Wizcrafts

Something has to stop the thread in the needle down position in order for the loop to form. It may well be the flat spring you outlined. That's sorta kinda like the function of the paddle spring on a 29k needle bar.

My Union Lockstitch machines had raised throat plates that allowed me to get really close to buckles, even center bar types. You could probably have one made that is just long enough to let the needle and awl move the leather, then drop off fore and aft.

So, you have a flat throat plate on it? Is there a raised plate (stirrup) available, or can one be fabbed?

A 441 clone is not the best machine for sewing canvas, or cuffs, or even 6 ounce leather. That is the realm of the medium duty walking foot, upholstery class machines. A cylinder arm machine is great for circular and vertically curved or shaped work. But, for items that are lengthy, floppy, or have all flat seam surfaces, a flat bed machine is easier to use. I always sew large flat objects on a flat bed machine, folding the excess on the right side up into the harp area. Sewing the same items on a cylinder arm machine is a royal PITA. Finally, the machine I linked to is within the O.P's budget.

I think you may be looking for a machine like the Consew P-1206RB. It seems to be spec'd exactly as you described.

You're either going to have to switch to running linen thread through liquid bees wax (e.g.: Sellari's Stitching Wax), or find a check spring assembly and figure out how to mount it on the face plate, before the take-up lever. Perhaps it could replace that lower left roller. The thread needs to be double or triple wrapped around the top roller to get any top tension at all. That roller is meant to grab waxed linen thread. Bonded poly probably just slips on it.

What machine are you now using to sew these buckles? Can you show a pix of the buckle you have problems sewing, under the foot?

I don't recall seeing anybody mention this before, including me, but, are you inserting the needle all the way up in the clamp, with the ribbed side on the left and the cutout scarf over the eye on the right?

First, loosen the screw holding the unit in the body and pull it out slightly. See if the disks tighten as you pull it out of the housing. If so, the culprit could be the push rod in the body that causes the tension to release. Or, the metal tab it pushes against could be bent too far inwards, or even reversed. There should be free play in that thin rod before it hits the tension release plate. That should only happen when you lift the feet manually, or via the knee lever. Otherwise, the disks should close completely and be tensionable via the beehive spring. I think you should consider ordering a complete replacement top tension unit.

If those thread loops are the bobbin thread coming out the top, increase the bobbin tension. If that is the top thread coming out on the bottom, increase the top tension. Also, I recommend downsizing to #69 thread, top and bobbin, with a #18 needle.

Lowering the needle bar to accommodate short needles has the consequence of endangering the bottom of the needle bar thread guide and tops of the presser and alternating feet. Compensating by lowering the height and lift of the feet means less sewing thickness capacity under the feet.

Are you wanting to sew forward as far as possible towards the buckle and back up, or sew across the leather to close the buckle in? If you want to sew up to the buckle and back, a single left toe, or double toe "harness foot set" on a 441 clone will do that. To also sew across the plane of the buckle, the left only toe foot will place the needle within 1/8 inch of the tightly folded leather. Any throat plate you get with that machine will do. I use a Cowboy CB4500 for these kinds of jobs. I also use it to sew holsters, gun belts, knife and axe sheathes, bridles, saddle fleece relines, belts, et al. I have a good friend who uses a Cobra Class 4 to sew all of the commercial leather goods he sells, including holsters, rifle slings and guitar straps. These machines come stock with a narrow harness foot set. You can also get very close to buckles if you have a Union Lockstitch or Campbell Lockstitch machine with a short toe foot.

You can file or sand off a little amount of threads on the end of the locking screw #1. That will allow it to tighten the blade with the head parallel to the ground, if you take off just the right amount. Hit and miss filing. The sideways screw pitch adjustments should let you get a clean, straight cut. If you find you cannot master this tool, consider returning it and getting an all wood strap cutter that uses a razor blade.

You are going to need fresh oil and maybe a new gasket. Since CowboyBob is going to look for spare parts for you, consider ordering a gallon of the proper sewing machine oil from him. He also has needles and thread for your machine. I've been buying sewing machines, supplies and motors from Toledo Industrial since 2011. Your serial number comes up as made in 1940.

