Wizcrafts

Personally, if I'm having a problem matching stitches in reverse, I spin the work 360 degrees and stitch through a few stitches in the forward direction. That way the holes always line up. I use the same system on some of my old machines that don't have any reverse.

I had better success sewing Biothane with the feed dog and standard plate.

Biothane is not leather! Did you send a piece of Biothane to the dealer so he could setup the feed to match in both directions? This would have eliminated the problem before it came up in your shop. Assuming you didn't and the dealer wasn't aware of Biothane's stickiness and density, you need to make an adjustment to change the reverse stitch length, to get it to match forward stitching. Here are some simple things you can try without any dealer interaction. Set the inside foot to meet the top of the slotted plate just after the needle. Set the inside foot to meet the top of the Biothane with the tip of the needle Loosen the bolts on the stitch length/direction nacelle. remove the top bolt. Pull outward on the very top, insert a washer, push the top bolt into it, and screw the bolts back into the body. This will change the stitch length in reverse. It often compensates for mismatched stitch lengths on these machines. Loosen the pressure on the feet. Don't back off to the point where the 'thane lifts with the needle though, or you'll get skipped stitches. Try a diamond/triangle point needle. If none of the above correct the stitch length problem, call the dealer for instructions on adjusting the internal parts that control the directional stitch lengths (not simple or trivial). The dealer should walk you through the procedure. Don't attempt this on your own!

Did you buy the Ferdco from an individual or a sewing machine dealer? If a dealer, contact them about returning the head for repairs. If the seller can't help you, one of our member dealers probably can. Check the banners on top of our forums for links to our supporting dealers' websites.

Try phoning them during business hours. The # is 866-362-7397. If you don't have long distance calling to the USA, try sending a message via our PM system, to CowboyBob.

Rather than buying from strangers on eBay, please contact Techsew directly via their banner that appears on top of our pages. Techsew is a supporting dealer on Leatherworker.net and has a company rep who frequents this forum (Techsew Ron). If you don't see one of their banners in the group of six, refresh the page until one displays. That banner will take you to their website. It is the dealers and companies whose banners fly in the headings of our pages that keeps this busy site afloat. With only a couple of exceptions, eBay sellers don't financially support us, nor will most of them assist you with problems you may have after the sale. Our member-dealers offer phone and email support, as well as using our own PM system.

The floating stitch lever was a problem on the early LU-563s. It happened to mine and one I ordered for an associate. The dealers had to do something to the internal springs to stop this from happening. The floating lever results in shortening stitch lengths, which get worse at higher speeds.

Yes, but ask the dealer for the correct guide that fits the hole spacing. Also get the proper screws with the guide, for that brand of machine.

You can get some answers from the Singer 168w101 manual (pdf).

You can order a modified stand-alone industrial bobbin winder from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, altered to fit the 441 bobbins. They are modded as ordered. I have on order for my Singer 42-5.

Thanks Bob. I didn't know that Ferdinand made a foot with a bottom tab.

Anybody wanting more info on these Cowboy/Hightex 205 clones can call Bob Kovar, at: 866-362-7397. He knows as much about them as anybody I know of. Like i said earlier, I contemplated buying that model over the CB4500. The difference was a thousand dollars more and about a hundred pounds more weight.

Make sure you don't use leather point needles on nylon webbing. The non-round points will slice and separate strands of nylon. If you have been using leather points, buy some regular rounds and see if they stop the thread splitting. I usually use a #19, or sometimes a #20 needle with T90 bonded thread. The only times I get splitting top thread is when the thread itself is poorly bonded.

The Hightex 7205 is sold in the USA as the Cowboy CB205. It is a clone of the now deprecated Adler 205 series. They are or were sold and serviced by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. I almost bought one when I got my CB4500. The 205 is much heavier and pricier than the 4500, but Bob said it ran smooth for its size.

