Anybody Ideas On A Protos Machine?

[sandyt]

Hi,

Today I bought a sewingmachine from a guy. The same guy also had a neglected protos sewingmachine in the back of his shed. It is a needle and awl. I can't find any info of this machine. Does somebody know these machines? Are they any good for leather? I think it has needle feed. The pressure foot was up and didnt go down. Is this supposed to be or is it rusted in place?

Without the rust, it should look excactly like this.

Any info is welcome.

Sandy.

[CowboyBob]

Sandy,

It looks like a Puritan to me.It uses a single needle,cotton thread(needs to be lubed)but it makes a chainstitch meaning there's loops of thread showing on the bottom.These amchine are used for horse collars,footballs & once ib a while for boat anchors.

Bob

[Cobra Steve]

Hi sandyt. As Bob said, this machine is a chainstitch machine. You want a lockstitch, not this machine. A chainstitch machine is used on the top of dog food, or sugar, or other types of bags (and some garments, however this would be 2 thread chainstitch), where you can pull on the thread and it will come un-done. A lockstitch machine has a needle thread and a bobbin thread. Thanks, Steve

[CowboyBob]

You might need to oil it to get it to free up,the foot lifts up when the needle pulls the leather back,then comes down as the needle pulls out.These machine are fun to play with & will run pretty fast.

look here to see one sewing

[Cobra Steve]

Great video, thanks Bob! Steve

[CowboyBob]

I delivered a machine there about 10 yrs ago,it's a very interesting place.

[Cobra Steve]

Yeah, but can you play football?!?!? Steve

[sandyt]

Thanks Steve and Sewmun. It's clear to me now what kind of machine this is. Didn't know these machines at all.

Only now I realize there wasn't a bobin indeed. So the stich comes loose when the tread breaks somewhere? Thats's not good at all!!

But I am still curious though. I asked the seller to hold it for a week so I could think about it. So I will think about it. It's realy hard to not try a 'new' machine, haha... Playing with machines is fun. Just bringing a 'dead' machine to life is satisfaction enough most of the time.

So thanks for the info!!!

Sandy.

[amuckart]

Here's a video from Campbell-Randall's youtube channel showing one being tested. You can reasonably clearly see the loops on the back

Edited September 2, 2011 by amuckart

[CowboyBob]

No,but guess what they do @ this factory @ breaktime?