Wizcrafts

Are you sure it is bent? Mine only protrudes a little over a silly millimeter. If it really is bent and if you got the blanket foot set with your machine, you can swap feed dogs until you get a replacement for the bent smooth one.

You bought a bar-tacker, not a sewing machine. It is driven by a cam to sew a single pattern that is usually about 3/4" long and about 3/32" wide. They are often used to attach Velcro or makers' tags onto garments, or pull tabs onto shoes, or belt loops on pants. Bar-tackers are made in various sewing configurations and are not alterable, other than by changing the pattern cam. Thickness-wise, I would say that it's "foot" may lift about 1/4 inch or more. The usage is to thread the machine, lift the clamping foot, place the work under it in position, lower the foot and hit the throttle pedal once. One second later it has sewn a perfect bar tack, halted and cut the bottom thread..

A 441 clone is a Chinese built leather stitcher based upon the design of the Juki TSC 441. These machines were first built around 1990 or so and were meant to be used for all types of heavy sewing. They were primarily used to sew very thick canvas, cloth, vinyl and things like car wash drying cloths. They were not really targeted at leather workers at all back then and needed modifications to be used for leather work. Today's 441 clones are already altered for use by leather workers. Here is a typical 441 clone in use by many of our members (including me!). Similar machines are sold under the Cowboy, Cobra and Techsew names, and others. What you get depends on the dealer you buy the machine from. Because these machines are shipped from China, I would not buy one from anybody other than a knowledgeable dealer who can correct errors, adjust it and time it before shipping it to the buyer. You will find paid ad banners on the top of every page on LWN. Many of those ads feature a link to that brand of 441 clone. Contact our dealers, who support this forum, and get all your ducks in a row. Then go get you a machine!

It appears to me that the inside foot is on the feed dog before the needle. Use the appropriate Allen wrench to loosen the Allen head bolt on the crank rod behind the head. Rotate the wheel again to bring the needle down, until it reaches the hole in the feed dog. Make sure the inside foot is down all the way (use your fingers to move it down), then clamp the bolt tight. If this doesn't fix it, the screw that holds the motion rods together, at the upper-rear of the machine may have been loosened by your jam.

Call Bob Kovar tomorrow. There are a couple of places that could have been affected by the thread jam, which control the backstitching. One involves removing the back cover and checking the big screw on the connecting rods towards the back. If the joining screw is loosened, the back stitches are thrown off. Also, the positions of the alternating feet have a profound affect on the alignment of the stitches.These are adjusted in the back of the head, behind the outer foot. An Allen bolt locks the rod that changes the height of the inside foot, which also controls when that foot hits the material. If the foot hits before the needle, the work gets pushed toward you, instead of away from you. The inside foot should make contact just after the needle touches the surface. Look carefully at the feet as you rotate the wheel towards you CCW. The inside foot should not hit the feed dog until the needle reaches it first. After the feeder moves all the way back, the outer foot should drop and the inner foot and needle should lift, pretty close to each outer. Raise the stitch lever to the top and see if the same holds true in reverse.

