Ive been a fan of your website since I was in middle school and found the pages on growing crystals, and i taught myself antique restoration on an old singer model 27 treadle machine so i could have something to use for costume making. That lead to an addiction of 30-some machines some of them quite old and rare and seeing someone else put all the time and care into bringing one back to life really makes me happy. Im really excited to see more!!
Dear Emily, Thank you for the great comment and joining the ranks of sewing machine collectors and restorers! I have to admit that most of my efforts these days go into the UA-cam channel rather than the original website. People seem to prefer live action over text-based content these days. My current project is restoring an 1875 American Model 1 Sewing machine. It runs great so it only needs cosmetic restoration. Do you have a website or UA-cam video about your machines? My wife and I would enjoy seeing them. Thanks again for commenting! Wayne Schmidt.
@@wayneschmidt490 Currently I dont have any videos but I have some neat ones that might be worthy of screen time, a Wheeler and Wilson glass footed model 8, a "weed" transverse shuttle machine, a singer Universal Free Arm which is basically a super early model 29 with a much thinner needle arm, and my next restoration: an 1864 Florence curved needle machine: this one is neat and i think I saw one on a shelf in one of your videos, I actually found three in short order back to back for absolute scrap prices and one is an early version of the "sideways" setup on its treadle- where most sew side to side, this is set like a normal sewing machine for front and back sewing, and thus the motion transfer from the treadle to the machine is very unique. So one of the florences either the older one or the one with its treadle will be fixed up soon(ish) and I'll be sure to video the results at least.
Hey wayne, i found your page many many many years ago as a kid, and sunk so much time into reading all kindsa stuff. Im so glad to see youre still around doing your thing c:
Thank you! My current project is a Biesolt & Locke Cinderella machine. I've been working on the replacement decals over a month and still have a long way to go.
Thank you! I'm currently working on an 1875 American Model 1 sewing machine and hope to have a video about it posted soon. Have you seen our video about the Jones Swan Neck? We think it's even better. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Wayne. My wife and I are in awe of the wonderful restoration of Tilly May. We have just purchased a Little Wanzer of our own here in Australia, and while it is in better condition than yours was, it is missing the shuttle and bobbin. I can make one, but have been unable to find the exact dimensions on-line. Would you be able to direct me to the appropriate site, or provide dimensions? We agree the she is truly a thing of beauty, and would love to get her working again. Many thanks.
Thank you for watching the video and writing such a great comment. We eventually found a Little Wanzer shuttle and bobbin online so I can send you some good measurements. It's 1.635 inches long, 0.463 inches from side to side and 0.432 inches from the bottom to the top. The open space for the shuttle is 0.995 inches long, 0.387 inches wide and 0.386 inches deep. The bobbin is 1.060 inches long and the end caps are 0.328 inches in diameter. They are spaced 0.735 inches apart. For a detailed video of how I made a replacement shuttle, please click on the following link: ua-cam.com/video/4TsjNgDgajE/v-deo.html I found one on EBAY after several months of searching, so they do come up for sale from time to time. Good luck!
Thanks so much Wayne. Stephen has made a shuttle and bobbin and we have just threaded her up - and she sews!! I have been fiddling with the tension and think I have just about got it right. The bobbin is tiny and doesn't hold much thread, so I think I might still stick with my modern sewing machine for most things, but the lock stitch works and the tension is good! We are really happy with her. I am calling her Tilly Bea - a hats off to your Tilly May. Did you know there is a Little Wanzer Polka out there on youtube? Music to play while sewing with her. Thanks so much for your input. Who knows what we will find at the Camberwell markets next time we visit. Cindy and Stephen.
Congratulations on making a shuttle and bobbin! That's a big thing in the antique sewing machine world because very few people attempt it and fewer still make ones that work. I just finished restoring a sweet little 1878 Home Shuttle machine and hope to have a video about it up in the next few days. I'll let you know when it's uploaded. Good luck at the market!
