Trox

I'll try again

Well I do have some instructions in Chinglish Called " 2 The Normal-Reverse transition Setup For The Motor" " Motor manufacturer set is the reverse transition. If you need to reset: when motor stops, press the arrow down (button symbol on motor) for several seconds, when LED is "SET.0" press arrow up button with 2 times; when LED is "SET.2", then press the arrow down button again, Led is "roT.E" or "roT.P". If you want to change the transition, and you could press the up arrow for switch of the transition . 5 seconds later, the set pattern will be automatically saved" This is exactly what's written in the instructions, part from the arrow up and down which are pictured by an arrow symbol. English or "Chinglish" are not any of my native language. I've would perhaps use the word direction instead of transition? that would have made it simpler for me anyway. I have not tried this for awhile on my motor (600 watt brushless cobra servo motor, 220 volts but with the same instructions as the 110 volt version). Anyway, running a machine in the wrong direction is not a good thing to do. It might have caused some thing to unscrew/ loosen or knocked out of position. I would recommend you take contact with Steve and tell him about it. It might be trouble regards the warranty later if you don't . It's really not that difficult to adjust these motors when you get to know the display, it's been a long time since I hade to turn /push on any buttons on it. I have used it on the same max speed settings all the time (around 1000 rpm) have not needed to do any thing else with it (that's a good thing ) Good luck Tor

Sorry for the double picture entry, I'm not able to delete it without deleting the hole post. Thanks Tor

Thank you JerseyFirefighter, for those excellent pictures. I've seen all I need to. Nice looking machine, first US sold clone I've seen with belt cover. (That's obligatory here) And like the sharp eyed Mr. Uwe pointed out, the now patent pending famous lower needle guide is installed in the (that, because this is not yours?) machine. It's not a modified feed dog, that's the real thing. I'm waiting on used one from a old stock Ferdco machine now. The rest of the machine (cannot speak for the hidden parts) looks exactly like mine or any other 441 clone machine, the accessories too. Difference from a Cowboy would be the handwheel and a couple of other bits and screws. Most serrated feed dogs cannot be altered in to this lower needle guide, take a look at my picture. Most are hollow underneath, I've seen them even with bigger cut outs than mine (I looked at that possibility before of course). A lower needle guide is much more simpler to produce new. The upper needle guide is of course a closed toe inside harness foot. They aren't patented either, and it's a long time since it was. That is if they managed to get it patended at all, I have some doubts about that. They was not the first who made such presser´s, I have old Pfaff foot that looks like that. Perhaps they patended the name Anyway, looks like a well put together machine, good proven solutions. Nice price too. Of course it's twice the price of buying similar in China (that goes for all of the brands), but everybody have to make a living here of course. By the way, somebody should make up some of these needle guide before a new patent. Patent means more money from us customers, we do not want that Tor

And use a thinner thread perhaps.

I have an old Blanchard tool for cutting washers (washer cutter), cutting round. It's been awhile since I made such boxes. You better find the center of the round bottom, nail it to your work table in such way that you can use the table end to guide the beveled cut (rub away the nail mark with water and bone folder when done). Just lay your knife in a 45 degree angle on the table end and rotate the round leather piece. You could cut it out like this too, and make the 45 deg. in same operation (cut an oversize piece first). Use a curved awl/needles when stitching box side. Remember the bottom stitches spacing is less in the bottom piece (more SPI), because of the smaller diameter. And of course use a wooden dowel, box etc as a lest. Good luck! Tor