I was in your position a few years ago, having divested myself of all of my previous equipment, starting over. The first machine I bought that could properly feed both leather and Naugahyde was a used triple feed walking foot machine. It paid for itself in one month. My walking foot machine is no longer made, but is based on the design of the Consew 206RB and Chandler 406 models. It sewed up to 3/8 inch, and could handle up to #207 bonded nylon thread. I upgraded the motor to a special servo motor sold by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. This gave it the controllability at slow speeds I wanted, without losing punching power. My machine is part of a class we call upholstery grade machines. Mine came from an upholstery and blinds shop. Walking foot flat bed machines are the staple of their industry, as they have positive feed of all layers, heavy springs, beefed up take-up and tensioning parts and bigger bearings and shafts than garment machines Still, I can sew wallet interiors on my machine, with a #16 needle and #69 thread. Change to a #23 needle and #138 thread and it will sew commercial rifle slings all day long. So, if you are looking for starter machine and your work won't exceed 3/8 inch, or your thread doesn't exceed #207, one of these could be your first machine (with the proper Sew Slow servo). Now, if you are planning on sewing beyond 3/8 inch, say up to 1/2 inch, you need to move up to the 45k clone machines: sold as the CB2500 and GA5-1R. They both can sew 7/16 inch out of the box, with #277 or even #346 thread. They have 10.5 inch long cylinder arms, rather than a flat bed and large bobbins. The trouble with them is they are bottom fed machines only. Yes, the foot bar can be raised higher inside the head, allowing you to place 1/2 inch of leather under the foot. But, will the pressure spring be able to keep the leather from lifting with the needle? It depends on the density of the leather and size of the needle and thread. Maybe yes, maybe no. This type of machine sells for between $1,000 to $1400. If you plan on repairing or making saddles, don't dink around. Save up and buy, or lease a 441 type machine. They now sew up to 7/8 inch, with up to #415 thread and come in cylinder arm lengths of 9, 16.5 and 25 inches. The motors feed triple 3:1 speed reducers. The total reduction is typically 8 or 9 to 1. Coupled with a 3/4 HP servo they punch through any leather. The springs are more than strong enough to hold down the leather as the needle ascends and they are triple feed. The only issue they have sewing thin material is the huge feed dog, with a huge hole in it. Also, the harness feet work best on solid materials, rather than soft leather. Still, I have used mine to sew garment leather belts, zippers into leather jackets, chaps, shortened cuffs on jeans and purses needing repairs (w/ #19 needle and #92 thread). Then, by changing to a #25 needle, it can sew through 3/4 inch of bridle leather, with #277 thread. Toss in a #26 needle and it sews with #346 thread. These machines range in price from about $2,000, up to about $3,300, depending on the length of the arm and what accessory package, if any, is purchased with the machine. I recommend buying one with the flat table attachment. This helps keep flat work flat and gives you a table surface you can rotate your material on as you sew different angles.

Yes and yes. They will sew thin material, and small diameter needles are available, but a smaller machine will do a better job with #69 thread, into a few ounces of wallet leather. I use a Singer 31-15 for wallet interiors and hemming clothes (#69 thread). I have a walking foot machine for medium duty work, up to 3/8 inch or so (#138 thread) (jeans, belts, seat covers), then the big Cowboy and a Union Lockstitch for the really thick work, with very heavy thread (#277 and up). I also have a long arm big bobbin Singer patcher, which is invaluable for sewing in any direction, for applying patches, repairing shoes and boots and odd jobs.

Look into a Cowboy, Cobra or Techsew 441 clone. They are capable of sewing over 3/4 inch, with very heavy thread and are fully supported by our dealers who set them up and sell them.

The 7 dimes, at about 1/16" each, show the actual maximum lift and sewing thickness you can expect in the real world. The type of material will have an impact on how much higher you can cheat and pre-raise the presser bar. If you have to sew 5/8 inch of nylon webbing, or buffing wheels, you can loosen a set screw on the foot bar clamp and raise the foot to clear that much material. In return, you will have about 1/8+" of free space under the raised foot. If you need to sew something thin, you'll need to reposition the foot. The spring used to hold down the foot is not heavy enough to keep 1/2 inch of veg-tan leather from lifting with the needle. When the needle gets stuck, you have skipped stitches. The feed is bottom only, via feed dogs with serious teeth. The more top pressure you apply, the deeper the tooth marks will be. The needle system used in these machines normally starts at #22, which is the right size for #138 thread. If you want to use thinner thread, into thin wallet parts, you must hunt down thinner needles, in size 18. You can learn more about these machines here Here is another GA5-1

Marco; I don't have a GA5-1, but I have spoken to dealers who sell that type of machine and all seem to agree that it is maxed out even sewing 7/16 inch. I have never seen a spec that shows the presser foot being able to lift over 1/2 inch. Would you mind providing a link to the machine you are considering?

I have owned two Singer 29-4 patchers and have tried using them for projects they cannot handle. Holsters is one of those things. First of all, the machine is not designed to sew above 1/4 inch of leather. The stitch length at 1/4 inch drops to about 7 or 8 to the inch. The bobbin is about the size of a thick dime and only holds a very small amount of #69 thread. It can probably sew two or three average belts. The drive is by means of teeth on the bottom of the presser foot. The 29-4 might be up to 100 years old. Unless it has rarely been used, and never abused, the foot driving mechanism my have so much slack that you won't even get 6 stitches per inch, into 8 ounces of leather. These machines are best reserved for sewing embroidered cloth patches onto jackets and vests.

