Wizcrafts

Emily; Did you know that you can turn a leather point needle on a slight off center angle to get offset stitches? Try it!

The primary dealer of Family Sew servo motors on this forum is Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. Best of all, they will install a very small 50mm pulley and help calculate the length of the new Type 3L v-belt needed for this motor.

There is no point using a bigger needle than #18 with #69 bonded nylon thread. That is the largest diameter thread your machine should be able to sew with. The only thing you might do to help the thread stay intact is to lengthen the stroke of the check spring a little at a time, watching how much slack is in the thread as the needle makes contact with the material. Garment machines, like your 5550, usually have a short default check spring travel that works best with soft cotton or polycore garment weight threads. Bonded nylon thread is a whole nuther story.

I got three packs of 10 System 332 LLG needles today (#19, 22 & 23), from Bob Kovar, owner of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. They are indeed left twist leather point needles and are made by Organ Needle Company. Bob told me that he bought 100 each of these needles in sizes 18, 19, 20, 22 and 23. I will be getting a pack of #18 and #20, giving me one pack of each size. That leaves 9 packs of each size for you guys with high lift Adler patchers. If you are wondering, the needles are in printed packages of 10, inside metal foil.

If you are holding back the starting threads and still have a nest on the bottom, and a clunking sound in reverse, something may have changed with the timing between the top and bottom main shafts. There is an access port on the right front of the machine that exposes an large hex head bolt on an eccentric bearing that drives the shuttle and feeder. Before you explore that opportunity to throw the machine completely out of time (or get it back in time), verify that the needle' to hook position is close to specs. That is, when the needle has risen about 3/16" above BDC, the hook should intersect the needle in the scarf area, about 1/8" above the top of the eye. This is set or checked with the stitch lever set to zero feed. If you find that the hook is crossing the needle too close to the eye and loop, it could have been caused by forced upward movement of the needle bar. That usually happens when the needle gets deflected into the feeder or throat plate under power. Also, replace the needle, just in case it is at fault.

Watch any local online or newspaper classified ads for private sellers or businesses trying to get rid of an upholstery walking foot sewing machine. These machines are used to sew cloth and leather seat covers, boat covers, banners, tarps, tents, bags, etc. By the time the owners sell them they are well used and worn out. But, you may be able to find one you can afford, then pay to replace worn parts as you go. Seven years ago I decided to get back into sewing leather after selling all of my machines. The second machine I bought was a used, but not abused walking foot machine that had been sitting idle in a business that made window blinds. I only paid $300 for that machine! It paid for itself in one month of home sewing jobs!

Did you order round (R) point, or Leather (LL) point 332 LG needles? I need LL, not R. R points tend to stick in veg-tan leather as the friction builds up. Plus, the round holes look horrible in straps.

I've never heard of an Atlas brand sewing machine. It might be a house brand of the dealer who imports them from China. A double needle can still be used as a single needle machine if necessary, but not vice versa. You should go for either a compound feed walking foot or top and bottom roller feed, capable of handling up to #138 bonded thread, top and bottom.

Correct. I got a reply from Shoe Systems and they only carry round point System 332 LG needles.

I have sent inquiries to the above mentioned companies. I will reveal their replies when they arrive. So far, all I can find are 10 packs in round point. Very few suppliers stock #23 needles in this system.

I didn't expect this hunt for needles to be as difficult as it is turning out to be. I have recently acquired an Adler 30-7, long arm, big bobbin, high lift patcher. I got exactly one pack of System 332 LG #22 needles with it. Since then I have been trying to find a place to order various sizes in 10 packs of leather point (332 LG: L point), to no avail (in the USA). I did find a source for a boxes of 100 (Adler Durkopp Corp), in one size per box, which is way beyond my needs. So, if any of you (in the USA) own an Adler 30-7 or 30-70, where do you currently buy your leather point needles in 10 packs? I am mainly seeking #19 and #23. I would even settle for #20 and #23. I will gladly buy these needles privately is anybody has extra packs to spare. I can PayPal you (verb). Please don't confuse the System 332 LG with just 332. They are radically different lengths.

Maybe the shorter needle is a 214x1, aka 328, aka 45x1

I can probably make that type of collar. It won't be cheap or be done quickly. send my an email or PM to discuss the details.

And weaken the stitch strength to that of the thinner #207 thread. This is where trade-offs happen in the leather sewing business. If one sews a gun holster with #207 thread in the bobbin, there is no point in using anything larger on top, except for appearances. A properly balanced tension system on a 441 type machine should easily hide the knots of #277 thread between two layers of 8-9 ounce leather. If the knots keep moving up and down, either the spool of thread is poorly bonded, or is twisty coming off the spool, or the top thread is lifting and lowering inside the top tension disks, or the check spring action is too strong, or the bobbin spring is worn where the thread feeds out of it, or there is crap in the bobbin case, or the bobbin thread starting stub sticks out and interferes as the bobbin turns inside the case, or the bobbin length or end shape is out of specs.

