Wizcrafts

If it sews and has needles and bobbins, it is worth something. It won't sew holsters, but will probably do wallets and thin pouches and cases. It looks like an interesting project for somebody willing to restore it. The size of the needles determines how thick the thread can be. See what size needle and thread it is setup with. Maybe the previous owner modified it to sew thicker and heavier than Davis intended.

I have several Singer thumb screws that secure attachments onto the bed or a cover plate. Most that are unaltered are 5-40 pitch. Your machine may use 5-40, or 6-40, or something else.

The Davis VF2 went out of production around 1924. Yours may be older than that. It probably uses the same system 15x1 needles most home machines use today. But, the shuttle is another story. Hopefully, the seller has bobbins and other spare parts, cause you probably aren't going to find very many online. he VF2 has a dual feed walking foot, but no bottom feed at all. The bullet shaped shuttle oscillates in an arc under the machine. If the point is damaged, it won't pick up the needle thread. From what I've read, most of these sell at auctions or antique shops and sell in the range of $100 to $200, depending on their physical condition. It is possible that a perfectly functional and clean Davis VF2 could fetch $300, but it would have to be in very good condition.

The GA5 machines are entirely bottom feeders. Doing just about anything to the feed dog will reduce the quality of feed. To partially compensate you might have to convert it into a roller foot machine.

Single phase 110 volt clutch motors go for about $100, or so, shipped. They are heavy. Servo motors are lighter and very easy to control over a wide range of speeds. They cost about $115 plus shipping. If the machine will be kept and used for any leather sewing, a modern servo motor is recommended. Clutch motors are usually off to the races, unless you learn to feather the clutch. Keep in mind that your machine is self oiling and must spin fast, often, to distribute the oil to the ends of the wicks. The oil pan must be filled to the etched level inside the pan and the pickup filter kept free of debris. By spin fast I mean well over 2500 rpm, or pedal down. Some folks do this to wind bobbins and before a day's work with the machine.

You can replace the motor with a new servo motor. That will give you a wide range of speeds. But, it has a sump pump and is built to be run at about 4,000 rpm, or stitches per minute. This works out to maybe 60 stitches per second, plus or minus 6. At its maximum stitch length it will move along at just under one foot per second. The thread handling capacity is perhaps #92 bonded, but more likely, #69. These machines normally sew with cotton or polycore thread, not bonded nylon. The presser foot lifts to about 5/16 inch and sews about 1/4 inch of material, or so. The needle system is made for garment sewing, using cotton, polyester and denim cloth. It will have trouble going over seams because of its basically flat foot.

Folks, the poster is in Great Britain and pays for things in Pounds Sterling, not dollars.

The DNU-1541s is a scaled down, pro-sumer version of the flagship LU-1508NH. The specs can be found at http://www.juki.co.jp

I forgot to mention that both the 29-4 and 29k70 use the tiny Singer #8604 bobbins. They are about the diameter of a US dime and as tall as three dimes stacked together. These bobbins don't last very long before running out of thread. Most cobblers and vest patch installers use #69 thread in them and only sew very short distances.

If you scribe or gouge a stitch line along the edge you can lock the presser foot and sew pretty straight. This depends on how many beers you had before sewing.

The LU-1508 is a professional grade, walking foot, triple feed sewing machine. It has a double capacity hook/bobbin and a special bottom feed architecture that minimizes stretch. It can handle up to #207 thread, which many walking foot machines struggle with. Conversely, due to the square drive feed dog, it can also sew thin material with very thin thread. Many walking foot machines do poorly on thin, flimsy materials. Finally, at $1300, you are paying half the list price. This should be a no-brainer, unless there is something wrong with it. Definitely go check it out and bring some of your work to test it. The only other good option at that price point is a used cylinder arm, walking foot machine. We call these 227 clones. Or, maybe you can find a Consew 227 itself. There are some brand new, Chinese built leather sewing machines in the range of $1200 to $1600, fully equipped. You should look into the machines sold under the Cowboy, Cobra and Techsew brand names, as well as Nick-O-Sew. Their machines are built to dealer specs and the dealers stand firmly behind their machines. As it happens, Techsew are a Canadian company, based in Montreal. However, all will ship to Canada at very reasonable prices. All of the above brands are advertisers on the LeatherWorker.Net forums, with rotating banners on top of every page. Most industrial sewing machine dealers sell both new and used/rebuilt machines. If you buy one from a reputable dealer, you can expect help from the seller if you run into problems. If you buy used privately, you may be on your own to diagose the cause of problems and to buy/install replacement parts.

