Wizcrafts

I wonder if it is a special model double needle machine? That would 'splain the second bobbin cover on the left.

@MacB I found these bobbins for your machine, from the seller Evernice.

A #25 needle is too large for #207 thread. The hole will be too loose to grip the knots. Move down one size to a #24. Use leather point system 794 (7x4) when sewing leather, and round point 7x3 when sewing cloth, webbing and bio-synthetics. I don't know how you've threaded the machine on the top, but, make sure that the thread isn't rising up in the top tension disks as you sew.This may call for re-positioning the thread guide just below the disks. Also, it helps to wrap the thread counterclockwise around the top and bottom holes in the top thread post. I feed in through the top inline hole, wrap CCW, and feed out the bottom inline hole. This provides needed back pressure on the top thread which helps keep the thread from twisting and lifting out of the business part of the disks. Whatever needle you install, make sure the rib is facing due left and cutout scarf is facing due right. If the bobbin thread tension is too light, the knots will come out the top to easily. Reverse the direction of the bobbin so it makes are sharp turn and feeds against the direction of the path to the spring outlet hole. If it's too tight, feed straight in and reduce the spring tension. These machines need a fair amount of bobbin tension to offset the big spring in the tension system.

@Crockett Know that just because your machine can clear 3/8 inch of material and sew it, that material can't be very dense and incompressible. So, while that machine can sew together 3/8 inch of upholstery leather, it can't do the same with hard veg-tan in a shaped holster. The moving parts aren't secured strongly enough to hold together under the strain of trying to penetrate that thickness of hard temper leather, especially if you are trying to sew with #207 thread using a #24 needle. The best you can hope for is the sew 1/4 to 5/16 inch with #138 thread, using a #23 needle. Number 138 (T135) bonded nylon thread has 22 pounds breaking strength. I wouldn't trust that size thread to hold a serious holster together unless you also rivet the layers in case the thread breaks under stress. FYI: All of the holsters my partner and I produce are sewn with #277 thread, on top and bottom, using a #25 diamond or S point needle. I use a Cowboy CB4500 harness stitcher that I got from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines in 2011. Before that, I used a Union Lockstitch Machine for holsters, sheathes, weight belts, gun belts, and anything over 1/4 inch thick veg-tan. The thinnest holsters we make are 1/4 inch thick. The thickest was 1 inch. The average is 1/2 to 5/8 inch along the edge that has a filler for the trigger guard and bottom profile..

Buy them a new needle clamp and screw. Simple fix.

Try here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQGPdiY6m9U and here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuzoN-I6ydI

Yes. Make sure it isn't either retarded or advanced to start your troubleshooting.

@Icho, This is often caused by retarded hook timing. Try advancing the hook a little and see if it reduces the tension going around the hook. Also, increase the slack setting in the check spring to feed a little more top thread into the mix.

It could be a thread problem. If you have, or can buy more thread, try a different spool. Also, inspect the tension spring on the bobbin case to see if there is any thread fluff stuck under it, or inside the bobbin case. Make sure the timing is spot-on and not retarded. Try adjusting the travel and slack settings of your check spring.

Perhaps you can reduce the tension and travel of the check spring to loosen the lay of the stitches. They call it a thread take-up spring in the manual. Here is a link to page 11 where the adjustments are outlined (in Chinese and English). In essence, the spring movement only needs to continue until the needle pierces the top of the material. If you setup the machine for thin material, the spring may be holding on way too long. If there is a second adjustment for the amount of slack thread, increase that amount. The actual spring tension will need to be fairly strong for #207 thread. IHTH

I think that the top thread is getting pinched as it exits the shuttle and bobbin case. It looks like the case opener lever isn't pulling back the bobbin case to give its tab some clearance for the thick thread you are using. Try setting the opener arm so it pulls the case backwards as the thread moves around and past the bobbin case. Also, play with the check spring travel and position settings to get a little more slack in the top thread.

@Jpmaringa, It is definitely an Adler short arm shoe patcher. If you can open the bobbin cover plate and take a picture of the bobbin and shuttle, I can tell you if it has a large or small bobbin. Also, post a picture of a needle, next to a ruler so I can identify whether it is a high or low lift model. These details will define its thickness capabilities and thread capacities.