Tagger609; How did your machine end up with a Cobra style inside foot? They have the tab on the bottom that is designed to push down the leather in the stitch line. It is meant for the Cobra slotted plate which has a long, narrow slot. Your machine seems to have a shorter slot. You can work around the problem until a replacement foot arrives by shortening the stitch length so the inside foot stops before the end of the slot. Or, grind off the bottom tab.

Armor is sometimes made of sole leather. You ain't gonna sew that with much less than a harness stitcher. These machines can sew 1/2 inch with the heaviest bonded threads in common use. Other models with longer arms can sew over 3/4 inches of hard leather.

You will find that out shortly after changing to a #18 needle ;-) Most upholstery grade machines are set up to use from #18 through #22 needles. I think your machine will be fine with a #18. If not, try tweaking the position of the check spring, or its travel. This little spring keeps the top thread taut as the take-up lever moves down. When it lets go can affect the quality of the loop that forms on the right side of the needle, as it begins its ascent from BDC.. The broader the loop, the less chance you have of getting skipped stitches.

Bob's movie is in the .mov format. I use Windows 10 and when I clicked on the file, it offered to play it in an app called "TwinUi" - which is a built-in Win10 Movie and TV player. In previous OS's, I would have used the Quicktime Alternative from Free-codecs.com.

I think a #18 will serve you better, with #69 bonded thread. I rarely ever use a #16 needle except for super thin material using cotton or polyester garment sewing thread. Technically speaking, a #16 will allow #69 thread to flow through the eye, but it is tighter than would be with a #18. My actual working range of needles for this type of machine is from #18 through 23, covering thread sizes 69 through 138. I use #18 or #19 with bonded 69 thread. I use a #19 or #20 with #92 bonded, or #80 polyester jeans thread. I use a #22 or #23 needle with #138 thread.

I was about to say the same thing about the top tension disks. It looks to me as if there is little to no top tension. It is sewed fine before and suddenly has loops on the bottom, either the bobbin thread is jammed tight inside the case, or the top thread has jumped up out of the center of the tension disks, or you forgot to thread through the take-up lever.

No

Regarding going bobbinless, the top thread has to pass both over and under the bobbin and shuttle. In standard operation the bobbin case/shuttle holds the entire bobbin load and only exposes the loose thread on top of the case. The top thread is picked off the eye of the needle, then fed around, and over and under the shuttle. This is how it forms a type 301 lockstitch knot. This works fine when there is a bobbin in play, but fails when the thread is fed from under the bobbin, then through and out the top. In effect, the top thread captures the bottom thread twice; on top and bottom of the shuttle. The results is a chain, not a lockstitch.

If one is experiencing dropped stitches, one should remove the throat plate and observe what the heck is going on with the loop. The loop might be too small, or might twist away from the approaching hook. I've had situations where a particular needle and hook timing led to too much of the loop forming on the left side of the eye of the needle. The hook that was approaching on the right had a hard time getting enough thread loop to pick off. Sometimes a smaller needle cures that problem. Other times the check spring needs to be readjusted. Still other times, the needlebar may need to be raised slightly so the forming loop clears a cutaway on the left side of the shuttle (meant to aim the loop towards the hook).

I recommend making every adjustment a machine is capable of to obtain the strongest loop possible. This includes trying different settings and tensions on the check spring and fine-tuning the timing of the hook. It must also take into account any unusual twist the thread might have, such as in double dyed black bonded nylon thread. With a maximized loop the needle can be just raising from pickoff time as you lift the feet and turn the material. My Union Lockstitch machine used to drive me crazy by routinely dropping the loop after picking it off the barbed needle, on hard right, but mostly left turns.

Possibly. It depends on if the inside foot fits between the toes of you OEM outer foot. This would have to be at all heights, in action. It it fits without binding, but the alternating lift is wrong, adjust the lift via the bolt on the back of the head that feeds the crank that screws into the curved slot. The inside foot is usually timed to meet the top of the feed dog hole either at the same time as the point of the descending needle, or very slightly after.