Will look forward to that video. I managed to get hold of a green stone cheese board, drilled it through, and Tilly Bea now has a beautiful base. She is proudly on display in our living room for all to appreciate.
Wayne, excellent job! You did an amazing job. I am in the process of restoring a Singer Sewhandy, it doesn't compare to the little Wanzer, but it is a fun restoration. I hope to have a video posted of m yg efforts in the next week or so. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
Joe! I just checked out your channel (ua-cam.com/users/joeheilmvideos?disable_polymer=1.) You've made an outstanding collection of high quality restoration videos. Great work! I also liked the bass fishing video. :-)
Thank you again! If you enjoy before-and-after reveals, skip to 16:28 in the following restoration to see one of my best efforts: ua-cam.com/video/rpQ2mAGlHNY/v-deo.html
That sounds like a Singer 20. If so, it's great machine which, while marketed as a toy, was so well engineered that mounted on a solid base it can handle any sewing project. If you like antique sewing machines, you might enjoy browsing my channel, which has almost 100 videos about them including several very rare machines. Thanks for writing!
Hi again, I have recently purchased a l'il wanzer that is missing both the bobbin and shuttle. I had seen somewhere where you had an illustration of all the measurements of the boat shuttle. I would love to have these measurements before I attempt making it. Thanks in advance for your help
We eventually found a Little Wanzer shuttle and bobbin online so I can send you some good measurements. It's 1.635 inches long, 0.463 inches from side to side and 0.432 inches from the bottom to the top. The open space for the shuttle is 0.995 inches long, 0.387 inches wide and 0.386 inches deep. The bobbin is 1.060 inches long and the end caps are 0.328 inches in diameter. They are spaced 0.735 inches apart. For a detailed video of how I made the replacement shuttle to hold us until we found a real one, please click on the following link: ua-cam.com/video/4TsjNgDgajE/v-deo.html The video will give you an idea of its shape. I found one on EBAY after several months of searching, so they do come up for sale from time to time. If you can wait, this is by far the better option. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
Hi Wayne, I have a similar Wanzer, but luckily it seems to move smoothly (does need oil) and does have it's shuttle and bobbin. It doesn't have the needle screw or a needle, but the screw is easy to source. I have read that it used a round needle (as opposed to a flat sized needle) I have a few such thin round needles in my collection, because the idea of shaving down a modern needle scares me. I'm yet to try and pop one in, but if it fits I will add that info. Do you have any idea of the length of the original needles, because cutting the top off to get the right length I can 'just' cope with. My aim is to get her up and running so i can pop her in a backpack and take her to the cafe to sew with. She's rough, not as rough as Tilly was but she's going to be a useful sewing machine and at least the cloth plate won't damage fabric.
Thank you for writing! After reading your comment, I did another search for Little Wanzer needles and couldn't find anything. The only manual we could find is for a Wanzer A, which is similar. Unfortunately, it lists needle sizes but doesn't give the brand, so that doesn't tell us much. I pulled the needle from our machine to measure it. It's 39 mm long with 25 mm extending down from the bottom of the needle holder to its tip. The shank is 1.5 mm in diameter. I hope this helps you find a working substitute. Good luck and congratulations on having one of these great machines! If you'd like to see all the machines in our collection, please visit: waynesthisandthat.com/Antique%20Sewing%20Machines.html. I don't sell or advertise anything so you don't have to worry about pop-ups.
Good job, Wayne! Not criticising but I am just wondering if if time allowed would you have repaired the broken gear and work top using old technique of silver soldering instead of epoxy? Perhaps the solder won't stick well on cast iron parts?
Thanks for the comment! I have to confess, I never considered that technique. It would have repaired the gear without changing the diameter. I've never worked with silver solder. Is it strong enough to drill and tap once it's cooled?
This is a comment about another excellent video of yours, for which the comment function has been disabled: the review of Canon 10x42L IS. My question: have you found a solution to the eyecup problem (they're terrible)? Thanks, Peter.