Mikesc, do you think this will fix it's self when the site here is finished updated. I do not have such possibility to alow scripting on the Samsung tablet I'm using for the moment (only Java script and that's on for all sites). JerseyFirefighter, thanks for posting a pic of your machine. What accessories came with your machine? Does it have the lower needle guide pictured in my post above. That will replace the feed dog when special needle plates are used. Thanks Floyd, if you search or go to Ferdco dot com, you will find the old Ferdco site, who now has been taken over by the Hoffman Bros. The content of the site (pictures, products and description) is the same as before. It's must be more than ten years old. I do not remember when I saw it the first time, buts a long time ago when the Ferdco company was up and running. You can read about the old Bull machines there. Ferdco used a Juki 441 head (called it the Juki Pro 2000 93 to 95) Like Art said, after that they used machine castings from Taiwan. Today, all the 441 clones who are made have the same spec like the super bull, 1 to 1 1/16" foot lift (dependent of presser foot and plate used) The original Ferdco accessories looked much better than the ones on the marked today. Their machines was more expensive, since they once used better parts. In the beginning they used many original Juki parts and small volum custom made parts. Today, I cannot see anything else than standard Chinese clone machine parts. By all means, there are different quality parts out there today, have a look at Tobago dot com (Chinese auction site in Chinese) There you can buy a hole range of different quality sewing machine part. I found 441 feed dogs as low as under 10 USD . what I'm trying to say is, if these new Ferdco was anything else than an standard 441 clone; they would have been more expensive. Tor

It still does not work?

Http://www.raichert.com/leather/pro2000/ferdcoPro2000Web.htm HI Floyd, I had to write this url in manually. Not possible to come and paste for the moment. Sure it's related to the site upgrading prosess. I try once more to paste the YouTube video, otherwise the link is in the site above. https://youtu.be/f-1 Tor

I totally agree with Martyn here, the saddle stitch should be sewn in an angle by using an European pricking wheel or iron (needle and awl). That's the only way it should be done. If you want a staight seam, use a sewing machine (of course you also have angled needle points for that to like LR and LL) If a customer wants to pay me extra for hand sewing, I do not want to make it look like it's sewn it on a machine. A saddle stitch with most SPI is the highest regarded work, the best looking and strongest seam there is (done the proper way). Then it must be sewn in an angle, straight you make it weaker and you have to use longer stitches. In the old times bridles was saddle stitched by hand with 14 SPI, you cannot achieve that laying the stitches flat like that. Teach it the right way or do not teach it at all. Tor

I use vegtan backs and something shoulders. Mostly leather that has been waxed, prepared for outdoor use. Like bridle leather, fat leather and such. Sometimes I use natural vegtan for tooling and dyeing, but remember to add leather oil after or before the dye. The alcohol dye dries out the leather and makes it crack easier. I use all kinds rivet in dog leads, but sew inn all bucles/rings in collars and harness. I have experienced cracked leather around buckles and D rings too. However, that happened with some bad quality chrome tanned white colored leather I used once. I do not recommend using bellies for such work, to stretchy and weak. It's not up to the stress. You better sew in the buckles and D rings if the leather cracks around the rivets, the dog collar is subject to enormous stress every day. All kinds of weather conditions etc, it must be made of the best materials. Most tanners sell special leather for such use, ask for it. Good luck Tor

Thank you Johanna, I understand you have enough to worry about right now. A answer was all I needed.... more than enough other things to do in the mean time. Thanks Tor

You will never be able to imitate good hand sewing on a machine, stitches will alway looks uglier on the back side. Something related to the needle punch out, feed dog and plate. Machine sewing is for saving time and labor costs only. Proper hand stitching will always be stronger and more beautiful. With softer lining on the back side, the bottom stitches will look better. Good luck Tor

I looked at the YouTube video https://m.youtube.co of the new Ferdco Pro 2000. There it has accessories that looks just like all other Chinese ones. The accessories on picture I received from the Hoffman looked just like the old Ferdco ones. I told them I had most of these attchment, but your look different. I almost bought some of them because they looked much better than the normal Chinese ones. I had been pretty disappointed if I received exactly the same as I already had. Perhaps they had some left of the original Ferdco accessories. I do not understand this because the video above is from 2014 and I contacted Hoffman Bros last fall. It was an old picture they sent me and I was primarily interested in the lower needle guide. Here its pictured with the old Ferdco double harness foot this http://www.raichert. Ed Raichert spec on the machine says: up 346 thread, needle sizes from Nm 160 to 280. That's Singer size 23 to 28. There is nothing about a size 30 (Nm 330) needle here. These machines might take a Singer # 29 (Nm 300), like the DA 205-370 also does. According to the patent search the Ferdco lower needle guide is not a valid patent anymore, due fail to renewing the patent payment. Perhaps they just filed to patent it again since Ed Raichert called it a "patent pending lower needle guide", I do not know . "Ferdco 2000 pro super bull" is very good old established brand, that speak for quality and craftsmanship ship. We all know the story about Ferdco. I do not think the Hoffman Bros bought this brand just because of the old rest stock. They had plans of using this well established brand for all its worth, of course. Do not expect to get anymore from them than you get from other dealers to the same price and you will not be dissapointed. Just my 2 cents Tor