@Cali514, this motor can indeed be swapped for a servo motor (if necessary). I regard this setup as a standard motor and pedal alignment. My Adler is mounted on a steel stand made by Adler. It isn't easily modified. The one you are looking at can be modified and accessorized. If you do buy the patcher, don't change the motor right away. You need free play to hand turn the balance wheel. The clutch motor has a big bolt that's shown in your photo. That bolt can be screwed in or out for more or less free play before the clutch engages. A servo motor may have zero free play before it engages. But, it may have a brake pad that can be removed for free play. However, that means you lose the brake! That's how it is on the servo motors in my machines. The ones with the brake removed have to be slowed and stopped by grabbing the rotating wheel. There are different types of servo motor.

I own an Adler 30-7. It is meant for repairing tears and loose stitches in shoes, boots and cylindrical items, like cue cases, pants seams, and, as was mentioned earlier, for sewing patches over pockets and linings on vests, and jackets. It is a great machine for sewing in zippers in purses and boots. The bobbin is called a large bobbin in "Patcher Speak." This translates into about half the capacity of the bobbin in a Singer 111 type machine's "G" size bobbin. Those bobbins are usually referred to as 1x capacity in the industrial sewing machine World. Judging by the small diameter of the post, that tall post machine likely uses a Singer "G" bobbin. That is a perfect machine for making and repairing hats of all kinds. You can also sew along the top of a bag and the very bottom of a bag. TBT, I would buy them both, then find a good working condition Singer 111w155 or 156 flat bed machine. If you know how to ride a Harley, a clutch motor is no big deal. You already know how to feather a clutch. Otherwise, there will be a learning curve. If the Adler is on a matching power stand, it will contain a 1/2 horsepower clutch motor and 1 2:1 speed reducer. There is a custom bracket bolted to the left side of the motor actuator arm that comes out the bottom of the stand and connects to the "gas" pedal. It will not be easy to replace this setup with a servo motor, if it is doable at all. Deal with it and feather the clutch. What you haven't been told about the Adler patcher is that is has a revolving foot that feeds in 360 degrees. There is a screw on the front of the revolving head housing to lock the foot in position to "try" to sew a straight line. There are no edge guides, so straight lines are tricky. Don't attempt it if you are stoned! EDIT: It looks like the Adler has been custom mounted to a standard, but shortened industrial sewing machine table. I can't see the bottom of it where the speed pedal is located, so again, no idea if it can be converted to a servo motor. I would just go with the motor they have in it. Clutch motors are very easy to adjust for slack movement before they begin to engage. Not so for most servo motors.

We created a section of our Marketplace for buying and selling sewing machine accessories.

Doh!

You left out a few important details, like the following. The make and model of the sewing machine The type of motor. If clutch, does the clutch engage smoothly, or with a sudden jerk then off to the races? If servo, what kind: digital with a readout screen, or analog with a knob? The diameter of the pulley currently on the motor I have a lot of industrial sewing machines. One has a clutch motor, while the others have servo motors with knobs to limit the top speed. The servo motors all have very small pulleys, like 2 inches or less. However, my different machines have varying pulleys on the balance wheels.One that I use a lot for repairs and custom jobs has a small machine pulley; about 3 inches or so. The servo motor has a 45mm pulley and I still have to turn the knob almost all the way down to sew 1 stitch per second, feathering the pedal. It will not sew that speed with the pedal down. For that I would need to add a speed reducer. Those are usually either 2:1 or 3:1. On the machines equipped with a reducer, I can usually floor it and sew 1 stitch per second. Note, that analog servo motors (with a speed knob) may not have enough torque to turn over the machine at the slowest setting. You have to give it a little more speed to overcome the resistance and the leather. If you have a reducer between the motor and machine, you can increase the speed setting to get into a better torque range and feather the pedal to get very slow speeds. On my Cowboy CB4500, it has a motor with a 50mm pulley, a 3:1 reducer, and a huge machine pulley. The total reduction is 9:1. I can dial up the speed knob on the motor and easily feather the floor pedal to sew at watching grass grow speeds! I mean like 1 stitch in 1 minute! I use this technique to place the needle exactly where I want it to hit at corners or the end of a precise stitch line. I hope this helps.

@KellyGottus When you do place the ad in the aforementioned forum, include your location, asking price (or tell them to make an offer), condition and whether it is for pickup only, or if delivery/shipping is available. Take some small resolution photos and include them with the ad. Good luck! Since you haven't told us the make and model number, we can't help with any pricing. It is only worth what an interested buyer is willing to pay. Cobbler machines is a broad term. It might be a Singer, Adler, Bradbury, or Claes. Some are a dime a dozen, others fetch more. Some have parts available and others have none. A working machine fetches more than a non-functioning antique display piece. These facts influence what buyers will pay.

