Wizcrafts

There are aftermarket reproductions of Singer decals. I've seen them and they look as good as the originals.

Does the balance wheel rotate true, or wobbly? If it wobbles the main shaft may be bent. You can try unscrewing the presser bar to see/hear if it makes a difference being out of the picture. If the binding disappears the bar may be bent, or binding in its top or bottom bushings. If the presser bar isn't the culprit, maybe the needle bar is. Mark its position fully raised (with a Magic Marker, or tape), then loosen its screws and try rotating the wheel. It too goes through a bearing. Perhaps it is slightly bent.

Make sure the needle is aligned with the rib on the left and scarf on the right. The needle should be inserted all the way up into the needle bar hole. The needle should be System 135x16 (leather), or 135x17 (cloth). It is remotely possible that you have the wrong needle system, thus it is too short to reach the hook. The proper system 135x17 needle length is 43.8mm, or 1.72 inches, from the top of the shank to the tip. Some leather points may be very slightly shorter than the round points.

If you are already dealing with support from the dealer, we shouldn't interfere. But, KGG's suggestion to remove the belts is valid. It may just be an overtightened belt, of which you have three. Or, the bearings could be bad on the motor and speed reducer. Has LMC asked you to remove the bobbin case securing bracket and the bobbin case, to check for thread fragments? There could be thread stubs causing binding. The fact that the new head is doing the same thing makes me suspect your belts/motor/speed reducer. Remove the belt from the machine and see if it turns freely and without the moaning sound.

If system 134-35 is correct for your machine (according to the specifications), and you have inserted the needle all the way up in its mounting hole, and the rib faces due left, and the scarf faces due right, and it is threaded properly and won't pick up the bobbin thread, the machine is either out of time, or the needle bar has been pushed up due to a hard impact and the needle is now too short. If it was pushed up, the needle bar can be lowered back to the specs so the eye of the needle is at the right height as the hook passes over it on the upstroke. If the needle bar is at the correct factory position, the hook may be retarded due to a thread jam. Clear out any loose thread, oil the hook, then retime according to the manual. The hook must intersect the needle in the scarf area, above the eye, on the upstroke when a loop has formed on the right side of the needle.

Yes, if it is in good sewing condition. The machine head looks good in the photos. If there is any way you can go to their location, ask for a demo of the machine sewing a stack of leather. It looks like you'll be getting lots of needles and accessories. I noticed that the rubber pads are missing from the foot pedals. That's a minus as your foot could slip and ruin a project if the pedal has oil dripping on it. It might be a good starter machine and may be a good investment. But, I would only offer $1400 to $1500, which is more than half the list price of that machine, as listed on the Artisan website. If you outgrow the short arm, you can probably sell it for what you paid for it and buy a Cowboy CB4500, like I have. It has a 16.5" arm and I know I wouldn't want to sew gun belts with bullet loops, or sew large holsters, or do saddle repairs on a 9 inch arm version.

You posted this question in a post from 2011 that had nothing at all to do with this model of machine. I split your question into a new topic. That's the proper way to ask an unrelated question. Or, you could have posted it under your previous topic about this 78-1.

You can check out HE&P for accessories for Juki 441 and clones sewing machines. The prices for the various parts are on the website. He makes very narrow feed dog/throat plate sets and narrow presser and alternating feet. I got my first narrow set from our member @RockyAussie. Contact him through the forum messaging system for his current pricing.

Add more foot pressure to hold down the leather to stop skipping stitches. You can rub out the foot tracks later. But, I would move up to a #25/200 needle first. I recommend a Schmetz S point needle. I watched your video and suggest that you tighten the two screws on the shuttle race all the way down, then back them off about 1/2 turn each. This will let the shuttle move outwards as the thick thread goes around the bobbin case. You don't want too much or too little clearance.

All sole stitchers tend to be temperamental to setup and operate. All of these models have a curved needle and awl and sew with the bottom side up..

I have found that the actual hook to needle timing changes when I sew in reverse on my walking foot machines. While this isn't bad enough to shred the thread, it does occasionally lead to skipped stitches in reverse. You need to really time these reversing machines perfectly, or else...

Very few sewing machines were made that could sew over 7/8 inch. There was a Campbell Hi-Lift, needle and awl machine, that could allegedly sew 1.25 inches. I never saw that machine though. I sewed on a standard Campbell Randall stitcher that was good up to a touch over 3/4 inch. I modified two Union Lockstitch machines to sew 7/8 inch. I once sewed a solid 1 inch thick holster on my Cowboy CB4500, but only after tricking it out. Pat Luberto used to make a Luberto Classic that he claimed could sew 1 inch of leather. He went out of business in the last decade. Finally, I've read about people who owned Landis #1 harness stitchers, that used a now obsolete, super long System 1000 needle, that would sew 1 inch thick stacks of saddle leather.

