Trox

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

Hello Hipounder, No my motor has the perfect speed for burnishing, any faster and it will create too much heat and burn the leather. When you use wax you need more heat. I have a different wheel for wax, made of a wood with less natural oil in, it runs much warmer. If I use this burnishing wheel without wax it burns my leather black (on the same motor). As I said before, there are as many differnt ways to burnish as there are leather workers, we all have our prefered way to do it. The same goes for the edge bevlers, what works for you might not work for me. Thank you. Trox

I have a cocobolo burnisher on a slow speed motor shaft, I prefer to use only water with it. That way I do not have to sand and clean it every time i want to use it. With use of wax or gum tragant it adds very quickly up a layer of fat that mess up the burnishing. All leather burnish differently too, some burnish best with canvas, some needs dye etc. On a motor burnisher it is important to have the right size grove to get a proper burnish. Trox

Hi SS, Welcome to the forum. A fast answer will be no. This is not a leather sewing machine. I do not know the subclass 21, however the Adler 199 is a home and semi industrial sewing machine for textiles. You will need a different machine for leather, preferable a triple feed industrial who is capable of sewing thick leather with thick threads. Adler, now Dürkopp Adler sell very fine machines for all kinds of material, the 199 is a old obsolete model. You can find information on old Adler machines on http://sew24.blogspot.no/p/downloads.html . However nothing on the class 199. Please read the pinned topics about this question, http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=25239 . It is no quick answer to this question, I find no reason to repeat the pinned topics. You need to read it to learn, alternatively you have to trust the sewing machine salesman when you ask him/her this same question. You better read the pinned topics, to save time and money. Good luck Trox

The easy way to split 50 mm (two inch) wide leather strip on the bell skiver without any adjustments. If your skiver is set up for a normal 25 mm (one-inch) bevel skive, you can run a strap twice true the machine. Skive one side, turn it, and skive the other side. Then you will have a level split without messing up your skivers set up.

Wiz is right about the bell skiver, it takes time to master it. However, it is no problem to split even strips of leather up to 50 mm wide. The knife is round, and so is the presser foot. It has the same radius as the knife, set at the same distance flat against the knife and it will act as a splitter. I use mine to skive and split thin skin/garment leather. When I make welts for my leather backpacks, I have to reduce the thickness of the leather to use it to make welts. I split garment leather strips about 30 to 40 mm wide on my bell knife skiver. I then roll them around a rubber core to make round welts. The machine is no replacement for the bench top splitter. When set up for garment leather, you have to change feed roll (a steel feed roll works better on veg tan) and do many adjustments to split/skive veg tan leather. In addition, do many test runs on scrap leather. When you learn to use the bell knife skiver, you can adjust it without doing many test runs. However, it takes time to get there. I leave my bell skiver set up for garment leather and use my bench top splitters for lap skives, and splitting belt and straps. You will see yourself what part of your work process that take the longest and what machine you need to speed things up. I need both splitters and the bell skiver because of the variety of leatherwork I do. If I have to skive some veg tan leather, I will just grab my skiving knife or round knife and do this easy skive. It has to be some yards of skiving before I will readjust my bell knife skiver for that job. Garment leather on the other hand is more time consuming to skive proper; it is jobs for the bell knife skiver regardless of the length of skive. Trox

Cobra class 4 and limitid space. My friend from Sweden has his workshop on a boat with limited space. Here is how he solved the space problem. He bought a Ho Sing high-end mini servo for his Cobra class 4 and mounted it on the machine head. I have a similar motor on my 441, an Efka 1550. These mini servos are very strong and work best without a speed reducer. The Efka 1550 has a maximum power of 1800 watt and 8 Nm torque. They work best with a short flat belt like the one on the picture. On the new Dürkopp Adler 867 and 367 machines, they mount the Efka 1550 inside the machine head with direct drive on the main drive belt. This is an expensive pro motor, however no need for a table and speed reducers. Quality will last for a long time. You will get support on Skype videophone and software upgrade on your PC from Efka for free. In addition, it is a dream to use, needle position, and great slow speed control, programmable for all stitch pattern, functions and extras. Save space and in the long run $. I am very satisfied with mine. Trox Cobra class 4 and limitid space. My friend from Sweden has his workshop on a boat with limited space. Here is how he solved the space problem. He bought a Ho Sing high-end mini servo for his Cobra class 4 and mounted it on the machine head. I have a similar motor on my 441, an Efka 1550. These mini servos are very strong and work best without a speed reducer. The Efka 1550 has a maximum power of 1800 watt and 8 Nm torque. They work best with a short flat belt like the one on the picture. On the new Dürkopp Adler 867 and 367 machines, they mount the Efka 1550 inside the machine head with direct drive on the main drive belt. This is an expensive pro motor, however no need for a table and speed reducers. Quality will last for a long time. You will get support on Skype videophone and software upgrade on your PC from Efka for free. In addition, it is a dream to use, needle position, and great slow speed control, programmable for all stitch pattern, functions and extras. Save space and in the long run $. I am very satisfied with mine. Trox

Ok, we talk next week, have a nice trip. Trox