Wizcrafts

I use my 31-15 to sew wallet interiors and for all cloth projects (tailoring). I usually use a walking foot machine to sew the back to the interior. My machine can handle #69 bonded nylon, because I clearanced the shuttle driver and shuttle race to do so. Otherwise, it would not clear that size of thread without a slight but noticeable binding and click sound that messed with the stitch quality and dependability.

It is a standard domestic Class 15 machine. You will be limited to #69 bonded nylon thread, using a #18 leather point needle.

I once owned a Singer 111w155 and it was good up to 1/4" with #138 thread. I tried sewing thicker but the needle would get stuck in the leather. Now, it will sew bridle leather a little thicker, as it is less dense than plain carving leather. I do have a long arm Singer that is based on the 111 mechanism. It is capable of sewing 5/16" maximum. I keep it threaded with #92 thread and use it for lighter projects, like wallets, zippers, phone cases, hemming, etc.

I know of at least four liquid waxes/lubes. They are: Sellari's Stitching Wax (real wax); needs Sellari's Wax Thinner Sellari's Thread Lube (white slick liquid) Campbell-Randall's Lax Wax (white liquid lube/wax) Puritan's Ceroxylon clear liquid wax.

For one thing, parts for the Consew are a lot cheaper than Pfaff parts. As for using #207 thread, it's dependent on the setup of the hook and deflector to the scarf of the needle and the clearances along the thread path from the feed dog on down. You should try using #207 in the machine you just bought so you have a reference to compare the Consew to. I recommend using a #24 leather point needle for this.

There are new walking foot machines that do zig zag sewing. They are not cheap, but they will transport sticky and bulky materials. Plus, most can use up to #138 thread. Ask your favorite industrial sewing machine dealer (preferably, one who supports this forum) about getting one.

Feed Off The Arm machines are for cloth.

I use and recommend buying servo motors and belts from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, which is one of the advertisers supporting this forum financially. The motor in the eBay ad uses push buttons to control the functions. You will get frustrated rather quickly trying to make the correct adjustments with that type of motor. Most of us have moved to the Family Sew FS-550 which has a rotary dial to limit the top speed. I can feather mine down to 1 stitch per second when needed. If you buy the motor from Toledo, ask to have the custom 50mm pulley installed, along with the required shorter belt. Have your existing belt length handy and the diameter of the motor pulley.

Lately, there are a lot of new and existing members asking for assistance with leather sewing machine issues that live in other countries than the USA. Our forums are worldwide. But, many of the folks who are frequent commenters in the leather sewing machines section live in the USA, Canada and Australia. Most of the suppliers who advertise with us are in the US and Canada. We tend to think and reply in Dollars and SAE measurements, not usually in metric or Euros (with some exceptions). It would help reduce confusion in our answers if we know where in the world you live. This is important if you are asking for prices, or a supplier of parts, printed manuals, or sewing machines. Prices and import taxes are different in various countries and in the EU. Measurements are different. Warranties may only cover certain countries. You can add or change your location in your member profile. At least with a proper location (City, State/Province, Country) in your profile, people close to you can give you better recommendations than those who are continents away from you, or even just across the same country. Some may reply to you in your own language, as I've seen numerous times with our German members. It only takes a minute to edit your public profile to include a good location.

I wonder how much postage will be for a large hard envelope of printouts mailed to Costa Rica? That's where Fifi6464 is located, based on their IP address.

You'll have to ask a dealer about that one as I have no experience with that model. The only info I see relates to double needle machines, with a 3/8" gauge between the needles. I can tell you from my experience in the distant past that Singer post machines used light weight thread and small needles.

If that is indeed the case, the 31-15 will accept a #22 needle that can lay down evenly spaced holes that can be enlarged with a hand awl. But, the throat plate a large hole plate. The fine plate won't pass a #22 needle. The standard plate "may" clear it, if the needle doesn't get deflected at all by the strap. The large hole plate has enough clearance to deal with needle position inconsistencies. FWIIW: The large hole throat plate is usually sold with a matching larger feed dog as the "heavy duty set.". This may be too aggressive on the bottom layer, so I would try to keep the existing (fine/standard) feed dog in place, unless it won't physically fit into the throat plate's slots. An even better solution would be to obtain a straight stitch machine that is already setup with a roller foot and large hole throat plate.

See CowboyBob's reply about the Consew 206RB.