Hi, Peter! Thanks for writing! Four minutes into the video I show how I fixed the lens cap problem for the front lenses. For the rear lens caps I'm still using the poor caps provided with the binoculars. They aren't very good, but they are a little better than the original front caps. Wayne.
Hi Wayne, Thanks for your reply! My question was not about caps but about cups: the eyecups of the Canon 10x42 are made from hard rubber, they have sharp edges, and are rather large (diam=45mm), they're simply terrible when used w/o glasses. You mentioned in your excellent video that you'll try to find a solution/replacement, and I was wondering if you have found one. Peter.
No. I'm sorry to say that's one problem I haven't worked on yet. I have to wonder why Canon failed to do better with these minor design problems after spending so much time and effort with the rest of the binocular.
Hi I have a Dolly Varden sewing machine and the hand crank gear teeth are made from pewter. some of the teeth are melted ( damage ) and I don't have any idea how to repair .. none of the workshops I went want to do the gear . I wander if you have any Idea in how to fix it please . I can't attach photo .
Hi, GiGi! I had a similar problem fixing a Biesolt & Locke with broken teeth. The correct way to do it is to take the unit apart and either braze or solder replacement teeth into place. The problem is that most people, like myself, don't have the equipment to do so. The following video shows how I used super glue and baking powder to build up new teeth in place without having to take anything apart: ua-cam.com/video/kb4kLi6E7mQ/v-deo.html These teeth work and I can sew on the machine, but I'm not confident on how durable they are. Still, if all else fails it's an option worth trying. I've never heard of a sewing machine with pewter teeth. They are always either brass, cast iron or steel. This is easy to test. If a magnet sticks to the gear it's steel or iron. I see you've posted videos on your channel. Could you post a video of your machine showing the hand crank and the broken teeth? It might give me another idea of how to fix it. Dolly Varden's are very collectable and well worth the effort to restore. Good luck and thanks for writing!
If you'd like a little background on your machine, Alex Askaroff, a world-famous repairer, restorer and collector, has a nice page about them here: sewalot.com/dolly_varden_sewing_machine.htm
Sorry to keep coming back like this, but I thought of a couple of important points to mention. If you use the baking soda and super glue repair method, be sure to use a lot of fine grease on the teeth instead of oil. The surfaces of the baking soda teeth are much rougher than metal and need something that sticks to them better than oil. Also, the Dolly Vardens are almost identical to the Improved Home Shuttle in our collection. After looking at the gears, I noticed that they are so small that the base of the teeth may not be wide enough to anchor the teeth. The teeth on our machine are steel or cast iron, so I assume yours are as well since they were made by the same company. You mentioned that some of the teeth were 'melted.' That sounds like they have been bent, which could be good news. If there are only a few of them belt and they're not all next to each other, you may be able to simply file them back so they don't block the gears from turning. The teeth on these machines are so close together that often more than one tooth at a time is engaged so a missing arm shortened tooth can be skipped mover. These machines are easy to take apart. So, again, if you post a video showing what the problem is I may be able to help more getting it back to working condition.
The sewing machine is in pieces already .... The top an bottom gears are from cast iron but the middle one witch is the biggest gear and is on the hand crank the outer in made from pewter and the middle is cast . They made it loke this so it doesn't make noise in use ... I will post a video and send the link.
@@wayneschmidt490 Some of the Jones serpentine the variant with brass badge on the main bed the small gears are made from fibre so it doesn't make noise in use . I have one . my dolly varden is in pieces cause I patch with cold japanning and is not dry yet but I will post a video of parts .. ua-cam.com/video/cprbzzy2E2c/v-deo.html sorry about the bad video :)
Dear Michele, Thank you for commenting. Yes, you are correct that some decals are available. These are mostly for Singer and Wilcox Gibbs sewing machines. As far as I have been able to determine, no one makes decals for Little Wanzers. Also, the decals for sale are printed using gold-colored inks, which don't come close to the color and luster of real gold. If you like antique sewing machines, I'm about to post a new video about our latest restoration: an 1875 American Model 1. This one was tricky because the gold filigree wasn't applied as decals, but free hand directly onto the machine. I hope you'll take a look at it. I like Americans because their profile looks racy, like a sleek sportscar.
