Wizcrafts

The spring guide feet tend to be more edge-guidish than the raising feet.

135 is a Canadian/European measurement thang. It is actually size T135 which equals B138. It's like the difference between dynes per cubic kilopasqual vs. inches of Mercury, for barometric pressure.

According to the manual, the feed dog teeth should be about 1 or 1.2 mm above the plane of the throat plate, at their highest point. However.....Some of us set them flush with the top of the throat plate, for mystical reasons, known only to Mr. Peabody and Sherman.

Are you using a leather point needle?

I recall a topic started by a member who purchased a similar machine from an eBay dealer (not a member of LWN) and got it in 3 boxes. She was so frustrated trying to assemble the items (without any viable instructions) that she about gave up after fighting with the parts for well over a week. It is better to order a machine from a dealer who will ship it fully assembled on a pallet and ready to use. At least have the table and its components assembled and maybe the head threaded, in a separate box. Even the step of attaching the head to the table and motor can be too much for a first time owner of an industrial sewing machine.

Back off the bobbin tension spring until the thread flows smoothly with about half the current force.

If by "topstitch foot" you mean the hinged foot with a spring guide that moves vertically in a slotted right or left toe, it is used to either follow a previous stitch line (top stitching a pattern), or for use as an edge guide. A raising foot is used to sew along the top of the right or left edge, to secure a folded hem or cuff. It can also act as a edge guide, as long as the material has a square edge.

Using #138 in the bobbin would confirm or deny the need for a larger needle, depending on the outcome. If #138 bottom thread gets properly pulled into the holes, you needed to move up 1 needle size. Note: this only applies to other leather that has the same density on the bottom. If you change to a softer bottom layer, the existing needle may suffice. FYI: I usually use a #180/24 needle with 207/207, on my CB4500. I sometimes even go down to a #23 if the work is only 7-8 ounces thick and bridle leather soft. I use my stirrup and holster plates on a regular basis and only have to either loosen the bobbin, or tighten the top tension to compensate.

Would you please post a close up photo of the thread on the bottom, with the stirrup plate installed? Additionally, please post a photo showing how you have threaded the top thread. Take it head on, from the left side of the machine, where the disks can be seen. Also, state the thread sizes and needle size.

The stirrup late raises the point of the the work, but not exactly in a linear fashion. The real difference in the thickness of the plate itself. If the original plate is 3/32" and the stirrup is 5/32", loosen the bobbin tension, or tighten the overall top tension to raise the knots. OR, increase the needle by one size. A bigger hole allows the knots to float higher.

You may have overlapped some windings on the new bobbin, causing it to bind as it feeds. Or, maybe the starting thread stub is long enough to catch on the bobbin case spring. That stub should be cut flush with the bobbin. The bobbin winder has an adjustable sliding block that the tension disks are attached to. If the bobbin winds mostly on one side, loosen the screws that secure the sliding block and move the disks to the other direction. Secure the screws and try again. There is a bent lever that flips down over the bobbin while it is winding. There is a screw on top of the lever. Adjust it away from the bobbin to load more thread.

Installing a speed reducer is not trivial for a first timer. Not only will you need to position it exactly under the flywheel on the machine, you'll also need to align it with the motor pulley. Plus, you'll need to purchase two new v-belts: 1 from the motor to the large pulley and 1 to go up from the small pulley to the machine. Once you install a reducer you will need to loosen it to remove the belt going to the head, in order to flip the head for oiling or adjustments, if any are needed. Finally, make sure that the reducer you purchase has ball bearings. In the meanwhile, a 2" motor pulley and 1 inch shorter belt will make a noticeable improvement in your low end controllability and torque. You may not need a reducer at all! But, if torque is still lacking, a better motor might make a world of difference.

There is a bobbin winder assembly on the right end of the machine. I can see it in your first photo. The big wheel on the winder gets pushed forward into the main drive belt, with a fresh bobbin mounted on the shaft on the right end of the winder. There is a lever on top of the bobbin that will get pushed up when the thread loads to whatever density that lever is set to trigger at. When the lever pops up, the wheel is pulled back, away from the drive belt. You need to load thread from a spool on the thread stand, up, then down to the back end of the winder frame. Go through whatever loops or guide holes are provided, then around a spring loaded tension disk set, then on to the bobbin. Feed the thread through a hole on the outside of the bobbin and hold it as you load the bobbin. If the bobbin loads too little before releasing, screw the lever counterclockwise to raise it and its trigger point. If the bobbin overflows, lower the lever.