I own three patcher machines. I use them for odd jobs that have lots of turns, like sewing patches onto vests and jackets, especially over sleeves and pockets. Seiing as how the 29 type machines are top fed, via teeth on the foot, and the foot can be turned 360 degrees and they have a very narrow snout, they can sew where no one has sewn before! There are a few things one should keep in mind when considering buying an old used patcher, as outlined below. The 29-4 machines were produced around the turn of the 20th Century, until the 1930s or so. This makes any surviving machines ancient and usually well worn. A Singer 29-4 can only sew and safely advance about 1/4 inch of leather, although you can drag about 5/16" under the foot. The maximum stitch length is 5 to the inch at 8 ounces thickness or less. This usually decreases as you approach the maximum usable thickness. As the feed mechanism wears down over time, the maximum stitch length gets shorter and shorter. It's not uncommon to see a Singer patcher that only gives 8 stitches per inch. They are top feed machines that depend on aggressive teeth on the bottom of the presser foot to drag the leather back as it sews. These teeth can leave very impressive tooth tracks in the top grain. The bobbin on a 29-4 is about the size of 4 dimes stacked together. Unless you load them with #69 thread, you'll run out of bobbin thread after only a few projects. There is no standard way to attach an edge guide. If the front barrel locking thumbscrew is missing, the foot can freely turn as you sew. Getting straight lines on a patcher is a challenge. If you turn the foot around to sew backwards, you can't see the stitch line as well as in the forward direction. Some of the parts that wear out may not be available from aftermarket makers in China. They tend to support later models of these machines, from the mid 20th Century. The last Singer patch machine was the 29k172 or k173, made in the 1970s in Japan. I own a 29k172, which is a long arm, big bobbin Singer patcher. I use it to sew patches and fix purses. Finally, Singer long ago dissolved its industrial sewing machine business and sold off all assets and tooling. They will be of no help if you need parts, manuals or advice.

I bought a sticky tape backed yellow tape measure from Wawak and just peeled and stuck it onto tables where and when needed. It as accurate as any tape measure can be.

I don't know what "a Martingale" means. Would you care to elaborate? I am a general category leather maker. I don't specialize in horse tack.

Thanks for your info. This helps. I will probably order a #153-10 frame with a #10 punch tube and get a #9 tube with it (both work in a #10 frame).

I found that Osborne makes single hole punches in these widths. They are expensive at Weaver Leather, but available in sizes up to #10, which is 5/16" diameter. Their #8 tube is 1/4" I.D. What is the diameter of your #12 punch that you use for Blevins?

Does anybody know if there is a drop forged hand pliers hole punch available, or custom built, to punch the big holes used on wide, thick stirrup straps for Blevins buckles? I think the holes are either 1/4" or a smidgen wider. I sure could use one to add holes up the top end of a strap where it gets harder and harder to position the strap on a punching block on the end of a table while the customer holds the saddle just so. I already have regular forged hole punch pliers and they cannot accept a huge hole like I need for a Blevins stud. Even if they could, the anvils are too small. I'm hoping for a link to one for sale. Thanks in advance, Wiz

FWIIW: I have a room full of industrial sewing machines and at this moment, not one has a safety clutch. The only time I jam the top thread in the bobbin case or shuttle race is when I don't hold back the starting threads with enough tension. This usually only happens when I am starting to sew a large patch onto the back of a vest and can't quite get enough thread out of the armhole or bottom when I start. But, the jam is obvious and I stop very quickly and clear it with snippers and/or tweezers, then move along. I have never thrown out my timing from a thread jam and I have two old Singer walking foot machines that are still sewing every day.

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, and presumably all other Consew dealers, sell a less expensive flat bed triple feed machine, labeled: Consew P1206RB. It has a forced feed oil pump system, which is a plus. But, it lacks the safety clutch mechanism the the 206 models have. It lists at just under a grand, US.

Aside from manually increasing the resting position of the outside presser foot and trying to set the inside to outside foot lift positions with the big screw on the back, that's about all the adjustment your machine has. You are best off balancing the lift of the feet, with the presser just barely making contact with the top of the throat plate when the feeder drops below the top. There are much later model 111 machines that have an internal foot lift ratio adjustment inside the body. In fact, I saw a mention of it in a recent topic on this very forum. But, your older model probably doesn't have that collar, which is inside the machine. Modern triple feed walking foot machines have a different method of alternating the feet and most allow a wider range of alternating foot lifts.

First of all, 12 ounces is really light for #277 thread. It is hard to hide the knots that are fairly large, as you can see. But, the knots should not be changing altitude in a continuous stitch line. Something is intermittently letting go or tightening up and causing the knots to move up and down. Let's consider the usual suspects. Investigate these one at a time until you identify your culprit. Improperly wound bobbin, or bobbin inserted feeding the wrong way. Try reversing the bobbin orientation. Thread fragment under the bobbin tension spring business end, causing the bobbin tension to drop as the thread feeds past the scrap. Out of round bobbin ends Moving up ^^^ top thread is over-bonded and comes off spool like a coil spring, changing its tension as it feeds or binds along the path, then lets loose. Top thread not staying centered in the top tension disks, thus changing the tension. This can be caused by twisty thread. Needle too big for thread/thickness combination. Try a #24 needle. Thread too thick for thickness being sewn, Try #207 thread instead, with a #24 needle Top thread flipping over guides or rollers on the way to the needle. Rawhide or weak sections in the leather can affect the stitches. It is obvious that the problem is too much tension on top and not enough on the bottom. You might solve the problem by tightening the bobbin tension screw a bit, then compensating with the top tensioner. This is a big boned machine that doesn't mind being rode hard.

The inline feet are so constructed that the inside foot sticks up about 1/4 to 5/16 inch above its bottom. Whatever the amount, it is that much less that you have left for the needle to work with before the bottom of the needle bar makes contact with the top of the inside inline foot. It's not so bad if you're using the standard throat plate that comes with the machines. But, if you need to use one of the raised throat plates (to get around stirrups or next to hardware or leather that protrudes down on the left side), you will lose their height above the base plane (feed dog or standard slotted plate) height in addition to the loss from the oddly shaped inside inline alternating foot.