Wizcrafts

Hopefully, you can buy this machine for no more than $100, considering that it will cost another 2 or 3 hundred to fix it up in a shop.

I still struggle on my Union Lockstitch machine, which has a 12" space on the right, when I sew weight belts, gun belts or large holsters. It takes a lot of room to fold up a double leather belt or strap for fancy fishtail stitching. Actually, a 25 inch arm is best for such work.

That is the most beat up and rusted out Singer 111w102 I have ever seen. Yes, it will sew leather. No, it is not worth $150, unless you plan on restoring it yourself, as a labor of love. Machines that are so badly rusted on the outside are usually as bad inside. If that is the case, you will be replacing rods, cranks, gears, shafts, shuttle, and who knows what else. Or, you may get lucky and it is only external surface rust. It's a crap shoot. This particular sub-class of the 111 has bottom feed only. Most upholstery shops and leather workers use walking foot, triple feed machines only. This is not such a machine. It also lacks reverse, so you'll have to either tie off the threads, or spin the work around 180 to back-tack. The stitch length can only be changed by pushing down a button on the body and rotating the hand-wheel one way or the other, then releasing that button. It appears to be setup with #22 needles and #138 thread. I can use a bigger needle and one size larger thread, depending on the condition of the tensioners. You should go and test the machine before offering any money at all. Seeing and hearing it operate will tell you whether it is worth anything at all.

Do not assume that all of your sewing will be along the edges only. One day someone will want a Western holster and as you stitch around the 22 inches of body and back flap, you'll appreciate the 16.5 inch arm. Or, perhaps you'll sew a pistol belt with gunfighter stitching, like I do. You'll need all the room on the right side that you can get.

This happened to me on my previous Singer 29-4 patcher. The thread was getting pulled under the shuttle plate, rather than under the bobbin case. The eye of the needle was too low. I solved the problem by substituting shorter industrial needles for the 29x3 and 29x4 that I bought for the machine. Bob Kovar later suggested that perhaps a needle had broken off just above the needle locking screw (after being overtightened) and was jammed inside the needle mounting hole - above the lock screw. I don't have that machine anymore to check it. But, you could take off the needle mounting tab, unscrew the needle locking screw, remove the needle and tap it on a hard surface. Maybe, just maybe, a broken top of a needle will fall out and your needles will have the correct length. Otherwise, the slop in the bobbin drive gears may the the culprit. Other things to try: Move the needle mount closer to the right of the hole. Loosen the screw above the needle locking screw and push the mount to the right, then tighten that screw. Lower the needle bar all the way, then shine a flashlight up it on the outside. Look for a paddle shaped spring above the needle mounting bracket. If that paddle is broken, of twisted, or no longer making direct contact with the thread, it will cause skipped stitches. Change the needle Make sure the needle is threaded from left to right.

Paedalus I would go for the Claes cylinder arm machine. It will server you best of all those machines. It is bottom feed only, but look at how well it sews hard and thick leather! It can probably be fitted with needles ranging from #140 up to #250 (metric), allowing you to sew with US thread numbers 138 through 415. The big machine is not like a Union Lockstitch, but is similar to a Puritan chainstitch machine. Chainstitch machines are used to sew luggage, golf bags, briefcases and hiking boots. They make a thread chain on the bottom of the material, which is not pleasant to look at. That's why they are only used where the bottom thread is not normally seen. The Junker And Ruh is a sole stitching machine only.

I wuz just funnin' with ya ;-)

Where are you going to find a Juki 441 for $2500? Send me a link so I can buy one! They sell for over $5000 everywhere I've looked. One would be lucky to find a used Juki 441 for $2500. The Chinese 441 clones sell for about $2500 new, with 16.5" arms. Nine inch models sell for around 2 grand.

If you buy a used machine privately, you will be responsible for all repairs and adjustments. Most long time dealers will provide you with some degree of phone assistance on their used machines. All of our member-dealers warranty the new machines they sell and provide one-on-one phone or email support. If you can afford to buy a new machine, from a reputable industrial sewing machine dealer, you'll be better off. This will be especially important to you as a first time sewer. You are bound to run into issues you can't solve on your own. It will be beneficial if you can phone the dealer and ask him how to get out of your jackpot, rather than posting a question on the public forum. You outta read our Leather Sewing Machines forum. It gets really interesting there with some topics drawing all kinds of fireworks. There are members that frequent that section who have dozens of years of experience with industrial and leather sewing machines. I applaud you for coming here with your questions, and not eBay.