I too have a Singer 15-91. I tried to use it to sew leather and Naugahyde, before I got a real walking foot machine. Yes, it can sew leather, even a dress belt. But, the feed system is a limiting factor as is the top needle and thread sizes. Adding a so-called walking foot attachment only accomplished a lessening of the separating of layers, but at the cost of almost half the previous clearance under the foot. That is why honest dealers sell them as "even-feed" attachments (for quilting). If somebody wants to sew leather vests using the piecing method, a 15-91 will do the job. It gets a bit strained sewing larger pieces together. If you only sew thin leather projects (under 3/16"), using #69 bonded nylon thread, or cotton or polycore home sewing thread, a Singer 15-91 is a viable alternative to an industrial sewing machine. I was able to find #20 needles for mine, allowing it to handle buttonhole thread, or even #92 bonded nylon. I no longer use my 15-91, and will gladly sell it to somebody who has a use for it.

CarolB; The guys are trying to well you something important, when they mentioned that your machine has a safety clutch. This could be the crux of the problem. The clutch may have disengaged to protect the hook, after a thread jam. If so, you will need to hold down a button and rotate the handwheel to re-engage the drive to the hook.

If you continue using #277 thread in that machine you may wear it out in no time at all. You may wish to consider replacing critical bearings and moving parts in advance. See if there is a titanium coated hook available for it. Use the best needles money can buy; not Organ brand, with the longest amount of needle below the eye. The slower the taper of the needle, the less stress it places on the machine as it pounds through the dense leather, with a very large needle and thick thread, with which it was not designed to sew.

Yes, I use Tool Magic, which is sold at craft stores like Joann Fabrics. Methinks Harbor Freight Tools may also sell something like it, to coat the jaws and handles on pliers.

What type of machine are you referring to RedDevil? The stitch length variance you describe always occurs on top feed only patchers. Is the machine a Patcher? If so, your only recourse is to pull the material back as the foot feeds it, giving it a little assist. How much this helps depends on how worn out the feed mechanism is. A factory tight Singer Patcher cannot give better then 5 stitches per inch, and this would be into about 1/8 inch of leather. This drops as the thickness increases, unless the foot pressure is rather light. This behavior can also happen on a needle feed only machine, or a double feed machine without a feed dog, but under high top pressure.

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines and Keystone Sewing both probably have the parts you need.

If the leather band is under 1/8 inch thick, I would use #69 bonded nylon thread, with a #16 needle @ 8 stitches per inch. If I used a #18 needle, I might stretch out the stitches to 7 per inch. A Singer 31-15 is a nice machine for sewing watchbands. Use a narrow Teflon zipper foot with a slot in the center and an edge guide to keep the needle about 1/16" to 3/32" from the edges.

Techsew, a.k.a: Raphael Sewing, in Montreal is a Juki dealer. Also, I used to work for Toronto Industrial Sewing Machines. I don't know if they are still in business, but they were a Juki dealer.

I am guessing that a small patcher bobbin, tightly wound with #69 thread, would sew about 3 or 4 medium length dress belts. It will certainly sew patches onto several vests.

You can do all the things you described in your list of projects, on a patcher. The small bobbin goes a lot farther when loaded with #69 thread. If you decide to use #92, keep a couple bobbins pre-loaded. Buy an extra bobbin case or two. The thickest you can sew on that machine is about 1/4 inch, or possibly up to 5/16 inch, depending on the toughness of the leather. The only real concern you'll have is the tooth tracks left by the presser foot. Also, as the thickness increases, the stitch length decreases. So, you might be getting 5 to the inch into 6 ounces of leather, but only 7 or 8 per inch in 1/4 inch of leather. It depends on how tight the feed mechanism really is and the lift setting for the foot (max).

