Wizcrafts

Watch for a Singer 45k, or a Juki TSC-441 or an Adler 205-374. These were the cream of the crop until the clones took over the market (Cowboy, Cobra, Techsew, etc). Artisan has made or sold some really heavy duty cylinder arm machines over the years. Other than the above, the Ferdinand Bull series machines could sew with #346 thread, as can the hard to find Number 9 and Luberto Classic cylinder arm machines. I tried out an Adler 105 and found it wanting for thread handling capacity. A 205 is the better way to go for #346 thread. When I went through the searching for a heavy duty machine period in my career, I ended up with a Union Lockstitch machine. It could handle any size thread I could buy and sewed a solid 3/4 inch of leather, or wood and leather combination. I kind of wish I'd kept it just to hear the racket and feel the floor shake as I ran it at full speed (wax or lube flying in every direction, smoke from the awl, etc; fun stuff).

A patcher is not a production sewing machine. It is for sewing on patches and mending things (shoe uppers, purses, tabs on bags, small zippers in pouches). Even the large bobbin model doesn't hold very much thread. Mind you, no leather repair shop can be without a patcher for very long. The need will arise sooner or later. Also, the patchers don't have any convenient means of installing an edge guide. The foot is held in place by a curved torsion spring on the top of the revolving bushing, with backup provided by a thumb screw on the front of the head that locks the revolving busing in place. Sometimes that screw isn't there, leaving the foot direction fairly easily turned as you sew. You pretty much have to gouge a sewing channel to keep the stitches inline. If you can only afford one machine to start, get a medium duty walking foot, cylinder arm machine. As money rolls in you can add a flatbed walking foot machine, then a post bed machine, then a patcher, then a 441 clone for the serious work. But, if you are making holsters, start with a long arm 441 clone and work your way down.

@Deryk My own experience is that once people find out that you have big sewing machines, work will come to you. My current leather business is about 50% sewing and repairs.

Yes! The Consew 206RB machines love #138 thread. Just use a #23 needle for the best results. You can also use a #22 needle, but the hole will be tighter and it will take more top tension to pull the knots up.

Here's what you need to know before buying such a machine. The specs claim it can sew from 3 ounces up to 7/8 inch. That is a huge range of thicknesses requiring a wide range of needles, thread and tension settings. The machine is a Juki 441 clone, using System 7x3 (round point for cloth and webbing), 7x4 and 794 (leather slicing or diamond point) needles. Sewing thin material and hiding/burying the lockstitch "knots" requires very thin thread and needles. Sewing 3 ounces would call for #69 bonded thread and a #18 (110) needle. The needles used by that machine are about 2 3/4" long. There are few or no leather point needles normally stocked by dealers in North America below #23 (160) in System 794. Number 18 (round point) needles in system 7x3 are very easily deflected and will break if deflected into metal. Ask me how I know this! When you reach 5-6 ounces you can use #92 thread and a #19 needle. This is the bare minimum I recommend sewing on a 441 clone. Both of the above thread sizes require low tension on the tension disks and the moving check spring and more tension on the bobbin spring. 441 clones, like the 3200, are normally adjusted to sew with very heavy thread, using huge needles, into thick stacks of leather under very high spring tensions and foot pressure. Such tension will distort thin material/leather or even pull it down into the feed dog or throat plate slot. It takes time (and sometimes tools) to dumb down the machine to effectively sew thin material with thin needles and thread. If you have to sew seams that are 16 ounces thick, you should use #207 or #277 thread, with a #24 or #25 leather point needle. The tensions need to be tightened up for this.

This has morphed beyond my wildest dreams. When I last read this topic it was about an Indonesian sewing machine dealer/reseller/lead getter. Now, it's discussing table top attachments. :-(

You can get a good used Campbell Randall in Texas, direct from the company!

I just realized that you used a tag in the subject for the company. I looked them up and they are indeed a real company, located in Indonesia. Are you also in Indonesia? Your profile says nothing about where you live (please update it)

Semi-automated sewing machines are targeted at factories that produce thousands of items per day. The automatic features speed up production and reduce downtime. High initial cost is irrelevant because capital equipment assets are written off (in full starting in 2018). It is likely that after testing one automated stitcher, the factory will order a lot more, along with a service contract. Hobbyists and small shops don't need these features and won't care to pay for them..

Campbell-Randall is a business. You should be asking this question via the contact form, or email address, or phone number listed on their website.

What company? I don't see one listed in your question.

Depending on its age and amount of wear in the moving parts, it would be a good upholstery/garment/chap leather machine and can even sew leather belts and webbing straps. The maximum thread size is #138 and if properly adjusted, it can sew up to at least 5/16" and possibly 3/8". It uses the same bobbin as the Singer 111.