Rodeoman; Here is an example of a 16.5 inch cylinder arm leather stitcher. It has a bunch of accessories available, including a bolt on flat table. If you use a fairly small needle, say a number 22 or 23 (leather point), with #138 bonded nylon thread, it will sew chaps all day long. This type of machine sews over 3/4 inch thickness, with very thick thread (up to #415). It has large, cylinder shaped bobbins that hold a huge amount of thread.

A harness stitcher like mine is of no use when sewing most chaps. Chap leather is just thick garment leather. You are probably not going to be using any thread larger than #138. Any industrial walking foot machine, whether flat bed or cylinder arm, can sew up to 3/8 inch thickness, using #138 bonded nylon thread. Look for a good walking foot machine with a large bobbin and reverse lever. You will need to get one with a servo motor, or replace the clutch motor with a servo motor, to control the machine at slow speeds. It is easier to control the work on a flat bed machine, when it is large and flat, like chaps. If you are looking to buy a new machine, a Consew 206RB-5 is a very good choice. The Chandler 406RB is its sister machine and costs a couple hundred less for basically the same machine. Both have a big bobbin and can sew 3/8 inch leather with #138 thread.

You gotta realize that the Singer 29-4 machines go back over a hundred years. They have been improved along the years, including the head mounted lock screw.

You need to define what thickness of leather you intend to sew and the size of thread you want to use. Saddle machines need to be at least 12 inches deep, on the right of the needle. Most saddlers here are using 16.5" cylinder arm machines, with triple feed. They sew with up to #415 thread. They are sold by Cowboy, Cobra, Techsew and others. Look at the banners on top and click on them to go to their websites. I have a harness machine for sale, that sews up to 3/4 inch, with any thread, with 12 inches inside the post. But, I am in Michigan and it is being sold cash and carry.

I've owned two 29-4 patchers, including one a year ago, and neither one had the stop screw. It is present on my 29k172. This is probably an addition made when the K series was started, or sometime thereafter.

I routinely glue green foam, purchased at Joann Fabrics, onto the backs of rifle slings and weight belts, then glue suede covers over the back and foam. I use two coats of rubber glue on each piece and it does not affect the foam negatively. This combination is secure enough to hold the package solidly in place for sewing. Drying time between coats depends on the temperature and humidity. I find that on a typical day, with a temperature in the high 60's, and low humidity, a coat dries in about 10 minutes. An overhead fan helps speed this up. The green foam is sold for making seats and chairs. I find that it has just the right density for padding leather straps and camera cases. It cuts nicely with a long sharp knife, or scissors. We usually buy it with a 50% off coupon, or wait for it to go on sale at 50% off, which is like every other month. The green foam is sod at Joann Fabrics stores in thickness ranging from 1/2 to 4 inches, by the yard. Finding a cheap source of quarts of rubber glue can be challenging, but is doable. Call around your local office supply, sewing and craft stores. Also, stores that sell to schools stock quarts of rubber glue.

If those loops of thread are on the bottom, I suspect that either the bobbin spring is way too tight, or the top tensioner disks are not being allowed to press together all the way, under spring pressure, during sewing. Check to make sure that when you lower the presser foot lift lever, that the disks close all the way. You may need to increase the presser foot top pressure to get the mechanism to drop down under the flange on the thread tension cup, over the disks. If the lift parts are not moving freely, remove them if possible and clean them. Then apply sewing machine oil to help closing parts close all the way.

I believe so. I already suggested that to someone else. The person importing the thread should be familiar with purchasing goods from abroad and doing Customs declarations, brokerage, etc. My guess is that the order would end up being for a lot more than one case (actually over a dozen). I alone commonly use at least 5 different colors of thread , in sizes 69, 138 and 277. This type of stock is in the domain of industrial sewing machine dealers. I suppose that if a bunch of members went in on the deal, the initial order might be for black, white, straw and medium brown, in sizes 138 and/or 277, or just #207 as a compromise.

