Welcome Janice;
All of the W&W's are great machines. All except the #8 turn "Backwards". Some of the D-9 models have a little swinging wood block which rides in the groove of the bandwheel & prevents the treadle being operated "Forward", sounds as if you may have one of these. Is it a covered top or drop head cabinet?

In threading the top thread recognise the tension has a "Wheel" tension, not Disc tension. The thread does not pull down between the discs & slide through them as on a Singer. Instead the wheel rotates between two felt washers to provide the tension. It is important that in threading you take a complete turn around the wheel with the thread or it will just slide without turning the wheel & will not have adequate tension. Also be aware the needle threads right to left which is opposite most early Singers. Correct needle is a 127x1 or a Boye #18. Flat will go to the left when installing, putting the long groove on the right.
I have 3 D-9's, an early handcrank, a treadle in drop head cabinet & an old electric conversion in portable case. On the early hand machine the bobbin threads opposite the other two. As you thread the bobbin look at the tension spring to determine which end the threads pulls from under it. As you insert the bobbin have the thread coming off in the opposite direction so it will double back to come under the spring. Works on virtually sll machines having a tension spring on the bobbin case, whether built in or removable.
Miller/TN

Ooops. I said I bought this without a manual. I did get a manual, but hadn't handled it at first as it was quite fragile.

I was delighted to find this group online as I recently purchased a Wheeler & Wilson D9 without a manual. I hope to be able to sew on this machine, and I need help getting it functional. It is close I know, it is breaking threads and not completing the stitches at this point.

I have been sewing since the late 1950s having begun my sewing journey on my mother's Singer treadle machine. I don't know which model it was, but suspect it was made around 1890-1910. When I started taking home ec. classes in 1958 my parents saw the need for a better machine. Mom got a new Singer 500 at that time and I began sewing most of my own clothes and more at that time.

I'm an Indiana girl who was transplanted in the south via. Tennessee and ultimately landing in South Carolina in 1970 where I've settled in for the long haul. I taught school a few years, but my heart wasn't in it. I later became an elementary school librarian and loved it up to the day I retired. I've written a couple of children's Bible story books, the first being illustrated with hand-appliqued quilt blocks.

I recently discovered the joy of rescuing antique Singer sewing machines and getting them operational again. I reluctantly purchased my Wheeler & Wilson, even though it wasn't a Singer, because it appeared to be in such great condition and I had a feeling I had found a real treasure. To my joy, I've discovered my hunch was right, and that even Singer had cloned this model after Wheeler & Wilson made it.

I thought the treadle part was locked up, because I couldn't get it to turn when I bought it. I was getting ready to apply some WD40 to it when I leaned on it and - surprise - it turned freely. So I sat in a chair and tried to get it to go - pulling the wheel towards me - and again it wouldn't go. But a little more experimenting showed me that it would turn "backwards" with no problem. The light began to come on, that maybe this is the way this machine was made to work. LOL! About this time I dared to handle the fragile manual that came with the machine so I could make copies of the pages, and I was able to confirm that indeed the wheel does turn backwards compared to the Singer treadles.

I'll add a picture when I figure out how to do it. I'm new to Groups.io.

Also, for those of you who might be on Facebook, I started a Wheeler & Wilson group there before finding this group. Here is the link:?https://www.facebook.com/groups/1838495603134270/

All of the straight needle W&W Family machines thread right to left. When installing the needle thus the long groove goes to the right, scarf to the left. Even if threaded in the right direction they won't Sew so Pretty good with the needle reversed.

On the W&W machines which use a needle with flat the needle does not seat on the flat as on Singers. The flat serves only for indexing the needle & is engaged by the clamp screw, but the needle actually seats on the opposite round side.
Miller/TN

one little issue that i discovered this last week... i must have installed the needle in backwards because it just made a few stitches and then thread broke.. did not look right on the bottom either...
turned the needle around the other direction, lined it up and have been making functional bags for the TO exchange.... every seam is perfect...
judy in so cal
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Boye Tube/Needle #27 is the correct one for the W&W #8. This needle was formerly known as the 6N1 & more recently as the 126x1. It has a 1.75mm (.069") round shank & is 38.9mm to top of eye. This needle was first introduced with the industrial W&W #6 & is also the correct needle for most #9 machines A few late #9 machines, all D-9 & Singer 9W machines use essentially the same needle with flat. This was known as the 9N1 & the 127x1 & is tube #18 in the Boye cabinets.

Likely the Boye #29 was simply a typo as there actually is no Boye #29. Tube #27 is in fact the highest number in the Boye Series.

In my own #8 & #9 machines I usually use a DBx1 needle. This needle has a round shank of 1.64MM (.065")) diameter but is only 33.9 mm to eye. Both this needle & the "proper" one have to have the eye aligned & this DBx1 needle also has to be pulled down in the clamp approx 5mm so the hook can pick up the needle thread. After that is done no difference can be told between it & the proper needle.
Miller/TN

I thought the correct boye needle for a #8 is 27. Please correct me if I misunderstood. I have a #8 that I have not tried out yet & don't want to use the wrong needle.

