Wizcrafts

Others have gone that path and regretted it. Unless you or your Husband are already familiar with how industrial sewing machine tables are assembled and fitted to the machine head, don't go there. For the couple hundred more you spend on the table and motor, you could have simply bought a fully assembled, tested and setup Consew 206RB-5 from here.

That Jacks motor looks good in the video demonstration. It has all kinds of slow and fast speed control. I think it will allow you to sew very slowly if you want to, by backing off the floor pedal with your heel.

That is not a leather sewing machine. You may destroy it if you force it to sew through dense leather, of any weight.

Hold out for a newer walking foot machine, or an actual leather sewing machine. I have a huge Cowboy CB4500 leather stitcher that can sew over 3/4 inch of leather on holsters, with up to #415 thread. But, the last job I sewed on it I did with #92 thread, on a leather vest, applying patches. Before that I used it to sew a new pocket onto a pair of jeans. I routinely use it to edge stitch bridle leather belts, with #277 thread on top and #207 in the bobbin. My walking foot machine can sew with #138 thread on belts, vests and jeans, but can't sew holsters with 1/2 inch of welt between the layers, or sew anything with #277 thread.

The Juki 553 is a forward only (no reverse), straight stitch, bottom feed machine. It is capable of sewing suede or other soft leather, probably up to about 3/16 inch thickness. This would be with a #18 needle and #69 bonded nylon thread. You may have to convert it into a roller foot machine to feed two or more layers and keep them aligned. You will not have much luck sewing belts on this type of machine. It is a tailoring machine.

I also used to sew on an Adler long arm big bobbin patcher and it would give 5 to the inch into any thickness it could clear, with #138 thread, top and bottom.

I have type 7x3 needles in numbers 18 through 22 and type 794 in numbers 23 through 27. These needles fit a 441 or clone, or an Adler class 204 or 205. They cover thread sizes ranging from #69 through #415.

The 29-4 should be able to sew through your 9-10 ounce package, but the stitch length may be shorter than you want, depending on how loose the feed mechanism is. Set the stitch length adjuster all the way down, with the presser foot manually lifted with its lift lever. This will yield the longest stitch that machine can deliver. Also, loosen and slide the movable raise block on the leaf spring to the right, until it stops at the notch in the leaf spring. This increases the lift of the foot as it operates, which gives it a better chance at a longer stitch. Make sure the foot is securely screwed onto the presser bar.

The needle should not hit either foot. It should go through the center of the inside foot. The toe or toes of the outside foot should be aligned to face straight ahead, not hitting the inside foot. If the feet are properly aligned, but the needle is able to make contact with the side of one or both feet, either the needle bar has come out of position (at the top of the pendulum), or the needle itself is bent.

This is one kind of sewing machine commonly used to make holsters. Here is another heavy duty sewing machine that can make just about anything.

The feed dogs have teeth on the class 370 and are smooth on the class 374.

I was serious about using my Cowboy as a punching machine. I just didn't tell the whole story. The #27 needle pokes an impressive hole in the leather, but not one quite big enuf to push a rivet through (from the bottom). I still have to open the holes from the bottom with my modeling tool, or an awl. What the machine does best is to punch the holes equally spaced, at the distance from the edge set by my edge guide. This in itself saves me a lot layout time. Opening up the holes goes a lot quicker since they are already there, just undersized. Some shops have the room and funds to buy a hole punching machine. Others don't. I fit the second category. That's all I have to say about tha-at.

The 29-4 is no good for sewing holsters. It has the tiniest bobbin imaginable and is not much good with anything bigger than #92 thread. The sewing capacity of that machine is only about 1/4 inch. They usually lose stitch length as the thickness increases. Unless the feed mechanism is in factory mint condition, the stitch length at 1/4 inch might be only 7 or 8 to the inch. That machine is best used to sew shoe and boot uppers, or sew patches onto vests.

I sometimes use my Cowboy CB4500 to punch holes for small rivets in belts and wristbands. I use the largest needle I can get, which right now is a #27 diamond point. I set the stitch length to maximum, which is about 2 to the inch. I am thinking about having a bigger awl made to fit my machine, which would only be limited by the hole in the inside foot. It would have to be short enough to not hit the hook, but long enough to penetrate the leather. A 3/32" diameter awl should do the trick.

