A Expect At Spoked Handwheels - piano sewing machine

Until the enterprise handwheel became criterion sometime inwards the 1930s (I believe), Singer made spoked handwheels or "balance wheels," equally they were together with thus known.

I'm guessing they phased them out for both practical together with security reasons. Spoked handwheels were heftier than their enterprise successors, together with the extra majority provided momentum that in all likelihood came inwards handy when machines were hand-cranked together with treadle-powered; the advent of electrical motors obviated that need. As far equally safety, if a fry or careless operator stuck their fingers betwixt the spokes spell the machine was running at high speed, the results would in all likelihood receive got been unpleasant.

Here are 3 dissimilar types of spoked handwheel you're liable to come upwardly across:

Left, replica. Center, Singer master 5.5". Right, Singer master 6".

First let's await at the ane inwards the center. I don't receive got difficult dates on this, but I believe this is the ane y'all were liable to discovery on a Singer of the 1920s.

Original Singer 5.5"

It's got ix spokes together with measures almost 5 inches inwards diameter.

Assuming my kitchen scale is accurate, it weighs inwards at nearly 1 lb. 10 ozs, or 732 grams for those of y'all on the metric organisation who can't move bothered to fool amongst our featherbrained ounces.

Below is a modern-day replica of the handwheel above, this ane made inwards China. It's slowly to discovery at a sewing machine parts supplier.

Replica 5.5"

The diameter is but almost identical to the original.

It's but a shade heftier at 1 lb. xi ozs.

I genuinely dislike this handwheel. Although it serves its role good enough, the manufacturing lineament of it does non sit down good amongst me. Up until the 1950s together with arguably the '60s, Singer was known for making the best materials to exact manufacturing tolerances. If y'all await at the spokes on the replica handwheel, they're sloppily cast together with receive got abrupt edges. Additionally, the pigment is bubbled, uneven together with rough, despite the glossy finish.

Sharp edges on the spokes. Tsk, tsk

What genuinely drives me nuts almost the replica is that the bore is off-center. Take a look:

Replica bore

Now compare that to the master Singer handwheel's bore:

Original Singer bore

In actual usage on a machine, the slightly off-center bore of the replica does non comport upon the performance inwards whatever way. But if I await closely at the replica handwheel spell it's on a machine together with spinning, I tin run across a wobble inwards the rotation that I genuinely don't like. Admittedly this is because I am biased: I was formerly employed equally an industrial designer, together with business office of my task was supplying tooling drawings from which manufacturers would cutting steel molds. The molds toll inwards the hundreds of thousands of dollars together with the draftings had to move utterly precise. If I got the tolerances incorrect I would receive got been fired, together with I spent a lot of tardily nights getting them right. So to this day, when I run across shoddily manufactured goods, I experience irritated to run across people getting away amongst it.

When I await at the Singer handwheel spinning on a machine, there's no wobble together with the tolerances are perfect. That makes me happy, together with proud to move working on such a finely-constructed machine. I realize that this is because I'm to a greater extent than hung upwardly on the machines than the actual sewing, together with that if y'all were sewing a projection on a machine outfitted amongst a replica handwheel, y'all would non notice the difference. Nevertheless, I volition non buy a replica handwheel ane time again because I don't desire to back upwardly that form of imprecise manufacturing. As a old production designer I loathe junk together with I genuinely fille well-manufactured American goods, which is business office of why I dear old Singers thus much.

I volition grudgingly acknowledge that the 3 benefits of a replica handwheel are 1) they're slowly to discovery a supplier of, 2) they're affordable, together with 3) they're slightly chunkier than the original, which may experience a combat ameliorate inwards your hand.

Replica at left, master Singer at right.

It is also worth noting that the replicas are slightly taller (in the orientation pictured below), which way the bobbin winder ofttimes does non contact them correctly since they sit down a tad further out.

Replica at left, master Singer at right.

If y'all receive got a Singer amongst a spoked handwheel of the 5.5" variety, y'all may wonder how y'all tin say if it's a replica or original. If y'all popular it off the machine, it volition receive got SIMANCO stamped on the back.

The replica but features crude oil metallic on the back.

However, Singer also made a larger spoked handwheel that does non receive got SIMANCO stamped on it, below:

Original Singer 6"

This ane is off of a model 66 made sometime inwards the early on 1900s, together with it's a combat larger at half dozen inches inwards diameter. You'll also notice it exclusively has half dozen outer spokes.

It's the heaviest of the 3 featured here, weighing inwards at two lbs. four ozs.

Since it's an master Singer part, the bore is perfectly centered.

You may take away heed that the spoked handwheel off of ane Singer machine volition non fit another. Here's why. Look at the bored-out centre shaft on the Singer 5.5":

5.5" handwheel

Now await at the bored-out centre shaft on the Singer 6":

6" handwheel

As y'all tin see, the latter has a taller, or longer, shaft. That's because it rides on a longer bushing. The bushing is the business office y'all run across pictured below. It's a sort of flanged metallic sleeve that fits over the actual shaft of the machine, together with serves equally the coupling for the handwheel.

5.5" at left, 6" at right, each amongst their respective bushing.

The within diameters of both bushings are identical together with volition fit on the same shaft. So if y'all receive got the spoked handwheel off of a sure enough machine to set on another, brand sure enough the bushings fit inwards length. If they don't, receive got the master bushing equally well.

To provide approximately to a greater extent than clarity, hither is what the bare shaft of a machine looks like:

Here is what the shaft of a machine looks similar amongst a bushing mounted on it:

Getting these bushings on together with off is non easy, but it is doable amongst the right tools. I'll laid upwardly a tutorial for a futurity entry inwards illustration whatever of y'all would similar to tackle this.