Wizcrafts

No. Cloth walking foot machines usually (but not always) have lighter tension springs and bobbin case springs. The take-up parts may not be as beefy either. Hooks tend to be M or LU style in dedicated leather walking foot machines, which are normally triple/compound feed, rather than dual feed (with teeth) as preferred for transporting cloth. Reasons why Cloth sewing is normally done with light weight cotton, polyester, or polycore thread that is thinner and much more fragile than bonded nylon or bonded polyester. The walking foot machines used in garment construction are usually run flat out at about 2500 rpm, or faster. Some have sump pumps with automatic oilers that need to be run fast. The thinner, fragile threads used in them need to have gentle tension paths and light springs. Sometimes the top thread is run through liquid silicon in a jar on top of the machine. If the work generates too much heat, compressed air tubes may be installed to cool the needles, which may be made with titanium or black Teflon coating.

Did you search this section of the forum, or entire site, or did you search from within a different section of LWN?

All I can tell you is that the machine was made in Japan and is what we call a shoe patcher. It is used to sew the uppers on boots and shoes, or to fix purses, or to sew decorative patches onto motorcycle vests and jackets. That said, I am moving this to the Leather Sewing Machines forum. You will have a better chance of getting help there.

The dye may be separating from the carrier. Did you shake the bottle before applying the dye? That may help reconstitute the dye. If that doesn't help you could contact the seller about returning it (good luck on an opened dye). Otherwise, write "Gray" on the bottle and buy another bottle of chocolate dye from a different supplier.

You can get a CB4500 here. You will need to call on the phone to place an order.

I use a Cowboy CB4500. It has a smooth feed dog and triple feed, plus a 16 inch arm. It sews from about 6 ounces up to about 7/8 of an inch. Please don't ask what that is in Metric.

You can buy the correct thread from Campbell-Randall, in Texas. It is Barbour's Irish Linen, left twist thread. They make and sell "Lax Wax" for use in their machines. Linen thread is available in 3 through 7 cords. You must use the right combination of needle and awl whenever you change thread sizes. If you try to sew with 6 cord and the barbed needle is designed for 4 cord, the thread will get ratted by the barb. The awl must be between 1/2 and 1 size larger than the needle.

This sudden tightening of the top thread can be caused if the thread is wrapping under other windings on the spool, or is falling under the spool, or twisting around a thread guide on the thread stand. Clean all of the guides along the thread path. There may be old hardened wax from the previous owner. These machines were meant to use liquid beeswax in a pot and linen thread.

I spent some time at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines on Wednesday afternoon picking up a post machine. He has a Merrow edging machine for sale in the main machine room. I don't know the model number or price. If you want you can call Bob Kovar Sr.and ask about it. The business number is: 866-362-7397

The Merrow I linked to is not for patches. It is for blanket edges and related materials, like furs.

Merrow overlock machines are the real deal and can be very very expensive new or rebuilt. If you can get a used one privately, for a reasonable price, more power to you.

I believe you are looking for a twin needle Coverstitch machine. These are often used to finish the edges of carpeting. It is a ramped up serger on steroids that can produce a very wide and deep stitch needed to cover the edge of carpeting using heavy cotton or polycore thread (e.g., button hole thread, linen thread, jeans thread, etc). Also, the pattern is different across the outer edge. Ask your industrial sewing machine dealer if they have one you can try out. This job is too intense for a common serger. You need a carpet coverstitch machine.

Ken, is it a jump foot, needle feed machine, minus the inside alternating foot?

If money is really not an issue, ask your Adler approved dealer about the new Adler 869. I played with that machine at a place called Weaver Leather, in the USA. It is unreal! It can handle up to #207 thread. The lift ratio of the alternating feet can be changed by turning a big knob on top of the machine.

You should test sew on the machines you are looking at. Buy some thread and bring a sample wallet to test on the machine. The dealer should have any size of needle in stock, up to a #23.

Doh! I misunderstood you and mistook millimeters for ounces. I thought you meant the total thickness at the seams was 2 ounces. That would be like the interiors I make out of thin calf skin or pig skin. If the total sewing thickness is 4-5 ounces, use #92 thread. For 10-12 ounces, use #138, using a #22 or #23 needle. The density of the leather will dictate the minimum needle size.

The Cowboy Outlaw is brand new on the market. It is just reaching the dealers now.

#138 thread might be a little too big to bury the lockstitch knots inside 2 to 3 ounces of leather. I would recommend using #69 (T70) for thicknesses below a combined 4 ounces. You can fill the gap between 4 - 6 ounces with #92 (T90) thread. Once you exceed 6 ounces you can use #138 thread. The above advice pertains to hiding the "knots" inside the layers so they are not visible from either side. Choose the smallest leather point needle that will do the job. Smaller holes make for tighter stitches and knots that stay inside the layers.

The 9 and 10 inch arms are just hunky dory until you need more room to sew something like a gunbelt with 24 bullet loops, or repair a 2" wide, 1/4" thick tow strap, or make/repair a halter, bridle, saddle or any other item that is longer than a foot to the right of the needle.

That machine was with me about 28 years ago. The best I can recall, I used the longest ribbed domestic belt I could buy. I had the motor mounted high enough on the back that a domestic belt could reach from it to the hand wheel pulley. I would have bought the belt from a sewing machine store. Nowadays, you can buy long stretch belts to reach more distant motors.

You can simply raise the foot as it meets a new layer on top. It will drop down naturally as you leave that layer. The needle feed will offset the natural separation of layers that would otherwise occur. Problem materials can be tacked, taped, stapled, or glued first. When the time and money is right, buy a walking foot machine and sell this one off.

This video, by Atlas Levy, demonstrates the capability of the Consew 223 to sew leather. Note that he is using thin thread, like #69.

You had it right the first time. It is the large screw on the top left. Contact Techsew for further technical assistance. You can damage the machine if you don't know what you are doing.

Try turning the pressure spring adjuster to the right or left. Some of them are bored off center and cause the presser bar to stick in the raised position.

Your photo looks like the feet have been raised by the hand lift lever on the back of the head. Did you forget to lower the lever? Or, did the foot lift chain get twisted around itself, causing the feet to stay lifted?