Wizcrafts

Being a standard walking foot machine it uses system 135x16 needles (leatherpoint), which are available up to size 25/200. That size will sew #207 thread, top and bottom. If the machine has a standard bobbin, it will not hold much #207 thread. Otehrwise, it is perfectly capable of sewing with #138 top and bottom, up to 3/8" thickness (it clears 9/16).

The first thing you need to do is get the rust off each machine, then oil it in every visible oil hole. Baptize them in oil! Pray for the Fish! After they are clean and oiled and wiped off, find a dealer within driving distance, if any and drop them off for parts, adjusting and timing. Marion is a long way from Chi-town or Toledo, where the industrial sewing machine shops are located. It's probably safer taking them to Toledo than Chicago. If you take them to Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, on Marine Road, Toledo, Ohio, Bob and Bobby will get them running and sewing for you. Just clean the rust off first.

You may or may not be able to use the rear two holes with the new motor. If yes, you need to drill one half inch diameter hole dead center in the front, at the forward distance the frame dictates. However, it may not position the pulley in the right plane to line the belt up with the motor pulley. Your goal is to have the motor pulley line up with the machine pulley. If the existing holes are close, but no banana, elongate the rear holes forward, then drill the new front-center hole where it needs be. The motor has rubber mounts that have long slots in them. This allows you to move the motor along its central axis (fwd/bkwd). You will need to remove all of the old wiring and the old switch box and rep[lace it with the new one. If you are careful when removing the big wood staples securing the AC cords, you can pound them back in when you run the new wiring. The foot pedal connects to the motor via a slip joint that you can adjust for best positioning. Ensure that the heel goes almost, but not totally all the way down. Leave a small amount of play to the back of the pedal. The belt is another matter. Two things affect its required size. 1: the size of the pulley, in relation to the original 2: the distance from the underside of the table to the center axis of the motor shaft. If the old pulley is larger and the shaft is farther away then the new motor, you will be needing a belt a few sizes shorter. I would measure the distance from the bottom of the table to the center of the motor shaft, as well as the diameter of the original and give this information to the seller of the motor. They can compute the probable size of the belt, based on the length of the old one. For instance: Say the old belt is 44 inches, the pulley 4 inches and the distance under the table to the center of the shaft is 4 inches. If the new motor has a 2 inch pulley and is only 3 inches from the bottom of the table to the center of the shaft, your new belt would be 3 inches shorter, or 41 inches. The motor is adjustable, but gives best control when it is set close to the center of its vertical travel.

If you do rotate the leather point needles, try to do so in a direction that places the loop more in the path of the pick-up point, than away from it. Or else...

Every drop feed system has those four motions, but in a basically oval motion. It sounded a lot like the way Juki describes their "Rectangular feed" system. In this system the feed dog moves straight forward or backward, then drops straight down, then moves for the next stitch. Finally, it raises straight up. The purpose of that drive system is to provide a true and even pickup and transport of the material, to prevent gathering (as per Juki's description).

That's a company copying Juki's "rectangular feed dog system" mechanism and calling it "four motion" Just one more thing to go wrong if it gets knocked out of time.

Yes, this compound feed system will sew everything from jeans to belts, up to 3/8 inch thickness, with #138 thread, top and bottom. You can also thread it with #207 thread and change bobbins more frequently (using #24 needles). One thing it is not very good at is sewing light cloth, like cotton or stretch pants and shirts. That is where the needle feed, or just flat feed machines are better suited. Cloth likes to by driven by feed dogs. Vinyl and leather likes triple feed better.

It might be the contour of the leather point needle that's protruding slightly outside your gouge line. You could either gouge a slightly wider channel, or move the edge in slightly. Or, try using a different type of needle, that doesn't stick out on the sides as much. I sew for a friend at his shop, on his Cobra and Adler 30-70 patcher, and he prefers that I use regular sharp point needles, rather than leather point. They produce a straight stitch line and don't cut outside a groove line (except for operator error!). Just a thought.

