Wizcrafts

Both are domestic (home) sewing machines and of no use whatsoever for sewing leather. The 99k is a 3/4 size bed machine that followed the Model 128 and preceded the featherweight models. It isn't a bad machine if you stick to sewing cloth only. The model 15 (class 15) is the predecessor of the model 31-15 industrial sewing machine, which is a favorite with European tailors. My Dad used a 31-15 in his tailor shop for over 50 years. Ironically, I own that model too. The machine you should be looking for is mounted on top of a 20" x 48" table, which is bolted onto steel legs, and has a big clutch motor under the table that probably dims the lights when you throw the power switch. Modern machines have an electronic DC servo motor that is much easier to operate and draws much less current. You can retrofit a servo motor onto the table and take the clutch motor to the junk yard. Depending on the type of leather you want to sew, you should either buy a walking foot or roller foot machine. Read my pinned article about the type of sewing machine you need to sew leather. Save up your money because $50 won't even be a deposit on an industrial sewing machine for leather. I've been there and done that.

They are a good company to deal with and buy parts from. However, when they think about sewing leather, it is upholstery, or chap, or garment leather, not dense veg-tan. They are used to supplying machines that sew very fast, because in the garment and upholstery businesses, time is money. This is not the case with holster and knife sheath sewing, where fast = burning/split thread and ruined hand work. Anybody contemplating buying a leather sewing machine from them, or any similar dealer not specializing in leather stitchers, should stipulate that the motor needs a tiny pulley that feeds a speed reducer and that the minimum speed should be under 1 stitch per second, with a maximum speed of about 5 to 9 per second. Anything faster will burn the thread and burnish the holes.

Henry Veenhoven would be the person to ask about this. He lives in or near Toronto and sold Frobana and Junker shoe sole stitchers. He is still a member here, although he last visited us in May, 2017.

If you intend for your next machine to handle #277 thread, stop wasting your time looking at upholstery class machines. You need to focus your attention on the Juki TSC-441 or clones, Adler 205 or clones, or the Singer 45k clones, or needle and awl harness stitchers, or even the Boss hand operated heavy thread sewer..

The problem was caused by his computer's email program view settings that have now been corrected. It had nothing to do with the contact form on the website. Fortunately for LW.N's registered users, we have the use of a private message system. It can be used to send messages to any other member, which can be handy in cases where emails or phone calls go unanswered. To use the Message system, make sure you are logged in, then hover your mouse/trackball pointer over a member's name in the top left of any post (Do Not Click!). A card appears with some user details. On the bottom left is a link labeled: "Message" - which when clicked/tapped opens a "Compose New" private message page with that member's user name filled in to the recipient field. Type a Subject in the Subject field, then type your note in the large Message input field. Attach files as you normally would, from your computer or device, then press the Send button on the bottom right of the form. Smartphone, tablet or other touch screen device users can press-click on the member's user name or icon to open their public profile page. in the middle of the profile page there is a group of three icons, with the center icon being a standard postal envelope, with a tiny pointer on the right of the envelope. Press-click on that center button/icon to open the Compose New (message) page. When done, the Send button is on the bottom left of the form. When a new message arrives in a member's account, an icon on the top of the LW.N page changes color and displays the number of messages awaiting their attention. A notification also gets displayed on the lower section of the web browser. Once they notice the new message alert and read the message, they can reply to you via the same private message system. Please realize that there can be a sizeable delay between the time a message is sent and the recipient is at their computer/device where they normally log into our forum. I hope this helps some of you who may not understand how the forum's message system works. If any of you need help configuring your email clients, send me a private message through our LW.N system.

