like on the sewing machine, to help start and stop the treadle as needed. I plan to paint a design on it to help show the direction it is moving. I think this ugly little ladybug picture frame will do the trick. I'd like to turn it into a sunflower. This is one part that really does need to be round or it would hit your fingers as it turns.
Other possibilities for a hand wheel: Small wooden bowls or towel rings. Lowe's has these for $7. I suppose since they could be considered outdated, they might pop up in second hand stores as they are replaced. I would glue a thin circle to one side of this and drill a hole in the center for axle.
First thing to do is make the board to fit in the hole in the sewing cabinet, which is the base the spinner is built on. This will be needed to find the proper height to make the drive wheel assembly. I am thinking that a cabinet door from Restore, a table leaf or some tongue & groove boards would do.
UPDATE: I have greatly simplified my idea. I realized from watching videos of people spinning on a spindle wheel that you don't have to face the spindle. Sometimes people spin sitting beside it. So I won't waste effort trying to make the motion "turn a corner". The parts from the toy wagon are proving to be exactlly what I need. I will simply make something that sits on the axle part of the sewing machine and has a wheel that rests against the leather drive band. This is a design that will only work for my sewing machine in its present state. When I get around to installing the bobbin winder, it won't fit on any more. I may have to hit the drawing board again to make something that's more universal.
UPDATE: I have greatly simplified my idea. I realized from watching videos of people spinning on a spindle wheel that you don't have to face the spindle. Sometimes people spin sitting beside it. So I won't waste effort trying to make the motion "turn a corner". The parts from the toy wagon are proving to be exactlly what I need. I will simply make something that sits on the axle part of the sewing machine and has a wheel that rests against the leather drive band. This is a design that will only work for my sewing machine in its present state. When I get around to installing the bobbin winder, it won't fit on any more. I may have to hit the drawing board again to make something that's more universal.
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