Hi, I contacted the Hoffman brothers not long ago and asked them for the guide. They sent me a complete quote with prices on all the accessories for the Ferdco machine. They still had the needle guide, plates and presser feet´s for the machine. Their accessories looked different from what other clone seller offers. Now I cannot find their email anymore, I must accidently deleted it. Now I found an second hand lower needle guide I'm about to purhase. If that doesn't happen, somebody beat me to it. I got to write them again. Anyway, here is a picture of the patent. It looks exactly like this. Should fix occasionally skipped stitches with the use of slotted, holster and stirrup plates. (Especially when the use of thinner needles) I had some problems with that. Anyway, I do not know anything about their new Ferdco machine. The price suggest it's a standard Chinese clone, otherwise we would have known. They never shut up about such beneficial information. Tor

Hi Lucas, you are using machine thread, not waxed linen. The thread will not lay flat, the purpose of hammering the stitches are to close the leather around the tread. If a stitch brakes later, the hole seam will not unravel. Do not beat it to hard, then the leather will be thinner, wider and damaged inside. Just hard enough to close the seam. Then you can use a over stitch wheel (or a Tandy pricking wheel, it's formed like a over stitch wheel anyway). The wheel will make the seam nice and natural again. I mostly prefer the use of a French shoe hammer, it has a big polished face. It looks very similar to that Osborne hammer, but the face is a bit more rounded. That hammer looks good for the job, I like them with a bit rounder face, though (that's not necessary). I sometimes use a Blanchard saddlers hammer, when the shoe hammer is to big or to far away on the bench. It's much like the CS Osborne # 55 saddlers hammer and are good for many things (forming leather, drive tacks etc). But the one in your pic is better for hammering seams, the face on the saddlers hammer is a bit to small. (Then it's easy to beat to hard, less surface and more pressure). There are other hammers that can be used, like a car bodywork hammer etc. Remember to polish the face on it on a buffing wheel etc, using grinding/polishing paste. Otherwise it will stain the natural leather (vegtan). A Carpenter hammer is not good for the job, it's to coarse, heavy and sharp sided. If that Osborne hammer or other leather hammer are to expensive, have a look in a shop wit inexpensive tools. Look for something that can be altered/polished in to a good leather hammer. I have a several different old leather hammers, tack hammers, upholstery hammers and saddlers hammers. A good leather hammer is an important and much used tool and so is a good anvil. Tor

Yes after I hammered the stitch to lock them, I run a over stitch wheel. Let's say # 6, measure up the stitch length on the machine with that (before I sew of course). Run that wheel to make a nice stitch, just like you do on hand stitching. It's an very important step to hammer the seam. Tor

Remember that silicon usually do not mix well with paint, I do coloring before using this silicon lube. I'm installing a air nozzle later too, I have air on foot lift etc. Tor

The Adler is a very good machine, I had several and still use one Dürkopp-Adler ( and two older I'm not using). You will learn to love in time. Industrial sewing machines are not only to press a pedal and sew, it takes time to master properly. Attachments/accessories is also important, you will find out soon enough. Finally you will be rewarded, because that Adler can sew almost anything you trow at it. In that same forum you can find special attachment and parts no longer available (sew24) It's the head of spare parts DA machines Thomas Brinkhoff that runs that blog. http://www.kwokhing. has some reasonable priced presserfoot, plates etc, for your machine. Good luck Tor