The 31-15 is a drop feed machine, via feed dogs on the bottom. The presser foot is static. The feed dogs will mark the bottom layer, with the depth of marking dependent on how much force is needed to hold the leather down during the upstrokes. But... I doubt that a 31-15 will be able to hold a needle large enough to punch holes for hand sewing thread. It is a tailoring machine that normally uses small needles, up to #22. It would take a #25 or #26 needle to make a large enough hole to pass typical hand sewing thread (no wider than #277 machine thread). This would require a throat plate with a greatly enlarged needle hole and the removal of the bobbin case (and possibly shuttle driver), which would be impacted by the oversize needle. I sometimes use my Cowboy CB4500 with a #26 or #27 needle to punch hand sewing or tiny rivet holes. You are going to have to set your sights a lot higher than a Singer 31 class to punch such large holes

Alan; A walking foot machine is more capable of climbing up and down different layers of material. This is because the inside and outside feet alternate up and down. A compound feed walking foot machine also has a needle that moves forward and backward with the inside foot and the feed dog, providing superb feeding of slippery and difficult materials. This combination of coordinated motion keeps the layers from slipping out of alignment from drag of the presser foot. Both of the machines you listed have a fixed presser foot (with a very heavy duty spring) and needle. The only feed is from the feed dog teeth. The machines in the topic are clones of the ancient Singer 45k series. It was meant to sew horse blankets and tack, where the tooth marks on the bottom were unimportant. Most of these machines can sew up to 7/16 inch of harness leather, with #346 thread. They use system 216 or 328 needles, which are typically not available in leather point under size 23 (160). IHTH

You should be able to edit your post. Are you or aren't you able to edit it? If not, just post new photos in your reply. Some websites frown on hotlinking to their copyrighted images.

How wide should the round straps be? I can try making one at my shop tomorrow.

The technique of creating a rolled or round strap is known in the saddlery trade as "round reins," which gets its name from its usage in horse reins. Some old school leathercrafters (like me) have a special bench mounted tool that is used to force folded bridle leather into a round shape. In doing so, the stitches are buried inside the leather. It is not trivial, nor cheap to make these round rein straps. But, to look at a perfectly round strap afterwards ..... ah.

Can you apply the top finish after you sew? It is a clear coat, right? Oh, I forgot to mention that you can order titanium needle on eBay, or from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. or other dealers, and have them mailed to you.

I think that titanium needles will make a difference. I have to use them on both patchers and my walking foot machine because I use leather tape all the time.

Are you saying that this doesn't happen if you sew raw veg-tan of the same thickness? If so, does it include glued or taped raw veg? Have you checked the thread spool to ensure that the windings are not criss-crossed, or falling under the spool, or twisting over the thread guide on top of the thread stand? Have you looked at the thread that goes around the upper tension disks to ensure that it is staying down around the center? Make sure that you cut the thread off flush with the holes in the bobbin. A stub sticking out can mess with the tension. loosen the bobbin tension spring and blow out any thread residue. After all of these steps, change to titanium coated needles whenever you sew through basting tape or glue.

Contact Sailrite for a set of already smooth bottom feet for your mini walker

You will need to set your sights much higher than a shoe patcher to use #277 thread in a machine. The bottom entry right now that doesn't have teeth on the feet or feed dog is the Cowboy CB3200

I second the emotion. A top notch guitar can make you money in a bar when all else is failing. I know.

I own two Singer 29k series patchers (small and large bobbins; short and long arms) and neither is a very good holster sewing machine for double leather portions. If it sews your thickness the tooth marks will be a major pain to smooth out. But, if you have to sew on a belt loop/clip tab, or a circle holding a Chicago screw or snap onto the back side after the holster has been sewn closed, only a patcher will have a remote chance of sewing it on over the narrow arm. Note, that if you get a patcher that has a tight feed cam mechanism, it will sew up to 5 stitches per inch, into about 8 to 10 ounces of leather. The maximum thickness they can sew is somewhere between 1/4 and 5/16", depending on the particular model, how tight the feed mechanism is and how well it is adjusted. I have never been able to exceed 5/16" on my long arm, big bobbin patcher. Another consideration with patchers is that most of them balk at sewing with anything thicker than #92 bonded thread. I have been able to load #138 into the top and bobbin on my big bobbin machine, but not the small model. But, the machine has to be adjusted to the T's.