You can purchase a smooth feed dog and left and right toe (plus double toe) feet from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, or Leather Machine Company (Cobra), or Techsew, all of which support this forum. They also carry alternate throat plates and other accessories you may need some day. Ask for accessories for a 441 clone.

If you have oiled and adjusted (bend finger down to release sooner) the release finger mechanism and the bobbin winder still won't release when the bobbin is full, buy a new winder assembly.

I seem to remember something Bob Kovar told me about the Cowboy 227R machines having a wick inside the openable base. Slide the lever latch open in the base and tilt the head back. See if there is an oil wick and container in there.

In Computerdom, we use the word "Foobar" to explain the same thing, or when something is broken.

?

The only consequence of over-oiling a manually oiled sewing machine is dripping oil. If you are sewing black bridle leather the oil has no effect. Otherwise, keep a cloth or paper towel under the feet and needle to absorb the oil dripping down the needle bar. Wipe oil off the presser bar that is visible under the head. Wipe dripping oil where you see it, but leave the rest inside the machine.

If you haven't already done so, open the faceplate and place a drop of oil into the tiny oil holes on the crank arms inside the head. If you can't see a hole, drop the oil at the front or back of where the outer crank encloses an inner stud. Place oil up at the top of the needle bar, where it pivots. There is sometimes a wick inside that pivot point. After oiling inside the head, place paper towels under the feet for a while. There will be a lot of dripping!

Definitely, you'll need two machines, minimum. All of the bar tackers sew within their metal frames. You will need a separate machine to sew long lines, curves, edges, etc. The X tacker will be exactly what you need for that operation. Because it lays down regular straight stitches, rather than a tight zig-zag, it can probably be used with heavier thread than #69 (10 or 11 pound test). Ask the dealer about the thread and needle handling capacity before buying a machine. If it will tension #92 thread, run through a #19 or 20 needle. it will provide a better tack on straps that might be heavily stressed by the wind and elements.

There is nothing inherently wrong with a swing-away binder. But, one that bolts down in place will be more predictable. The best type is the right angle folder, with a special throat plate and feet. This binder allows you to sew inside curves as easily as outside curves. A straight-on binder is more difficult to use on inside curves. Further, it is a good idea to mount your edging so it feeds smoothly from the right front edge of the table. If your edging in on a roll, you should get a bias tape roll attachment for the table. Otherwise, feed it as straight as possible, to avoid having it twist on the way to the attachment.

There are a few binder attachments for thick material, mostly for carpet binding machines. I would recommend contacting an industrial sewing machine dealer about this. He will be able to match the best unit to your machine, as well as the specialized throat plate and presser feet (they are usually sold as a set) that is required for a right angle binder. A straight line binder uses your standard throat plate, but benefits from the binder foot set. This features a very wide inside foot and a left toe only outer foot. Typically, these feet have teeth on the bottom, but can be ordered without.

Almost forgot... It is also easier to pull the top thread out through the needle is the needlebar is on the downstroke a bit. This has to do with the angle of the thread as it leaves the last steel loop guide, then goes through the guide on the needle bar. Just jiggling the wheel back and forth, with the feet raised (and work out), helps loosen the thread for removal.

I have my machine (CB4500) and my friend's Cobra C4 set up so we can pull the work out by simply lifting the feet. But, I find it works best when the threads are pulled backwards and down. The only time this doesn't work is when I have had to crank up the top tension tighter than usual. There are even a few instances where I had to also tighten up the bottom roller disk, to get enough pull to bring the knots up. Then, I do have to pull the thread out of the take-up arm manually. But, those are exceptions for me. I have tried a lot of brands of thread and found that no two are the same any more. Black thread is the most troublesome, both for sewing, coiling up, and pulling out. Some brands of thread unravel too easily (poorly bonded). I have 2 spools of light colored thread that are almost useless because of unraveling.