Wizcrafts

Bob; We have a friend who owns a small 3D printer. He burned some leather stamps (H.D.) for us in different types of plastic stock. The first one was not deep enough and was too soft. The shallow letters bent after two tries in moistened leather. The next stamp had much deeper letters (~1/8") and was made with a tougher plastic stock. This stamp has promise. I still hope to see if he can print with Delrin or something similar. Delrin stamps that we had made by a machine shop hold up really well. The bottom line is use cheaper plastic strands to get in the ballpark, then print the final product with the toughest plastic that is practical for your printer's heat/efficiency ratings. Any printed letter or figure stamping dies may need to be about 1/8 inch deep

Sorry for the misunderstanding. I did some research and learned that 30/3 thread is close to the diameter of T60, which is a non-standard size. That means it is slightly thinner than b69 (T70).

Post machines allow you to sew in any direction by rotating the work. They are about the only type of machine that lets you sew across the outside bottom of a bag to secure straps. I've used them to make and repair hats. I have a friend that makes custom shoes and uses a post machine for sewing partially shaped uppers. Some of the older Singer post machines were purpose built with fixed short stitch lengths (especially those intended to sew decorative stitches on shoes). This might be a limiting factor if you unknowing buy a used machine like that. I had to pass on one selling for $250 with a fixed length of about 24 stitches per inch. I wouldn't even look at a post machine that doesn't let you change the stitch length to 5 per inch by turning a knob or moving a lever. Another thing about the old post machines is that some are limited in their thread size capacity to no more than #69 bonded thread, or less. This would be a negative factor for sewing bags that would require #92 or #138 bonded thread for structural integrity. As you alluded to, parts can be a problem for very old post machines. Some parts can only be had by salvaging them from another similar model machine. That is if a salvage machine can be obtained. The Chinese after-parts network doesn't usually include parts for ancient and obscure sewing machines. Those that are made may or may not fit properly (as in patcher drive gears) without alteration (file, grinder, buffer, Emery cloth, etc), or at all. Old reconditioned post bed machines can be found selling for around $1300, complete with a motor and table. Private sellers may let them go for much less to get rid of them (circa $800 - $1000). Ancient Singer roller foot machines can be found selling for under $600 all set up, as is. Modern post machines are usually more flexible in thread handling and stitch length specs. I've seen as few at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines that can easily pass #138 thread at longer than 5 per inch. But, they cost at least $2000. Pfaff and Juki make really nice, full featured post machines, but prepare to pay accordingly. Feed systems Post machines come in several different types of feed with the most prominent being a roller foot, which provides maximum visibility of the needle. Variants of that are the common bottom driven only, or top and bottom gear driven rollers. The latter is more expensive and has more moving parts. Another system is compound feed walking feet, which you are aware of and is best for climbing over layers. Last, there are flat foot bottom driven post machines which work fine on mostly flat surfaces. If you are in business, get the best, most recently built machine you or your bank can afford. You don't want down time from a 70 or 80 year old machine that needs a part that is made of unobtanium.

Somebody has misled you regarding the thread size capacities of these two machines. The maximum for the Adler would be #138 and for the Singer, about #92. That 30/3 is 3 plies of thin cotton twisted together. It would resemble button hole thread at the most. Here is a thread and needle chart to help you with thread sizes vs dimensions.

There is a long history of people customizing their machines, as well as their guns.

Recently, we have had some very interesting and technical discussions about laser cutters and 3D printers. Some discussions were under the Leather Machinery category and others were under Leather Sewing Machines. Neither is the correct place for computerized printers and laser cutters. So, we have created a new category under the Fabrication forum, labeled: 3D Printers and Lasers (click the link to go to this sub-forum). I hope that anybody using or interested in using these technologies will partake of this new resource. Not only equipment is being discussed, but also software, drawing techniques (C.A.D.), file formats and online drawing file repositories. So, instead of posting about 3D and lasers in this forum, please visit the new category linked to above.

Johanna and I have created this new category under Fabrication for people to discuss computer driven 3D printers, engravers, mills and laser cutters. You can also share information about software, drawing tablets, file formats, apps and shared CAD file resources. I have moved some existing topics into this forum to get it going. If you are not yet a member of Leatherworker.net and want to join the discussions, please sign up to become a member! It's free to join. If you do, please fill in the details field for your location. At this time, this is not a place for selling equipment. Please post any equipment for sale somewhere under the Marketplace section of LWN. Thank you in advance. Enjoy!

You can do that if the required pinion gear is mounted inside the head, by the opening for the wheel, and a shaft comes out of a housing. Otherwise the cost of the parts may be as much as you paid for the machine itself. The entire top shaft would have to come out to install the gear for the side wheel drive. Further, you may have some interference from the wheel with certain work you are sewing. It sticks out well into the arm area.

This is an ad for a machine for sale, so it has been moved to the appropriate section of sewing machines for sale

Uwe, the Mitzi it is a DU-105.

The Consew 206RB-5 is manually oiled and has a safety clutch that protects the hook in case of a thread jam in the shuttle. It is an excellent upholstery class walking foot machine.