Thank you very much for your reply , I would be interested for Wanzer and for serpentine jones, could send me the files with these decals to be able to print with my printed matter. I can pay for this and I would be grateful for my whole life, I am a hobbyist collector and restorer, in the past I have already restored some of my Singer and Willcox.I would be very happy to be able to restore even my serpentine Wanzer and Jones . This is my email address : mikiki1976@gmail.com
I have a printable decal set for the Jones Serpentine with instructions, which I will be happy to email to you for free. The set for the Wanzer needs to be formatted for email, but I will get it to you as soon as possible. Before I start sending you large email files, please view the following video I made about the gold decal making process: ua-cam.com/video/2PKmkXWtQmY/v-deo.html If, after watching the video and finding out how difficult, expensive and time consuming it is you still want to try it, let me know I will send them to you. Oh yes! If you'd like to see all of the machines in my wife's and my collection, please visit our webpage about it at: waynesthisandthat.com/Antique%20Sewing%20Machines.html.
depending on condition, they can go for anywhere from $300 to $900. Here's the current EBAY listings: www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=little+wanzer+sewing+machines&_sacat=0
It's actually worse than that... would you believe Tilly May?! 🙂 If you think that's bad, I should warn you the names of our four Singer Featherweight machines are: Betty Jo, Bonnie Jo, Bobby Jo and Becky Jo. They are all sisters. With 71 machines in our collection it's a struggle to come up with names for all of them. I know it's silly, but fun nonetheless. Thanks for writing! (Google-Übersetzung) Es ist sogar noch schlimmer... würden Sie Tilly May glauben?! 🙂 Wenn du das schlecht findest, sollte ich dich warnen, die Namen unserer vier Singer-Federgewichtsmaschinen sind: Betty Jo, Bonnie Jo, Bobby Jo und Becky Jo. Sie sind alle Schwestern. Bei 71 Maschinen in unserer Sammlung ist es schwierig, Namen für alle zu finden. Ich weiß, es ist albern, aber trotzdem lustig. Danke für's schreiben!
Wayne! You disabled the comments for the gold marker pen review: ua-cam.com/video/JZGH4WxYMBM/v-deo.html So I couldn't comment on the actual video :( I just wanted to say thank you so much for the very informative review! The most helpful one I've found for restoring gold tone plating, the Melody May turned out superb after your 100 hours of restoration! The gold tone looks just like the original! Wishing you a lovely week ahead! P
Paul, Thanks for the comment! I was forced to turn off all commenting for a while because I was getting trolled so much. I'm starting to reinstate some commenting in the hopes the trolls have forgotten me. I glad you enjoyed Melody May's restoration. Her gold really gleams, though I have to admit the restoration of the Little Wanzer came out more elegant. Next up is Beverly May, an 1888 Biesolt & Locke. Thanks again for writing! Wayne Schmidt.
Absolutely gorgeous.
Ive been a fan of your website since I was in middle school and found the pages on growing crystals, and i taught myself antique restoration on an old singer model 27 treadle machine so i could have something to use for costume making. That lead to an addiction of 30-some machines some of them quite old and rare and seeing someone else put all the time and care into bringing one back to life really makes me happy. Im really excited to see more!!
Dear Emily,
Thank you for the great comment and joining the ranks of sewing machine collectors and restorers!
I have to admit that most of my efforts these days go into the UA-cam channel rather than the original website. People seem to prefer live action over text-based content these days. My current project is restoring an 1875 American Model 1 Sewing machine. It runs great so it only needs cosmetic restoration.