I used to have two Singer post machines looking this this one, that had black bodies and roller feet. I was able to get a little longer than 6 to the inch; almost 5, using no more than #69 bonded thread. I made leather biker caps on them. They also had the end knob on a tapered shaft to change stitch length. Probably a different model or sub-class

If they're like me, they're home sick.

You might try calling their local phone number: (936) 539-1400

There are NO new Singer industrial sewing machines available. They sold the business name and assets a long time ago. Any Singer sewing machine you buy is either used, as is, or rebuilt to some degree. So, although a particular machine is based on a Singer design and patent, it is likely much improved over the original. The more current the model/sub-model, the greater the improvement. Thus, Consew uses a -(number) naming system to specify the iteration of that series (e.g.; 206RB-5 is much newer and improved than a straight 206RB). Machines with oil pumps are not meant for slow speed operation, with the exception of at least the new Consew P-1206RB. It has an integral oil pump that is strong enough to lubricate most of the machine at slow speeds, if the dealer makes an adjustment before shipping it out. The end plate moving parts may still need a few manually applied drops of oil every now and then.

While this diversion into old domestic iron body machines has been fun, it is not useful for people wanting to seriously sew leather. I encourage anybody who is thinking about getting their first sewing machine, with sewing leather in mind, to read my pinned topic about The Type Of Sewing Machine You Need To Sew Leather.

The motor is a fixed speed clutch motor. Maybe you can teach yourself to feather the clutch; maybe not. The only way to slow it down would be to change the pulley to a smaller size. This would have the unintended consequence of slowing down the oil pump, leading to premature failure of the machine. The pump must spin very fast to distribute the oil to all the extremities. Unless you plan to sew garments for a living, this is money thrown to the wind. You will regret it every time you touch the pedal and it rips off 60 stitches before you know what's happening. I set up a Singer 241 for a sewing school a few years ago. The only way the ladies could control it was to set the stitch length to the tiniest setting of about 30 per inch.

This needle and thread size chart should answer your question.

The cool looking, black bodied, beautifully detailed Singer 27/127 and 28/128 machines that I had and sold were built between 1895 and 1905. They are the descendants of the scalloped bed VS models from the late 1890s. The last one to go was from May, 1902. The only way to get genuine parts for them is off a salvage machine of the same type. However, aftermarket bobbins and slide plates are still available and seem to fit okay. There is no reverse on these old iron Singer sewing machines. That feature didn't come along for a very long time, well into the 20th Century. I still have a White Rotary machine for sale, but nobody wants it. The usual reason is that the hand wheel is driven clockwise by a tiny rubber pulley on the motor. The teensie, spring loaded friction drive has very little driving power, except once the machine is already in motion. If you try to start sewing into an 8 ounce veg tan belt, the roller usually just spins while the wheel stays stationary. It is strictly for sewing cloth garments. Regarding the Singer 241 machines, are you aware that they are factory machines meant to sew cloth at extremely high speed? The machine sits on top of an oil pan and gasket and has a pump to distribute the oil as the machine spins happily along at about 60+ stitches per second.

Au contraire! There are usually two, if not three adjustments that can be made to a sewing machine check spring. Those include travel, tautness and loop size. I'm not a professional sewing machine mechanic so I don't know how much adjustment your check spring allows. Consult a parts or user's manual, or contact a professional industrial sewing machine dealer who deals with Consew.

For a while I was selling refurbished old iron body Singer sewing machines. The only ones I found suitable for sewing belt thickness leather were the models 27, 127, 28 and 128. They have tricky bobbins to wind, but easily handle #69 bonded thread, due to their oscillating bullet shuttle design. Any of these models could sew 5 stitches per inch into 9 ounces of bridle leather due to the aggressive teeth on the feed dogs.

That machine is fine for hobby/household sewing. It is certainly not a leather stitcher, per say. I wouldn't use it to sew any leather items for sale to customers.