Wizcrafts

Try filling in the feed dog teeth with rubber dipping compound. I did that to one of the feet on my patcher and it still feeds fine, but leaves no marks. Tool and hobby shops sell this dipping compound. I got mine a Joann Fabrics, where the hand tools for beading are sold. If/when the coating wears down just add more to the feeder. Back off the top tension adjuster until it wither is barely catching the threads, or the material starts to lift with the needle. This is the lowest pressure setting you can use effectively. There is an aftermarket roller presser foot for that machine.

Don't do this if you are sewing holsters meant for official duty use or competition shooters. The smaller thread becomes the weakest link in the package. In a life or death struggle for a gun in a holster, the weaker threads could give way.

You can order the missing screw from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, in the USA. They have every screw, nut and bolt and part for Singer patchers. Phone info is on the website, as well as an online contact link.

I have a Union Lockstitch needle and awl machine and it happens to be for sale. Needs no further modification to sew over 3/4 inch, with a throat depth of 12 inches. Handles most bonded thread sizes 138 through 554, or 3 to 10 cord linen (run through Lax Wax). Parts are readily available for it, as are needles, awls and bobbins. I used it to sew double leather belts, weight belts, holsters, cases, tool pouches, etc.

TreeReaper; You should remove the thread from the needle before winding a new bobbin, except if you wind it as you sew. When I sew a big run of straps I start a new bobbin while I am sewing the straps. After so many are sewn the bobbin load detector will pop up and disengage the bobbin driver wheel. If I'm not sewing anything and want to load a bobbin, I always de-thread the needle!

I mentioned your request to Bob Kovar, owner of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. He told me that he has every nut, bolt, screw and replacement part for just about any Singer or Adler patcher - in stock, in drawers. You could have purchased all of the missing screws and parts from one dealer and been done with your search.

Thanks for the mention, but, I'm just a contributor, not part of the business itself.

You are probably not going to find many parts for your out-of-manufacture patcher in an online search. Your fingers need to do the walking on the phone dial. These dealers have brick and mortar stores that have been in business before the Internet. The parts you are seeking are in bins and racks far from cameras and normal customers view. Call them and ask about the parts you are missing. I have been to Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines and can tell you for a fact there there is an entire 12 foot rack full of Singer patchers of every build. Some are used for parts, others could be for sale.

Read this before you invest in a Boss

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines and Keystone Sewing both have parts for Singer patchers.

Check out the Cowboy CB2500

Your machine should be able to sew with #207 now. Just plop in a #24 or #25 LR point needle and load the same thread in the bobbin. You will have to loosen the bobbin tension screw somewhat and tighten the top tension disks a bit and the top pressure spring (a lot). A #24 needle is too much hole for #138 thread. I use a #22 or #23 needle for #138 thread. There is no using #277 in that machine, unless you modify it for heavier tensions on top. That means a heavy duty top tension disk beehive spring and a heavy top presser foot pressure spring. If your machine has a spring over the inside foot it needs to be cranked all the way down as well. If the machine sews with #277 at all, it may only do so under 1/4 inch of medium temper veg-tan leather. If you try to sew any thicker that feet will probably not be able to hold down the leather as the needle ascends. The needle will stick inside the leather on the way up. This causes skipped stitches and bent needles. A proper heavy leather stitcher has very dense springs for the feet and top tension disks. All take-up parts are at least double the thickness of those on a Juki LU-563. Also, the bobbins hold much more thread than the large LU Juki bobbin.

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines sells smooth bottom zipper feet. They also have smooth bottom edging feet, for applying leather edge binding.

Most horse bridles measure about 3/8" to 1/2" at the folds over the squares and rings. 3/8 inch is the maximum sewing thickness for a Consew 206RB-5. Also, bridles, being thick and under a lot of stress, are usually sewn with bonded thread sizes 277 or 346, or 4 or 5 cord linen, run through a wax pot. These thread sizes are beyond the range handled by the Consew or Singer 99 you mentioned. Gun holsters can be sewn with #207 thread, minimum, for two layer pancake holsters. These usually max out at 1/4 inch to 5/16 inch, which is within the realm of the 206RB. You will have to use a #25 leather point needle to sew with #207 thread. Holsters with a filler welt are beyond the range of those machines and also require #277 or larger thread, which the Consew can't handle. I went through a dozen industrial sewing machines before I learned these free lessons. Save your money and the aggravation sure to come as you try to sew beyond a machine's capabilities. Prepare to spend between $1800 to $2500 for a machine that is capable of sewing heavy leather with thick thread.

PRICELESS!

