Learning How To Sew With A Machine

[SooperJake]

Is there a class somewhere for learning how to use an industrial sewing machine (441 clone)?

Jake

[TwinOaks]

I don't know of a specific class for it, but there's lots of advice here about it. One of the best I've heard is to start with some cardboard scraps and sew with needle only - no thread. That will get you used to the timing of turning between stitches. After that, well...you have a box of scraps don't you?

[SooperJake]

Oh yes..I've got the making of scraps down pat

Jake

[Tree Reaper]

Just get on it.

I made cases for a few of my tools to get familiar with it.

You'll make mistakes and learn from them, I still do.

To lock the stitch I start about four stitches down and reverse to the edge then switch to the forward stage and stitch over the first four then keep going.

That's it, class dismissed.

Kevin

[Techsew Ron]

We realize a lot of our customers are beginners so we provide instructional videos, user manuals, and lots of general pointers and advice. Your dealer should be able to help you get going. If you've never even used a sewing machine before you should watch as many videos as you can on learning how to sew with a simple home sewing machine, just to pick up the basics. Lots of what you see on a home sewing machine will translate to an industrial machine. Then, continue onto learning what you can about industrial machines and specifically your machine if possible. Just go on youtube and you'll find tons of helpful videos.

Besides this, practice practice practice.

Enjoy yourself!

Ron

[Wizcrafts]

Wiz's 441 tips

Always hold back the top and bottom threads, equally taut, for the first couple of stitches. This prevents thread from jamming in the shuttle, or under the leather.

There is a presser foot pressure spring in the head, with a threaded adjuster on top of the head. If the leather lifts as the needle lifts, apply more spring pressure to keep the leather from lifting. This condition causes skipped stitches.

Learn how to control the motor speed with your preferred foot. You can reduce the top speed of the motor by applying certain up/down button sequences. You should have received a pamphlet explaining this.

If the machine shipped with #277 thread, learn to sew with that thread, using a #25 leather point needle. This thread is really too large for thin leather, like 8 ounces, but it is okay to learn on. Start with some strips and add layers every few inches. This will teach you how the feet walk over new layers and back down. It also shows you how the stitch length diminishes as you increase the thickness being sewn.

The top thread tension is always tighter than the bobbin tension. Play with the top tension disk spring setting to see how changes impact the position of the knots. The bobbin case has a tension spring adjuster also, but, it is normally locked in place with a tiny set screw. Find and loosen that set screw a bit, then change the tension of the bobbin thread and see how this changes the position of knots and ease of feeding the material. A tight bobbin makes it harder to advance the leather. Loosen it too much and the knots will rise to the top, instead of inside the layers.

The pedestal table height can be raised or lowered by loosening two heavy bolts in the slots of the column. If the starting height isn't where you like it, get someone to help you to lift the head off the table, then raise or lower it to a better height and lock it in.

The belts need to be pretty tight if you intend to sew thick or dense leather. The first adjustment is on the motor itself, via two 15 mm nuts, above and below a movable arm on the front of the motor. This should be okay from the factory, but could change with use. Learn the affect that loosening and tightening the motor adjuster has on the operation of the machine. Ditto for the speed reducer, which is adjusted up and down by a single large bolt in a slot in the column it rides in.

I usually leave the overall belt tension just a tad backed off, then spray the belts with belt no-slip out of a can from an auto parts store. This allows me to handwheel critical stitches and takes the load off all of the bearings in that part of the drive chain.

The motor and speed reducer mounts are also movable laterally. Sometimes they are not mounted dead center of the pulleys and this causes unnecessary vibration from the belts moving sideways. Find and test the lateral adjustment of your motor and speed reducer, in relation to the motor pulley, speed pulleys and machine hand wheel pulley.

BTW: The flywheel pulley faces out to the right, not toward the machine. It can be repositioned sideways on its shaft by loosening two bolts. It should line up with the small pulley on the speed reducer. If aligning these two causes the motor pulley to go out of alignment, move the motor by loosening three nuts on the bottom of the carriage bolts going through the table top and motor mounts. You may need to clamp the tops of the bolts with a vise grip to loosen and tighten the nuts for the motor.