Certainly! when the "original" lube pot runs at 100 $ or more it worth a shot. That is if the magnet is strong enough, it's very much thread tension on these 441 machines. Anyway, I use the original pot for silicon lube, cooling the large/long needle that often gets to hot. An other option would be an air needle cooler. You can use Gottaknow´s patent, using a thin kopper pipe and squeeze the end to make the right amount of air coming true. You need a compressor of course, many already have them in their workshop. Just clamp the pipe to the machine head using tape sockets etc. and angle/direct it to cool the needle. Tor

I did not see that post before posting my long answer. I think your machine is ready to go now. Perhaps that was a bit to short stitches for the straight stitch appearance. It looks like it's made in a factory, if that's what you want, then it's good. This is pretty much up to what you like yourself (application and material thickness of course), I would have used a bit longer stitches for this straight seam (spear point needle). When stitches are angled like the LR needle, stitches would look ugly when they are to long. Straight stitches is a different ball game. The stitch quality look very good now. Tor

Hi Lucas! stitch length (or SPI in your country) is a matter of taste. Some old harness makers hand sewed bridles with 14 stitches per inch, the more stitches per inch the higher the work was regarded. In the beginning making leather works I thought long stitches was looking nice, now I'm leaning more the other way. Especially the saddle stitch look more beautiful with more stitches per inch, the stitches forms a better angle. To a certain degree more stitches are stronger too, as long as you don't over due it and perforating the leather totally. I often use Texas 346 (TKT 8) polyester thread with a Nm 230 LR needle (Schmetz, Singer size approx 26) on my 441 machine. Mostly my stitches are around the number 4 on the stitch length lever. That would be 4 mm stitch length of course, converted to SPI it would be about 6,25 stitches per inch. My 441 clone have enormous maximum stitch length of 15 mm. (1,66 SPI). It should not have more than 12 mm. max, according to the manual. The first tripple feed Adler 205 was the 205 -74, built on the famous 205-64 needle feed. They added an extra shaft for the top feed to it. Your -374 where the second generation, first with the shuttle shims/spacer who allowed use of a larger needle. I do not remember the spec. on it, pretty much the same as the -370. You can easily find out going to the world of Dürkopp-Adler parts download http://sew24.blogspo There you will find what documentation who are available on it, if you haven't done so already. I think yours is very similar to the sub cl. -370; max stich length 10 mm., foot lift 20 mm. and max needle size Nm 300; with the largest shuttle shim. They sell 5 different such shims/spacers, for different maximum needle sizes. Your Adler where the first 205 who had this system, ensuring optimal clearance between hook and needle at all the needle sizes. I think your stitches look good now, white is always better looking on natural leather too. It's not "odd" That the stitches are crossed on the back tack; the needle will alway bend and take the easiest path. Try experiencing with other needle points too, see what you like the best. Now people tend to like what looks most traditional/old fashion, real leather; natural materials and craftsmanship. The LR needle imitates hand sewing, that's whats people really wants. Tor

Looking good! perhaps a bit more thread tension on both top and bottom will make a better looking stitch. However, it much up to the type of needle you use. Using a LR needle point will get you a more saddle stitch looking seam, but might cut threads on backtacking. Shorter stitch often look better too. Tor

I will agree with both Darren and Wiz on this. The Ferdco Pro 2000 was once a Juki TSC 441 pimped to be a great leather machine. Juki head and parts set up for leather with a slotted plate and their famous patented lower needle guide (with I'm about to purchase for my clone now). Many will remember this machines quality and performance. The years after this with their own head but still mostly genuine Juki parts inside. All I see today is a Chinese clone with a small hand wheel (many other brands have a larger hand wheel mounted) and a economical base and motor. However, It might be a very good proved motor; It got good feedbacks. Both Hoffman Bros and Keystone Industrial sewing are good companies. Like Darren says, then it's all up to what accessories that comes with it. Good luck Tor

Just by looking at the picture I can tell you: To thick a handle and to short a blade for a skiving knife. You would not be able to get the proper angle on the edge. The handle will hit the grind stone before you achieve the right angle on the edge! Tor