Okay. I love the stitches laid down by the Union Lockstitch machines. They can be made as loose or tight as one wishes. It can be adjusted for a very light pull, to avoid splitting the cords on linen thread, setting them nicely on the surface. Change the presser foot to the one that has a blade on the front and the stitches lay below the surface. Change the needle bar to the S model and insert the blade and you get a recessed thread channel cut into the bottom. Set to the other extreme, the Union Lockstitch can pull bonded nylon thread so tightly, that it gets recessed into the top grain of the leather, with using a channeling foot. This is a true harness and saddlery machine. Add the fact that you can feather the clutch for one stitch at a time, up to 15 per second, and you have the World's fastest needle and awl stitcher, capable of the tightest stitch in the industry. Oh yeah, the bobbins are 2 1/2" diameter by 3/4" thick inside, tapering to about 3/8" at the top opening. A full bobbin holds about a football field of #277 thread. Operating and re-adjusting a Union Lockstitch requires a learning curve. Ditto for backtacking with one. I do it all the time, but it takes experimentation and some operator trickiness. It's an acquired technique. Then, there is the trick for ending the last stitch with the top thread looped under the work, but not around the bobbin. Baby steps... A weird comparison would be the Union Lockstitch is kind-a like driving a stick and clutch car, where you really need to understand the machine to use it successfully. By contrast, operating a Cobra or Cowboy or Techsew 441 clone, or Adler 205 is like driving a car with an automatic transmission. Set the tensions, choose the correct needle for the thread, load the bobbins, raise the feet, insert the work and sew. Wanna change stitch length? Turn a round nut in or out and the stitch lever moves up (shorter) or down (longer), making shorter or longer stitches. Wanna back-tack? Raise the stitch lever all the way up and voila, you are now sewing backwards, into the same holes. I have sewn on a Randall Lockstitch machine. I would describe it as a quasi religious experience. There was no edge guide, yet I had to maintain a fixed distance from the edges. Then, I had to sew a second row 1/8" in from the outside stitches. The only way to do this is to perform a Vulcan Mind-Meld with the machine and merge into it. I know this sounds like bullshit, but it isn't. It laid down the most perfect stitches I have ever seen, with liquid-waxed, 4 cord, yellow, Barbour's Irish linen thread. The machine makes a sound when it sews, like "tapokita, tapokita ... all day long, machines going tapokita, tapokita.

Until I got my 16.5" cylinder arm Cowboy CB4500, I used my Union Lockstitch for all heavy sewing. It has a 12" body depth, sews slow or fast and is modified to sew 7/8 inch. I use #277 most of the time, although it can sew with #554 with a #4 needle and #5 awl. It is needle feed, jumping foot. It's also for sale. The Cowboy is what is known as a 441 clone, a modified copy of a Juki TSC 441, with triple feed. Mine sews 7/8 inch, with up to #415 thread. I usually use #277, as that is what I stocked up on for the Union Lockstitch, but it handles #346 just as well. The 9" throat depth 441s are used by folks only sewing along edges, or rather narrow work, like small holsters and animal collars and harness. Most people buy the 16.5 " arm 441 machines. I sewed a saddle on one yesterday. They are great for wide patterns, like Western holsters, weight and gun belts with stitched designs, or other large items that have a lot of internal stitching. The 25" models would do just about anything you can imagine. You could sew buggy fenders and tops on them if you know Amish or Mennonites. Campbell Randall lockstitch machines are the Creme Dela Creme of harness stitchers; a step above my Union Lockstitch. They are awl feed, jump foot machines The Adler 205 can be modified to sew 3/4 inch and is a very smooth harness stitcher. It is available in 12" and 16" models and sews with #346 thread. The CB2500 and GA5-1 type machines, based on the Singer 45k25, are intermediate thickness stitchers, with bottom feed only. They handle #346 thread and sew to about 7/16 inch. The teeth leave marks on the bottom layer, but they are okay for flat straps and tack, where the bottom is not usually seen.

If you intend to sew 7/16 (28 oz) to 1/2 inch (32 oz) of leather on a regular basis, a CB2500 or GA5-1 is not the right machine for you. You will be sewing at the maximum capacity, under tremendous foot pressure. A triple feed 441 clone or an Adler 205 or its clones are the better machines. These sew over 3/4 inch, so a half inch won't over stress the mechanism. They can handle up to #415 thread.

That is what I suspected. 28 ounces is 7/16 inch. You have crossed over into the realm of the heavy stitchers. Furthermore, when sewing this much thickness, one would want to use #277 thread. This is within the realm of the medium-heavy stitchers, like the CB2500 and very heavy duty 441 clones. We are supported by member dealers who have advertising banners that appear on top of every forum page. Reloading a page brings up a new group of banners. You can get an idea about the machinery being sold to leather workers by reading these banners and clicking through to the various websites. Once you take an interest in a particular (new) machine, ask for opinions and tips. I guarantee that somebody on this forum will probably have that brand and model. If you choose to get into used machines, anything goes. Some are diamonds, some are stones. Unless you buy a machine from a reputable dealer, you alone will be responsible for all costs of repairing it, should anything go wrong. Contrarily, all of our member-dealers have an excellent track record of supporting their customers with sewing problems. Prices vary a little, by brand, model, accessory package and shipping. In the long run these differences are insignificant, because you will get a quality machine and exceptional after-sale service, when needed. These big stitchers will last decades, if oiled regularly and not abused.