@@wfjenterprises--billjohnso8701 Glass varnish finish? I've never heard of this, but I sure love that finish, it is just gorgeous. Maybe, if we're very good, you might show us how it is done one day (perhaps just on a plain piece of wood, so we can practice it that way ourselves)? I absolutely love working on the machines but would love just as much to learn about how to get the cases and bases and treadle-table tops into good condition. And for the very special machines, beautiful like this. :-)
@@meganmills6545 thank you for your comment. There’s a typo in my earlier reply - it a traditional “gloss” varnish finish. I use oil-based varnish, applied with a brush. The secret, which isn’t really a secret, is lots of sanding between multiple coats. I sand with 220 after the first coat, then 400 after the second and third. I switch to wet-sanding after that, with 600 and then 800. I don’t remember exactly how many coats are on that bentwood case, but probably at least 5. I am sanding quite a bit of it off after every coat, until it is glass smooth. Then I switch to tung oil for the last 1 or 2 coats (coats 6 & 7), wiped on with a cloth. The decals were applied after coat 3 or 4 so they have a good varnish protective covering. I regret not taking any photos or video as I restored this case. Maybe next time!
Did the manual say to use your finger on the back of the bobbin winder? I've used a similar one on a Henstenberg machine and the it seemed that the curve on the bottom of the 'upright spoon arm' part guided the thread beautifully back and forth without me needing to touch or guide anything. The 'smoother' that rested on the thread, together with the bobbin winding action, made the thread on the bobbin like as smooth as silk. The advice to let the ends be fuller than the middle was to help make sure you don't overwind the bobbin and have a 'bulge' of thread in the middle that would rub in the shuttle until enough of it was used up. (It would polish the inside of the middle of the shuttle and keep it clean, for sure, but the tension would be all over the show!) :-) If you can wind a smooth, evenly-filled bobbin in the first place you don't need to make it fuller at the ends. I know earlier winders had no guide at all, you had to do it all yourself - and for those I always do the 'fuller at the ends, or even underfill slightly' method. On another note, a nice trick is to trap the beginning end of the thread between the end of the bobbin and the little 'cup' it fits into on the right-hand side of the bobbin winder. You can then avoid having to turn it round the bobbin a few times by hand first, and can wind without a tail getting in the way or needing to stop and trim it off after a few turns.
Thanks, Megan! The reprint manual I have does not say anything about using your finger. In fact, it gives very little guidance on winding the bobbin. I haven’t tried winding a bobbin without guiding the thread with my finger, but you may well be right that it will go back and forth on its own. Your tip on trapping the end of the thread is a good one!
Two spool pins are one for sewing one for bobbin. I believe you can use a twin needle with this machine which would require 2 spools. The little screw to left of spool pin is tension for bobbin winding, then back to guide arm for winding. When retrieving bobbin shuttle the slide plate on left is spring loaded to eject shuttle. I have 1900s VestaB works same way as singer 12. Wonderful machines
I have an 1887 model 12 and it doesn't have the little spring mechanism on the left slide plate (or any sign there was one), and neither do any of my other my other Model 12 machines. However I did some work on an 1880s Henstenberg and it did have that feature, so it could be a difference the Vesta did too that the model 12 machines didn't have? (The Hengstenberg had a few nice features, like auto tension release when you raise the presser foot, the best long bobbin winder I've ever used and a thread cutter built into the 'rest' for the presser bar lifting lever. Apparently a few other companies did this sort of thing too and then marketed their machines as the 'improved' model 12. Singer was not impressed and sued them, doing publicitiy to say that the quality etc, etc couldn't possibly be improved upon. Maybe not the quality - but the functionality, very much improved for their time, I think.) :-)
@meganmills6545 there was crazy competition going on. Every company wanted their machine to be the IT model. Fun reading about all the machines and history behind them
The duel spool pins where so you could wind a bobbin at the same time your sewing, that way you had a full bobbin ready when the one in the machine runs out , no unthreading the machine when the time comes , just swap out the bobbin and carry on ....hope that explains it ...beutiful machines by the way , as a collector its still on my list to own a model 12 .....
Thank you. We have a nice collection of machines, but the model 12 is my favorite because of what it represents. It was truly a marvel in its day. And, it produces a beautiful stitch. Sewing machines advanced a lot after the model 12, but the stitches really aren't any better.
Repairs to the curved bentwood are not easy. The bentwood is actually several thin layers that were formed around a mold after being steamed to soften the wood. The layers were then glued together, again under pressure in a mold. Repairs require creating curved clamping cauls that fit both the inside and outside of the curve so that glue can be applied and clamped.
You made a little mistake when threading the shuttle. You can see in this video th-cam.com/video/YOdzh56PHNk/w-d-xo.html from 8:15 , how to do as indicated in the user manual. Why two spool pins ? one for sewing, the other for threading the bobin without having to remove the needle thread. the experienced user could also sew and fill a bobin at the same time. Beautifull machine, that seems like new.
Wow - nice catch! Luckily, the machine is forgiving enough to sew well, regardless of my mistake in threading the shuttle. Thank you for pointing me to a more authoritative video.
I really love the way the case and base of both machines are so high gloss. They look absolutely beautiful.
Thank you. It’s a traditional glass varnish finish.