I have a Cowboy CB4500 with an aftermarket narrow feed dog and throat plate from Australia. Using these narrowed down parts allows the machine to handle lighter work that can be sewn with #92 bonded thread, using a #19 needle. I also have a set from another member here who makes very narrow feed dog/throat plate sets for use with #69 thread and a #18 needle. This truly extends an otherwise heavy duty only machine down to the territory normally only available in upholstery class machines. This is something to consider if you really plan to sew holsters. Those need to be sewn with very thick thread that is beyond the capacity of the upholstery class machines.

Maybe these manuals will help, if you don't already have a copy. Consew_204RB-1,_206RB-1,_208RB-1.pdf consew_204_206_208.pdf

Most of my Singer sewing machines don't have reverse levers. I use the same method as described by KGG. I call this "Poor Man's Reverse." I named it that because I didn't have the money to buy a new Juki machine with reverse when I began acquiring sewing machines in the mid 1980s. As a result of learning to do Poor Man's Reverse, I don't shy away from buying 100 year old machines that sew forward only. Another way I lock in the stitches is simply sewing over the starting stitches for 5 or more stitches. They aren't coming out on their own after that. I do this with all of the patches I sew onto vests, jackets, hats and bags. I sew around the patch and over several starting stitches.

NO! The stitch length is set by the knurled round nut ON the stitch lever, on the outside of the machine. Turn it counterclockwise to increase the maximum stitch length, then pull the lever down to set that length. turning the knurled nut clockwise will shorten the maximum stitch length and move the lever further up.

There have been several discussions about this ancient sewing machine, here on Leatherworker.net. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/90836-singer-78-1-vs-111w101/ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/54558-first-machine-singer-78-1-vs-singer-96k40/ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/55658-singer-78-3-what-do-you-know/ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/60038-singer-78-3-info/ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/80437-singer-78-3-leather-needles/ Finally, I found a YouTube video from a fellow who was selling a Singer 78-1. He gives a great description of the machine and demonstrates it sewing about a 1/4 inch thick stack of heavy suede with #138 thread. Please note that these posts are from up to a decade ago and many of the parts mentioned are no longer available. Some of the website links in the posts are no longer valid either.

At this point, I recommend taking the head to a qualified dealer who can troubleshoot both the oil leaks and the binding, and fix them. Anything else would be speculation. My knowledge is pretty much restricted to Singer walking foot machines. If it turns out that your machine is a clone of a Singer, then there are manuals and videos that show the parts to adjust. But, I suspect your machine is a clone of a Pfaff 335 synchronized binder machine. It's probably a whole 'nuther thing. Maybe somebody with a Pfaff machine can help you.

They plug into holes on the back of the bed of the machine and let the head tilt back for oiling or adjusting parts under the bed. The hook shapes fit over solid steel pins that are inside mounting brackets on the table, behind the machine.

I wonder out loud if those wicks can be replaced with tighter woven wicks? As for the stiffness on the upstroke, I have had that happen on my walking foot machines when I increased the alternating height of the feet to handle an extra thick job. It turned out that there is a point at which the mechanism that joins the two feet can actually make hard contact with the presser bar during a portion of the cycle. When I detected this issue, I lowered the lift slightly so the crank shafts just miss the presser bar. Things got a lot smoother at that setting. So, unthread and remove the needle, remove the left faceplate, place a stack of three 8 ounce thick pieces of hard leather under the feet, lower the lifter, then rotate the hand wheel. See if the cranks hit the presser foot bar. If not, add another layer and test again. Some of my walking foot machines can only clear 3/8", or 7/16", while one clears 1/2 inch before making hard contact. Another setting that affects the maximum lift before contact is the lifting height ratio. This is usually adjusted on the back of the head where a crank comes out of the head and connects to a sliding block in a curved slot connected to a shaft that connects to the cranks controlling the parts in the left side of the head. The position of the block determines the alternating feet lift. You can reset the ratio to the lowest lift setting that still jumps over a typical new layer, but allows you to sew a thicker stack before the foot crank hit the presser bar. Note, this adjustment doesn't seem to work the same if the feet are manually lifted with the hand lift lever on the back, or a knee lever, or a foot pedal lifter. It needs to be done with the foot lifter down in the sewing position and the feet up on a thick stack of non-compressible hard leather, or plywood.

Use a cloth tape measure across the top of the pulleys from bottom to top to find the length. Then go to a hardware store and find a type 3L v-belt to match that length. In Canada, the length will be in centimeters. In the USA it is in inches. If you can't get a cloth tape measure, try a metal tape measure and join the start and finish end on the downside below the top of the machine pulley, on the straight away. Last option is to open the c-clip and measure the round belt while pulling it apart to get the stretch out. I would add another 3 or 4 cm to that measurement because it lies all the way inside the pulleys. A v-belt rides on the top edge of the pulleys, with the taper sitting inside.

