Itch Report post Posted August 28, 2012 I do a lot of business with the Amish and as they do not have electricity they manage to get by pretty well.Here is a picture of one of his sewing machines with peddles and a 3 speed manual car transmission to drive the head..They make a lot of harness,belts,and saddles.. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mogwild Report post Posted August 28, 2012 What is the saying... Necessity, who is the mother of invention. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
KAYAK45 Report post Posted August 28, 2012 Just proves there is more than one way, to sew a cat. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Techsew Ron Report post Posted August 28, 2012 can't think of a clever quote...but the Amish sure are creative people! Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cdthayer Report post Posted August 29, 2012 .... Amish....sewing machine with peddles and a 3 speed manual car transmission to drive the head. I really like that setup! The peddles should give absolute control of the stitches, without the “run backwards” problem that can occur with a treadle. Tell him I’m impressed and really enjoy seeing his ingenuity. Thanks. CD in Oklahoma Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatherkind Report post Posted August 29, 2012 So, you can not use electricity but you can use a machine that was made with it.... hmmmm. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Hooligan Report post Posted August 29, 2012 they can also ride in cars and talk on phones! It's not a fear of electricity or what's it's made but living a simple life. They don't use zippers either. I grew up as an "english" kid in an amish community. I visited a few harness shops as a kid and loved it. The ones I visited used mostly older machinery and I know they ran on a leather belt system, like they use too before... electricity. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TwinOaks Report post Posted August 29, 2012 I can't help but wonder how often the phrase "Get your stitcher in high gear" is used..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferg Report post Posted August 29, 2012 We buy finished logs and finished timber from an amish gentleman in Ohio. His shop runs on belts connected to a long shaft in the floor that has a V-8 Ford truck motor at the end. I love the Amish folks and have never had a bad experience dealing with them. BTW: The telephones are usually located off their property for the businesses and they ride in small buses that mostly German Baptist folks drive. They have had to change their ways a little along the way to be able to survive. Fewer of them are farmers these days but most are very astute business people and I absolutely love their food. Excellent craftsmen. ferg I can't help but wonder how often the phrase "Get your stitcher in high gear" is used..... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
leatherkind Report post Posted August 29, 2012 Simplicity of life is in the eye of the beholder. I bet someone came up with a sewing machine to do just that - to make life simpler. Maybe someone made electric motor for the same purpose? Why in pursuit of simple life use one and not another? seems complicated Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sylvia Report post Posted August 29, 2012 I love to see ingenuity like this. I wonder how a set of bicycle gears would work? Instead of 3 gears, one could get 15 speeds... Hmmmmmm.... wish I could weld. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Happy Hooligan Report post Posted August 31, 2012 I saw this old drawing of a Singer and thought of the original post... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SooperJake Report post Posted August 31, 2012 He needs to upgrade to a Muncie M-22 Rock Crusher tranny..paint some flames on that bad boy... Jake Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted August 31, 2012 Do you have a picture of how the transmisson ties into the pullies ? Neat ideal !! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dirck Report post Posted August 31, 2012 I use a standard Singer treadle for my patch and have tried it on a GA5. Haven't gotten the pulley's right for the GA5. I normally hand crank. http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/2011/05/history-of-pedal-powered-machines.html#more I love low-tech.... I'm not all low-tech. I have a 111...with a ....motor. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Itch Report post Posted August 31, 2012 Do you have a picture of how the transmisson ties into the pullies ? Neat ideal !! No I dont but next time I am over there I will try and get a better look. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dirtclod Report post Posted September 1, 2012 Thanks ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TexasJack Report post Posted September 3, 2012 When I was in high school I worked for a furniture store. The owner had an old sewing machine he used for putting edging on pieces of carpeting. It was originally designed to be pedal operated and had a heavy flywheel, but an electric motor had been added. Being kids we played with it a bit and found that it sewed just fine without the motor - it would get pretty tiring if you did a bunch of rugs. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