@@wfjenterprises--billjohnso8701 Glass varnish finish? I've never heard of this, but I sure love that finish, it is just gorgeous. Maybe, if we're very good, you might show us how it is done one day (perhaps just on a plain piece of wood, so we can practice it that way ourselves)? I absolutely love working on the machines but would love just as much to learn about how to get the cases and bases and treadle-table tops into good condition. And for the very special machines, beautiful like this. :-)
@@meganmills6545 thank you for your comment. There’s a typo in my earlier reply - it a traditional “gloss” varnish finish. I use oil-based varnish, applied with a brush. The secret, which isn’t really a secret, is lots of sanding between multiple coats. I sand with 220 after the first coat, then 400 after the second and third. I switch to wet-sanding after that, with 600 and then 800. I don’t remember exactly how many coats are on that bentwood case, but probably at least 5. I am sanding quite a bit of it off after every coat, until it is glass smooth. Then I switch to tung oil for the last 1 or 2 coats (coats 6 & 7), wiped on with a cloth. The decals were applied after coat 3 or 4 so they have a good varnish protective covering. I regret not taking any photos or video as I restored this case. Maybe next time!
Did the manual say to use your finger on the back of the bobbin winder? I've used a similar one on a Henstenberg machine and the it seemed that the curve on the bottom of the 'upright spoon arm' part guided the thread beautifully back and forth without me needing to touch or guide anything. The 'smoother' that rested on the thread, together with the bobbin winding action, made the thread on the bobbin like as smooth as silk.
The advice to let the ends be fuller than the middle was to help make sure you don't overwind the bobbin and have a 'bulge' of thread in the middle that would rub in the shuttle until enough of it was used up. (It would polish the inside of the middle of the shuttle and keep it clean, for sure, but the tension would be all over the show!) :-) If you can wind a smooth, evenly-filled bobbin in the first place you don't need to make it fuller at the ends. I know earlier winders had no guide at all, you had to do it all yourself - and for those I always do the 'fuller at the ends, or even underfill slightly' method.
On another note, a nice trick is to trap the beginning end of the thread between the end of the bobbin and the little 'cup' it fits into on the right-hand side of the bobbin winder. You can then avoid having to turn it round the bobbin a few times by hand first, and can wind without a tail getting in the way or needing to stop and trim it off after a few turns.
Thanks, Megan! The reprint manual I have does not say anything about using your finger. In fact, it gives very little guidance on winding the bobbin. I haven’t tried winding a bobbin without guiding the thread with my finger, but you may well be right that it will go back and forth on its own. Your tip on trapping the end of the thread is a good one!
❤ what a treasure - thank you for sharing this ❤
إنها من النوادر ، مكنة رائعة جدا ، هنيئا لك ❤
Two spool pins are one for sewing one for bobbin. I believe you can use a twin needle with this machine which would require 2 spools.
The little screw to left of spool pin is tension for bobbin winding, then back to guide arm for winding.
When retrieving bobbin shuttle the slide plate on left is spring loaded to eject shuttle.
I have 1900s VestaB works same way as singer 12.
Wonderful machines
I have an 1887 model 12 and it doesn't have the little spring mechanism on the left slide plate (or any sign there was one), and neither do any of my other my other Model 12 machines. However I did some work on an 1880s Henstenberg and it did have that feature, so it could be a difference the Vesta did too that the model 12 machines didn't have? (The Hengstenberg had a few nice features, like auto tension release when you raise the presser foot, the best long bobbin winder I've ever used and a thread cutter built into the 'rest' for the presser bar lifting lever. Apparently a few other companies did this sort of thing too and then marketed their machines as the 'improved' model 12. Singer was not impressed and sued them, doing publicitiy to say that the quality etc, etc couldn't possibly be improved upon. Maybe not the quality - but the functionality, very much improved for their time, I think.) :-)
@meganmills6545 there was crazy competition going on. Every company wanted their machine to be the IT model. Fun reading about all the machines and history behind them
The duel spool pins where so you could wind a bobbin at the same time your sewing, that way you had a full bobbin ready when the one in the machine runs out , no unthreading the machine when the time comes , just swap out the bobbin and carry on ....hope that explains it ...beutiful machines by the way , as a collector its still on my list to own a model 12 .....
Thank you. We have a nice collection of machines, but the model 12 is my favorite because of what it represents. It was truly a marvel in its day. And, it produces a beautiful stitch. Sewing machines advanced a lot after the model 12, but the stitches really aren't any better.
The second spool pinn may be there so you don't have to unthread the machine to wind a bobbin. The machines are beautiful.
Nice machines!
How to repair this old style bentwood "cap"? Curves often partly broken(
Repairs to the curved bentwood are not easy. The bentwood is actually several thin layers that were formed around a mold after being steamed to soften the wood. The layers were then glued together, again under pressure in a mold. Repairs require creating curved clamping cauls that fit both the inside and outside of the curve so that glue can be applied and clamped.
You made a little mistake when threading the shuttle. You can see in this video th-cam.com/video/YOdzh56PHNk/w-d-xo.html from 8:15 , how to do as indicated in the user manual.
Why two spool pins ? one for sewing, the other for threading the bobin without having to remove the needle thread. the experienced user could also sew and fill a bobin at the same time.
Beautifull machine, that seems like new.
Wow - nice catch! Luckily, the machine is forgiving enough to sew well, regardless of my mistake in threading the shuttle. Thank you for pointing me to a more authoritative video.