Well, the 29-4 is probably over 100 years old and is likely worn out. The 29k series have replaceable "gear boxes" where the shuttle driving components live. They also have much better tensioning parts on top. No matter the condition of the machines, they both do the same kind of work. That is: shoe, boot and purse patching, sewing biker patches onto vests and jackets, especially over pockets, or onto sleeves, You can also sew zippers onto some garments and not too thick leather jackets, but it is often a struggle on a patcher. What to expect in capacities: Older patchers are mostly limited to #69 (T70) bonded nylon thread, top and bottom. If the machine is very tight and in very good repair, it will handle #92 (T90) thread. The lift of the foot, which has teeth on the bottom, determines the thickness that can be sewn and advanced. In practical terms, most Singer patchers won't sew over 1/4 inch and still be able to advance the work for the next stitch. The teeth are required to pull the material and will seriously mark veg-tan leather on the top facing side. The stitch length of a brand new unit is 5 to the inch, at no more than 1/8th inch thickness. The stitches get shorter as the thickness increases. Machines that have seen a lot of hard use often only produce very short stitches, like 7 or 8 to the inch.

The "needle thread" is the top thread that is feeding off of the spool of thread on top somewhere. If that thread is too strong, or tight, try backing off the knurled adjuster nut for the top tension disks. Also, check the path of the thread to see if it has twisted around something, or itself. If the spool is sitting on the little thread platform bolted onto the right-front of the machine, put something slippery under it, like a washer cut from felt. Eliminate as much drag as you can, along the thread path. I went to the extent of installing regular industrial thread stands on my patchers. They feed up, off the top of the spools, and have no appreciable thread drag. Make sure the bobbin thread feeds under the tiny spring in the outside cutout of the bobbin case, then goes up through the tiny hole over the spring, and that the tension screw has enough tension to apply a little resistance, but with a smooth pull. If your machine uses the larger bobbins, you also have to feed the bobbin thread through the top hole in the center post on the bobbin case.

Carrie; The CB3200, 2500, 4500 and 5500, as well as the Cobra Class 3 and 4 and Techsew 4100 and 5100, are known as "441" clones. This is deceptive, in that these machines are improvements on the Juki TSC-441 design and configuration. But, one thing they all have in common is the needle system they use. It is called either system 7x3, 7x4, or 794. This defines that particular needle architecture, which in this case has an overall length of about 2.75 inches. The "size" of the needle we often refer to is not the "system," but the diameter of the business end. Next, as leather sewers we prefer to use "leather point" needles, rather than standard sharp round points. Leather points slice neatly and can penetrate hard and thick leather with much greater ease than a same diameter round point. Round point needles often have some problems coming back up through tough leather. They often make an uncomfortable loud squeak on the way up. The 2.75 inch length is easily deflected if there are any misaligned edges between the layers. Pop goes a $1.00 needle. I'm telling you this because the needles used in 441 clones are not commonly available in leather point under size 23, which is well balanced for #138 bonded nylon thread, top and bottom. Thus, if you have to sew a leather strap of about 1/8" thickness, but which is really dense stuff, you may be using a regular round point needle (size 22 or smaller) and thinner thread (size 138 and smaller). #138 thread is a tight fit in a #22 needle, but it's sometimes easier to balance the position of the knots in thinner leather than a #23 needle. Your needle may squeak and generate a lot of heat from friction and may even smoke the thread. If your sacks and backpacks need a smaller thread, like #92 (T90), a #19 or 20 needle is best. But, they are not available in leather point is those small sizes. This information is for the 441 clones. The 227 type machines are a step or two down in capacity. They use the same needles and presser feet as most of the commonly sold upholstery class walking foot machines. A 227 clone is built with #138 thread in mind. It can sew with a half size larger on top, if needed. But, if you have a thin project, or a pair of pants that need hemming, the 227 will be perfectly happy to sew with #69 (T70) bonded thread, or #80 jeans thread and even #40 button hole thread. All of the needle sizes I have seen can be had in leather point or round. We're talking small needles like size 14. Back off the thread tensions and you can even sew with standard home size 50 polycore or long grain Egyptian cotton thread. The needles are also much shorter that those used in the 441 and less likely to deflect and bend or break than a longer counterpart the same diameter. Bottom line: If 99% of your sewing will be under 3/8 inches of various materials, including leather and canvas and webbing, and the seams aren't normally subjected to a lot of tearing forces, #138 thread will probably hold it just fine. This is doubly true if you sew parallel stitch lines along critical seams. You can easily change to a #18 needle and #69 thread to sew the thin canvas parts, with just a twist of the top tension and just maybe a little tweaking of the bobbin "case" spring (for drop-in bobbin machines). I have always maintained separate machines for thick and thin work.

