Wizcrafts

Try backing off the pressure spring, bobbin and top disk tensions. Thin material has a harder time feeding evenly if the thread is pulling it back, or the feet hold it too tightly.

No, that's not right. You shouldn't notice any change in stitch length for such thin leather. Are you using the feed dog, or just the slotted plate?

Tell me more about the vacuum bag, Dwight.

The tag in photo #1 says Natural Gum Rubber. That is not what I got. I ordered Buna-N, Nitrol based rubber. Maybe it is the wrong composition? Why do you need 2 inches on top and bottom?

If you have a tiny piece that is expendable, could you mail it to me? I need a comparison.

Most industrial sewing machine dealers stock them for garment and upholstery grade machines. Expect to pay up to double what standard needles sell for, unless you buy them by the hundred. Also, Joann Fabrics, with Viking Sewing shops embedded, stock them for long arm quilting machines and high speed embroidery machines. Here is a Google search result for Titanium sewing machine needles.

1: Yes 2: No. It is just a very high speed straight stitch garment machine, with a static (but interchangeable) presser foot and bottom feed only. Any machine can be slowed down by simply adding a Family Sew FS-550 servo, equipped with a 50mm pulley (sold by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines). No need for a speed reducer on such a light duty machine. The 591 contains an oil pan and has an oil pump. It must be run at high speeds (2500 to 3500 RPM) to distribute the oil to the extremities. It is meant to be run at several thousand stitches per minute (5,000). It will only sew about 1/4 inch (.26") of cloth material, with a maximum stitch length of just under 5 per inch. The bobbin is a standard Class 15 that snaps into a bobbin case on the left end, under a sliding cover. Thread handling stops at #92 (T90 bonded, or T80 heavy jeans thread). The pressure spring is purposed for holding down cloth, not leather. FWIIW: I considered buying one of these from a drapery shop that used it for small jobs made with light material. I tested it on-sight and found that it couldn't sew 8 - 9 oz belt leather without skipping stitches, caused by the presser foot lifting with the needle on the upstroke. There is no future in spending any money on a machine like this unless it is going to make or repair cloth garments or pillow covers.

I concur with T.R; increase the bobbin and top tensions for tighter thread on both sides. Move up to a larger diamond point needle (to keep a straight line, with top holes filled). Further, try changing the position and tension of the thread check spring by loosening the screw in the slot and moving the disk one way or the other. You may even try increasing or decreasing the travel of the check spring a bit and see if that helps.

That is the material that Tree Reaper bought and linked to. I found a cheaper source, but it seems to be the same construction. I will know in a few days if it has to go back for something less dense.

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.