Thank you for flipping the stitch length jpg right side up. Now I can read the columns without hanging from the ceiling.

Bob; You posted the scan upside down!

Polyester thread is often softer than the equivalent nylon thread. It may require altering the tensions along the top thread path. Also, the timing of the needle may be advanced or retarded, causing the softer thread's loop to be cut rather than picked up.

You'll need a quart of oil and a small precision oiler, lots of bobbins, an extra bobbin case and various leatherpoint needles. If you are getting the SewPro 500GR motor and will not need a speed reducer. It has 3:1 reduction built into the motor. There is a knob on the back of the motor housing that sets the limit on the top speed. You get lower speeds by easing on the speed pedal. There are myriads of presser feet available for this machine, but it normally comes with a double toe presser foot set. I would advise getting a set of left toe smooth bottom zipper feet, so you can sew close to the left edge and an adjustable edge guide. As you get used to the machine you can figure out what other feet will suit your work and ask for them.

If you can afford to buy a new machine, from one of our dealers, do so. When you encounter problems just pick up the phone and call the dealer. If you need help you will get it. If you need accessories they will have them. Many dealers give package deals on the initial purchase. You can load up on bobbins, needles, different presser feet and a binder in the size you require. Finally, if something really goes wrong, you can send the head back for servicing, or receive replacement parts and instructions for installing them yourself. One-stop shopping beats chasing parts down on the interwebs. Finally, the new machines are very well built.

Parts are very hard to find in good condition. Bob Kovar, owner of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, has some parts for these ancient beasts, as does Gregg, at Keystone Sewing. Needles may be the hardest parts to replace.

Steven; I find that using a single wrap around the bottom tension disk (not really a tension disk per say) allows the thread to feed much easier than a double wrap. I set the required tensions between the bobbin spring and first tension disk set. When I release the work with the foot lifter, I can pull the threads out very easily. Double wrapping the bottom disk makes it harder to pull the thread out. Furthermore, if you go through two holes in the top post, it is harder to pull the thread out. Black thread is springier than white thread and needs more TLC in the feed path.

If you don't care about reverse, a Singer 153w102 (or 103, or 104) walking foot machine should be good enough for your humble requirements. There is a discussion about this model on our forum, in this post. Expect to pay about $500 to $600, for a complete Singer 153, with clutch motor and table, thread stand, bobbin winder and flex-lamp. You may even find one that has been converted to use a servo motor, like the SewPro 500GR, with a knob on the back to limit its top speed. Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines has them for sale (866-362-7397). As a reference, a brand new medium duty cylinder arm machine, similar to the Singer 153, but with reverse and a modern mechanism, sells for about $1600.

I had a Singer 132k6 for a short time, in the late 1980s. I appeared to be the end all machine when I bought it. It was not. The feed system was a large feed dog set, a fixed position needle and inside foot and a spring loaded moving outer foot. I found the spring foot unreliable for sewing slick leather (waxed, polished, glossy), as the spring foot would give up too soon and snap forward before the leather had moved all the way back (as per the feed dogs). The stitch length varied from very short to very long. Aside from the feed issues, the maximum thickness it could sew was 1/2 inch. It was able to use #346 thread, going through a #26 needle. The maximum stitch length was 1/2 inch. In my opinion, a Singer 132k6 is best suited to sewing buffing wheels, car wash drying cloths, sails, tarps, parachutes, webbing straps and tow ropes, and items of this nature.

Here is another adjustment that really matters. The distance of the blade to the presser foot matters a lot. When skiving thin leather the blade must be much closer to the foot than when skiving veg-tan or sole leather. If the blade is moved too close to the foot, the leather may get forced under the blade, or completely cut off. If it is too far away, there will be a lump of full thickness before the skiving begins. So, for 4 ounce chap or shoe upper leather, keep the blade within about 1/16" of the business end of the foot. When skiving thick, dense leathers, move it way accordingly, to avoid bogging down the feed, or motor. You need as much a 1/4" distance to skive soles properly. The foot can be angled to cause a lap skive to occur. Here's how... Set the foot's angle screw upwards, so that the rear portion of the foot is level with the top of the blade, but the front is raised the thickness of the leather being skived. Set the depth guide backwards to the place where the foot is about level with the blade. Run a test strip. Adjust the foot height up or down to control the feathering and the depth guide for the length of the lap skive. Using this method you can create a perfect lap skive to blend two layers together, or to install new soles onto shoes. Finally, learn to use the grinding stone and polishing wheel to keep the blade razor sharp, without any nicks on the top or bottom. A badly sharpened blade causes bad cuts.