ponygirl

Tim, I was browsing wade saddles one day and bumped into your website. I've been dreaming of the half breed wade (with the flowers) you have up there ever since. Maybe someday Not a saddle maker here, but I can certainly appreciate a nice buckaroo rig. From a customer's point of view, I really like your lines and the rise on the seat looks perfect. Looks like it would really sit down on a horse too.

will do...thanks guys! I'm so excited to make my first pair of chinks

Hey all! Turns out the flywheel was loose! I feel so silly now, it's stitching perfect now. Thanks so much for that suggestion, if we had not checked that, we would've went to the shop. However, the knob in the center in the flywheel doesn't want to STAY tightened. Any ideas how to keep it from loosening?

Thanks all for the responses and advice. I'm going to take some of those pointers in the morning and see if we can't get her working again. I'll let ya know how it goes! Thanks again.

This is a continuation, and a change, of my thread below... I wasn't sure of how to change the title, so I started a new one here. So it seems the bobbin isn't the problem. It was suggested below that the needle was hitting the bobbin case, so I took it apart and that doesn't seem to be the case. Now the flywheel is spinning (with or without the bobbin case and bobbin in place) and the machine is not working properly. Sometimes it will work and sometimes the fly wheel will just spin and the needle won't function. Sometimes when it does work, the motion is very jerky and erratic, sometimes it works smooth. Like I said in my other post, the machine was working fine the first couple days we had it, then it decided to go postal on us... I have posted a video on YouTube, I'm sure it does a better explanation than I. I am mechanically illiterate, so any guesses as to what's going on would be great. I'd like to tweak with it and see if I can avoid the long drive to the repair shop. Thanks in advance.

Hi all, I recently purchsed a Singer 31-15 which was sewing nicely until this afternoon. The issue appears to be the bobbin. I've made sure that I'm winding and picking up the thread as instructed. However with the bobbin and bobbin case in place, either the flywheel will not turn or it will turn but the machine will not sew (in other words, the wheel turns but the mechanisms which run the needles don't move). When it does work, it moves with an erratic, jerky motion. With the bobbin case removed, the machine moved nicely both manually and with the motor. I'm not sure if the bobbin case is locking in properly. Could the case be worn and need replacement? I've checked to make sure there's not thread getting caught anywhere inside. Perhaps I'm just making an obvious newbie mistake that is going unnoticed, or perhaps a part is worn. Will inapparopriate thread size cause any issues here? I am running a 69 top and bottom polyester apholstry thread. Any insight is much appreciated!

I have plenty of chinks to use for patterns but unfortunately no cutting chaps around. Nobody I know has them. I'm going to order some chink patterns from Mr. Klenda, but if anyone knows where I can get cutting chap patterns that would be great! I don't want to buy a $400 pair of chaps just to make a pattern off em!

the suppliers list is perfect, didn't realize it was on here. thanks much, I think i'm all set.

Thanks all. Seems the ads are for lots of leather and machines and not so much needles and thread. perhaps I haven't stumbled on the right ad yet.

I'm hoping someone can chime in on good websites to buy leather sewing thread (nylon, polyester and the like) and leather needles. I can't seem to find these things in the local fabric shops. I need sizes 69, 92 and 138 size threads. Thanks!

Luke, To be honest, I don't know much. I do know it's a needle feed machine.. the feed dog keeps running the material through straight right? Are those the little feet underneath my leather? I thought that was a walking foot? If you have any references about this machine that talk about it's mechanics I'd love to read them, I've been unable to find a manual. You mean 138 for the top thread and still a 69 on the bobbin? Another elementary question.. would it be bad to run the same size thread both top and bottom? What do you sew with your 31-15?

Actually if you all could keep this conversation here it would be appreciated (TK - I bought that little 31-15 today that I was telling you about. I'm so excited, she runs really nice So am I reading this right... you can run a 69 thread on the bobbin which is for the bottom thread and either a 69, 92 or a 138 on top? What size do you think would be good for chinks and chaps with 4oz-6oz garment leather? Why type of thread (cotton.. nylon?) would you use for this project on this machine? Where do you buy these from... I was going to just wander over to a local fabric shop tomorrow. Are you using leather needles or just regular ones? pardon my ignorance and thanks for the help!

ahha! i got it. thanks. i'm assuming it's best to use latigo for this if I wanted to sell them? What weight would you recommend?