Hermes – progress

After successfully identifying the manufacturer, model and approximate year of manufacture (Haid und Nue, Gloriosa or Liberia, 1906) and finishing a basic clean of the mechanicals and reassembling, I have decided to divide and conquer! The machine has been taken off the case and screwed to a couple of lengths of 40mm square pine about 300mm long, this allows me to work on the machine and case separately, and stop the machines mechanicals getting damaged on the bench. The case is slowly being examined and cleaned up. There is significant wear and tear and indeed damage from woodworm, pieces being broken by clumsy handling and 120 years of repairs and bodged repairs. I am not going to lose any of its charm, just make some good repairs that are sympathetic and honest. I have some oak veneer available and I might replace some of the very worst surfaces. I have added a new bottom to the case made from 4mm ply, with 3 coats of varnish.
Meanwhile I have fitted a DBx1 needle into the needle bar, and used the timing mark on the bar to set the needle height. A long bobbin that came with the machine was threaded into the bobbin carrier, which needs some lubrication and fettling to reduce the resistance through the shuttle. A top thread was threaded through its path, and the bottom thread successfully pulled through. However the feed dogs were working 180 degrees out, raising and moving the material while the needle is down, and the feed dogs lowering while the needle is up. In the end it was a simple fix, the wedge shaped feed dog height adjuster had been inserted facing the wrong way, all was good after this was corrected.
Eventually a row of stitches was produced, corrections to top and bottom tension is needed, and any other adjustments available will need to be made. The DBx1 needle appears to be successful, but there are some skipped stitches which may point to the needle being offset to the left and also a little shorter than the 12×1 needle.