Trox

Leather cutting tools has to be polished after sharpening, read all the pinned sharpening topics on top of this forum. Get a strop and some polishing paste and polish all cutting tools to a mirror like surface. You can also use a buffing wheel on a drill, bench grinder etc to polish your tools. We polish all tools on the strop before use . See your edge under a magnifying glass after sharpening, your edge are still coarse. Using a stone like in this video is just half a job, you need to polish it. Post a high resolution picture of your edge and let us see how your edge look like, Good luck Trox

This machine look incomplete to me, where is the thread takeup spring? Its sure not threaded right, nevertheless it will not affect your hand wheeling.

Hi Tree Reaper, I will just add a comment related to your feed dog height. First, the smooth feed dog is a bit lower than the original segregated feed dog. Set your feed dog height between 1 to 1, 2 mm, any higher it will push up your work to much. I tried to sew harness (thin straps) with the feed dog on the recommended 1, 4 mm height. While sewing at the edge the feed dog pushed up to much causing the needle to hit at an angle. The needle exit holes came often outside the strap edge. I lowered mine to 1, 1 mm and it works fine. Any lower than 1 mm it can hit the shuttle driver, and on 1, 1 mm it still feed good backwards. Trox .

Most are oversized, other brands to. I have some Weaver round strap punches they are 1/16 " oversized. If thats your problem? learn to live with it. You trim this uneven edge of with your edger and burnisher, like the rest of us do.

Since the wallet are sewn toghter by strips I would try my bell knife skiver; skive then turn 180 degree and run them true twice. You could also try the trick with blue scotch masking tape. Tape it on the hairside before running them true your splitter or bell knife. This way you will be able to thin them down much without ruin them. I have not tried this myself yet, however a member here tipped me about this trick. It works well with the bell knife, and the blue tape leave no glue on the leather. I think about the embossed parts of the baseball glove leather, it is weak in those parts. Just a thought

I think you should complain on it. What did you pay for this punch? Somebody has to tell them they sell crap. Some of their tools are as expensive as Professional leather tool, quality and finish is not. A round punch should be round; otherwise, they should sell it as a “1 inch nearly round punch”. I checked out Tandy’s price for this punch; 43 $ on sale. http://www.tandyleather.eu/en-eur/search/searchresults/3151-03.aspx It was originally priced to 73 Euro (94 $) and is on sale to 34, 49 Euro (44, 63 $) I am chocked! Nearly 100 $ for that crappy punch. You can buy a professional US made CS Osborne 1 inch punch for 38, 93 $ http://www.campbell-randall.com/shop/index.php?route=product/product&path=1_58_70&product_id=845 That is a much better tool, not an overpriced “nearly round” toy punch like that Tandy. If you want a real good punch that will last you a lifetime. You must find an old forged polished one. Visit Bruce Johnson’s web site http://brucejohnsonleather.com/content/index.php/leather_tools_for_sale/leather-punches-concho-slot-strap-end-and-hole-punches/ For about 55 $ you get a old cleaned up quality punch. With high polished forged punch like that you will not have problems like you experienced with the Tandy tool. The two last links is where I buy some of my tools, I can vouch for them both. If Tandy do not let have a new one, post a picture of it here. Maybe it is possible to fix it, I cannot tell with out seeing it.

Hi Dogface, You can read about the lower needle guide in this topic http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=41581&hl=%2Bferdco+%2Blower+%2Bneedle . Your machine is a Juki TSC 441 pimped by Mr. Ferdinand Jean Blanc in his Ferdco company. They took a stock Juki TSC 441 and made it in to a leather stitcher. Later they made the head them self and modified it some more (higher lift like the Cowboy,from 20 mm to about 25 mm) like the latest Pro 200 Super Bull. Sadly Ferdco is out of business; I belived they started the cloning of this fine leather stitcher ( starded the clone war). Who have become the industri standard in saddlery machines today. Correct me if I am wrong. Your machine is made in Japan and you best use original Juki parts for it. You can also use Chinese clone parts like Cowboy and Cobra. We use Juki part on our 441 clones too. Any Juki 441 or clone will have trouble in reverse with the slotrted needle or bag plate, because only the feed dog feeds in reverse. Trox

The Juki Pro 2000 is to my knowledge a Juki 441 wit a pat. lower needleguide|.

I do not know these Consew 206 machines, however the head look more like a copy of a Pfaff 1245. Different faceplate and stitch regulator, nevetheless same head shape. The Pfaff 1245 is one of the best machines ever made, a very popular upholstry class clone model.

Are you guys serious or just joking? what is the problem of winding bobbin as you sew. Do you have only one spool of the prefered thread or do you lack bobbins. I always wind bobbins in every size and colors as I sew. Automatique.....21. century low tech solution....

