Antique White USA Treadle Base.
From ruin to rejuvenated.
Information on White Sewing machines is sparse. Possibly the manufacture of this base dates to the Edwardian Period between 1901 – 1919.
I was lucky enough to acquire this White Treadle base recently from McKays Mart. Looking at it you might wonder….why bother! Next stop was probably the tip. It was languishing outside in the weather. Not that it mattered because it’s probably been outside for decades. The corrosion was awful!
So I kept it outside for a bit longer…..
The other day, I summoned up the courage to attack it. This is what I did. I scrubbed it all over with a very stiff brush and water and detergent and cleaned off as much lose rust, metal particles and debris as possible.
Once old items are cleaned, it’s a good time to really survey the damage this is when missing parts, cracks or other damage reveal themselves!
I noticed the frame was swaying and some screws were missing.
Next, I found a lint free cloth, soaked it in Turpentine and spent quite some time rubbing over the whole frame. This is a good way to remove any water moisture and further clean and condition the cast iron ready for painting.
I oiled the treadle pedal, wheel and pitman rod well, using sewing machine oil. Also the brass floor wheels. Surprisingly, the joints responded very well. The missing screws were replaced and this sured up the whole frame.
After 24 hours I spray painted the whole frame with an Epoxy Black Enamel aticorrosive paint, using two coats. Left it for one more day, then added gold highlights. Here it is!
It just goes to show, how resilient these old treadle bases are. A base which appeared ruined is now rejuvenated! Maybe she will go another 100 years!
Oh, in case you are wondering what I will do with this base? By chance some time ago I happened upon this New White Peerless Model B 3/4 hand crank machine which is missing the hand crank. My plan is to put this machine with the base together eventually, converting this machine to a treadle.
Here is the link to that post.
New White Peerless Antique Sewing Machine
If you like handcranks, you might be interested in this little beauty….
Susie