Just remove the needle screws and little thread guide from the needle bar and loosen the set screws, then pull the bar out of the top of the hole in the machine's head. Do whatever you plan to do about that bar, then reinstall it, or a new one. Tighten the screws lightly on the needle bar. Rotate the hand wheel until the needle reaches bottom dead center, then starts raising up. SOP is that when needle raises 3/32", then the tip of the hook intersects it about 1/8 inch above the eye. If you don't touch the hook gears or shaft, it should be easy to retime it to the new needle bar.

The shuttle *race* is secured by two spring loaded screws on the end of the arm. I recommend tightening the down, then backing off each screw between 1/2 and 1 turn, depending on the thickness of the thread. For average heavy thread sizes 207 and 277, 1/2 turn usually suffices. For #346 and #415, 1 turn provides more clearance as the hook oscillates with the top thread around it. For thin thread sizes 138 and under, 1/4 turn will do. You don't want too much slop in the shuttle, nor do you want it pinching the thread as it goes around the bobbin case.

You already tried removing the upper belt and said the reducer turns freely, but not the machine head. So, either there is thread jammed in the hook/shuttle assembly, or the machine has seized due to a lack of oil in a critical moving part. This happened to a friend's Cobra Class 4 (same type of machine as yours) in 2021 when he had me helping him with a sewing project. Here's how it went down... After threading the machine I ran a test strip to balance the tensions. The machine made a groaning sound I never heard it make before. I loosened the belts to see if the problem was above or below the table and it was above it. I listened carefully and determined that the groaning was coming from inside the faceplate end, where the crank shafts live. I unscrewed the cover plate and watched as I turned the hand wheel. I saw the cranks that cause the outside foot to lift were binding and causing the groaning sound. I asked my friend when was the last time he opened the cover and oiled the moving parts and he said never! He didn't know he was supposed to do that! I oiled every moving part until it bled oil! So, if you haven't already oiled inside the faceplate, remove the cover and oil every oil hole and moving shaft inside the left end of the machine. Also, oil the holes in the cranks along the outside read of the machine and the oil holes on top.. There is also a service cover on the front right of the main body that conceals a moving part that has an oil hole. Slide the cover to expose the part and oil it. Get some shop rags or paper towels and place them under the head to catch the dripping oil.

No. Not at all.

The pulleys should be directly inline. Any angle may cause premature wear on the belt.

@Ripper70 Spun Kevlar and Nomex are not as strong as their bonded nylon/polyester counterparts. In the lighter weights, the differences are not important because both threads are strong enough for seams and patches. In the heavier weights, strength often matters and Kevlar is usually the better choice. However, Kevlar thread is abrasive and will eventually wear grooves into posts, guides, tension disks and springs, the hook and the take-up lever. Any sewing machine used a lot with Kevlar thread will need to be rebuilt, or replaced more frequently that machines using standard industrial thread. I haven't noticed any ill effects from running Nomex thread in my machines, repairing turnout suits, or those belonging to a friend's blackout window blind sewing operation which I was commissioned to set up.

I'm your Huckleberry! Firefighting gear has to withstand temperatures that will melt bonded nylon or polyester thread. A simple lighter on the thread test confirms this. I sometimes use lighters to melt the ending thread stubs to lock them down. You cannot sew turnout gear with nylon or polyester thread that will melt in the heat of a firefight. In response to the need, Dupont developed a meta-aramid fiber that can be spun into sewing thread that is called Nomex. This thread has a very high heat (~ 675 degrees F) and flame resistance (it chars, but doesn't melt in flames). However, this heat and flame resistance comes at a price. That price fluctuates from time to time, but ranges between $100 and $200 a pound (for new stock). During the California fire season, the price per pound may go through the roof. In the off-season, it may drop. Different areas of a turnout suit require different thread sizes to keep the pieces together, oftentimes under tremendous strain. Less stressed decorative areas can be sewn with Tex 27 or 40. More stressed seams may require Tex 60 or Tex 80. Really thick seams may need Tex 90, 105, or thicker Nomex thread. I have used all these sizes on a turnout suit, using the thinner thread on reflective tape that came loose and heavier thread on suede cuffs on the bottom of the legs. One of my primary sewing suppliers, Wawak, carries Nomex thread in Tex 40, in black and natural, in 6000 yard spools.