Wizcrafts

Chrisash; There is something I can pass on to you that worked fairly well for me, with a domestic sewing machine. I used to rebuild and sell old domestic Singer sewing machines in my leather shop (I am inside an antiques mall). There was one class of machine that surpassed all the others I've had for transporting and sewing leather. I am referring to the ancient model 127 and 128 bullet shuttle machines. They had very aggressive teeth on the feed dog, which also had fairly high protrusion. I was able to thread these machines with #92 bonded nylon thread and sew 12 ounces of bridle leather at 5 to the inch. This was using the standard steel foot and cranking down the pressure screw. The feed dog dug in far enough that the leather didn't stall. I don't know if there is a "heavy duty" feed dog available for your 201, but I'd search for one. You will need to replace the throat plate with the feed dog (the slots are wider). They are often sold in kits with new screws. Do that, then try a roller foot.

Not any more. They moved last year to: 405 FM 3083 Rd, Conroe, TX 77301 USA

You haven't upset me. I was steering you away from a non-solution that I tried and found wanting. That's all.

You can buy then rebuilt and is perfect condition directly from the Campbell-Randall Company, in Texas.

You will be wasting your money. If you need a walking foot, buy a walking foot machine with compound feed. The even feed attachments for little household machines are basically nothing burgers. They are meant for quilters.

Frankly, I would limit my needle selection for that machine to #16, 18 and 19. It uses garment system DBx1 needles.

My first industrial sewing machine was a Singer 96k40 and it was not able to sew with anything larger than #69 bonded thread.

I want to point out to people using Singer 15-91 sewing machines to sew leather that replacement motors are expensive. I mention this as a former owner of one I bought and burned out the motor on, trying to sew heavier leather than it was happy with. That was when I decided to get back into leather work, before I started buying walking foot machines again. There is a unique smell when the wiring melts and smokes. This can also happen just sewing cloth if one fails to add the proper viscosity lube/grease to the two lube ports. Some people mistakenly think these are oil ports and fry the motors after oiling them. There is a non-metalic ring gear that goes from the motor output to the machine's main shaft gear. That gear can fracture under load, or even just from age. These machines can be troublesome to rebuild when drive components break or melt.

That is correct. The new top of the line heavy duty Adler machines have a direct drive motor in the body and now Juki is moving in that direction too. This gives the manufacturer total control over sewing direction, speed and needle position without external or third party calculations. There is no doubt that the built-in motor is covered by the Juki dealer's warranty with the original purchaser. It is also possible that said warranty would not follow a used machine to subsequent buyers. This is something to bear in mind if you were to buy such a machine used.

That's a hell of a deal, depending on two things. 1: The cost of the gas for the round trip. 2: If you don't mind tooth marks on the top and bottom of the leather. #1 is what it is. #2 could be a problem because this type of machine has synchronized top and bottom feed - where the outside foot moves with the feed dog while the needle and inside foot only move up and down. The presser and inside foot both have sharp teeth to grip difficult or slippery materials and positively drag them through. This configuration is favored among marine sewing enthusiasts where long sailcloth and boat covers often need to be repaired. If the tooth marks on top will be a problem, ignore that dual feed Juki and restrict your search to a triple/compound feed walking foot machine.

@katit None of my multitudinous Singer sewing machines have reverse. I just spin the work 180 degrees to sew through the previous stitch holes and they line up perfectly. If turning the work it not practical, I just tie off the threads on the back and burn the stubs.

The modification for your motor is a small strip of thin translucent material that has graduated density across the width, running from transparent to dark. It needs to be taped onto the rotating shaft inside the motor assembly to interfere between the light beam and light sensor. Contact Cobra Steve to obtain the filter, which includes instructions. Or, ask him about upgrading to a better controlled motor. The bobbin case is removable and replaceable. But, a whole assembled shuttle is easier to replace.

As a guide, 5mm stitch length is about 5 stitches per inch (25.4mm). That is the ideal stitch length for upholstery, although a longer 6mm would do on some non-critical seams. Anything longer that 4 per inch is inefficient for seat covers. As for resale value of the P-1206R, it is too new to have a known value. This machine sells for about a thousand dollars new. Used one year, it might fetch $500 or $600. The pump in this machine is more efficient than on high speed straight stitch machines.

The closest manual I found covers the Singer 29k62, which is the same generation machine. Get the manual here.

You were supposed to get a foot speed control pedal with the machine. Contact the seller about this. Otherwise, you will have to find a compatible electronic foot pedal that connects to the motor's power socket (between motor and AC source. The motor, floor pedal and double AC socket assemblies are usually sold as a package for about 50 bucks and up. Better motors and controllers can run you a hundred bucks and up.

Are you sure? Did you mean to type: system 134-35?

Automotive leather seating and trim is virtually 100% chrome tanned, unless it is a special order, hand made, carved seat or arm rest cover. That would be the only time veg tan would be used in the "industry." Chrome tanned leather is usually color fast for a very long time (decades), as opposed to veg tan which is UV sensitive. I moved your topic to a more appropriate forum that deals with dyes, finishes and such things.

Walking foot machines using system 135x16 needles can't sew much over 3/8" (~10 - 11 mm). This limit is imposed by the up/down stroke of the needle and alternating height of the feet. When you are sewing 3/8 inch (10mm), the feet need to alternate up and down about 1/8 inch (~3mm). In Metric-speak, that's about 13mm. In order to sew thicker than 3/8", you need a Pfaff model that allows for higher alternating (working) lift and longer , System 190 needles. These needles are about 3/16" longer than System 135.

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.