Wizcrafts

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.

I'm glad to hear that you have worked out your problems with Biothane. May I suggest that if you are going to be making a lot of Biothane tack, you consider investing in a Campbell Lockstitch machine?

Have you thought about spraying the throat plate with silicon, or using some drops of Tri~Flow?

I now Grok that the OP may have been looking for a hobbyist's sewing machine, with no plans for a full blown commercial machine. The two that come to mind are the Tippmann Boss and the Luberto Cub. Both are hand operated, mountable on the edge of a desk or table, or work bench. They can sew up to from about 1/8" up to 3/4 inch with #346 thread, using system 794 needles. They aren't cheap, but will suffice for small pre-production and one-off runs of holsters, belts, horse tack and such. They are also good for repairing these items. A determined hobbyist could pay for such a machine in a few months, then decide whether it is time to move up to a motorized machine, or stay put.

My thickest holster job in recent times was a full 7/8 inch along the stitch line. There were four 8 oz layers of filler inside the approximately 10 ounce front and back piece. I had to readjust the machine for minimum alternating foot lift, using the slotted plate and a #25 diamond point needle, with #277 thread. The presser bar had to be raised to clear the stack of leather and the inside foot position dinked with to get the leather to feed. This would have been much easier to accomplish on my last Union Lockstitch machine, which I already had modified to sew 7/8 inch. You can't beat a jump foot needle and awl machine for thick sewing. Here is a photo of the filler side before it was slicked and edge dyed.

The only thing automatic about this system is that raising the inside foot automatically also increases the lift of the presser foot. Older systems usually need to have a bolt loosened and a crank moved up or down to accomplish the same effect. The term Automatic is marketing jargon. A truly automatic walking foot mechanism would sense the difference in height (up or down) and change the lift ratio on the fly, by itself, then back again to the optimal setting.

Now I understand what Graywolf means by an "automatic climbing device." I have never heard of that advertising jargon until today. It is either a selling point from an ad agent, or perhaps a poor translation from German to English. So, what is the knob on top of some walking foot machines? Simply stated, this knob raises and lowers the inside alternating foot in relation to the outside presser foot. Because of the manner in which the two feet are interconnected, raising the inside foot also increases the lift of the outside foot. Lowering the inside foot with the big knob decreases the lift of the presser foot as well. In normal operation, one would set the alternating height to the minimum needed for everyday use. This might typically work out to about 1/8 inch, or 3.2mm. With that amount of lift the machine should easily climb onto the next layer of 7-8 ounce leather and back down. The machine will run more smoothly with lower amounts of alternating lift. When the project contains different layers exceeding 1/8 inch, turning the top knob in the correct direction will greatly increase the lift of both feet. The enables it to climb up and down over differences possibly approaching a quarter inch on the new Adlers.

I found 10 packs of system 29x4 at Wawak.com, in sizes 18, 22, 23 and 24. These are equivalent to system 135x16, with only minor differences. You would have to buy a few packs to make it worth the $4.89 shipping charge though. Next find is at SuperiorThreads.com, who carry GB system 135x16 in size 22, in 10 packs, for $4.40 per pack, plus shipping. On to eBay, we find a seller offering 20 GB system 135x16, in size 140/22, for $10.95 and free shipping.

You probably need to know that the typical leather sewing machines, in use by the majority of leather crafters, are based on mechanical designs going back to anywhere from the early 1920s through the late 1980s. Some of the longest lasting and most copied walking foot machines are Singer 111 types, made from around WW2 through the 1980s, or so. Just about every walking foot machine is somehow based on the 111 feed system. So much information has been published about machines of this type that there is nothing new to tell. If one was to obtain the US Army field manuals for the Singer 111 type machines, it will bring you up to speed. More modern developments were reverse levers, self oilers, large bobbins and various bells and whistles. The more up to date machines use a rotary stitch length dial and a push down reverse lever. The huge harness machines are clones of the original and still produced Juki TSC-441. Thus, they are referred to as "441 clones." They all use an oscillating shuttle with a long hook, a pop open bobbin case attached to the shuttle and cylindrical bobbins that hold gobs of thread. These machines begin at the end of the regular walking foot machine ranges and go up from there. These are the types of machines that are normally used to make gun holsters, knife sheathes, weight lifters' belts and Police gear. They can handle very thick thread and use huge needles. A Juki 441 manual tells most of what needs to be known about the Chinese clones. The Juki 441 was the Japanese answer to the German Adler 205 cylinder arm (and 204 flatbed) machine. It uses a similar shuttle and hook, as well as the same bobbins and needles as the 441 machines. The 441 sold for a couple thousand dollars less than the 205. When the Chinese began cloning both the Adler 205 and Juki 441, they sold them to dealers around the World at less than half the price of the originals. This left the dealers enough headroom to pay for the shipping and customs fees, then do the necessary uncrating, degreasing, assembly, oiling and setting up operations that consume anywhere from 2 to 6 hours (4 avg) - and still sell them for half the price of a Juki or Adler. It took a very long time for walking foot development to move beyond these basic styles. The most recent improvements are seen in the brand new Adler 969 series. Weaver Leather sells these surreal machines, starting at almost 10 thousand dollars. This is triple what most people on this forum already think is too expensive for them.