Do you have a website or UA-cam video about your machines? My wife and I would enjoy seeing them.
Thanks again for commenting!
Wayne Schmidt.
@@wayneschmidt490 Currently I dont have any videos but I have some neat ones that might be worthy of screen time, a Wheeler and Wilson glass footed model 8, a "weed" transverse shuttle machine, a singer Universal Free Arm which is basically a super early model 29 with a much thinner needle arm, and my next restoration: an 1864 Florence curved needle machine: this one is neat and i think I saw one on a shelf in one of your videos, I actually found three in short order back to back for absolute scrap prices and one is an early version of the "sideways" setup on its treadle- where most sew side to side, this is set like a normal sewing machine for front and back sewing, and thus the motion transfer from the treadle to the machine is very unique. So one of the florences either the older one or the one with its treadle will be fixed up soon(ish) and I'll be sure to video the results at least.
You have some great machines and I'm certain many people would love to see them. I surely would.
Felicitaciones Le quedó espectacular la restauración de la máquina de coser antigua
¡Muchas gracias, y gracias por escribir!
Hey wayne, i found your page many many many years ago as a kid, and sunk so much time into reading all kindsa stuff. Im so glad to see youre still around doing your thing c:
Thank you! It's great to read when someone's discovered my bit of cyberspace.
Wow... Just WOW! Brilliant job! You've got a new subscriber!
Thank you! My current project is a Biesolt & Locke Cinderella machine. I've been working on the replacement decals over a month and still have a long way to go.
Beautiful restoration and beautiful machine!!
Thank you! I'm currently working on an 1875 American Model 1 sewing machine and hope to have a video about it posted soon. Have you seen our video about the Jones Swan Neck? We think it's even better. Thanks for commenting!
Hi Wayne. My wife and I are in awe of the wonderful restoration of Tilly May. We have just purchased a Little Wanzer of our own here in Australia, and while it is in better condition than yours was, it is missing the shuttle and bobbin. I can make one, but have been unable to find the exact dimensions on-line. Would you be able to direct me to the appropriate site, or provide dimensions? We agree the she is truly a thing of beauty, and would love to get her working again. Many thanks.
Thank you for watching the video and writing such a great comment.
We eventually found a Little Wanzer shuttle and bobbin online so I can send you some good measurements. It's 1.635 inches long, 0.463 inches from side to side and 0.432 inches from the bottom to the top. The open space for the shuttle is 0.995 inches long, 0.387 inches wide and 0.386 inches deep. The bobbin is 1.060 inches long and the end caps are 0.328 inches in diameter. They are spaced 0.735 inches apart.
For a detailed video of how I made a replacement shuttle, please click on the following link:
ua-cam.com/video/4TsjNgDgajE/v-deo.html
I found one on EBAY after several months of searching, so they do come up for sale from time to time. Good luck!
Thanks so much Wayne. Stephen has made a shuttle and bobbin and we have just threaded her up - and she sews!! I have been fiddling with the tension and think I have just about got it right. The bobbin is tiny and doesn't hold much thread, so I think I might still stick with my modern sewing machine for most things, but the lock stitch works and the tension is good! We are really happy with her. I am calling her Tilly Bea - a hats off to your Tilly May. Did you know there is a Little Wanzer Polka out there on youtube? Music to play while sewing with her. Thanks so much for your input. Who knows what we will find at the Camberwell markets next time we visit. Cindy and Stephen.
Congratulations on making a shuttle and bobbin! That's a big thing in the antique sewing machine world because very few people attempt it and fewer still make ones that work. I just finished restoring a sweet little 1878 Home Shuttle machine and hope to have a video about it up in the next few days. I'll let you know when it's uploaded. Good luck at the market!
Will look forward to that video. I managed to get hold of a green stone cheese board, drilled it through, and Tilly Bea now has a beautiful base. She is proudly on display in our living room for all to appreciate.
