Wizcrafts

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.

Number 92 thread has 15 pounds breaking strength. The next size down in bonded thread is #69, which has 11 pounds test. I use #69 thread, top and bottom, in thin leather, like wallet interiors and credit card slots. I also use it to sew patches onto average thickness vests. I use #92 thread for items that are between 1/16 and 1/8 inch thick. My theory is that if the work deserves the strength of #92 thread, why dilute it with a smaller thread in the bobbin? Each lockstitch is only as strong as the weakest thread.

Here is the rest of the Gritzner sole stitcher manual, with the original French text and images, as supplied to me by @mikesc. Gritzner-sole-stitcher-manual-French-text+images.pdf

If Landis can't help with needle info, check with Pilgrim Shoe Equipment

It might be useful to locate a shoe repair shop within driving distance. Call them and ask if they have a McKay machine and ask if you can bring your needle over to compare to what they have. Alternately, locate a shoe repair machinery supplier that might carry parts for the McKay machines. Here is Bessey-McKay from Landis USA

This explanation assumes that you are using a computer or laptop, not a tablet or phone. Bring the post with the uploaded images into view. Right click on the first image in the group. A vertical list known as flyout options appears. Left select the option to Save (Image) As (wording varies with browser brand) A window will open with that image selected and listed in the Save As field. Choose a location to save to Rename the image to something recognizable, leaving the .jpg extension in place. Click on the Save button. Continue saving other images. If the Save As dialog shows a non-image file type extension, first use the View Image right click option. This will open just that file in the browser, stripping away any html or xml data. Then use the right click option to Save As. If you are indeed using a hand held touch screen device, a long hold on the image may bring up some options, one of which could be to save it.

You forgot to copy and paste the URL to that file.

I use either a #19 (tightest lockstitch) or #20 (for very dense material, like thick webbing or hard leather) needle with #92 (T90) bonded thread. A #22 needle is reasonable for sewing with #138 into leather, unless it is hard. Then, move up to a #23.

I kept one of each size needle from my last Union Lockstitch machine and use them in my hand stitching awl. In the ULS needle system a #3 is a medium size that would hook #346 bonded, or 5 cord linen thread without ratting the cords. I used a #1 ULS needle for #138 thread and a #2 for #277 thread. The largest needle I had was a #4, which hooked 6 cord linen thread. You should be able to find someone who has extra Union Lockstitch needles in these sizes. Or, you can buy them new in packs of 10 from Campbell-Randall.

@Dikman; You can save the needle chart images to your computer then print them out from your photo app.

That Campbell has a stitch counter installed by the manufacturer. It was originally leased out and the amount of stitches were metered. Any overage from the agreed upon monthly stitch allowance was charged for in a future invoice. Machines that were sold to customers didn't have stitch counters by default. You may be on shaky ground Ross.

You haven't specified what sewing machine you have that needs the edge guide (at least not in this topic). So, here are some general recommendations. For a straight stitch machine, there are 1/16" edge guide feet. Most straight stitch machines have a hole on the right of the throat plate for a screw on movable edge guide, which could have a roller. For walking foot machines using standard Singer 111 feet, there are spring guide feet starting at about 1/8 inch. Walking foot machines may have a threaded hole in the throat plate, or bobbin cover plate, for screwing on a movable edge guide, which could be a roller guide. For walking foot machines lacking a threaded hole on the right, there are over the body mounting brackets with a swing-away edge guide. The steel on the edge guide is soft enough to be bent on the leading and trailing edges, to sew inside arm holes and inside curves. The Adler 205 and Juki 441 and their clones accept a Metric screw, bolt-on, drop down roller edge guide that can be set right next to the right side of the inside foot, when using the left toe outside foot. Most 441 clones can accept a sliding roller edge guide if equipped with a T-shaped mounting bracket on the right.

I have an early Singer 31-15. It doesn't like any thread heavier than #69 bonded nylon, which prefers a #18 needle. When I first bought it, the bobbin case rotated out of the top alignment channel and caused chaos. I ended up replacing the entire shuttle assembly and found bobbin cases that stayed in place. Hopefully, the machine you are considering doesn't suffer from that problem. Definitely run it at the seller's shop before taking it home to ensure it both sews and retains the bobbin case at speed. After fixing the shuttle problem I used my 31-15 to sew pigskin wallet interiors and hem cloth items for customers. It is a very good tailoring machine. If you intend to sew belts, a Singer 111w155 is better, as it is a walking foot machine.

Most of us on this forum are reluctant to speculate about machines with which we have neither experience, nor a clue. When we do stick our necks out, they sometimes get cut off when someone who actually knows the workings of said machine corrects the speculation. That said, I did a quick search on eBay for bobbins for your machine and found one seller that cross-referenced them with bobbins for a Singer 31-15 and 331k. There are multitudes of these Class 15 bobbins for sale. You can even buy them a Walmart and Joann Fabrics. The above is pure speculation on my part.

@Deryk We are just trying to save you some possible misery that could arise from buying what could well be an unsupported brand of industrial sewing machine. These concerns might be real, or totally unwarranted. It all depends on how well the machine was built, then if it was set up adjusted and sewn off before it was boxed up and shipped across the Ocean on a slow boat from China. This is something you will have to ask the importer/seller. Also, ask if they offer a warranty or technical support for that machine and where it would have to be sent for repairs. In many cases, unless otherwise stated in writing or on an official website, people importing sewing machines from China are expected to do their own servicing, at their own expense, without any help from the manufacturer. Major well known brands have representatives and dealer networks in various parts of the world. If something needs to be fixed, or a customer needs advice, these reps and dealers are the ones who should supply it. When I looked over the Amazon listing for the machine in question, there was no name tag or brand on the machine. It is a generic build, from who knows where. As was already mentioned, the listing is just for the head. There is nothing else supplied with the machine. You will need to build a table, or bolt it onto one you have. Motorizing it will cost a several hundred dollars for an industrial pedestal stand with a motor and speed reducer. You will likely need to purchase your own bobbins, needles, thread and thread stand. Last, I don't see a bobbin winder attachment, just the mounting block for one. This will run you some more bucks you weren't looking to spend.

The machine looks something like a Singer 27 (and newer 127). A model 27 has an oscillating boat shaped shuttle under the front sliding plate, which takes long skinny bobbins with small disks on the ends. Your bobbin winder is the same as the Singer bobbin winder on a model 27 machine. The bobbins, if they fit, can be bought from numerous eBay sewing machine dealers and probably from some of our supporting dealers. If they also copied the Singer feed dog for those models, it should be able to handle 6 ounces of leather with ease. These machines use system HAx1 domestic needles, which are sold all over the place. Your friend will need leather point needles for the best results. I recommend size #18 (aka: 110) with #69 bonded nylon thread.