You should be searching for a true industrial, triple (compound) feed, walking foot machine. It should sit on top of an industrial table with a steel "k-legs" frame and have either a 1/2 HP clutch, or a decent, modern servo motor. Most machines in this "upholstery" class will sew up to 3/8 inches, with #138 bonded nylon thread, top and bottom. At 22 pounds breaking strength, #138 thread may take two rows of stitches to really secure a dog collar (depending on the strength of the animal).

A lot of standard size industrial sewing machine beds measure 7" x 19". If your machine has that size bed and you buy a table with a 7" x 19" cutout, other similar size machines will fit into the cutout. However, that is not the end of the story. The knee lever may not line up or engage the machine at all if the make and lift system are different. The height and diameter of the machine pulleys will vary, requiring different drive belts and motor height adjustments. I have two machines now that could share the same cutout. But the knee lever and motor position would need to be changed. It is simpler to have each one on its own table.

Yes. according to the specs for the CB3200 it comes with a high torque servo motor, with front panel speed control knob. It also sports a 3:1 speed reducer/torque converter.

The Techsew 3650 is a heavy duty machine with just bottom feed. It may struggle to sew and hold down 1/2 inch of veg-tan leather. The Cowboy CB3200 is a triple feed walking foot machine. It is made to sew and hold down 1/2 inch and possibly a little more. Both can tension heavy thread, like #346 and even #415, depending on the thickness and toughness of the leather. They cost about the same money. Better yet, are the Cowboy CB4500, Techsew 5100 and Cobra Class 4, all of which sew over 3/4 inch. My CB4500 has sewn 7/8 inch of belt leather, which I made into a pattern to block a shaped case. Expect to pay from $500 to $1000 more, depending on which accessories you purchase up front.

Have you tried contacting Artisan, the owner of the brand name? They have manuals, parts and accessories. Surely, somebody there can assist you, especially if you bought the machine from them.

You are going to find this out on almost every straight stitch machine you see. Few were designed with enough clearance to pass #138 thread around the bobbin case and shuttle. Have you looked for any nearby industrial sewing machine dealerships? They often have refurbished machines, and sometimes as-is but working machines for sale, one of which may be just what you want. The dealer could set-up a machine to use #138 exclusively, with the proper tensions, needle, clearances, etc. Try to confine your search to a triple feed walking foot machine (that is not shot).