Green stone cheese board?! Hmmm... I'll have to look into that. Thank you!
Another new subscriber . . . Joe's Shop sent me. I am impressed!
Thank you!
Wayne, excellent job! You did an amazing job. I am in the process of restoring a Singer Sewhandy, it doesn't compare to the little Wanzer, but it is a fun restoration. I hope to have a video posted of m yg efforts in the next week or so. Thanks for sharing. Cheers
Thanks for the comment! Send me the URL for your video when it's done so it can be posted here. Maybe it'll help drive a few viewers to it.
Joe! I just checked out your channel (ua-cam.com/users/joeheilmvideos?disable_polymer=1.) You've made an outstanding collection of high quality restoration videos. Great work!
I also liked the bass fishing video. :-)
😮I am in awe.
Thank you again! If you enjoy before-and-after reveals, skip to 16:28 in the following restoration to see one of my best efforts:
ua-cam.com/video/rpQ2mAGlHNY/v-deo.html
An incredible job. I have a little singer hand crank I would like to get restored. I guess there is no bobbin. It just does a chain stitch.
That sounds like a Singer 20. If so, it's great machine which, while marketed as a toy, was so well engineered that mounted on a solid base it can handle any sewing project.
If you like antique sewing machines, you might enjoy browsing my channel, which has almost 100 videos about them including several very rare machines.
Thanks for writing!
Wow great job saving the machine
Thank you!
Incredible!
Thank you! And thanks for the comment!
Hi again, I have recently purchased a l'il wanzer that is missing both the bobbin and shuttle. I had seen somewhere where you had an illustration of all the measurements of the boat shuttle. I would love to have these measurements before I attempt making it. Thanks in advance for your help
We eventually found a Little Wanzer shuttle and bobbin online so I can send you some good measurements. It's 1.635 inches long, 0.463 inches from side to side and 0.432 inches from the bottom to the top. The open space for the shuttle is 0.995 inches long, 0.387 inches wide and 0.386 inches deep. The bobbin is 1.060 inches long and the end caps are 0.328 inches in diameter. They are spaced 0.735 inches apart.
For a detailed video of how I made the replacement shuttle to hold us until we found a real one, please click on the following link:
ua-cam.com/video/4TsjNgDgajE/v-deo.html
The video will give you an idea of its shape.
I found one on EBAY after several months of searching, so they do come up for sale from time to time. If you can wait, this is by far the better option. Good luck and thanks for commenting!
Hi Wayne, I have a similar Wanzer, but luckily it seems to move smoothly (does need oil) and does have it's shuttle and bobbin. It doesn't have the needle screw or a needle, but the screw is easy to source.
I have read that it used a round needle (as opposed to a flat sized needle) I have a few such thin round needles in my collection, because the idea of shaving down a modern needle scares me. I'm yet to try and pop one in, but if it fits I will add that info.
Do you have any idea of the length of the original needles, because cutting the top off to get the right length I can 'just' cope with.
My aim is to get her up and running so i can pop her in a backpack and take her to the cafe to sew with.
She's rough, not as rough as Tilly was but she's going to be a useful sewing machine and at least the cloth plate won't damage fabric.
Thank you for writing!
After reading your comment, I did another search for Little Wanzer needles and couldn't find anything. The only manual we could find is for a Wanzer A, which is similar. Unfortunately, it lists needle sizes but doesn't give the brand, so that doesn't tell us much.
I pulled the needle from our machine to measure it. It's 39 mm long with 25 mm extending down from the bottom of the needle holder to its tip. The shank is 1.5 mm in diameter. I hope this helps you find a working substitute.
Good luck and congratulations on having one of these great machines!
If you'd like to see all the machines in our collection, please visit: waynesthisandthat.com/Antique%20Sewing%20Machines.html. I don't sell or advertise anything so you don't have to worry about pop-ups.
