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ddushane

Landis # 1 Harness Stitcher

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Hi everyone, I'm new here. I have a nice one, it has the wax pot, peddles all in working condition. Still has quite a bit of the original decorative gold detail paint on it. My question is where is the seriel # & how can I find out what year it was made? Thanks in advance for any help.

Dwayne

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Dwayne,

I never heard of a list for the serial#for the Landis one.I think I heard once they quit making them around 1910.

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Thank you Sir, I've been playing with it trying to get the tension right on the thread. I sewed a couple of pieces of 12-13 oz. together & it did fine but tried four thicknesses, came out to a little under 3/4" thick and the needle came out, evedently it wasn't tight enough and a bit rusty, a friend has had the machine on lone for a couple of years until I could make room for it. Anyway I'll try to get back out there today and clean up the needle & put it back in & try it again. I've got a manuel with it but it's kinda vague on winding the bobbin, threading it & so on.

Dwayne

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Here's some pictures of the Landis #1, it's missing a plug and the heater for the wax pot but I don't think I'll be using anyway. I've got 200, 230, & 280 size needles with the bushings, the ones used in the pictures below are 200, with 3 ply thread, not sure what kind, it came with the machine. In a couple of the pictures I sewed for pieces of the 12-13 oz. together and it did good and looks good but the moving dog on the bottom kinda imprints the leather, it feeds great and the stitches are deep but not too deep, I really like the way it looks, except I think I need a larger thread, I'll be making knife sheaths with it if I keep it, and some parts of the sheaths might get up to 3/4" in places. Let me know if there's any pointers you guys have. Thanks for your time.

Dwayne Dushane

www.dushaneknives.com

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The pictures aren't great on the stitching, All of it looks good except on one piece, it looks like it's trying to pull a loop out of the hole, maybe it'll show up in the photo.

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The thread needs to go down the needle groove thru the bushing before it goes thru the needle eye. I have had my # 1 for 25 years and worked on several. I have never seen a serial # on one anywhere. I also don't know of any of archives on Landis #1's. The needles we get now don't have a long enough groove to sew 3/4 inch if you have the correct size bushing for the needle in the machine. It will cut the thead when the top of the groove goes thru the bushing.

the original Landis needles has the groove clear up to the shank. 180 needles for 207 thread 200 needle for 277 thread, 250 for 346 and 415 thread. If the bushing for a 180 needle wil pass a 200 needle it is to large for the 180 etc. They are great machine if you get one that is not worn out or has broken/missing parts.

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Pcox, thanks for the reply, the one piece I sewed, the pieces started out a tad under 3/4" and after sewing it's 5/8". The stitches look really good but I feel like I should use a larger thread on stuff this thick, Iike I said in the earlier post, I've got needles that are 200's, 230's, & 280's, they are Schmetz brand, & they do have the grooves that go all the way up to the shanks. Do I need to put the thread behind the clamp that holds the needle? There's space that would allow the thread to pass through there, my manual doesn't show a diagram of where the thread goes and I've never seen one up close to know what I'm doing. Every thing I've stitched so far has had good stitches except the one with the loop showing, I think the tension on that one needs to be a little different, I'll play with it & see If I can figure it out. As far as I can tell, there's nothing broken, nothing appears to be worn much, bobbin & shuttle are in good shape, Thanks again for your help.

Dwayne

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I've got one of the smallest needles in the machine at this time, a 200, I had to put another piece of belt leather on the stack, last time it was right at 3/4" thick before sewing, then afterwards it had compressed down to right at 5/8", put another piece on it and after sewing it's 3/4". I probably won't need to go this thick on a knife sheath, and if I'd lay them out a little different I'd never need to but in the past I have had them close to that for room enough for the handle to go in some. I've learned different tricks through the years and changed the way I'm doing stuff, so like I said, probably won't need to go this thick but its nice knowing you can, and if I went with the next size needle or even the 280, I'm sure there wouldn't be a problem.

Dwayne

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I just got one of these machines out of a scrap yard,need help about needles and how to use it,any advice or help would be great.

Thaks

Bruce

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This is not a Landis #1 sewing machine. It is a Landis regular lock stitch wax thread sewing machine. It made tugs for the harness and all other parts for the harness. Pcox is right about the thread going through the needle bushing before going through the eye. It should sew 1 inch + with no problem. The stitch length is regulated by the pricker feet. There are 8 or 10 pricker feet that go to the machine if you can find them. This machine does not like the bonded nylon thread. The Barbour thread works the best I have some black in 6 cord left from the machine I had at one time. Each needle size uses a different size bushing in the needle guide. I made some from brake line tubing.

You need a bobbin winder to accurately wind the bobbins. It looks like a ironing board hung from the side of the machine tight where the needle goes through the lower arm. There is also a kerosene heat lamp missing from below the wax tank I have one I don't need. Eli something or other from Illinois is the expert on this machine. Landis Sales 217 543 3464.

Good luck finding parts and needles.

Edited by Geneva

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The pictures in post number 4 look exactly like my machine. I have a copy of the original book and it has Landis #1 on it. I have used nothing but bonded nylon for the past 20 years with NO thread related problems. I have used from 138 thru 415 thread paired with the correct needle and bushing . I always use the same size thread bottom and top. I have not used the boiler and wax pot in years. The bobbin winders do a great job, but if you are careful you can wind them with a drill.

Eli;s last name is Yoder from Arthur ILL.If you call his voice mail it may take a day or 2 for him to get back to you

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Started my own thread,didnt want to highjack this one,great info on here though.

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On 12/15/2013 at 11:36 AM, Geneva said:

This is not a Landis #1 sewing machine. It is a Landis regular lock stitch wax thread sewing machine. It made tugs for the harness and all other parts for the harness. Pcox is right about the thread going through the needle bushing before going through the eye. It should sew 1 inch + with no problem. The stitch length is regulated by the pricker feet. There are 8 or 10 pricker feet that go to the machine if you can find them. This machine does not like the bonded nylon thread. The Barbour thread works the best I have some black in 6 cord left from the machine I had at one time. Each needle size uses a different size bushing in the needle guide. I made some from brake line tubing.

You need a bobbin winder to accurately wind the bobbins. It looks like a ironing board hung from the side of the machine tight where the needle goes through the lower arm. There is also a kerosene heat lamp missing from below the wax tank I have one I don't need. Eli something or other from Illinois is the expert on this machine. Landis Sales 217 543 3464.

Good luck finding parts and needles.

Geneva,        Do you still have the kerosene heat lamp, and if so how much would you have to have for it? 

                      Dwayne

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I'd never seen this post before. I have kind of a love affair with the old Landis #1's.  It was the first machine that I ever got that actually worked, and it worked very well. I used it exclusively for at least 15 years, daily.   Although I have other stitchers now, I still occasionally use the #1.  Did you ever get yours sewing well, Dwayne?  BTW, there is a number stamped on the underside of the slides that cover the shuttle race. I've always assumed that was a serial number, since they are different on every machine.   Yours looks really nice with the original paint and pinstriping.

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