Most industrial sewing machine and thread dealers sell thread socks. These are flexible nylon socks with open tops and bottoms that you slip over the spool. They are supposed to help keep overly loose thread from falling off the spool and jamming under it. These thread socks are usually sold in a bunch of 6 or more and are not expensive. If the thread was double dyed (usually black), it can become a virtual coil spring. I call this twisty thread and it tends to fold and twist over posts and guides, or even itself. This randomly causes a sudden increase in the top tension. In the worst cases, the results can be fatal to the work, the thread and the needle (I know this from experience). The only way to fix this is to replace that spool of thread and maybe only use that one for winding bobbins. Another thread problem is where the bonding operation is overly aggressive and the thread doesn't want to unwind unless you really pull hard on it off the side. Since the thread stand guides are over the spools, these too tight windings can almost lift the spool up as they unwind. This thread drag really throws off the top tension and can be unpredictable across the length and width of that spool. Sometimes you can overcome this by unwinding and rewinding enough thread to get through the job. A similar lifting problem occurs if the windings are cross threaded and are starting to lock up as they are fed out under the other windings. This sometimes, but not always, happens due to user error. If you discover windings that are under other windings (for whatever reason), try to free up as much thread as you have the patience to dink with. Rewind it carefully to avoid crossing under previous windings. You may get past the cross threaded section and save that spool. Anybody can get faulty spools of thread at any time. I usually contact the seller and ask if I can get a replacement. Photos or videos of the problem may be needed as proof.

Please post a good closeup photo, or two, of your round knife. Nothing much sells here without clear photos. Also let folks know your location and what currency you accept and methods of payment. Items shipped to the US from Asia may be subject to import duty.

I use a #24 needle when I sew with #207 (210) thread. But, if you only have the 207 on top, a #23 will do. Using the bigger needle makes it easier for the take-up lever to do its thing. This means you can reduce the tensions and still balance the knots. Less top tension usually means less breaking of the thread. Frankly, I would use #138 thread when sewing 8 ounces of leather. It is strong enough for that thickness and can be sewn with a #22 needle. As for the appearance of the holes, try using S point needles. Bob Kovar just got some in stock in system 135x16. The typical leather points used in the walking foot system are diamond/triangle point which poke a bigger hole.

You should be using either a #22 (140) or #23 (160) round point needle with #138 bonded thread in canvas. The #23 pokes a bigger hole and makes it easier to pull the knots up. (Leather point needles are only for use in leather, not canvas, cloth or webbing.) You absolutely should be able to loosen or tighten the bobbin spring tension. If the knots are always on the bottom and you are using a #22 or 23 needle, loosen the bobbin tension spring action by backing off the screw nearest the hole where the thread comes out of the bobbin case. Make sure there is sufficient top tension to pull the bottom thread up on the upstroke. It takes more top pressure than bobbin pressure to pull the knots up. Make sure there is enough foot pressure to keep the material from lifting with the needle.

I timed one of those a month or so ago and set the needle to the center to time the hook. Then I verified that it still picked off the thread at the extremes of the zig zag throw.

The table should be 20" x 48", with steel legs and a (probably clutch) motor underneath. The head sits in a cutout in the table and has two tilt clamps on the back, for tilting it back to remove the vbelt. With the belt off the 50+ pound head can be lifted off the table. The top of the table will probably have a thread stand and flex lamp and a bobbin winder. If you need to remove the thread stand, you will need a flat blade screwdriver for sure and possibly a Philips driver. The motor will be bolted onto the table with nuts that may have SAE or Metric heads, ranging from 1/2" to 5/8", or 12mm to 18mm. Bring open end wrenches. The motor will have wiring clamped to the table bottom, leading to a switch box that will need to be unscrewed and removed.

The reverse lever on an LU-563 floats the feed mechanism towards you, shortening the stitch length until it reverses completely.

As Tom said, slightly raising the feet lets you cheat the stitch length. The smooth top feed dog on the Cowboy/Cobra/Techsew 441 machines makes it easier to do this.

According to ISMACS, her machine is one of 2000 built on September 6, 1939.

Use a silver or gold gel ink pen (from Hobby Lobby, etc) to place a dot at the exact point where the needle has to go at the tip. As you approach the turn slow down, hand wheel the machine and stretch or compress the stitch length to force the needle to hit that point. It will cover the ink if done correctly. With the needle buried in the point hole, wheel just enough to raise the needle about 1/4 inch. Raise the feet just enough to clear the leather, with the floor lifter pedal. Turn the work and continue sewing. I assume you are using an edge guide, so I didn't mention it.

Try reducing the tension or travel of the check spring. Consult your manual for how to do this, or Google it.

