Wizcrafts

That needle alignment is weird. It appears to be too far forward in the hole. A proper alignment is dead center front to back. The needle clamp itself can be moved sideways to get closer or farther away from the hook. Remove that clamp and check for foreign material that might be causing the needle to sit on an angle. Maybe the clamp screw is loose. Tighten it after centering it sideways.. If this doesn't solve the problem, maybe the throat plate has two different size holes. Rotate the plate if the other hole is larger. Also, that needle looks very large. Try a smaller needle.

If the needle is splitting the top thread on the way into the material, your check spring ie either not properly set, or is accidentally bypassed, or is missing. The purpose of a check spring is to maintain some tension on the top thread as the take-up arm moves down. The assembly should have a bottom stopper bracket that can be adjusted to stop the downward movement of the spring at a position where the needle has just entered the top of the material. The spring action should be adjustable too. Set it to just hold the thread taut. This should solve the thread splitting problem.

Almost any walking foot machine based on the design of the Singer 111w155 will do that work. Look in your local ads for a SInger 111w155, a Juki LU-563, a Consew 205rb-(number), or any other brand that has triple (compound) feed. They are usually found in upholstery shops and they sell them off when they buy new machines. Expect to pay between $500 and $1200 for a good condition walking foot machine.

The machine is a lockstitch machine, meaning that the top and bottom threads are pulled up in a fist-like knot and into the material. The slightest tug on the top or bottom may pull the knots out and cause stitches to unravel. You should either reverse over the starting stitches, or sew all the way around and go over the first 4 or 5 stitches, or set the stitch length lever to the zero motion position and sew up and down in place about 2 or 3 times, then move on with the preset stitch length. Sewing in place requires a little more aggressive top tension to pull the knots up among multiple passes. Sometimes, just two hits is all it takes to keep the knots from coming out.

What they call upholstery thread is usually v69, aka: T70 bonded nylon thread. It has about 11 pounds breaking strength. You can buy Cowboy bonded nylon or polyester thread in 8 ounce and 16 ounce spools from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. Bob Kovar is the owner and is an advertiser here. I use Cowboy thread from him and it works just fine. He has multiple sizes, from v69 through v346, and possibly other sizes outside that range. He also has all manner of sewing machine needles and spare parts.

When I bought my first industrial sewing machine, to sew a leather vest I was making, I didn't know my ass from a hole in the ground when it came to machine capabilities! I was sold a tailoring 96k40 machine as a leather sewing machine. The dealer either lied, or wasn't aware. I ended up with a walking foot machine to finish sewing the vest. Most folks who do sew at home use a plastic body domestic sewing machine that was made to sew cloth. Cloth glides easily under the flat presser foot. The take-up and tensioning mechanisms are strong enough to tension #50 cotton or polycore thread. When such a person tries to sew leather, it drags on the top because the feed dog teeth aren't aggressive enough to claw into the flesh side. When they hunt for an industrial sewing machine, the first results are usually tailoring machines, many of which are meant to spin at high speed to distribute the oil that's fed by a sump pump on the bottom. These machines and speeds are no good for sewing leather.

It can sew 15 ounces of shoe upper leather. These machines were built to fix (patch) shoe and boot uppers, but not the soles. The bobbins are tiny due to the small 1 inch width of the nose on the arm. They are meant to use relatively thin bonded thread, usually #69. There used to be boxes of a gross of prewound bobbins available that eliminated the need to wind metal bobbins. Anybody who does have to wind their own bobbins keeps a magnetic pickup tool handy to fin them after they fall out of your fingers and roll across the floor to places previously unknown. When they roll, they also unwind! The range of thread and needles limits patchers to #138 bonded thread. There isn't much capacity on the bobbin for this size of thread. So, while a patcher can sew 1/4 inch maximum thickness, it is normally into soft to medium density shoe or chap leather, not veg-tan. I would limit veg-tan to about 10 ounces. Note, that the maximum stitch length of a pristine, late model Singer patcher is 5 stitches per inch at 6 ounces. As the thickness increases, the stitch length decreases. One might only get 8 to the inch at 15 ounces thickness, or less if the bottom drags against the throat plate. It helps to keep the throat plate highly polished/buffed and use a foot with aggressive teeth to pull the leather along. These feet leave noticeable tooth marks in the top of the leather.