Hi Wiz, You still have that monster ULS machine, I thought you had sold it. That is a beast of a machine; I have no doubt that can sew real heavy stuff. However, your 441 can do the job too. I took the speed reducer, clutch motor of my 441, and replaced them with an Efka 1550. A very good motor, I can go as thick as the machine allows. I use the same size Schmetz needle (200) with # 277 polyester. I can go down one size thread and needle, any further the needles get very thin and can easily make stitch errors. # 400 is the heaviest threads I have; I would like to try some # 500 I do not think that is any trouble. I have a Pfaff 345 cylinderbed I use for # 180 down to # 45. If you want to try good polyester, try coats Gral. It is lubricated polyester, very soft and more than strong enough for leather. German Amman Serafil I use much too, it is very similar to the Gral. Here is the data sheet http://www.coatsindustrial.com/en/images/Gral%20Datasheet%202012-09_tcm35-17272.pdf .

It is the top layer of threads that dry out first, and it also collect dust that ruin the thread. When the thread is dry it frying easier, unvind and making stitching errors. I only spray the top layer of the spools. You can buy an new Juki presserfoot spring screw from Bob Kowar or one of the other klone dealers. I do not think it is expensive. Good luck with your machine. Thanks Trox

Sewing thread is "fresh food" it need to be kept like it too. I store my thread with plastic bags over the cones. If it becomes old and dry anyway, I use some Fibings liquid saddle soap on it. I soak the spool with soap foam and work it in to the thread. Old thread are nearly as good as new after this treatment. Bob knows the 441 machine very well, did the noice dissapere when you increased your foot pressure? Hi Wiz, so thats why the black threads act different than other colors. I been wondering why the black thread always needed a differnt tension setting. Hard to see what you are doing when you use the black thread too, it steals all the light. I do not like to use the black color much. You are using bonded nylon, do you know if they also recoloring the black polyester thread? I use Coats gral and Amman Serafil. They both are good threads, however Serafil stops at size tiket No. 8 Nm, (tex # 400). Coats make Gral in every sizes up to tex # 1400, 12 ply, however I have no good source for Coats thread here. I would like to try some American heavy bonded nylon, What sizes do your Cowboy 441 manage (with the original shuttle shim). What the biggest needle you have used on yours? It is a bit of topic, but I still would like to know. Thank you. Trox

I see why womans claims to better @ multi tasking

I am sorry to be the one with bad news, however you knew the answer yourself. Better safe than sorry. Have them to visit you, you should not pay for this.

I use a German aggressive compound named Menzerna. When it starts to flake of i use more on the top. I never had to resharpen any of my tools, just stropping them, a very good compound. My current strop is seven years old, used every day and never cleaned. The steel mix with the compound and stick to the strop Jewelers rouge is not good enough it only give a light top polish. Get a more aggressive compound. Trox

Why not a drop dow roller guide, thats no problem to attach. I think it will be easier to buy an other machine than build in reverse, less expensive anyway. I cannot say for sure since I only know this model from pictures, It looks like a big job to me.

I think you have to bring it back to service, frayed and broken threads means the timing is off. They may have forgotten to tighten down som screwes on the hook shaft after adjusting it. You have to complain about the service job. Since you had it serviced you are not your own mechanic. If you are, you should check all shafts and screws are tight, and then check the hook timing. Trox

Check if your handwheel is loose on the drive shaft. Trox

Welcome, you are lucky to be close to "toledo industrial sewing machines". Thats one of the most popular tags in our sewing machine forum. Welcome to the forum. Trox

No, then you have to adjust the material guide when you cut the lace. That is possible, but very difficult to get a nice tapered lace. The tool is a lace cutter or strander.

I buy my guides from Kwokhing.com, best technology and unbeatable prices. See suspending guides in their web site, send email and pay with paypal. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=37299&st=0 See how I did it in my Pfaff machine, that guide will fit many other Industrial machines too. good luck Trox

Hi Konnie, I have a long arm Singer patcher (29k -72) and an old Adler 30-15 in back up (the same machine made by Adler) I use it for repair work, small leather holsters and boxes. In addition, everywhere else my other big industrials cannot reach. There always is some seams that cannot be sewn with a regular cylinder arm machine, the 29K always comes to a rescue. It is a genius machine; no leather workshop can do without one. That said, it has it limitations as Wiz already pointed out. It has a small bobbin, small stitch length and will mark up the top of your leather with its top feed. You see it is many different sub classes of the 29K, they all work the same way. The difference is the length and size of the arm. And the size of the bobbin. You can use both the instruction manuals for your machine, because they all work the same way. Good luck Trox

You are welcome. Trox