I will address your concerns about the CB4500, as I own one. The CB4500 has the capability of sewing from about 6 ounces (with thin #92 thread) up to about 56 ounces (~ 7/8 inch). Both extremes require some tweaking. I already wrote a blog article explaining how to dumb down a Cowboy CB4500 to sew thin material with thin thread. The other end is not really explained yet. I will tell you the basic path I took to sew a holster that was just shy of an inch thick. The alternating lift of the inside and outside feet is usually set fairly high to clear new layers of 8-10 ounce leather. The higher the lift of the feet, the more you lose at the very top end of sewing capacity. So, my first step was to reduce the lift to the machine's minimum setting (done on the back). This resulted in an alternating lift of under 1/8 inch. I used the standard low throat plate and feed dog, but I lowered the fully raised position of the teeth to just be level with the top of the throat plate. I used the standard double toe outside foot and the movable sliding edge guide to set the distance to the needle at a 1/4 inch from the beveled edge. I replaced my standard pressure spring with a heavier duty spring Bob Kovar mailed to me. The standard spring was a tad lacking for such a thick stack of veg-tan leather. I understand that the CB4500s now ship with the heavier spring if you request it up front. That spring got cranked almost all the way down to keep the feet from lifting with the big needle and thread payload. I ordered diamond point needles in size 25 and used #277 thread. All that remained was balancing the height of the knots and the stitch length. This combination allowed me to sew a 7/8 inch+ holster at 5 to the inch without cutting the threads as I crossed over them to lock them in. Also, the diamond point holes caused the thread to sit more on the surface for a better appearance, unlike the S points that submerge the edges of the thread and shorten the stitch length visually. Here is that holster.

Hightex Special Sewing Machine (China) owns the Hightex and Cowboy brand names. Cowboy USA is their preferred brand sold in the USA. The company's website is www.cowboysew.com

I have a blue body Singer 29k172 long arm machine that says Made In Japan on the tag on the back. I almost bought a Singer 22U with a blue body that also said it was made in Japan. It might be that the Japanese built Singers had blue bodies to distinguish them from those made in the USA or UK.

I bought a slotted inner foot and a short left toe presser foot set for my Singer 139w109 walking foot machine from Leather Machines Company (aka: Cobra).

I am on my 3rd skiver right now. It is a Fortuna, bottom feed only, and works well, if I don't mess up the clearances. The most important clearance is between the right side of the foot and the blade. Of course, the blade needs to be sharp to be effective and be deburred. Choosing the best feeder makes a big difference in the quality of the feeding of the material. My machine came with both a serrated steel and an abrasive stone wheel. The steel wheel is best used with veg-tan leather. The stone wheel tends to slip under veg-tan, but has positive feed for garment and chrome tanned leather and vinyl. I keep the blade close to the foot on soft leathers and farther away for veg. Keep the machine oiled. I ended up putting a servo motor under my skiver table. As long as the blade is really sharp, it cuts at slow speeds as well as fast rotations. Cutting slowly leads to better flow control and less eating of the leather.

The machine is a chainstitch post machine using a needle and awl system with a jump foot. It is used to sew golf bags, rifle bags and similar objects. It should not be used where the bottom thread is visible or exposed to chafing. Because it produces a looped chainstitch, there is no bobbin used. The chain needs to be secured by sewing across it, or by using wax on the thread to lock the thread in place. Most companies using these run either hot or liquid wax in the waxpot. It works best with linen thread, preferably, Barbour's Irish linen thread (over $50 a pound).

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines has a videos page that has a video showing how to thread a CB4500 (and related models) and others demonstrating how to sew different items on it. The links load the selected video into a frame on the page.

I own a first generation Singer 31-15 from the early 1920s and I can tell you without hesitation that is cannot handle #138 thread in its shuttle. In fact, I am limited to a max of #69 thread. It sews about 1/4 inch of compressed soft material and is best used as a tailoring and alterations machine for cloth and linings. The take-up links and needlebar mounts are not strong enough to withstand the pounding that sewing veg-tan leather would place on them. A much later generation of the 31-15 can probably sew with #138 thread. I know some folks who use later builds to sew chaps and shoe uppers.

This section of the LW.N forum is for discussing leather sewing machine capabilities and their suitability for particular types of projects. Please visit our Market Place section of the forum where there is a sub-section for buying and selling new/rebuilt and old sewing machines. Most posted on Leatherworker.net are leather sewing machines with various capabilities.