Wizcrafts

I found a manual for the Bauer Harness Machine. Better still, here is a YouTube video somebody posted showing how to thread a 1919 Bauer Harness Stitching Machine.

Here is a pdf describing the Seiko SSH series machines

I needed silver bonded nylon thread in #346 for a holster job. The only place I could find it was Superior Thread. I have occasional jobs where the customer asks for Harley Orange thread. I found mine in #207, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. I also buy various shades of brown and beige there, in sizes 69 through 346. Sometimes I get heavily lubricated bonded nylon thread from Weaver Leather. It so heavily lubed that it drips as you sew! When I had my last needle and awl Union Lockstitch Machine, I bought heavily bonded #346 polyester thread from Campbell Randall, from whom I also bought 4, 5 and 6 cord Barbour's Irish Linen Thread, in left twist, and liquid Lax Wax. When all else fails there are always fleabay thread suppliers.

135x17 is a non-leather point, cloth and vinyl sewing needle.

If that is the actual correct model number (23-4), the machine is for bartacking button holes and nothing more. It can sew them into both cloth and leather. It is not a cobbler's machine, nor a sewing machine for normal lockstitch work.. OTOH, if it is a 29-4, it is a cobbler's machine. Post a picture or two and you will get a better answer.

That motor was the SewPro 500GR (I have one). About 3 or 4 years ago, after changing the metal the body was made of to aluminum and cutting the top speed in half, causing all manner of problems and complaints from users and dealers, the employees at the factory that built nothing but that motor went out for lunch and never returned.

The big needle and awl machines can sew through coins and up to 1/2 inch of wood. Campbell Randall has a video of their Campbell Lockstitch machine sewing a penny to a business card, on top of about a 3/8" stack of leather. The awls are solid steel. The machine goes ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa at the breakneck speed of about 3 stitches per second. I can imagine it being used to perforate metal sheeting for artistic purposes.

Feed dogs are usually only held onto the fork with two very small machine screws. The pressure exerted by the presser foot/feet on the feed dogs can loosen them over time. The higher the foot pressure, the more likely they are to loosen up and move out of specs. Tightening feed dog screws can be a challenge. I keep a very long (10"), narrow blade, big handle screwdriver for working on both the throat plate and feeder screws. I find it best to remove the faceplate from the head in order to get the best possible angle on the feeder screws. If the feed dog screws are allowing it to move around, tighten them as much as possible.

Adler discontinued the 205-370 in January of 2015, when they released the model 969 ECO. There are probably a few new 205s with some dealers around the World. But, most of the remaining stock has been sold. So, one would probably need to purchase a used machine. Adler replacement parts are extraordinarily expensive.

If the guitar straps have brown or black suede splits on the back, a bottom feed machine won't be a problem. Nobody will notice tooth marks in dark suede. Jimi's Singer can probably handle up to #277 thread (Tkt 10) without any problems. The bobbin should be large enough to let you sew about 7 or 8 straps per full bobbin load (with Tkt 10), and even more if you run #207 thread (Tkt 15) in the bobbin. Jimi, is that a 132 series machine? I used to own a 132k6 that looked a lot like your machine. A Singer 132k6 has a very large, vertical axis, round bobbin. It's at least twice the size of a Juki LU bobbin and holds a lot of heavy thread. If I recall correctly, those machines have a maximum stitch length of 2 to the inch - or about 12.5mm length and can sew with a #25 or even a #26 needle.

Somebody has removed the stitch length/direction lever from the vertical slot above the stickers. You will need to buy a new lever and have it installed in order to change the stitch length or direction.

To quote from the Cobra Class 4P page on SLC: "SLC Sewing Machines are shipped by freight. $150 flat rate shipping for business addresses." Do you have a business address and a truck loading dock or a high lift fork lift? Forget it. I just carted that machine and when I entered my Zip code, 48509, the shipping charge to be added was $286.00.

What machine is that? I don't see any pictures!. You aren't going to get any help until you post photos of the machine with no name. Is it hand operated by pulling the leather through a roller in a frame with a 6 or 8 inch wide blade? Or, is it crank or motor operated and pushes the leather against a blade and rollers, away from you? Or, does it have a round spinning sharpened steel cone that skives the leather from left to right under motor power?

