Wizcrafts

My last Juki was an LU-563. The 1541 shares a lot of features with that old model. Both use large LU bobbins that hold a lot more thread than even the large M style bobbins used in some industrial sewing machines. The 1541 is more geared toward casual users than the more expensive 1508 series. It should sew 10mm thickness, but that is the maximum. After that, parts will hit each other and all hell will break loose (literally).

Have you checked with Techsew yet? They are located in Montreal, Canada and carry all major brands, plus their own Techsew badged clones. Techsew is a long time advertiser and supporter of Leatherworker.net. Was the $1900 price for a machine purchased inside Canada, from a Juki dealer? That is not such a bad deal considering the conversion of your dollar and, that if anything goes wrong, you can probably have it serviced without it leaving the Country.

These machines "can" sew light weight leathers if you adjust them properly. This means reducing all spring tensions for lighter thread, possibly removing the feed dog and using a flat slotted throat plate (rendering it into a dual feed machine), getting small size needles (not available in leather point below #23) and backing off the top pressure screw. In my opinion, unless you intend to sew with #207 or thicker thread, the medium duty walking foot machines are a better match for work that is mostly below 1/4 inch thickness. And, if you sew thin leather, the lighter duty parts are less likely to eat it. These machines readily handle #138 bonded thread, which has 22 pounds tensile strength, per stitch. The 441 clones are designed for very slow sewing of dense and thick leather and cloth, using very large thread (up to #415). They are not built for light duty sewing and need to be dumbed down to do so. If you will be routinely sewing at and above a quarter inch, these machines are your better choice. They can lay a line of #277 thread inside the layers, which has 44 pounds strength per stitch.

If that is a misspelling and you meant Juki, they are one of the foremost brands of industrial sewing machines in factories around the world.

I'm thinking Jollins may have been on the right track asking about twin needle machines. Here's why: A twin needle machine can sew two parallel lines at a fixed spacing that doesn't vary unless one sews a tight curve. The stitch lengths and positions will be matched. Many shoe uppers are sewn with parallel stitch lines. When a single stitch line is needed the left needle can be removed and the machine will operate just fine. A walking foot machine is a plus, but is not always required for sewing uppers. It depends on how much difference in thickness there is between overlapping pieces. Technically, a roller foot machine would do just as well. Jollins, can you upload some photos of you shoe work here? It would help us fine tune our advice on the best machines for the job. Note that none of the machines used to sew uppers will be able to sew soles. That is a completely different type of machine (e.g., McKay Chainstitcher).

If you are only sewing up to a quarter inch, or so, the lighter duty, 10" arm CB227R is fully capable of handling your work. This is basically a clone of the Consew 227R machine. It has triple (compound) feed, uses standard walking foot needles and handles #138 thread with ease. A knowledgeable dealer may be able to tweak the clearance of the hook/needle/opener to allow the machine to sew with #207 on top. But, this was not what it was made to sew with. I sew all thicknesses of material and leather. I prefer to use a standard walking foot machine for anything under 1/4 inch. After that I move up to my Cowboy CB4500. My walking foot machine handles bonded nylon thread from #69 through #138. The CB4500 prefers thread sizes starting at #138, although I have managed to dumb it down to sew with #92 thread. As for positioning motors, they are normally only used in factories, or by sewers who cannot manually control the motor speed pedal slow enough to stop where they want it to stop. Their only purpose is to force stop the machine with the needle either all the way up or all the way down. I have a servo motor on my walking foot machine and can easily sew slowly enough to stop with the needle up or down. I can also do the same thing with the clutch motor driven 42-5 machine I use for chaps and seat covers. But, that's a whole nuther story.

Did anybody mention to you that you absolutely MUST hold back the top and bottom starting threads until you have either sewn three stitches forward, or reversed and crossed over them on the want forward. All of these machines will eat the top thread if it is not held firmly back.

You got a photo of that outsole foot set?

Here are some things that I have found causing my machines to have variations in the position of the knots in leather. This happens to any and all of my 6 industrial sewing machines. Twisty thread that twists out of the center of the top tension disks Twisty thread that folds over guides and jams the top thread or at least doubles the tension Thread that has twisted out of the thread guide above the spool in the thread stand Thread that is badly wound on the spool. I have some spools with the thread getting caught under the bottom of the windings and it comes off herky jerky. I have other spools with the thread literally unwinding all over the place because of improper bonding and loose windings.. Poorly wound bobbins (loose here, tight there, starting stub folded back over the side and back into the bobbin) Thread stubs not clipped close enough to the hole in the bobbin Sharp edges on anti-backlash/ejector springs inside bobbin cases Burrs on bobbin tension spring or shredded thread strands under it Burrs on the hook Totally dry hook that binds slightly in one spot at a certain speed Top and bottom tensions either too loose or too tight for a reliable stitch Dirt, material or thread particles inside the shuttle race Check spring travel too short or tension too light for the weight of the thread Oversize needle hole allowing too much room for error Sticky tape or glue between layers gumming up the needle (try using titanium coated needles and clean them with Goof Off) Hard or soft areas in the leather, caused by tanning inconsistencies. I have actually hit sections of rawhide in some cuts of leather I was using for belts.