The machine arrived threaded. Memorize how it was threaded. Make sure that the top thread does not twist over itself and cause knots or binds on any posts or thread guides. Sudden knots on top of the leather are usually caused by top thread wrapping around something it should pass through, not wrap around.

I hope these tips help you get started.

Edited August 28, 2012 by Wizcrafts

[Tree Reaper]

That's fantastic Wiz, another wealth of information for the vault.

Thanks for all your help.

Kevin

[SooperJake]

Thanks, Folks.

Wiz, Thanks. I've printed off your tips to post on the wall behind my machine!

Jake

[Techsew Ron]

Wiz's 441 tips

Always hold back the top and bottom threads, equally taut, for the first couple of stitches. This prevents thread from jamming in the shuttle, or under the leather.

There is a presser foot pressure spring in the head, with a threaded adjuster on top of the head. If the leather lifts as the needle lifts, apply more spring pressure to keep the leather from lifting. This condition causes skipped stitches.

Learn how to control the motor speed with your preferred foot. You can reduce the top speed of the motor by applying certain up/down button sequences. You should have received a pamphlet explaining this.

If the machine shipped with #277 thread, learn to sew with that thread, using a #25 leather point needle. This thread is really too large for thin leather, like 8 ounces, but it is okay to learn on. Start with some strips and add layers every few inches. This will teach you how the feet walk over new layers and back down. It also shows you how the stitch length diminishes as you increase the thickness being sewn.

The top thread tension is always tighter than the bobbin tension. Play with the top tension disk spring setting to see how changes impact the position of the knots. The bobbin case has a tension spring adjuster also, but, it is normally locked in place with a tiny set screw. Find and loosen that set screw a bit, then change the tension of the bobbin thread and see how this changes the position of knots and ease of feeding the material. A tight bobbin makes it harder to advance the leather. Loosen it too much and the knots will rise to the top, instead of inside the layers.

The pedestal table height can be raised or lowered by loosening two heavy bolts in the slots of the column. If the starting height isn't where you like it, get someone to help you to lift the head off the table, then raise or lower it to a better height and lock it in.

The belts need to be pretty tight if you intend to sew thick or dense leather. The first adjustment is on the motor itself, via two 15 mm nuts, above and below a movable arm on the front of the motor. This should be okay from the factory, but could change with use. Learn the affect that loosening and tightening the motor adjuster has on the operation of the machine. Ditto for the speed reducer, which is adjusted up and down by a single large bolt in a slot in the column it rides in.

I usually leave the overall belt tension just a tad backed off, then spray the belts with belt no-slip out of a can from an auto parts store. This allows me to handwheel critical stitches and takes the load off all of the bearings in that part of the drive chain.

The motor and speed reducer mounts are also movable laterally. Sometimes they are not mounted dead center of the pulleys and this causes unnecessary vibration from the belts moving sideways. Find and test the lateral adjustment of your motor and speed reducer, in relation to the motor pulley, speed pulleys and machine hand wheel pulley.

BTW: The flywheel pulley faces out to the right, not toward the machine. It can be repositioned sideways on its shaft by loosening two bolts. It should line up with the small pulley on the speed reducer. If aligning these two causes the motor pulley to go out of alignment, move the motor by loosening three nuts on the bottom of the carriage bolts going through the table top and motor mounts. You may need to clamp the tops of the bolts with a vise grip to loosen and tighten the nuts for the motor.

The machine arrived threaded. Memorize how it was threaded. Make sure that the top thread does not twist over itself and cause knots or binds on any posts or thread guides. Sudden knots on top of the leather are usually caused by top thread wrapping around something it should pass through, not wrap around.

I hope these tips help you get started.

Great tips !

Ron

[SooperJake]

I could use pictures of the drop down belt guide installed. Preferably one in the 'up" position, and one in the "down" position.

CB4500

Thanks,

Jake

Edited August 28, 2012 by SooperJake

[Wizcrafts]

I could use pictures of the drop down belt guide installed. Preferably one in the 'up" position, and one in the "down" position.

CB4500

Thanks,

Jake

I think I have photos of the drop down guide in up and down positions. They are on my home computer, but I'm at the shop on my laptop now.