The dimensions, type of motion and clearances between the shuttle driver and shuttle, the bobbin thread slot and tension spring configuration, the needle hole in the feed dog or throat plate, the take-up lever stroke, needle stroke, crank shaft thicknesses, bearings, thread tension springs, foot pressure spring, check spring and needle size are a few things that can limit the thread size a sewing machine can properly manage. Knots that are hard to hide or move up and down are caused by excessively large thread for the thickness of the material, or by hard to optimize thread tensions (because the machine was not built for that thread size combination). Knots always on the top are due to excessive top tension (from over-tightened upper tension disks, or thread binding off the spool or along the thread path), or a bobbin tension spring that is set too loose, or too large of a needle for the thread sizes, or a much larger thread size on top than in the bobbin. Thread knots on the bottom are from an overly tight bobbin spring, or loose top tension disks, or thread riding too high up in the upper disks, or failure to thread the check spring correctly, or too small of a needle, or much larger bobbin thread than top thread. The 95k43 is a tailors' and seamstresses' machine, with a shuttle and bobbin that was designed to clear and tension no more than #69 bonded thread. Actually, there was no bonded nylon thread when this series came out. It is pushing it to sew with cotton or polycore button hole thread and is best used with common garment thread sizes. The clearance between the shuttle driver and shuttle will probably pinch the top thread as it tries to go around the bobbin case.

You won't regret buying a 4500, over a 3200, or equivalent machine. The extra clearance it has allows for the use of high raised throat plates, like the holster and stirrup plates. They let you sew next to obstructions on the left side that would prevent normal sewing on a flat bed machine. Ask the dealer to install a drop down edge guide. It is invaluable for sewing straight lines or going around inside curves. I'm glad you mentioned that you had to wait to learn the shipping charges. Most folks don't know that shipping rates for large machines on pallets are not fixed. Different carriers and destinations affect the final shipping cost. Residential deliveries can be up to $100 more than shipping to truck terminals. The dealers have to look up the closest and lowest cost terminal (or add for a lift gate) before they can finalize your bill. Sometimes that involves phone calls. This is one reason that push button/shopping cart ordering is so difficult in the heavy sewing machine trade. As for payment by PayPal that you asked me about earlier, this can be done by the dealer sending a PayPal money request or invoice to your email address that is listed with PayPal. The email has a Pay Now link to your PayPal account, with the amount filled in. It doesn't even require a PayPal Debit card.

No sir. The Techsew 3650 is a bottom feed only machine that sews up to 7/16 inch. The Techsew you are looking for is the model 3850, a true compound feed machine (like the CB3200), but it is currently out of stock. The Cobra model 26 is a medium duty compound feed walking foot machine. It has a large hook and can handle #207 thread top and bottom. It is still limited to the standard sewing height of 3/8 inch and uses standard walking foot needles.

Most dealers will ship the machine removed from the table, possibly in a separate box that is secured to the pallet. The table, whatever design it is, will probably have the motor and optional speed reducer attached to the underside. If it has a reducer, there will probably be a short v-belt already attached from the motor pulley to the largest reducer pulley. For safety sake, the flywheel should be removed from the back of the top shaft and be in its own well-wrapped box or partition. It will have two machine screws in two holes. The shaft sticking out the back of the machine will likely have a channel cut along one area. loosen the screws and slide the wheel onto the shaft. Visually line up one of the screws with the cut out channel and begin tightening that screw. You'll want to position the wheel so that the pulley lines up with the motor or speed reducer pulley under the table. Then tighten both screws to secure the wheel in place. Locate the v-belt and slide it onto the small motor or speed reducer pulley. Feed it up through the long slot in the table to the flywheel pulley and rotate the wheel as you feed the belt along side the pulley. It should slide into the pulley and have about 1/2 inch of slack when you push it in the half way position between the top and bottom pulleys. If there is too much slack, loosen and lower the reducer assembly, or just the motor adjuster nuts and bolt if no reducer is present (with an 18mm open end wrench). If too tight, raise the reducer or motor to get the proper slack.

Would you please give us the make and model number of the machine? That's the only way you will get an honest answer. A photo would help too, especially if it shows the feet and needle bar. You will certainly need a walking foot machine. Some are more capable than others.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net, Bert!

Glen Miller, aka ShoePatcher on the forum, is the go to guy for Adler, Claes and Singer patchers. He has parts and fully rebuilt machines for sale. I got my ailing second hand Adler 30-7 working to specs again with parts I got from him.

Says he who injected his own brand of inline feet into a topic I started about Cowboy inline feet. Maybe you should become a moderator then. You seem to be qualified. Why don't you ask Johanna? Then you can tell me to shut up.