See if you can find a slightly heavier viscosity clear oil. Juki makes a couple different viscosities for different types of machines that run at different speeds. Maybe you were sold the thinnest oil meant for high speed sergers. That stuff finds exits and use them. I used some of it in a COnsew 206 walking foot machine and it pooled out all over the place. But, it stayed inside the Juki serger. @CowboyBob- Bob Kovar might have the heavier oil you need. Contact him at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines.

My story doesn't include a Juki, but an ancient Singer 31-15. My Father became a tailor after arriving in America, in 1920. I don't know how he acquired his equipment; I suspect his relatives already here financed him. My Dad only had that one Singer 31-15, bought brand new from Hoffman Brothers in Chicago, which he used to do alterations, sew patches onto uniforms for the 5th Army, hem pants and skirts, shorten sleeves, install zippers, etc. That sewing machine fed our family and paid the rent. It sewed clothes for millionaires on the near north side of Chicago. It repaired silk lined Pucci and Gucci suits owned by known Chicago mobsters. I delivered clothes to those guys in person and waited holding my breath while they inspected our work. I was often rewarded with a $100 tip! I still remember Joe Fusco saying: "Ya's guys did a good job. Tip the man, Mario" They were Good Fellas and we were solid with them. Evidently, the word got passed down over the decades that my Dad did favors for the Outfit during and after Prohibition. A Singer sewing machine and an old black lady born in the late 1800s who did all the hand pressing for those super important and picky customers made all the difference between our tailor shop and all the others. I learned to sew on that 1920 Singer 31-15. It's long gone, as is my Dad, but I bought another one built in 1921, I use to sew linings and broadcloth. I still have two Ace Clippers and two Wiss shears from the tailor shop: Park Shore Cleaners and Tailors. I use them to secure patches for sewing onto bikers' vests when the edges are within 1.5 inches of an edge. The pinking shears still work perfectly on linings. Old American chrome steel with edges that can last 100 years! Old iron and steel sewing machines that last 100 years! The scent of the oil...

As long as your Class 4 came with a servo motor with a very small pulley, that feeds a 3:1 speed reducer, a 110v 15 amp circuit is more than enough power. The motor can draw between 500 and 750 watts at full power. But, with the speed reducer multiplying the torque 3x, your motor is actually drawing much less amperage and wattage to produce the results it is made for. If you sew its rated thickness of 7/8 inch of veg-tan leather, using #346 bonded thread on the top and bottom, with a #26 needle (think roofing nail size), it will still punch through without tripping a typical circuit breaker. In fact, the motor has built in protection against a severe overload. The thickest stack I've sew on my Cowboy CB4500 is exactly 1 inch. It was as tricky as Hell and required some special adjustments, but I got it done without any looping or ratting of the thread, on either side. I don't recommend this for beginners though. Keep it under the rated maximum thickness and you'll be good. But, make sure your sockets and their wire connections are tight, or soldered at both ends. Mind the ground wire!

When I sew leather together that's between 3/16+ and 5/16- I use #207 bonded thread. Between 5/16 and 7/16 inch I use #277 thread. At 1/2 inch, I definitely use #346 thread. If you mostly sew patches, you need a machine optimized for #69 or #92 bonded thread, using a #18 to #20 needle. For rifle slings and guitar straps, up to about 10 - 11 ounces thickness, you want it optimized for #138 thread and a #23 needle. If you need to sew up to its maximum thickness, it must be optimized for that thickness and heavy #207 thread with a #24 needle needed to hold that thickness together against the forces trying to tear it apart. You may need to ask the factory to set up the machine so it can handle this wide range of thread/needle/thickness without skipping stitches, or ratting the thread. Better yet, buy a light duty machine for patches and a heavy duty harness quality stitcher for the heavy stuff. Neither machine will be stretched above or below their optimum capacity. If two machines aren't in your foreseeable future, buy a heavy duty machine and dumb it down to sew thinner work with thin thread. We have two members here who make specialty feed dogs, throat plates and even presser feet that let you sew a Cobra Class 4, or Cowboy cb4500 with thin thread and soft leather. I have a narrow set from both custom builders and can testify that I can go from sewing a holster with #277 thread and a #25 needle, down to #92 thread and a #20 needle to sew a wallet back to an interior, or sew a new zipper into a leather jacket, or chaps. FWIIW, I don't try to use my harness stitcher to sew patches on with #69 thread and a #18 needle. I have two patchers, a post machine and several flat bed machines that are better optimized for that task.