Welcome back Tony!

I use the strongest thread size with which I can hide the knots inside the material. This equates to the following general purpose outline. The thicknesses are not fixed in stone. You may want to use a thicker thread on top and thinner thread on the bottom, for a bolder topstitch appearance. Or, you may decide to groove out a stitch line and fill it with smaller top thread that lies below the surface. The strength of each mixed size stitch is decided by the smaller size thread. #69 thread into about 3-4 ounces (~11 pounds test) #92 thread into 5-7 ounces (~15 pounds test) #138 thread into 8-11 ounces (22 pounds test) #207 thread into 12-15 ounces (32 pounds test) #277 into 16-32 ounces (45 pounds test) #346 into 33-64 ounces (53 pounds test) #415 into over 3/4 inch (72 pounds test)

The part of operating a 269 that I used to like the most was the resounding CLANK at the end of each stitch cycle! I'll tell you one thing about them; when you sew something onto something else with a bartacker, it ain't coming off by itself!

FWIIW, 26 years ago, I used to operate the same bartacker. It didn't have anything air operated. It was purely mechanical. There was a foot lift/thread cutting pedal and the GO pedal. We used it to sew Velcro onto Police gear made of vinyl. We ran #69 bonded nylon in the top and bobbin, very successfully.

Nandy; I moved this topic from its previous incorrect location. Although this is not a leather sewing machine, this section of LWN is as good as it gets for info on various types of sewing machines. Hopefully, someone watching this forum can help you out.

That machine's description and the photo remind me of a McKay chainstitch sole stitcher. You sew with the bottom up on a McKay, which forms a chainstitch on the inside of the shoe. That stitching would then be hidden by a glued on insole.

Frobana outsole machines come up for sale now and then, mostly in Germany and Holland. The last one I saw was sold by Seike.de for 750 Euros.Power Shoe - in Holland - also sells Frobana, when they have them in stock.

Your work looks flawless. You should either pursue a solo career, or find a partner to work with, preferably one who already has various sewing machines and possibly a clicker press. You could sell your purses on Etsy, as do other small volume custom item makers. A well optimized website to promote and sell your leather goods is a must have, once you get going. But, one step at a time.

I used to have a pull down lever sole stitcher that clamped onto the edge of a table and looked a lot like the one in Bob's picture. I let it go many years ago for shit money and wish I hadn't done so now. I know where there is a rotary handle Gritzner but the owner won't sell it. As for Frobana's, they are just too expensive anymore, especially their curved needles.

If that machine can sew along the edge of a sole, or a narrow edge of a shaped project, with heavy thread, I'll take it.

I would go with either a Consew 206RB-x, or the Seiko. If you can find a made in Japan Juki it would be a good investment also. Just make sure you see them sew your material first on whatever machine you are interested in. BTW: There is nothing wrong with the current Consew machines.. Pfaff parts are very expensive.

Here is a Cowboy/Hightex automatic sewing machine, sewing a holster. I'll bet this machine costs a small fortune. Here is more information about these automatic patterns sewing machines.

I spray belt no-slip from auto parts stores on my v-belts on my Cowboy CB4500. That way I don't have to overstress the belts and bearings.

My biggest single purchase was my first Union Lockstitch machine and all manner of parts and accessories. Combined, it cost me about $4,000, way back in 1988. I spent another thousand adding needles, awls and more bobbins and special presser feet. Thread for it used to cost $25 a pound for nylon and $30 a pound for linen. The machine paid for itself over the first 5 years and began making a profit after that. I eventually sold it for $5,000, including boxes full of Barbour's Irish linen thread and heavy bonded nylon thread. Good equipment holds its value over the years. What's strange to me is that back in the 1980s and 90s, heavy duty leather sewing machines like the Union Lockstitch, Randall, Campbell, Adler 205, Juki 441 and such, always sold new for anywhere from $5,000 to $8,000, where the 441 clones made today sell for $1600 to $2700 --- and people bitch about how expensive they are!

There is a videos page on the Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines' website, demonstrating setting up and using Cowboy 441 type machines.

The CC in the new Consew brochures means "Consew Consolidated" - the name of the company. They are throwing in that designation to draw more attention to the newer machines. Advertising jargon.