[bruce johnson]

Good tips for sure. Just to add one moreI have found with my Ferdco 2000. Whenever anything messes up and you just know that you have everything right, change the needle. It can look great, feel great, and changing it puts everything right with the world. Even taking it out and putting it back in sometimes can do the trick. The needle may have rotated slightly or dropped slightly and that changes everything. My Adler was real finicky about that..

On my 1245 I developed an annoying light click one night with every stitch in heavier stuff but still sewed without a skip. I opened everything up, cleaned it, oiled everyplace you can oil and still did it. I couldn't hear it handwheeling or on lighter stuff. I was telling a buddy about it and he listened over the phone - "Hey dumba**, turn the needle. The needle is twisted and the point is ticking the needle instead of hitting the scarf." A quick look and he was right. He'd been there, done that, wears the shirt.

[KAYAK45]

A point on adjusting your table height. Unplug the d@#$ thing before adjustment. If you raise the table, its the same effect as pushing on the pedal. If your fingers (thumb) are in the wrong place a guy COULD get a needle through his nail. Duh, how dumb would that guy feel?

Kevin

PS: Don't forget to adjust you chain length.

Edited August 28, 2012 by KAYAK45

[Northmount]

1346177973[/url]' post='262079']

I could use pictures of the drop down belt guide installed. Preferably one in the 'up" position, and one in the "down" position. CB4500

There are several photos in this thread. Edge guides

CTG

[Wizcrafts]

There are several photos in this thread. Edge guides

CTG

Thanks for finding and linking to that thread. It saves me reposting the same photos. I'll look see if I took a shot of the mounting bracket position on the back of the head.

[CowboyBob]

I knew I had a pic from a Cowboy 3500 we installed one on.

Bob

Edited August 29, 2012 by sewmun

[SooperJake]

That helps! Thanks, Guys.

Jake

[SooperJake]

Everything has been going along swell with the Cowboy. But, today, I've run into something new.

Switching to heavier leather, from two layers of 4-5oz up to two layers of 8-9 oz , the needle stops right at the start of sewing. It does not pierce the second layer.

I changed the needle and also checked the tightness of the the drive belts.

Drop back to the thinner leather and it sews fine. I don't see anything in the manual except belt tension regarding a stoppage. The motor and drive belt and flywheel aren't stopping.

Any ideas?

Thanks,

Jake

UPDATE: In fact, the needle doesn't sink into the first even up to the eye.

Edited September 1, 2012 by SooperJake

[SooperJake]

#25 needle and 277 thread, BTW.

[SooperJake]

I see a small nick in the feed dog on the outboard side, up at the rim of the slot, about dead center.

I don't know if that was there before or not.

Edited September 1, 2012 by SooperJake

[SooperJake]

I figured it out. The flywheel wasn't tight enough and had been slipping.

[mikesmith648]

My toro did that too. Tightened it up an voila!!

[Rayban]

Is there a class somewhere for learning how to use an industrial sewing machine (441 clone)?

Jake

I've always thought it would be a good idea for someone to host a work-shop or some sort of class...but with us spread out all over the world, that would be costly for most of us to attend.

Learning what makes a machine tick is also very important if we're to get the optimum usage out of our machines.

I'm very fortunate to have Toledo Bob just half hour away from me...and a lot closer via email and phone.

[SooperJake]

If some expert put together a dvd, or a dvd set, with all their accumulated knowledge in it, I'd buy it in a second. From set up to maintenance. What needle and foot combo to use, how to choose thread and needle for what you are sewing, trouble shooting, practice exercises...you get the idea.

Jake

[Ferg]

Jake,

One of the problems with this scenario is there being some differences in the machines. Act of sewing not much different from one to another.

We visited an Art Fair couple weeks ago where a lady had a gazillion purses, wallets, etc. None were tooled, she uses expensive leather and does some fantastic stitching, most French Seams. I spoke with her briefly. She will be using Italian leather for all her products soon.

This lady had done a lot of practicing.

ferg

1346648571[/url]' post='262890']

If some expert put together a dvd, or a dvd set, with all their accumulated knowledge in it, I'd buy it in a second. From set up to maintenance. What needle and foot combo to use, how to choose thread and needle for what you are sewing, trouble shooting, practice exercises...you get the idea.

Jake

Edited September 3, 2012 by 50 years leather