This is what I have, manual-wise. You'll have to figure out the rest of the story. Or, ask a specific question pertaining to its operation. 30.pdf adler30servicemanualpdf.pdf

I like the dipped effects on the axes.

I'm interested too.

I have several used industrial sewing machines that I picked up from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. One is a 20" flat bed walking foot machine that is based on the Singer 111w155. Bob modified the hook saddle to take Juki U size bobbins. They are 2x the capacity of a standard G size bobbin. It has an analog servo motor that lets me sew individual stitches if I need to. One time when I went there, he had a couple of needle and awl lockstitch machines, like a Landis and a Campbell Randall. I think he even had a Union Lockstitch. These machines last over a hundred years and can sew 3/4 inch of saddle skirting.

If your machine still has the bobbin winder tension disks on the front of the revolving head assembly, use them for darning tension instead of the top disks. Just raise the foot and darn it!

The dealers who import Cobra and Cowboy branded machines have to pay all manner of shipping, warehousing, brokerage, tariffs and delivery fees before the machines arrive at their warehouses. Once the boxes arrive, when a wooden shipping crate is opened, the dealer spends between 4 and 6 hours de-greasing, assembling, adjusting and setting up the machine to test it. The machine will only be sold if it is fully within its nominal operating parameters. It will ship with a stack of leather under the foot/feet that is within the upper limits of that machine. For the 341/26 machines, that would be a 3/8 inch stack. Demand for these high quality machines, shipped ready to go to work, is high most of the year. I haven't seen any special sales where one brand tries to undercut another brand. Furthermore, they handle service requests personally. They don't have offshore tech support. If you aren't sure that the prices being charged for a new Cobra or Cowboy machine are very reasonable, ask Google about the price for a new equivalent machine with the Adler or Juki label. Make sure you're sitting down...

Try reversing the direction of the bobbin. It may need to go in opposite to the way you already inserted it. I usually insert bobbins so that the thread makes are sharp turn backwards towards the slot leading to the bobbin tension spring. This back force tends to keep the bobbin thread well placed under that spring leading to more reliable stitches.

You might want to define the meaning of the word "salpa" for us old school leather crafters. Since it is a requirement, it will help to mention if you are supplying it and other materials and hardware to your prospective assignees, who will be freelancing to build things for you.

Way back when I was only sewing for about 2 or 3 years, I bought two post bed machines with roller feet off some shoe maker who was going out of business. I used them to sew Marlon Brando style biker caps. I even sewed a Cowboy hat or two, and sewed patches onto ball caps. One day, I counted all of my sewing machines and discovered that I owned 13; a Bakers' Dozen! They included everything from a flat bed tailoring machine to a huge Union Lockstitch machine. That truly was a rabbit hole. Then, I moved and sold all but two machines. I eventually sold the big ULS and went into computer troubleshooting. I finally escaped from the sewing machine rabbit hole! Then, one day, as the computer troubleshooting was winding itself down, I saw a National walking foot machine for sale, cheap, nearby, and bought it. Y'all can guess what happened next... More rabbit pellets.

There is a specialized industrial sewing machine that is perfect for sewing all kinds of hats. It is known as a post, or post bed machine. Some have a flat foot with bottom feed. Some have a roller foot and bottom feed. I have one that is a triple feed walking foot mechanism. A post machine lets the work hang down on all four sides. My Singer 168G101 has a 7 inch tall post. I have used #138 thread in it, although it is happier with #69 and #92. This machine uses the same bobbins as the Singer 111 series machines.

