Singer 111W-155 With Treadle. Would It Work If You Dont Need Much Speed?

[LoveToLearn]

Hello everybody. I have a singer 111w-155 and I was wondering if it could be used with one of the old singer metal tables with manual foot pedal, treadle where you have to continuously pump this pedal to sew. I mean how much torque do those pedals make and I dont need much speed anyway. What would the limitations be and would it be able to even make enough torque to sew small upholstery projects?

Thanks

LoveToLearn

[Wizcrafts]

If you're mechanically inclined you can mount a treadle under the machine table. You'll want to use a fairly wide horse hide belt, at least 5/16" and treat it with non-slip compound. There is no way to force the machine to start in the right direction, so you'll have to turn the hand wheel to start it up. You will probably need a bigger flywheel on the machine, with a bigger pulley (or bolt a bigger pulley onto the flywheel) and the smallest pulley on the treadle you can find. The greater the ratio between the pulleys, the more punching power it will have.

[TinkerTailor]

If you're mechanically inclined you can mount a treadle under the machine table. You'll want to use a fairly wide horse hide belt, at least 5/16" and treat it with non-slip compound. There is no way to force the machine to start in the right direction, so you'll have to turn the hand wheel to start it up. You will probably need a bigger flywheel on the machine, with a bigger pulley (or bolt a bigger pulley onto the flywheel) and the smallest pulley on the treadle you can find. The greater the ratio between the pulleys, the more punching power it will have.

Smallest treadle pulley but also one that is heavy as possible. The flywheel effect will help the machine when it hits a hard spot.

[LoveToLearn]

thanks fellas. What do you think reasonable max stitches per minute would/could be?

[TinkerTailor]

thanks fellas. What do you think reasonable max stitches per minute would/could be?

That will entirely depend on pulley sizes.

[Wizcrafts]

thanks fellas. What do you think reasonable max stitches per minute would/could be?

Judging by my own foot powered Singer patchers, I'd say about 5 stitches per second (~300/minute). I have two pulleys on the treadle base and two on the machine. I set mine up with the smaller treadle pulley and largest machine pulley. If I reversed the pulleys I could sew faster (~7 /second). But my ankles would give out after about one minute or so.

I just remembered that you want to power a compound feed machine with a treadle. The force you'll need to overcome is probably double what I overcome on my patchers. So, you may be able to treadle it at 4 or 5 stitches per second, but your ankles may give out before the work is finished. That is if the belt doesn't slip and the machine comes to a halt while you treadle madly away.

[LoveToLearn]

so you are saying that I can sew and work out at the same time? Such a deal.

[cdthayer]

I can give you some information on my experience with testing my Singer 111W153 in a common Singer Industrial Treadle Stand. I have a clutch motor power stand for the 111W153, but mounted it in place of my Singer 31-15 in a stripped-down Singer industrial treadle stand (top cut shorter for handling during storage and transport to remote venues). I made no changes to the treadle stand at all. It’s the common Singer industrial treadle with a 16” flywheel in excellent condition.

Most of my sewing is on woven materials and vinyls, and the compound feed will function well enough for those applications, but when I put a couple of thicknesses of 6-8 oz oak-tanned leather under the needle, I didn’t like the results. My machine head turns very freely for a compound feed, but even then, the force needed on the treadle foot pedal to maintain the momentum to sew the leather was more than I wanted to risk. I feared breaking the cast iron pedal.

You mentioned that you will be doing upholstery with the machine, so you may find treadle operation satisfactory, as long as you avoid any hides that don’t come from a nauga. Most of my sewing is repair work, and even on wovens and vinyls, I found that the time spent with my hand on the balance wheel (starting and multiple layers) was substantial. With that thought in mind, I put a steering wheel spinner knob on my Singer 111G156 and simply handcrank all of the stitches and not mess with the treadle at all. I put my 31-15 back in the treadle before I broke something.

Some of the earlier walking foot machines may have been used in the Singer Industrial Treadle Stands, but I doubt that the stand was ever intended to power the later 111-series of compound feed machines. A 111 treadle is kind of a novelty just for fun, but not really very practical in my opinion. If you’re absolutely needing to use the 111 without electricity, I would recommend the clamp-on spinner knob.

CD in Oklahoma

[LoveToLearn]

Hey Cd that was great. I may try putting the knob and the treadle for more versatility. The treadle for long runs and the knob for heavy parts. I also wanted to shorten the table like you did or make a short one and put it on wheels. Space is limited at my house and if I made it look cool and small enough I could keep it in the living room. Thanks again.

LoveToLearn

[cdthayer]

As to LoveToLearn treadling and cranking....

Have you found a treadle to use with your machine yet?  And a spinner knob for cranking it?

