Aurora Restoration

I've rubbed the treadle cabinet with Howard's RestorAFinish..and it looks pretty good overall..the black rings are still somewhat visible - I have heard I need to treat them with 1/2 bleach 1/2 water..but just haven't done that yet..

DH and I re-assembled the cabinet and re-installed Aurora..

I have oiled and lubed everything that I can find that moves in Aurora..she still squeaks a bit though..may have to disassemble the feed dogs area as that's where the squeak comes from..

I replaced the winder ring on the bobbin winder - the old one looked kind of warped and chipped off like old chewing gum!! I had no idea rubber could 'rot' like that..

I cannot get the clutch knob to come loose..not that its a big deal though, it just means the needle still goes up and down when I wind a bobbin. One of these days I will probably  get DH to take the head out of the case and up-end it so that Liquid Wrench can soak down into the knob..one of the guys on the TreadleOn list suggested whacking it with a rubber hammer..eeekk!!!

The decals are glowing brighter at least on the front of the machine (the back of the pillar is still quite dark - it will take more oil and rubbing!!) I just used sewing machine oil and most of the grime has rubbed off...

I put the belt on (fun...NOT) and then learned there is a simpler belt made of a rubber tube that has a metal join.that you don't have to pound a nail thru.so I ordered one of those..it has arrived (and came with a cute little treadle sewing machine charm!) but I haven't tried it out yet..

I ordered a quilt foot from a lady on the TreadleOn list..

I learned how to operate the treadle... It's a 4 step learning process...first you get your feet coordinated by treadling without the belt - you can 'throw the belt off' by using the belt shifter (it's how you get the head back down into the case), then with the belt in place and the presser foot lever up and no thread...then with a piece of paper and the presser foot down (still no thread)...then finally..once you can run the treadle for a goodly time, you add the thread and a couple of pieces of scrap material!

I successfully wound a bobbin, threaded the machine correctly, and SEWED!! This machine makes gorgeous stitches...

What a gas to have a machine that is so well made that 90 years later, it's still cranking and can be fixed by little ole me!

Here is Aurora - almost restored...(with all my tools still out), in front of the workroom window:



Don't know if you can tell she is on top of two pieces of plywood so the legs don't sink into the carpet..its very hard (nigh well unto impossible) to move the treadle when its up against carpet!

She still needs all of the chrome polished..but my polish dried up so I need to get a new can...