Wizcrafts

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.

A properly timed and foot-adjusted Singer 111w155 can easily sew 3/8 inch of soft to medium temper leather. Those proper adjustments start with setting the timing per the service manual. You don't want the tip arriving too late, or early on the upstroke. Also, make sure the hook passes very close to the largest needle you expect to use. Adjust the deflector tab as needed. It should just brush the needle above the top of the eye, but within the scarf area. Next, adjust the latch opener to pull back on the bobbin case so the thread doesn't get trapped by the little tab that moves in the protrusions under the throat plate. The next important adjustment is the travel and force of the check spring. It has to hold the top thread taut until the needle goes through all the material, but, let go well before pick-off time so a decent loop is formed on the right side of the needle. Open the sliding bobbin cover and watch the loop form as the needle ascends. It must be big enough to get picked off by the hook. If the loop is too small, try reducing the travel of the check spring. Or, rotate the disk around the little screw inside the curved slot in the check plate. It fine tunes the action. Use the best needle for the thread sizes and density of the leather. Move up a size if in doubt. Use leather point needles only in veg-tan leather. Next, make sure you have enough foot pressure to hold the leather down as the needle ascends. Missed and ratted stitches happen when the material lifts with the threaded needle. Oh, make sure the needle is aligned so the rib is facing due left and the scarf is facing due right. This outta get you in the ballpark.

The Juki DDL-555 is an older model tailoring/dress-maker's sewing machine. They're usually run hard and put up wet.

I will add to make sure that the manual hand lift lever is all the way down before you try adjusting the foot lift components. I've seen people go crazy trying to get the foot down on the leather when the manual foot lifter is engaged! They literally needed to consult a therapist afterward! ;-) Another way to tell that the manual lifter is engaged is if the top thread has almost no resistance when you pull it out the bottom, or through the needle's eye. This is because a properly set machine separates the top tension disks when the foot lift lever is raised up.

I normally set the presser foot so it actually makes contact with the raised feed dog, whether the dog has teeth, or is smooth on top. This is on machines that have a moving feed dog. Not all machines have one. For those machines I set the presser foot so it goes all the way down to the throat plate. You have a roller foot machine, and are sewing leather, right? You need the roller to make firm contact with the top of the work, no matter how thick or thin it may be. If the roller is marking the top grain objectionably, reduce the foot pressure. If the reduced pressure causes the leather to lift with the ascending loaded needle, increase the needle size by +1 size. E.G, go from a #22 to a #23 needle if the leather lifts and you get skipped or loose stitches.

I often find type 3L v-belts at my local Ace Hardware store. They seem to have almost everything a person could want.

What make and model sewing machine are you asking about? What type of foot or feet does it have?

If you are able to achieve the slow speed control and punching power you need at that speed, you don't need a reducer. However, if your motor power drops too far down to punch the needle and thread trough the work at that slow speed, a reducer will allow the motor to spin faster while the machine turns at the desired slower speed. For instance, I have multiple sewing machines that have analog servo motors like this one. This type of motor has a simple knob on a pot or rotary switch that varies the top speed. At the lowest top speed settings the torque drops down to the point the motor won't turn the machine over without help. I have to increase the speed setting a little to get the machine to turn over. This also translates to a higher slowest speed. If I really need to sew slower, and steadily, at a rate below what the direct motor give me, I can add a speed reducer. Some are 2:1, others are 3:1. This hasn't addressed to part of the O.P's question about the difference between having a smaller motor pulley versus a speed reducer. I would try changing to a smaller motor pulley first. Adding a reducer is a hassle no matter what type it is. Plus, it requires an additional belt. Note, that changing the size of the existing motor pulley may also require purchasing a different length v-belt.

Oh how true this is! About 6 months after I began doing leather work, I decided to make a leather vest from a Tandy pattern pack. I didn't have any sewing machines. The Tandy store manager had his Wife's slant needle Singer for sale on consignment and he let me try it on a piece of the leather I was going to use. It proceeded to break the needle upon contact with the leather. He suggested looking for an industrial sewing machine dealer. We looked one up in the Yellow Pages and I headed over there. The dealer sold me a heavy black Singer straight stitch model 96k40 I think, with a table and 1/2 hp clutch motor. That machine managed to sew the flat seams until I got to a third layer. Then it just stayed in that position and sewed through the same hole. I called the dealer and told him what was happening and he told me I needed a walking foot machine. He refused to take back the 96k and told me that the head would fit into the same hole in the table; just move the knee lever activator. What he called a walking foot was actually a spring loaded follow foot and a light duty model at that. I thought that the follow foot machine was the cat's meow until I tried to sew a double leather belt and a pancake holster with #138 thread. No way, Jose! It took me four more wrong industrial machines before I got an actually qualified leather sewing machine that could sew holsters and double leather belts (gun belts, weightlifter's belts). This was before we had computers and the Internet in every home. All sewing machine purchases came from dealers or private persons who pushed what they had on hand. Now, we have knowledge being shared on this forum and dealers who know what makes a real leather sewing machine that can handle tough work and thick thread. BTW: The first machine I found that could actually sew thick leather with thick thread was a Union Lockstitch machine. It came along about 3 years after I bought my first industrial sewing machine. Until then, I struggled to sew anything over 1/4 inch and couldn't effectively use #346 thread on anything except a Singer 132k6. Even that machine had trouble maintaining an even stitch length and holding down the leather as the large needle came up. Later on I learned that the 132k6 was meant to sew buffing wheels, not leather.

According to the Wikipedia, "Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, and aquatic animals such as seals and alligators." A "fabric" is defined as any thin, flexible material made from yarn, directly from fibers, polymeric film, foam, or any combination of these techniques. The word 'textile' comes from the Latin adjective textilis, meaning 'woven', which itself stems from textus, the past participle of the verb texere, 'to weave'. Originally applied to woven fabrics, the term "textiles" is now used to encompass a diverse range of materials, including fibers, yarns, and fabrics, as well as other related items. So, a fabric is synonymous with the term Textile. It refers to materials that are fabricated by weaving, spinning, yarning, or other treatments to fashion them into a usable material for garments, rags, covers, etc. On the other hand, "leather" is always made from actual animal skins, or hides, that have been chemically tanned to stop them from rotting and then to give them the desired thickness, pliability color or texture the tannery wants for each hide. The bottom line is I wouldn't use the words "fabric or textile" when describing leather, any more than I would use the word "leather" to describe a textile product. Those things are of a different ilk.

I found a few online manuals for some of the model 51 machines. But, none match you tall arm machine. That's where a long time industrial sewing machines dealer might be of more help. You could justify the phone call consulting time by purchasing needles, bobbins, thread, oil, thread snips, etc. PM me for a number.

If your H4 sews better with the shorter system 135x16/17 needles, this tells me that somebody before you lowered the needle bar about 3/16 inch and set it to be in time with the hook. There can only be a few explanations for this. They didn't have any system 190 needles, so they set the needle bar lower to work with the shorter needles on hand. They were bending/breaking the longer probably very thin needles and didn't need the extra sewing height they afforded. They have other Pfaff machines that use the shorter system 134-35 needles and just wanted to standardize the one you bought to match the others. They had other non-Pfaff walking foot machines that used system 135x16/17 needles, so they downgraded your machine to use that system rather than stock another needle system. Along with lowering the needle bar, they also had to reduce the maximum lift of the feet so that the bottom of the needle bar doesn't hit the lifted feet on the bottom of its stroke. Other changes could involve changing the top thread tension spring to a lighter action unit, and lightening the action and reducing the travel of the check spring. The spring changes would only make sense if the machine was not going to be used with any thread heavier than #69/T70.