I’ve been test-sewing an old Consew 226 that I’m setting up for my daughter (she’ll use it in a power stand for upholstery) using the bobbed-off Singer treadle shown in photos of my earlier post.  It will work fine for vinyl and woven fabrics while in the treadle, except I’m having trouble with the reverse feature.  It’s the first reversible machine that I’ve tried to use in my treadle.  I guess I need to rig up a webbing strap to use my toe on the reverse lever, or something else.  It gets real busy when starting a stitch line, because it’s tough to hold the threads with my left hand, turn the balance wheel with the my right hand to make sure that the machine turns the proper way, and hold the reverse lever down at the same time.....Maybe a parachute cord from the lever down under my right leg and back up to my teeth.  Once the stitch is started, I could spit the cord out.....(spputt)

CD in Oklahoma

 

Edited July 30, 2016 by cdthayer

[mikesc]

"Something else"..
When the reverse lever is down, ( machine in reverse ) it is at the bottom of it's "slot" in the machine head..measure the space in the "slot" that is left above it, make a wedge ( wood or brass, or thick hard plastic ) that will fit into that "slot" space..Thus the "wedge" will hold the reverse lever in the down position..make a "lip" on the wedge ( so as to stop it falling inside the machine head )..fix a ring onto the part of the "wedge" that is facing outwards towards you..( you could make it all out of brass in one piece ) so that you can pull the wedge out ( allowing the machine to run in "forwards" ) after the required stitches have been made in reverse..

You could even make it "spring loaded" so that you'd have to swing it down to put it into the slot, but that a quick tap downward on the reverse lever would release it to swing back up and out of the way..

Got access to compressed air ? or a low voltage DC solenoid ? ( or a scrap car door lock solenoid )..or a knee operated lever with spring return..even more possibilities open up..

Edited July 30, 2016 by mikesc

[cdthayer]

This machine doesn’t have the slot for the reverse lever, but your idea would work for one that did.  This one just has a lever attached to a shaft on the right end of the machine, and has a spring inside the pillar to hold the linkage in the up position when not reversing.

I never have grown very fond of machines that have reverse levers or buttons that need to be held while backtacking or sewing in reverse (mostly domestic home-use machines, but some industrials).  I prefer the ones that have a lever that will stay put until I’m ready to move it and sew the other way.

I think my daughter’s power stand has a peddle rigged up on it to activate the reverse with a foot, so she’ll be ok.  I’m having my problems because I’m fiddling with it in a treadle stand just to play with it and make sure it sews well for her.  I have a couple of power stands that I could try it in, but I’m just having too much fun with it in the treadle.  Vinyl and woven upholstery fabric can be sewn with the 226 fairly well in a treadle.

Maybe I can hang a pork chop from the lever, and train my little shop dog Rex to take a bite from it when I need reverse?  That would take some serious training, and I don’t know if either one of us is up to that....

CD in Oklahoma

 

[dikman]

18 hours ago, cdthayer said:

Maybe I can hang a pork chop from the lever, and train my little shop dog Rex to take a bite from it when I need reverse?

Sounds like your medication might need changing......

[leecopp]

I rigged a spare industrial table top to a two speed xwide, two speed patcher treadle base. I tried treadling my 111w155 and felt like there was just too much machine resistance.  I freely admit that while the machine sews well under power, I am not convinced that it is operating to spec as I had never used another. I guess I need to try one more time with the smaller drive wheel and get things settled in my mind.  The machine is a heavy beastie. 

I am using the above treadle on my 42-5 with good success.  I am also using an orphan 29k band wheel for my 78-1 just to slow things down some from the 16" industrial bandwheel.

I have recently switched to 1/4 hollow poly tubing which seems to slip a little less and can be easily adjusted.

[CowboyBob]

I set a needlefeed 111W up once for an Amish guy that wanted to sew belts & worked but was pretty hard to treadle ,we stuck a walking foot 111w in the stand & it really took alot more foot power than the needlefeed.The walking foot 111w has alot of resistance going on when it walks it makes it hard to treadle.The older mchine like 29 & 42-3 have large wheels & the walking foot works different & they will spin & go around -3 x when you do it if they are oiled good.It might help a 111 treadle easier if you could find a heavier handwheel w/a small pulley.One like what's on the 42-5.

[mikesc]

I'd be tempted to rig up something using a chain drive and gears , pedals etc from a bicycle..I think you'd get more control and power for less "effort" like that..could be a fun project ..could even add wheels and go mobile :)..and..add a basket for the dog, and a cooler for the pork chop and a few beers..:)..The Australian version would require a built on BBQ..

[Yetibelle]

I like that converted 29K base.  I think I will have to try that. 

 

Nice Work!