We all go through this struggle to find a sewing machine that does it all, especially sewing very thick seams with heavy thread. At first glance, one would think that a typical walking foot machine is able to do both. Then you find out that it just ain't so. Industrial sewing machines designed to do different kinds of sewing, and usually only one kind best. You've already found the limits in your Consew (and its equivalents). To sew thicker requires a much bigger machine. Here's why... Upholstery class machines are built with upholsterers in mind. They sew Naugahyde, clear vinyl, duck cloth, awnings, sail cloth, banners, leather seat covers and zippers that average about 1/16 to 1/4 inches thick at the seams. They usually sew thinner and lighter weight items with 11 pound test #69 bonded thread. Zippers tend to be sewn in with 15 pound #92 thread because of the stress closing the zipper. Heavier jobs, like motorcycle and ATV seats are usually sewn with 22 pound test #138 thread. It is this narrow range of thread sizes that the walking foot machines handle best. The maximum thickness that can be sewn on an upholstery class walking foot machine can be deceptive to the uninitiated. You see, most of these triple feed machines can lift the feet and needle 1/2 inch above the throat plate and feed dog. Until one learns how the feet operate, one may think that the machine can actually sew what is under the raised feet. Not so, dear plebe. Because the feet must alternate up and down to move the material along, about 1/8 inch of sewing clearance is lost from the get go. That is a modest guess. Some of us set the alternating lift much higher to clear new layers, or big drop offs coming off of thick side seams. The higher the alternating lift of the feet, the lower the maximum sewable thickness may be (depending on compressibility of the material). Since almost all upholstery jobs are under 3/8 inch (except for occasional big seams in blue jeans cuffs), that is what the major manufactures build into their machines. There are exceptions, such as the Juki LU-1508NS, which uses a longer System 190 needle, has more clearance inside the head and is able to actually sew at 1/2 inch, with the feet still alternating and feeding the work. The machine has a specially designed hook that is meant to use #207 bonded thread on top and in the bobbin. To fill the need for a truly heavy duty walking foot machine, people woodshedded and came up with some novel high lift designs in the late 1980s. Adler developed the model 205-370 (and the sub model 374 with a smooth feed dog) and Juki came out with their TSC-441. Ferdinand JeanBlanc cannibalized a 441 in 1991 and created the Ferdinand Bull that featured a jumping foot and needle feed. Someone else built a Number Nine machine with a high lift jump foot and needle feed. When that went under, Tony Luberto took over the development of the machine and released the Luberto Classic. All these machines were able to not just clear, but sew up to 3/4 inch of real leather, with just the needle and feed mechanism. All had price tags to match the workmanship ranging from $5500 to $8500 new. In those days, if you wanted to use a machine to sew very thick leather, you either bought one of the aforementioned machines, or you went full steam ahead with a Union Lockstitch, a Randall or Cyclone Lockstitch (now Campbell Randall), a Landis 3 or 16, or a curved needle Landis 12, or an American Straight Needle machine (or Champion equivalent to those). These machines ranged in price from $5000 to $15,000 new and weighed between 400 and 600 pounds on a table or 3 legged power stand. All had a needle and awl feed system. This brings us to the hear and now, where because of Chinese knockoffs, a budding holster maker can buy a brand new Cobra, Techsew, Cowboy, Nick-o-Sew, Thor, or Hoshimoto Ah-so clone of the Juki 441 for as little as $1700 to $2700, depending on the build and accessories. Or, you can buy a for realsies Juki TSC-441 for about $6000, or the newest super wazoomie Adler 969 for $12,000. All will easily clear 3/4 inch and more and sew with #415 bonded thread, which has a half million pounds breaking strength (not really).

I checked out his latest sewing machine video and it is a THOR GC1541S Single Needle Walking Foot Sewing Machine. This is a clone of a Juki DNU-1541s. It has the same thread and thickness capabilities as your Consew 227r. It is identical to the well known Consew 206RB-5. The only difference is that this machine is a flat bed and yours is a cylinder arm. Despite any claims made in his video, the machine is rated for thread sizes 69 through 138, using needle system 135x16 and 17, with a maximum work thickness of 3/8 inch. IOW, a standard upholstery class walking foot machine. As Arthur mentioned early on, his machine cannot sew across the top with the material folded over. I can sew that and much more with my Cowboy CB4500. It takes thread sizes 69 and UP (#69 is iffy. I recommend nothing under #92 or #138). It is able to sew from about 6-7 ounces to over 3/4 inch! That machine would be an upgrade for you. If that is more machine than you'll need, look at the CB3200 instead. It is rated for the same thread sizes, but only sews up to 1/2 inch and comes with a full size table.

I mean that you could lengthen the distance down that the spring travels. The check spring assembly has a movable bottom stopper for the spring. It is locked down by a screw that is on the lower right side of the assembly. Loosen the screw then tap or pry down from the spring side and the stopper should rotate CCW, letting the spring bottom out farther down. Lock the screw down when you reach the point where the thread is still taut as the needle goes through the leather.

This could possibly be caused by an improperly adjusted check spring. Try lengthening the stroke of the spring. This will keep the top thread taut until the needle has fully passed through the leather and comes out the bottom layer. Too short of a stroke may allow the thread to be too loose as the needle makes contact. This is where the thread splitting begins.