Wizcrafts

It arrived today. The rubber is very hard to the touch. I have my doubts that this 40 Durometer Buna-N is going to actually form around a holster with a blue gun without breaking the gun. Also, it looks like it is assembled from 4 x 1/4 inch sheets molded together, rather than being one piece an inch thick. I won't find out until sometime next week when the metal plates come back from the machine shop where they're being fabricated and welded to the jack post and cross beam. If the 40A is too hard for molding, will 30 Durometers be suitable?

Yes I find that the needles need to be moved hard right. Yes

I have a 29K172, long arm, big bobbin Singer patcher. It doesn't like #138 thread at all, but does great with #69 or 92. The most it can sew is 5/16" of leather. Originally, it used the proper system 29x4 needles. But, after suffering from too many skipped stitches, I started using system 135x16 in it. Because most of my work is taped together with Venture Tape for leather, I regularly experienced problems with glue sticking to the needles and causing skipped stitches (on the patcher only). So, I experimented and ordered some expensive Titanium coated needles. They rarely let tape glue residue stick to them and I have fewer skipped stitches with these needles. Note, when I got my 29K172 I wasn't aware that the shuttle driver was worn out around the set screw hole. This caused me two years of frustration as I tried everything I could to time it. I even replaced the rack and pinion gears under the arm. Finally, I hauled the head to Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines and had Bobby go over it. After an hour+ of trying things, he pulled out the shuttle driver and saw that its hole was worn oval. He replaced it with a new driver and the skipped stitches are mostly a thing of the past. In the past I have owned a 29-4 patcher that was so worn out inside the drive ring "puck" that the longest stitch was only 8 to the inch. I bronze-brazed it back to original shape+ and got it to sew 5 to the inch.

Now I need to find a source for a custom sized clicker dye cutting board: 12" x 20" x 1"

My advice is try it before you buy it to ensure that it sews a good stitch. Inspect the body castings for sharp edges that might cause problems with the motion of the various parts. Make sure the presser foot drive ring rotates smoothly 360 degrees. The presser foot should not have measurable slack forward and backward, or stitch length will suffer above 3mm. Get a warranty in case something bad happens after you get it home.

I just ordered 2 sheets of 12" x 12" x 1" Buna-N 40A rubber from Zoro Tools, online, for $50.58 (for both), shipped free.

I am replying to you from my W7 PC, with JavaScript disabled. There is no formatting toolbar available, as it is created, shown and hidden via JavaScript functions. Are you perchance blocking JavaScript in the browsers on the PCs you referred to?

Do you get the text formatting toolbar now on your iPad? I still have none using my Galaxy phone. The letter N you mentioned is part of the toolbar. If one's device doesn't display the formatting toolbar, the N is not there either. This was typed from my Windows 7 PC. Note: there is a tiny arrow on the right edge of the formatting toolbar. Clicking on it shows or hides the toolbar. That arrow is missing on most Android device mobile browsers.

Marrie; Ask your nearest Adler dealer to look to see if there is a throat plate with a very narrow slot available for your machine. This plate replaces the existing throat plate and requires the removal of the bottom feed dog. This converts the machine to dual feed: moving needle and inside foot. If not, see if there is a narrower feed dog and needle plate combination. The feed dog would probably have a much smaller hole, requiring smaller needles, for fine work. Otherwise, you may have to buy a separate machine for the lighter work. I keep a straight stitch Singer 31-15, that takes a wide variety of presser feet (including rollers), feed dogs, throat plates, etc. It is much easier on thin and soft material than any of my walking foot machines. There are many modern equivalents of that machine. It is a tailor's machine. Look for one with a servo motor, that does not require it to be operated at break neck speeds to distribute the oil.

I don't see any letter "N" to click on, using my Galaxy S3 phone. Plain text is all that is available to me and other smart phone users. Something is wrong with the device detection coding on the LWN forums.

My partner just bought a 20 ton press from Harbor Freight. We intend to use it for a clicker and to mold holsters. What type of rubber should I get and where is the best usual supplier? Our projected size is 1' x 1' x 1" thick. If anybody has a part number, it would help. I'm also hunting for a 1' x 1' x 1" cutting pad for clicker dies.

This machine has been discussed on LWN in a past topic, here. In it, the capacities were found to be about 1/4 inch of leather, using #69 thread, or #92 maximum.