Also, if you are friends with Michael Weston, check for a timer counting down on a bomb! They make a ticking noise.....

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines and other dealers sell the roller foot conversion kits. I used to use 1725 RPM clutch motors, until I discovered the SewPro 500GR, which is now sold as the Toledo Sew Slow. I have one on my 31-15 and another on my flat bed walking foot machine. They are easy to control at any speed.

I have a 90+ years old Singer 31-15 that I rebuilt. I finally decided that it worked best on leather with a roller foot drive. These are three piece conversion kits that include a single row feed dog, matching throat plate and a flip-up ball bearing roller wheel. The machine accepts up to #92 bonded nylon thread. To use the 31-15 with cloth would require the removal of the roller foot parts and reinstallation of a flat foot, multiple row feeder and throat plate.

Your only hope for leather-specific sewing parts for a Juki TSC 441 is to ask our dealers if they are willing and able to sell you extra parts off a Cowboy, Cobra, or Techsew 441 clone. These would include the throat plates, harness presser feet, smooth feed dog, edge guides and a speed reducer, if you didn't get one with the machine. You will also need spare bobbins, and leather point needles in the sizes required for the thread you will be using.

There is a spring on the opening side of the pop open bobbin case. The bobbin thread goes backwards through a slit in the case, then under the opening in the spring and out. The spring is secured and adjusted by a screw on one end. There may also be a set screw inside a hole, just forward of the adjuster screw. You would have to loosen the stop screw to adjust the tension screw, then tighten it back to keep the tension from changing on its own. I usually leave my stop screw just finger tight, so I can still change the bobbin tension screw as needed. I change thread sizes every day, so locking down the bobbin tension screw is more of a hassle than a benefit. The lock screw is more useful to folks who use just one size and brand of thread in the bobbin.

Bob Kovar, owner of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, sells those guides. They are custom made from a swing away flat edge guide and a sliding roller edge guide. I use thin lock nuts under and over the roller guide's slot to keep it from moving back with the work (the roller is already angled backwards). The thumb nut has to be tightened down a lot to keep the roller from moving backwards.

Check the belts to make sure that nothing is hitting them as you sew. Sometimes stuff on the table can move into contact with the belts from the vibration of the machine. Also, check the belts to see if one is separating and slapping something as it rotates. Otherwise, make sure that the nuts and bolts that secure the motor, the motor pulley and speed reducer are tight. Then ensure that the two screws on the flywheel are tight. Try lowering the top speed of the motor using the up/down buttons, according to your operating instructions for the motor. If the noise persists and is definitely coming from the motor, call Steve.

About 12 per inch, per second, on a good night, with at least 2 MGDs under my English bridle leather belt.

Here I am with my 8 pedal, 9 knee lever Emmons Push Pull steel guitar.

You might be able to sew with unwaxed linen beading thread that is dyed pink.

Congratulations! Go buy some sewing machine oil and keep the machine well oiled. We all have to change tensions when going from thin or soft work to thick, or dense material. You will get a feel for this after a while. Always keep some scraps from each project and use them to balance your thread tensions first. I tend to keep a modest pull on the bobbin thread and mostly change the top tension for differences in thread or work load. Needle size also impacts where the knots appear. A proper needle makes a hole just big enough for the knots to be pulled up into the material. A smaller needle makes a tighter stitch, but requires more top tension to pull the knots up. A larger needle pokes a bigger hole and you get looser stitches, but it takes less tension to position the knots. Too much bobbin tension, offset by equally strong top tension, can warp straps and belts. Use the amount of tension required top get a nice stitch, without warping the leather or cloth. Soft leather, like garment leather warps easily. Reduce the bobbin and top tensions to get the stitches to lay flat on the top and bottom. You can get smaller needles, in type 134-35, for thinner threads. Most cotton thread is sewn using a #11 or #12 needle (75 or 80 metric). If you want to sew with #46 bonded nylon, a #12 or #14 needle will do the trick. Buy leather point needles for leather and standard round points for cloth and webbing.