They should make one of these that fold up into a plane disc shape
Good job, Wayne! Not criticising but I am just wondering if if time allowed would you have repaired the broken gear and work top using old technique of silver soldering instead of epoxy? Perhaps the solder won't stick well on cast iron parts?
Thanks for the comment! I have to confess, I never considered that technique. It would have repaired the gear without changing the diameter. I've never worked with silver solder. Is it strong enough to drill and tap once it's cooled?
This is a comment about another excellent video of yours, for which the comment function has been disabled: the review of Canon 10x42L IS. My question: have you found a solution to the eyecup problem (they're terrible)? Thanks, Peter.
Hi, Peter! Thanks for writing!
Four minutes into the video I show how I fixed the lens cap problem for the front lenses. For the rear lens caps I'm still using the poor caps provided with the binoculars. They aren't very good, but they are a little better than the original front caps.
Wayne.
Hi Wayne,
Thanks for your reply! My question was not about caps but about cups: the eyecups of the Canon 10x42 are made from hard rubber, they have sharp edges, and are rather large (diam=45mm), they're simply terrible when used w/o glasses. You mentioned in your excellent video that you'll try to find a solution/replacement, and I was wondering if you have found one.
Peter.
No. I'm sorry to say that's one problem I haven't worked on yet. I have to wonder why Canon failed to do better with these minor design problems after spending so much time and effort with the rest of the binocular.
Hi I have a Dolly Varden sewing machine and the hand crank gear teeth are made from pewter. some of the teeth are melted ( damage ) and I don't have any idea how to repair .. none of the workshops I went want to do the gear . I wander if you have any Idea in how to fix it please . I can't attach photo .
Hi, GiGi! I had a similar problem fixing a Biesolt & Locke with broken teeth. The correct way to do it is to take the unit apart and either braze or solder replacement teeth into place. The problem is that most people, like myself, don't have the equipment to do so. The following video shows how I used super glue and baking powder to build up new teeth in place without having to take anything apart:
ua-cam.com/video/kb4kLi6E7mQ/v-deo.html
These teeth work and I can sew on the machine, but I'm not confident on how durable they are. Still, if all else fails it's an option worth trying.
I've never heard of a sewing machine with pewter teeth. They are always either brass, cast iron or steel. This is easy to test. If a magnet sticks to the gear it's steel or iron.
I see you've posted videos on your channel. Could you post a video of your machine showing the hand crank and the broken teeth? It might give me another idea of how to fix it. Dolly Varden's are very collectable and well worth the effort to restore. Good luck and thanks for writing!
If you'd like a little background on your machine, Alex Askaroff, a world-famous repairer, restorer and collector, has a nice page about them here:
sewalot.com/dolly_varden_sewing_machine.htm
Sorry to keep coming back like this, but I thought of a couple of important points to mention. If you use the baking soda and super glue repair method, be sure to use a lot of fine grease on the teeth instead of oil. The surfaces of the baking soda teeth are much rougher than metal and need something that sticks to them better than oil.
Also, the Dolly Vardens are almost identical to the Improved Home Shuttle in our collection. After looking at the gears, I noticed that they are so small that the base of the teeth may not be wide enough to anchor the teeth.
The teeth on our machine are steel or cast iron, so I assume yours are as well since they were made by the same company. You mentioned that some of the teeth were 'melted.' That sounds like they have been bent, which could be good news. If there are only a few of them belt and they're not all next to each other, you may be able to simply file them back so they don't block the gears from turning. The teeth on these machines are so close together that often more than one tooth at a time is engaged so a missing arm shortened tooth can be skipped mover.
These machines are easy to take apart. So, again, if you post a video showing what the problem is I may be able to help more getting it back to working condition.
The sewing machine is in pieces already .... The top an bottom gears are from cast iron but the middle one witch is the biggest gear and is on the hand crank the outer in made from pewter and the middle is cast . They made it loke this so it doesn't make noise in use ... I will post a video and send the link.