Nice catch on the patcher and awesome trike! Make sure you thread the machine properly (did cobbler show you how to thread and load bobbin?). I have a long arm version of that machine and can tell you that it sews with up to #138 thread. But, it goes farther with #69 thread. Less strain on the moving parts with #69, or even #92. Tell us where the thread is breaking and we'll try to diagnose the problem here. Might could be old worn out thread, or needle too small for thread. A close up photo of the needle area, with the cover plate open and closed will help. An open cover plate photo should be taken with the needle down and just beginning to ascend.

FYI: Linhanyl thread is no longer being imported into the USA. The importer-distributor quit, leaving many bulk buyers in the lurch. The only way to get Linhanyl thread now is to either buy what's left from a dealer who is lucky enough to have some in stock, or, to order 50 pounds of the same thread size and color in a box and do all the Customs paperwork. Linhanyl is headquartered in Brazil.

Glad to help and nice work. That's a very nice table attachment. I could use one like that. Do you recall if it was sold by a dealer, or individual seller?

Mike; You could disassemble the head from the machine, along with the parts inside the head, then drill a hole, about 5/32 inches diameter, in the front of the head, about 2 inches up from the bottom, then tap it to take a 10-32 thumbscrew. Tighten the screw to lock the revolving foot, or loosen it to rotate the foot. Singer parts dealers have these screws. A competent industrial sewing machine dealer can do the job for you, if you send the head to them.

The shredding of the thread might be from heat from friction. Slow the machine down! Get a 2 to 2.5 inch motor pulley and a shorter v-belt to match the difference in diameter from the original pulley. Or, replace the motor with a servo motor, like the one I recommended in my first reply. I use that motor and am able to easily control the speed, from way under 1 stitch per second to about 10 or 12 stitches per second. Shredding is also caused by using too small of a needle for the thread and work being sewn. Try moving up a size. Perhaps a leather point needle will penetrate the package with less friction. Or, it could be caused by the timing being slightly off. You should not move the needle down in its housing, unless you are checking for timing problems. If the timing is out and lowering the needle fixes the skipped stitches, then the needle bar needs to be lowered that amount. Or, the position of the pick-up point on the hook needs to be changed to place it inside the cutout - above the eye, as it begins to ascend and form a loop. Perhaps you will get better results with pre-lubricated thread. Use #138 bonded nylon, as that is the largest size your machine can efficiently sew with. You should use a #23 needle with #138 thread on top and in the bobbin. You might be able to sew with #207 on top and #138 on the bottom, with a #25 needle, but you already are experiencing heat related needle and thread problems. The only benefit of smoking hot needles is that the nylon thread lockstitch knots will tend to fuse together. I'm sure you can find an industrial sewing machine dealer somewhere within driving distance.Otherwise, check with our member dealers, like Bob at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, or Steve at Leather Machine Company (Cobra), which is in Highland, California. They both have banner ads on top of these pages, with toll free phone numbers.

HUH? I thought you wanted to slow down the machine, not speed it up! A standard pulley on industrial walking foot machines ranges from 2 to 4 inches in diameter. I doubt that there is enough clearance under the table to mount a 10 pulley on the motor, but, if you did, you would double or triple the existing speed! What you should do is install a 2 inch pulley on the motor, with a shorter v-belt to keep the motor adjuster in its mid-range. If the original pulley was 4 inches, this will cut the speed in half, at all floor pedal positions. Alternately, you could just replace the clutch motor with a small servo motor, like the SewPro 500GR, which has a full range of speeds from deathly slow to medium fast. This motor is sold at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines.

Ditto what Art told you. If you cannot change motors, at least buy a 2 inch pulley and a shorter v-belt that matches the difference in length to center the adjuster bolt. The attachment is from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. It was originally a flat plate edge guide. I added on a roller edge guide that slides on the single threaded rod in the body of the attachment. I found it necessary to braze mine on the bottom of the screw, to keep it from turning when I hefted down the securing thumb screw. This isn't a problem if you only use the flat plate guide; just the roller. The left toe foot set is a zipper foot set. I have a dozen different presser feet for this machine. All are commercially available wherever industrial sewing machines are sold, including Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines (Bob Kovar). Their phone number is 866-362-7397.