Correction on the Hengstenberg/Anker shuttle

In today's post I originally wrote that the shuttle of my Hengstenberg/Anker machine worked in the opposite way to all other shuttles that I know - that loosening the tension screw increases thread tension instead of decreasing it. The screw in my shuttle is permanently jammed all the way in, and this conclusion was based…

Hengstenberg/Anker finally working!

It took a long time but my little Hengstenberg/Anker is finally working! The motor This was in February 2018 - over two years ago. I had cleaned her up and got her sewing with the original 12x1 needle, and attempted to fit a motor. The difficulty here was that not only does the Saxonia balance…

The little Vesta Saxonia

I found her sitting by a street bin, abandoned. This is Vesta Saxonia TS, serial number 1477490, made in 1924, according to fiddlebase.com. Complete and working. This is a small model - what they call "half size". It has the typical geared Saxonia balance wheel with integrated handle - this is a hand-crank and the…

Upgrading foot pressure adjuster

Old machines usually come with a simple thumb screw for a foot pressure adjuster. Nothing wrong with it in itself, simple and effective. But I am fussy. On machines where I tend to change foot pressure frequently, I like to have a more modern adjuster that goes in steps. These adjusters are very common on…

Needles for Wertheim TS

Most transverse shuttle machines take 12x1 or 13x1 needles which were standard at the time but are unfortunately no longer made. Many people have searched for a modern substitute, and many solutions were found, yet every time I had such a machine in my sewing room, nothing would fit. The reason for it is that…

Selecting substitute needles

Plenty of old sewing machines could still be working were it not for the lack of needles - the types that are no longer made. There are several ways to solve the problem, from hunting for the few remaining old needles to modifying modern needles or modifying the machine to take a modern needle type.…