Leather Sewing Machines
Lighter weight leathers can be sewn on home machines, but the tough stuff requires commercial or industrial sewing machines. They can be tricky to set up and operate, but can't be beat for production work.
11,382 topics in this forum
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I have a really good friend of mine that is willing to help me purchase a sewing machine. I've thought about the artisan because of price and the good things I hear about the machines durability. I always have buyers remorse and never know if i'm getting the right machine. So with that said, am I making a good decision? What are your thoughts?
Last reply by Hoyden, -
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It seems that with every bag I complete, I focus on one aspect that could be improved. Now I'm wondering about optimum stitches per inch. I usually sew 207 bonded poly on 5\6 oz veg tan or chrome tan, two to three layers thick. Right now I'm sewing about 5/5.5 stitches per inch (my Juki clone is set between the 4 and 6 markers). I've go to experiment more, but my main question is may I use a stitch length setting that is between clicks of the adjusting wheel, or would I risk this setting losing its locked-in position? ed
Last reply by bruce johnson, -
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I did buy the Consew portable CP146R. It seems to work just fine "now"! Had some issues that I probably would not have had with the Sailrite. The machine was overall rough, even ran a little rought to begin with. The top cover wasn't quite fitted/assembled right so the bobbin winder would not work. Support is non-existant and book is near worthless. For someone newer like me, because of support, I should have gone with Sailrite rather than save a few $$'s ($350 in this case). http://www.specbrands.com/ has the best prices for a lot of machines if you are already very familiar with sewing machines but, no tech help at all. If it's your only machine or first one, I'd re…
Last reply by Luke Hatley, -
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I mostly do hand stitching when working with leather. I do use a machine when repairing horse blankets or other fabric pieces. I have a Juki DN-1541 for this purpose. My problem is: today, I was repairing a horse blanket where a strap had pulled free from the insertion site. This site was reinforced on both sides with leather and the leather was falling apart. I used some saddle skirting scraps on hand to make new replacements. I did skive off several ounces of leather, but the replacements are still thick. I used a needle for leatherwork and stitched away. Did fine until almost finished and the needle broke off. Now, after removing a jammed piece of the broken needle, m…
Last reply by Art, -
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I am doing belts and will be doing concealed carry holsters. I need to get a machine and have a buget limit of about $1,400. What machine, if any, will work for these projects and stay around my budget? I have looked at so many machines my head is spinning. Is the Ferdco 440R a decent machine for this application, it's in my price range. I have also talked to Neels Saddlery about their Model 5 machine; anybody using one of those? Thanks for your help.
Last reply by Art, -
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I have a love hate thing going with my treadle Pearson 6. Have never been able to get it to sew properly. One problem with this machine seems to be that the needle slide plate, and/or the track that is runs in, is worn. If I take out the slack using the adjustment screws, the needle itself is pushed over to the right and hits the needle plate rather than passing through the hole. Obviously some one used the machine for a while with this problem, because the play in the slide plate caused the needle to bounce around and chew up the needle plate opening pretty good. I obtained some thin brass shim stock and shimmed the plate on the right side as a temporary fix. The needl…
Last reply by greg gomersall, -
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Hey everyone, I'm wondering when it comes to sewing leather what the best method would be. I have a brothers sewing machine that I would like to run into the ground. I wanted to put it to the task to see what it could and couldn't sew. I've found some folks around here that have 120/20 needles so my question is this. What size thread is the "general" sewing thread? Is it 12? I want to get a few needles and thread and begin playing, Please pass along some suggestions
Last reply by sheathmaker, -
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I am making belts and concealed carry holster and wanted to find out what size and type of thread would be best for use on machines. Also where are you buying your thread. Thanks for your help.
Last reply by Art, -
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Hey all, got me a brand new Artisan Toro 3000....woo hoo!! :biggrin: Been wanting a cylinder bed machine for some time now. After doing alot of research of the machines available, I decided the best bang for the buck is the Artisan. It has an excellent range of thread size and material capabilities. I have sewn on the Adler 205/370 and Juki 441, both top notch machines, but more than I was willing to spend. The Artisan should fit my needs perfectly. I had the machine shipped direct from Artisan in the Los Angeles area, and Steve was the customer service person. Excellent in all aspects! I would recommend talking to him if you have any interest in this type of machin…
Last reply by sheathmaker, -
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Has anyone purchased a sewing machine from Leightons in Canada? Their Mach 1 looks like an Artisan 3000 but seems to have a much smaller capacity as to thickness of leather it will sew? The price seems good and the say it will work for holster and belt work. Also, I wonder how you would get it through customs? Skip
Last reply by Randy Cornelius,