I have never used a #90 needle in a walking foot machine. But, I also don't use thread thinner than #69/T70 bonded nylon. The standard needle size for this thread is #18/110. You didn't specify the size of thread you are using, but if a #90 is ratting it, chances are that a #110 will give a much better result.

Perhaps this video will help you decide if the Mitsubishi is right for you.

Check the entire thread path to see if there is any binding between the spool and eye of the needle. Sometimes thread is twisty and forms knots or tight loops that can get jammed as the thread tries to pass through a guide.

You should start buying 135x16 leather point needles. They are made with different shapes of points. I have slicing tapered chisel and diamond/triangle point leather needles. The slicing points cut a longer hole that is oval in shape with very sharp ends. This causes the ends of the thread to be submerged slightly and gives the appearance of shorter stitches than are actually being sewn. Diamond point needles let the thread lay on the surfaces and make the stitches appear longer, just like round point needles do. Then there are the right and left twist angled chisel points that can cause an offset of the stitches one way or the other (like hand sewing).

Those x17 needles are round, not leather point and may cause heat and grabbing problems. The ones you want are 135x16.

There are some significant differences between servo motors. The most commonly sold types in North America are spring loaded carbon brushes and brushless. The motors with brushes tend to have more torque at slower speeds than a similarly rated brushless motor that has the same pulley size. All that I have bought come with an extra pair of brushes. The brush servos I currently own all have speed controls via either a potentiometer or rotary multi-position switch. The brushless motor I have mounted under my Fortuna skiver has a two push button system for changing speed, direction and ramp up parameters (I hate this system!).

Aaron, it could be that your timing is retarded a bit. Check it out by following these few steps... Sew a few stitches in the normal direction, to lock the thread into the leather. Use about 6 stitches per inch (spi) Hand wheel until the needle reaches BDC (bottom dead center) and begins to rise and the top thread loop is just being picked off by the tip of the hook, then stop. Visually check the position of the take-up lever. It should be near the bottom of its travel. Continue watching the take-up lever as you slowly hand wheel the machine a small amount. Stop when the take-up lever is at its BDC position. Now look at the bobbin case/shuttle and note the position of the top thread that is passing around the case. If the top end to hook timing is spot on, the top thread should be half way around the shuttle and bobbin case with the take-up at the BDC position. If the take-up has not yet reached BDC, the timing is retarded. If it has passed BDC and started up, it is advanced. If the above is the case, the hook position needs to be fine tuned one way or the other until the top thread is half way around the shuttle with the take-up at BDC. Your machine is probably more forgiving in normal direction sewing than in reverse. Also, the longer the stitch length, the more critical the static timing becomes. If you need to retime the hook, do so with the stitch length lever in the zero feed position (only moves up and down, about halfway between forward and reverse stitching)

I currently use Family Sew FS-550 servo motors that I bought from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines (now labeled FL-550). They are powerful and have a rotary switch that sets the top speed. This is really useful if you can't afford to make any stitch line mistakes by accidentally flooring the pedal. Both were specially retrofitted with very small pulleys that further reduce the top speed while multiplying the torque at all speeds. This is especially important if you dial down the max speed. Previously, I used Sew Pro 500GR servo motors which were great. However, a few years ago, that Chinese company closed with no warning.

I am using them in our 111w103 and they work perfectly. the stitch line is good and tight with a slight offset. I may also try them in one of my patchers, although those top feed machines really need titanium coated needles to counteract leather tape, contact cement and the inevitable lifting of soft leather and vinyl items I need to sew. For those who don't own a patcher these statements may seem curious. The machines called patchers are fed by the presser foot alone, which can be rotated through 360 degrees. There is a sometimes significant gap between the legs on the foot and a centered needle. Since there is nothing pressing down directly around the needle, soft materials and leather pucker as the needle makes its upward jog to form the loop for the hook to pick off. When the leather (material) puckers upwards the loop can decrease in size, often leading to skipped stitches. Counteracting this lifting/skipping problem is an ongoing fight for some patcher owners. As a rule, these machines sew more reliably into stiff leather than chap or garment leather. The saving grace when sewing on embroidered patches is the stiffness of the patch. This stabilizes the soft leather and lining in the vest or jacket and usually prevents skipped stitches. One can also counteract the lifting tendency by keeping liquid silicon in the wax pot that is usually present on the top of the patcher's body. Just make sure there is felt inside the pot, with holes punched to clear excess lube off the outgoing threads.

I use #69 for wallet interiors and then #92, or possibly #138, to combine them with the back (depending on total thickness). Since most of my wallets are as thin as possible, #92 thread is large enough to sew the back to the interior. I would say to try it with #92, using a #19 needle.

I fixed you email addy.

Jerry; Does your machine have a long torsion spring along the back, with a thumbscrew adjustable sliding block on the head side of it? If so, check that sliding block to see if somebody has added material to the top of it. The top of the block makes contact with a lever, which is what determines the amount of lift of the foot as you sew. The lift is increased by moving it towards the flywheel and decreased by moving it towards the head side. There needs to be a little clearance between the top of the block and the lever that lifts the foot.

I think that the Leather Machinery forum might be a better place to discuss laser cutters. If there are no objections, I will be happy to move this topic to that forum. What say you?

Here are the Google search results for the complete term: vintage sewing machines forum