Wizcrafts

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.

No matter what parts you swap out, you will not be able to get a 4 motion feed dog on this binder machine. The feed dog only moves forward and backward on this machine, which was designed to sew bias tape binding onto the edges. That means that the feed dog may actually fight the feed as it slides forward directly against the bottom of the leather. If you plan to apply edge binding, this is a great machine. Otherwise, if you want it for normal sewing operations, you'll need a 4 motion feed dog, aka: a drop feed machine.

I found some on Amazon, in packs of 10 needles, here. You have to choose the size in the options list. They have them up to size 16.

The Pfaff 335 was made in a few sub-versions, ending with the letter H and a number. H4 is the heaviest duty version that can actually handle a #24 needle and 207 thread. But, you might need to drill out the hole in the inside foot, throat plate and feed dog. Depending on the H version, you might be able to use #92 thread and a #19 needle in it. But, if it lacks the standard four motion feed dog drive, and you have to purchase Pfaff parts to get it to feed on the bottom, you'll be spending almost as much as you would on a good used Consew 227 type walking foot cylinder arm machine. I wouldn't recommend investing in that machine if it is one of the light duty versions made strictly for synchronized binding.

You have two options for obtaining discontinued Singer parts. Buy a donor machine head of the same make and model that is complete, turns freely, and is affordable. Contact dealers who have been in business for at least 40 years, or longer and ask if they have any OEM parts that you need. They may have some unsold replacement parts, or remove them from a donor machine. One of our supporting advertisers is a long time dealer who has a lot of old Singer parts.

Make sure you stock up on needles in sizes 18, 19 and 20 for use with thread sizes 69 and 92. The #20 won't get as much use, but may come in handy if the leather is really tough, or is deflecting the needle.

The only time you would insert the bobbin so it feeds clockwise is if there is an anti-backlash spring under the bobbin. These are usually shaped like a star. The tension is reduced on a clockwise feeding bobbin, in a top loading basket. I personally feed all my bobbins against the direction of rotation because the back pressure keeps the thread firmly under the tension spring.

Yes. Both machines use standard walking foot needle systems 135x16 and 135x17.

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines is a full fledged sewing machine dealership. They sell and service industrial sewing machines and have parts and accessories for sale. They don't sell online though. You have to call, email, or fill out the contact form to get part numbers and prices. This is how business was done in the needle trade before the Internet. Their toll free number is: 866-362-7397

Take a look at how the tread comes off the spool. If it is twisty, like a coil spring, you'll need to thread it in the reverse direction through two holes in the top thread guide post. I usually start at the top hole, wrap it counterclockwise and feed it out the bottom hole. this counteracts any twist and gives back pressure to keep the thread inside the top tension disks.

Are you holding back the starting 3 stitches?

I looked at a package of these big eye 135x17 needles and they are Schmetz SERV7. I bought them in sizes 18 and 19. The largest I found listed is only a #22, which is good for #138 bonded thread. I sew through leather tape with them and they don't clog or rat the thread like a standard 135x17.

I use all three brands. I have multiple sewing machines that all use System 135x16 and 135x17 needles. One of my main suppliers is @CowboyBobKovar, owner of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. He sold me some Schmetz S point needles in System 134-35 that lay down an inline stitchline. I like them. They are ever so slightly shorter than the standard walking foot needles, but still work for me. If at all possible, try to buy titanium coated needles. The ones I have are from Organ and Gross Beckert. These needles go through leather tape and glue with fewer clogging issues. Interestingly, when it comes to round points, I have some Schmetz that have a special geometry in the eye that resists clogging even though it is just plain steel. I use them to sew embroidered patches onto Bikers' vests. Why? On account of leather point needles slice the thread along the edges, where the round pints just separate the threads and don't rat the edges. You can buy individual packs of System 135x16 and 135x17 on eBay.

The hook, shuttle, take-up system and tensioners are not built to properly tension #277 thread. It will get dragged down into the hook and jam the machine. That's the official stance. Now, you might try running a soft #277 on top, but no more than a soft 207 in the bobbin, using a #25 diamond point needle. You'll have to crank down the presser foot spring a lot to keep the leather from lifting as the needle ascends. Set the stitch length to about 6 to the inch. Increase the top tension and reduce the bobbin tension.Sew into 1/4 inch of leather that has been oiled to soften it and see if you can balance the top and bottom threads. Hold back the starting threads, hand crank the machine and see what happens! Let us know.

That is a very cryptic post! I'm trying to decipher the questions. The first question appears to be how can I convert my Juki LU-1508 top loader into a side loader like the Juki DNU-1541? (I filled in the missing prefixes) No, you can't do that. If you want a side loading machine, trade in your 1508 top loader for a 1541 side loader. It could be that there is an anti-backlash spring in the bobbin case, under the bobbin, that is pushing up too much, jamming the bobbin and adding way more tension than you actually set it to. If that isn't it, something else may interfering with the path the bobbin thread takes and is squeezing the thread. Or, the top thread may be getting jammed as it goes through the feed dog, gets picked off by the hook and wraps around the shuttle and bobbin. Remove the cover plate over the bobbin and watch the top thread as you slowly rotate the hand wheel with a piece of tough material, or leather under the feet. See if the top thread is loose, or tight as it goes around. If it snaps going around the bobbin case, the timing could be retarded. Advance the timing a bit and try again.