The Singer 29-4 uses one of the smallest bobbins in the history of sewing machines. It has about half the capacity of a standard home Class 15 bobbin, as used in the 15-91 class machines. Further, the machine is not built to handle heavy thread. You will be pretty much limited to using #69 bonded thread. While one or two bobbin loads may sew a saddle type motorcycle seat, it will not be as strong a seam as is usually required, especially if the rider is extra heavy. You really need a (cylinder arm) walking foot machine capable of handling #138 bonded thread, top and bottom, for the strength to hold up to rider weight and the elements (for motorcycle seats). Many come with a 1" diameter x 5/16"+ bobbin (M) that can hold enough #138 thread to sew at least a half dozen single seats. Or, consider a 441 clone, which has a huge cylindrical bobbin and can probably sew about 20 to 30 seats per load.

If by thick, you mean 3/8 inches, yes and with up to #138 bonded thread and a #23 needle. It can sew down to probably 2 ounces of firm leather, using #46 bonded thread and a # 10 or #12 needle. Most folks would use it with no less than #69 bonded thread and a #16 or #18 needle, which works fine into 3 or 4 ounces of leather.

Maybe the needle bar positions the 16x257 too far to the left and it allows the hook to hit it.

You can bypass the reducer with a longer belt from the motor to the machine, for higher speeds.

These needle designations are more or less specific to one manufacturer. They completely leave out an entire class of chisel or wedge shaped leather point needles, often designated as LL and LR. They closely resemble hand sewing awls that are oval in shape. Some have the left side down (LL) and others have the right side down (LR). Also missing are the S point needles made by Schmetz for the big Adler and Juki 441 type machines. These needles are oval chisels, with the edges perfectly inline, front to back.

Yes Yes

No, it's just a standard upholstery grade machine. Examples of 441 clones sold by our member-dealers include: Cowboy CB3200, CB3500 and 4500 Cobra Class 3 and Class 4 Techsew 4100 and 5100 The actual 441 is the Juki TSC-441

CCPhotog; What size needle and thread are you using? What type of leather is that? IS there any chance it has rawhide inside it? I ask because it has happened to me in the past. You sew along fine, then unknowingly hit rawhide, and katish, the needle breaks.

Sorry, but I couldn't resist! ;-) My advice works for most leather capable sewing machines. The smallest needle/thread combination in my list is usually the maximum size for a home sewing machine. Old iron body machines can probably handle up to #92 thread, if you can find #19 or 20 needles to fit them. Most upholstery grade walking foot machines can sew up to 3/8 inches, with a #23 needle and #138 thread. Sewing thicker, material, or using bigger thread usually means stepping up to the largest machines.

The left or right hand twist (or wrap) we refer to is the direction in which the cords of thread are twisted together. If you hold a section of thread between both thumbs and index fingers, then twist down, away from you with the left fingers, counterclockwise, the thread will tighten. This is the standard sewing thread direction of twist or wrap.for most lockstitch sewing machines. It is also known a Z twist. The way the hooks work on modern machines, left twist stays together or gets tighter in operation. Reverse, or right twist thread is wound the other direction and tends to unravel in most lockstitch machines. Shoe sole stitchers use right twist thread. Some hand sewing waxed thread is wound with a right twist. Double needle machines have vertical axis hooks. If one hook rotates in the opposite direction to normal, right twist thread will not tend to unwind like left twist might. No, only on sewing machines.

Until you can speak with Bob Kovar, try tightening the two spring loaded screws that secure the shuttle and bobbin case to the end of the arm. Then back off between 1/4 and 1/2 turn each. Next, remove the leather and unthread and replace the needle with a brand new one. Make sure the needle is all the way up in the needle bar and well secured, with the rib on the left and scarf on the right. Set the stitch length lever to the middle - zero length position. Slowly rotate the flywheel towards you from the top (always rotate it counterclockwise) and stop when the hook point is just about to meet the plane of the needle. Shine a flashlight or the machine's LED light so you can see the alignment of the two pieces. Is the hook still about to contact the unthreaded needle, with no material under the feet? The hook should intersect the center of the needle about 1/8 to 3/16 inches above the eye, on the needle's upstroke, and miss the cutout scarf of the needle by about the thickness of a business card. If the hook actually makes contact with an unthreaded needle, with no material under the feet, the shuttle and hook need to be moved to the right a little, until the hook clears the needle. At this point you should speak with your dealer.

The chart that Tree Reaper linked to is an excellent guide for matching thread to needles. In your case, since the machine came with #138 bonded thread, it should also have #23 (Metric 160) needles with it. You should wind some #138 onto a bobbin and try again. #138 thread, top and bottom, is best sewn with a #23 needle. If you are sewing leather, a leather point needle works best.

By any remote chance, are you using right twist thread?