Unlikely, but possible. These 3/8" belts are mostly used on industrial sewing machines.

Only if that store stocks type 3L v-belts. They are 3/8inch wide at the top. Most auto belts are 4L, or 1/2 inch wide. This is way too wide for industrial sewing machine pulleys.

For the Consew 277 and 227 models, the recommended maximum thread size is 138 and needle size 23. However, the narrow arm model 277 is best limited to #92 thread, with a #20 needle. It's not that heavy duty.

All of the sewing machine dealers who advertise (top banners) with us have these speed reducers, as well as type 3L v-belts and different sizes of motor pulleys for various diameter shafts. The reducer has a mounting bracket that screws into the bottom of the table, next to the cutout for the belt. You feed one belt to from the motor to the large pulley and another longer belt up from the smallest reducer pulley to the machine pulley. The motor's positioning adjuster bolt is used to set the slack in its belt. The reducer mount has bolts that let you move it vertically a little to tension the top belt.

You could buy a 3:1 speed reducer and a couple of new v-belts. This would divide the motor speed by 3 and multiply the torque by the same ratio. Alternately, if the motor pulley is over 2", see about replacing it with one that is under 2" diameter. If the original pulley is 4", a 2" pulley will cut the speed in half and double the torque. A shorter v-belt will be needed for a smaller pulley.

Uwe had a Pfaff compound feed walking foot post machine for sale last year. You might want to ask him if he still has it. Otherwise, post a WTB in our used sewing machines section of the Marketplace.

It looks like it will be a really tight fit for a roller foot. Maybe you can get a small roller instead of the large one. If possible, remove the 1 inch roller and install a 3/4" roller in its place. The extra 1/4 inch could make all the difference in the World. Plan B: You can buy a roller equipped, slotted presser foot for industrial straight stitch machines. I bought one for my Singer 31-15. The slot will let the needle feed the leather and the rollers will be in contact with the feed dog teeth.

According to the CB3200 product page, its class 441 bobbins are bigger than those used in the Singer 45k and its clones (13/16" x 1 1/8" outside ). They are the same as the bobbins in a CB4500 and Juki TSC-441. These 441 style bobbins (7/8" x 1" outside) hold significantly more thread of any given size than an M style bobbin (0.435" x 1.023" outside). The needles used in the CB341 and Cobra 26 are system 135x16/17, which are the standard length walking foot needles. They are about 1 3/4 inches long. By contrast, the CB3200 needles are about 2 3/4 inches long. Sewing an actual 1/2 inch is stretching it for a traditional walking foot machine with system 135x16/17 needles. The height of the needle bar and timing have to be dead on the money to sew 1/2 inch and not have fatal contact between the bottom of the needle bar and top of the feet. A Cb3200 is loafing at that height and has a long enough needle that it won't hit the presser feet at the bottom of the needle bar travel, with 1/2 inch of leather under the feet. The M bobbin machines are best limited to using #138 thread. You can get away with #207 thread if the clearances are tweaked to allow that thread to clear the shuttle, latch opener and throat plate shuttle securing notch.

This pictured machine has dual feed (outside foot and feed dog). It is meant for sewing cloth or webbing, not leather.

Most new CB4500 and some other 441 clones that feature harness feet also ship with an extra set of large presser feet known as blanket feet. These extra wide feet have teeth on the bottom than can be ground off, then polished to smooth the edges. Alternately, the teeth can be filled in with rubber compound or liquid steel. The wide footprint would greatly reduce the imprinting in the leather. Even if you ground off the right toe, there would be more metal on the work than the harness feet provide. FYI: The blanket feet and matching feed dog are similar to the original equipment on a Juki TSC-441. They were used to help feed heavy cloth and webbing items and buffing wheels. The teeth provide positive grip.

Until you find a lighter duty spring, you can use a sander or grinder to remove a couple links from the existing pressure spring. This will make it shorter and give you more adjustment upwards and may even lighten the pressure enough to stop marking the leather.

Dave; I'm sorry to report that the link you provided is to the main company website, in Ontario, California, USA. All prices are in USD, as I expected. If there is a different URL to a Canadian affiliate, please correct your link.

The more I think about it, the more I suspect that you should be using #138 thread, if you can bury the knots. This should not be a problem if you're using 4-5 ounce upholstery leather. This will provide 22 pounds test per stitch, which is great for auto upholstery. The required thread strength is dependent on the stress the seams will be subject to. If you are using 3-4 ounce leather, stick with #92 thread, top and bottom. Use a fairly long stitch length, around 4 1/2 to no more than 5 per inch. This will avoid perforating the leather when it's under stress.