Hi Allison;
The set up you describe is actually the most commonly found on the #8. The bobbin case with tension spring is on only a few very late #8 machines.
First & foremost it is very important the bobbin is inserted in the proper direction. When placing the bobbin in the machine the thread comes off the bottom toward you, so when it is picked up it comes to the top in Front of the bobbin. A #8 simply will not sew if the bobbin is reversed.
A couple of other things to look for is if over the years either the tension or the fit of the holder has been tampered with. The bobbin tension is adjusted by the little knurled head screw you see at the end of the bed underneath the rear of the bobbin cover plate. This screw controls the fit of a bar which goes across the hook. The bobbin thread is not under constant tension, tension is applied only during the short interval needed for tightening the stitch. With the bobbin installed & thread picked up you can turn the machine slowly by hand & find that spot where the tension is applied. If you have a good sense of feel as to what the bobbin thread tension should feel like you can pull on the thread at this point & determine if it is way out of tension, either too tight or too loose. Adjust till it feels good & then of course final adjustment would need to be done with actual sewing.
The other thing to look for is if the bobbin holder has bee set up too tight to the bobbin case. As the thread is picked off the needle it must be able to travel smoothly across the bobbin case, between it & the holder. If it is too tight & binds there thread breakage is the result. When the holder ring is raised to secure the bobbin there must be enough looseness for the thread to pass around it. At the base of the bobbin holder pointing toward the bobbin is a screw with a flat on the end. Turning this screw in or out adjusts the fit of the holder to the case.
If all of this seems proper & you are still having problems do feel free to ask further. The only time I ever had a problem with my #8 was at a TOGA one year & I got mixed up & kept putting the bobbin in backwards. As I said they simply "Will Not Sew" with the bobbin in backwards. This upsets the time frame at which the tension is applied & will result in nothing but big Bird Nests beneath the fabric.
Miller/TN

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Phyllis,
Congrats on a wonderful find! I? saw Carter Bay's collection and this item was, in fact, wonderful to see. I recall the cabinet more than the machine!

Maria
Smoky Mountains of Tennessee

Hello,?
I adore my #8 and I would buy a 2nd for $100 in a heartbeat. I paid $200 for mine and drove about 400 miles roundtrip to get it. I love it. I'm sure you will too.

stephen hill;
i have a no 8... they usually are priced at nearly $300 here, if one can be found.
what i like about mine, well, One of the things, is that it has 2 locations for the belt, on both the head and the drive wheel. so, if in one position, it has speed and power enough for household use. in the second position, it has more power, for tougher uses, such as sewing leather.
as for needles, they can be found and are not extremely expensive.
be sure that you get the bobbin and bobbin holder, as there are 2 types of bobbin holders for the no 8 and they are not interchangeable... get more than one bobbin if possible, or you will have to change colors as frequently as you do on top.
i love my no 8 and am currently using it exclusively to piece a quilt top.
judy in southern california, USA
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Hi Miller and all you good folks on here.
I have two number 9s , a hand and a threadle and now a rare ( for Ireland ) number 8 has come on the market.
If I purchase it's going to cost me over 100 dollars and since it will be unique in my collection I am nervous a's I have no clue what to look out for.
I bought one Needle Feed machine of similar vintage and it was much cheaper but won't work because some small part is missing and since it also is unique I have nothing to refer to for help finding what's missing.?
Does the Number 8 take standard or special needles ???
While it is a very rare machine for Ireland is it worth 100 dollars or am I paying way too much ??
If I locate one in the USA I can get it brought to Ireland quite easily.?
This looks like a totally hand machine from factory.
If I can screenshot photos from the ad can I post them here to get help with identifying it's age and if it's a rare one.
Thank you all in advance for any and all advice.
Best wishes
Stephen Hill ?

Jose;
Sorry about that, I had just put them on as attachments to my E-mail. I had failed to note the address & thought I was replying to you privately, but then realized it was through the forum & I think attachments don't work there. I have now added them to the photo section. They come up on page 8 at present under W&W Box Latch.
Miller/TN

Thanks, Miller.

Your extremely precise description is far more than I was expecting!?

In fact, my machine has only got what you call the “latch”. Push button is missing but, as it’s similar to those found in W&W’s attachments oak boxes, it’s fairly easy to replicate. My actual problem was the “catch” piece as I hadn’t find any defined enough picture. Your description will help me very much.

As for the pictures, I’ve assumed that you had uploaded them into the "Photos" section of the group webpage, but I have not been able to find them. Could you please tell me where to get them?

Finally, I’ve uploaded some pictures of my “Aurora” machine, a #3 clone. I think it should be interesting to compare it with its original “cousins”. The machine is in acceptable condition but it requires an extensive cleaning and some restoration. It needs, also, a replacement for the missing tension spring. ?If someone is interested in this machine, please do not hesitate to ask me for further information or additional photos.

Regards

José-Carlos, from Catalonia.