@@wayneschmidt490 Some of the Jones serpentine the variant with brass badge on the main bed the small gears are made from fibre so it doesn't make noise in use . I have one . my dolly varden is in pieces cause I patch with cold japanning and is not dry yet but I will post a video of parts .. ua-cam.com/video/cprbzzy2E2c/v-deo.html sorry about the bad video :)
It's possible to buy decals
Dear Michele,
Thank you for commenting. Yes, you are correct that some decals are available. These are mostly for Singer and Wilcox Gibbs sewing machines. As far as I have been able to determine, no one makes decals for Little Wanzers. Also, the decals for sale are printed using gold-colored inks, which don't come close to the color and luster of real gold.
If you like antique sewing machines, I'm about to post a new video about our latest restoration: an 1875 American Model 1. This one was tricky because the gold filigree wasn't applied as decals, but free hand directly onto the machine. I hope you'll take a look at it. I like Americans because their profile looks racy, like a sleek sportscar.
Thank you very much for your reply , I would be interested for Wanzer and for serpentine jones, could send me the files with these decals to be able to print with my printed matter. I can pay for this and I would be grateful for my whole life, I am a hobbyist collector and restorer, in the past I have already restored some of my Singer and Willcox.I would be very happy to be able to restore even my serpentine Wanzer and Jones . This is my email address : mikiki1976@gmail.com
I have a printable decal set for the Jones Serpentine with instructions, which I will be happy to email to you for free. The set for the Wanzer needs to be formatted for email, but I will get it to you as soon as possible.
Before I start sending you large email files, please view the following video I made about the gold decal making process: ua-cam.com/video/2PKmkXWtQmY/v-deo.html
If, after watching the video and finding out how difficult, expensive and time consuming it is you still want to try it, let me know I will send them to you.
Oh yes! If you'd like to see all of the machines in my wife's and my collection, please visit our webpage about it at: waynesthisandthat.com/Antique%20Sewing%20Machines.html.
Comment check.
How much is a working machine like this worth? I have one 🤗
depending on condition, they can go for anywhere from $300 to $900. Here's the current EBAY listings:
www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1313&_nkw=little+wanzer+sewing+machines&_sacat=0
Beautiful restoration! But 'Tilly Mae', really?
It's actually worse than that... would you believe Tilly May?! 🙂 If you think that's bad, I should warn you the names of our four Singer Featherweight machines are: Betty Jo, Bonnie Jo, Bobby Jo and Becky Jo. They are all sisters. With 71 machines in our collection it's a struggle to come up with names for all of them. I know it's silly, but fun nonetheless. Thanks for writing!
(Google-Übersetzung) Es ist sogar noch schlimmer... würden Sie Tilly May glauben?! 🙂 Wenn du das schlecht findest, sollte ich dich warnen, die Namen unserer vier Singer-Federgewichtsmaschinen sind: Betty Jo, Bonnie Jo, Bobby Jo und Becky Jo. Sie sind alle Schwestern. Bei 71 Maschinen in unserer Sammlung ist es schwierig, Namen für alle zu finden. Ich weiß, es ist albern, aber trotzdem lustig. Danke für's schreiben!
Wayne!
You disabled the comments for the gold marker pen review: ua-cam.com/video/JZGH4WxYMBM/v-deo.html
So I couldn't comment on the actual video :(
I just wanted to say thank you so much for the very informative review! The most helpful one I've found for restoring gold tone plating, the Melody May turned out superb after your 100 hours of restoration! The gold tone looks just like the original!
Wishing you a lovely week ahead!
P
Paul,
Thanks for the comment! I was forced to turn off all commenting for a while because I was getting trolled so much. I'm starting to reinstate some commenting in the hopes the trolls have forgotten me.
I glad you enjoyed Melody May's restoration. Her gold really gleams, though I have to admit the restoration of the Little Wanzer came out more elegant. Next up is Beverly May, an 1888 Biesolt & Locke.
Thanks again for writing!
Wayne Schmidt.