No problem buddy. I shouldn't have put it the way I did. But, for background, read through the most current topics and you'll see all kinds of people who bought older used machines privately and couldn't get them to sew. Often, parts are missing or worn out. I can't recommend that another member puts themselves through this if there are any options at all. If you must buy on a budget, search for a true industrial, "compound feed walking foot machine." It is better to look at models that use a larger than standard bobbin. There are two very common oversize bobbins in use today: M style (1.5x) and Juki LU style (2x). I paid for a walking foot machine sewing rifle slings for a friend. Without the larger bobbins, I would have had to stop and swap bobbins after about 8 or 9 slings. With the M bobbins, I was able to sew about 14 slings (with variance in the thickness of the leather and suede and the tightness and density I wound the bobbins to). All these straps were sewn exclusively with #138 bonded nylon thread and a #23 Schmetz leather point needle. I even posted a video of me sewing them to YouTube. Search for Wiz Feinberg, or Wizcrafts on Y.T. The machine, a National 300N, was a triple (compound) feed, walking foot machine I bought used, but not abused, from a local custom blinds manufacturer that dabbled in some small upholstery jobs. Machines like mine can sew 3/8 inches with #138 thread, top and bottom, all day long. Occasionally, I would use #207 on top only, for some pancake holsters. But, this was false economy, because the #138 thread on the bottom was the weak link in the construction. I also have a 1921 Singer straight stitch 31-15 industrial machine. It is lucky if it sews with #92 thread. It performs best with #69 thread only. The machine is basically based on the design of your 15-88 and uses a standard class 15 bobbin. I had to replace the entire shuttle system to keep it sewing at all. It only "likes" certain bobbin cases, popping others out at the worst time, when I am sewing. This is the kind of old junk I was referring to.

Try altering the travel of your check spring, which is mounted on the lower disk set. Note the current position, then raise it an 8th of an inch and test. If no happy happy, lower it an 8th below the starting point. If no happy happy, return it to zero. See if the needle is being pulled to the outside on the take-up stroke. If so, move the hook closer to the needle by a gazillionth of an inch. Try again. If nothing you alter improves the problem, assume bad thread and try a different spool.

There is a certain fascination about buying an old machine and getting it to work like when it was new. But, unless one is almost broke, one is better off buying something either new or rebuilt professionally. DavidL; A typical 45k25 that is not all rusted shut, will continue sewing for a long long time. But, parts will wear out and some of them are either hard to find or are expensive. There are new machines that are clones of the 45k21. One is the Cowboy CB2500. It is a modern build of the old design, which sews 7/16 inches of leather, with #346 thread. Needles, bobbins and a roller foot and an edge guide are available. I think it sells for about $1100 or so, depending on options.

I wasn't trying to put down your future machine. Just stating what I have found to be a fact many times over. If you don't mind fixing up old iron machines, the 111w155 will be one to watch for. A lot of them went to upholstery shops. The sewers in these shops consider time as money. So, they equip their walking foot machines with clutch motors having 4" pulleys. Since many Singer machines also have a 4" pulley (and even smaller), the machines spins at 1:1 with the motor (or faster). For the average 110 volt clutch motor that equals 1725 rpm (hence, spm). Divide that by 60 and you get almost 29 stitches per second! At 5 stitches per inch (typical for a Singer 111), you can sew about 6 inches per second. In case you were wondering, these machines were built to max out at about 2,000 rpm. Running them at 90% for 20 years or more tends to wear out the moving parts and bearings and the drive belt inside the 111 machines. You may get such a machine for a great cash price, then find it necessary to spend possibly a couple hundred or more to replace worn out parts. If you do buy a machine with a clutch motor with a big pulley and have trouble controlling it, you'll want to swap it out for new servo motor, which is usually very easy to control at a wide range of speeds. There goes another $125 to $150. So, if you are able to find a good, used walking foot machine locally, if it comes from an upholstery shop, you'll probably be looking for a servo motor really soon. That has been my experience in buying sewing machines locally. Have you thought about contacting our member-dealers to see what they can offer you that will sew the thickness and thread size you prefer? It might be a better option. BTW: I have a 15-91 and consider it to be an expensive toy.

Are you just looking for old junk? I guess a Singer 111w155 will handle #138 thread, top and bottom. Be aware that they have small bobbins, no reverse and very strange stitch length adjusters.