The largest needle commonly available for domestic sewing machines is a #18/110. I once found some #20 needles for an old iron body Singer from yesteryear. Those machines held up much better than the plastic body machines of today. I mentioned this because most so-called Upholstery thread is #69 bonded nylon. This size is normally sewn using a #18 (Metric 110) needle. Leather point needles work best on leather, as opposed to round points. You should be able to get a decent stitch using #69 thread with a #18 needle by balancing the bobbin vs top tension and enough foot pressure to keep the leather from lifting with the ascending needle. But, if you plan to sew leather on a regular basis, buy an iron body walking foot machine that's mounted on a 20 x 48 inch industrial k-legs frame and table and powered by a 3/4 HP servo motor.

The only purpose of a roller foot is to reduce the drag on the top layer of a stack of material that's being pulled on the bottom by feed dogs with teeth. If the material is grabby, a flat presser foot will fight against the feeding and cause uneven stitches. They are often used on machines that are going to sew patterns on shoes and boots, or on machines that sew hats. The roller is adjustable to the left and right. The usual practice is to position the bottom inside edge so it just clears the needle on the up and down stroke. This closeness ensures that the material doesn't lift with the ascending, threaded needle, which would cause skipped stitches. A roller foot gives 100% visibility of the needle in three dimensions. As KGG already mentioned, they are not used on walking foot machines, which have not two, but three bars extending down. They are meant for bottom feed machines that only have one presser foot bar. Walking foot machines already solve the problem of drag with their motion sequence.

These heavy duty harness stitchers usually ship with high thread tension and foot pressure because they are typically used to sew hard, dense leather. You will need to dumb down your machine to sew soft leather. Start by backing off the bobbin tension screw until there is just a slight amount of pull required. Next, back off the top tension to balance the knots. Next, back off the top foot pressure screw on top of the right end of the head. Use just enough force to keep the leather from lifting with the threaded needle and the bobbin thread locked around the needle. This setup won't work as well in dense leather, so try to make a mental note about the initial setup tensions and pressures. Finally, adjust the stitch length a little shorter to minimize the warping of the material.

Coincidentally, I had a customer come to my shop yesterday with a dozen webbing straps that I had to sew together in pairs, at the loose ends, with a 3" overlap. I chose #138 yellow bonded polyester thread and used a #23 round point needle. I had to retime/advance the hook to avoid skipped stitches in reverse, and adjust the check spring throw, in addition to increasing the bobbin and decreasing the top tension. All of the tension changes will have to be undone when I have to sew a holster or sheath.

I used to sew Biothane and heavy webbing in a previous location. I found that I had to move up one needle size, and use a diamond or round point needle. Additionally, I had to double the foot pressure to keep it from lifting with the ascending needle. Running the top thread thru liquid silicon will help the knots move up with less friction. It might help if you adjust your check spring to give more slack top thread as it goes around the hook. Try it on a test strip. Thread color also plays a part in all heavy sewing jobs. Black thread is often double-dipped to get total color penetration. This process stiffens the thread more than lighter colors. You can usually feel the difference when you handle the thread to feed it through the guides on thread stand. Straw color is usually much softer than black. That translates into tighter knots being formed. Tighter knots are easier to pull up in dense materials, like Biothane and thick webbing.

What machine make and model are you currently using? What size needle and thread?

@speedybri This sounds like a case of the leather is too dry and dense. Is it the awl or the needle that is getting stuck and lifting the stack of leather? If it's the awl, you may need to oil the leather to soften it a little. Or, run the thread through liquid stitching wax or silicon in the wax pot. If it's the needle, either move down one needle size or move up one awl size. And, add more foot pressure until you figure out the real problem.

I copped a boo at one of my speed reducers that bolts to the table in a box above the motor. It looks like it has a bronze case bearing, but, I'm not sure about that. I bought it about 10 years ago and it may be outdated. I have different reducers on machines in my shop. I will look at them later today and try to remember to report back here. Nonetheless, Bob Kovar, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, sells the most current accessories. So, the newer speed reducers might have roller bearings in all models. Ask him.