Doug; I'm trying to show you machines that do what you asked about. That is one of your best solutions in a cylinder arm machine. You are going to need a compound feed machine for the work you intend to sew. It is a medium priced machine with the same capabilities as your Consew 206RB. Am I misunderstanding what you are looking for? By the way; You'll need a #24 needle to properly sew with #207 thread, top and bottom. A #23 will get you 207 on top and 138 in the bobbin, depending on the density of the material.

Don't be in such a hurry to put the Cobra to work that you neglect to oil it. New machines need to be oiled and broken in, like a new car engine. Some new 441 owners have overlooked this step and seized their machines.

One down, two to go!

Typically, when one mentions a needle feed sewing machine, they are referring to one that has feed dogs moving in sync with the needle and a completely flat presser foot. These machines are built for the garment construction trade. They are especially useful when sewing stretchy material, like elastic waist bands on underwear, or stretch pants. None of the needle feed machines in the garment class are capable of sewing with #138 thread. They probably can handle #92 thread, with a #19 needle. Juki makes some nice needle feed machines, as do its clones. If you want to change your flatbed walking foot machine for a cylinder arm machine with similar specs, look here. There are some needle feed, jump foot machines made for harness makers. I have one: a Union Lockstitch Machine. Some Ferdinand Bull machines are jump foot-needle feed, as are the Luberto Classics and Number 9 machines. Plus, all Campbell-Randall stitchers are jump foot, but with awl feed.

I had an Adler 204-374 for a while and got my bobbins, needles, thread and oil from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. Their toll free number is 866-362-7397.

Have you ever tried a post machine with a double roller feed?

Well then, you could consider a Juki LS-1340 or 1341. I suspect that you can find a bolt-on table attachment, or make one yourself. I would definitely recommend a needle positioning motor system. Order the entire machine and motor/table already setup. You are looking at big money for any of these top-of-the-line Juki machines. I suggest you contact a Juki dealer who will accept your leather samples and sew them on various Juki machines, labeling each with the model code. Have the sewn samples returned and compare the stitch quality and other details, like marks on the bottom or top. You may find one that is better than the rest. I know we have member dealers who are authorized Juki dealers. Hello out there! Where are you? Bob? Greg? Ronnie?

Your machine uses a Juki 441 bobbin, which is the same as the Adler 205.

If the O.P. was to buy a 441 clone, he would need to use #18 or 19 needles and have the machine setup for thin leather and thin thread. It is doable, as I have learned, but not ideal. A CB227R is a better match for billfolds, with its smaller needles, narrower feed dog & throat slot and dozens of available presser feet types. Get a table attachment for it and have the best of both worlds, in a walking foot, triple feed machine.

My dad used a Singer 31-15 in his tailor shop, for 40+ years. My first industrial sewing machine was a 96k40, which I bought when it was 40 years old and sold 20 years later. Despite equipping it with a roller foot setup, it still only liked #69 thread and no more than a bit over quarter inch of soft leather, or cloth. I understand that boot makers use these machines to sew designs onto the uppers, before stitching them together. They are sewing about 5 or 6 ounces of soft leather at tiny stitch lengths..

Are you doing tailoring? Why do you like the 31-15 so much? It is a tailors' machine.

Whether or not the DNU-1181 will be good for wallets depends on the feet and the leather used on the back. It looks like this machine has teeth on the feet. You must take that into consideration when sewing fine leather goods. I would stay away from that machine and stick with a triple feed machine, without teeth on the feet. You will need a left toe set to sew close to the edges. No teeth! Triple feed! Not double feed. I would choose the 1508NH because it walks higher and uses bigger thread. But, the 1541 is a good machine for much less money. Both have rectangular drive feed dogs. Flat bed for wallets The only area where a cylinder arm machine would be better is sewing on the back, where is is bigger than the interior and has a hump near the center.

The CB3500 uses the same bobbins as the Cobra, Techsew, Artisan, Ferdco 441 clones, as well as the Adler 205, Juki 441. The CB3500, CB4500 and CB5500 use the same big bobbin. Why do you ask?

I'm sure that your 206K is a nice machine and very well built. But, it is not made for industrial use. Singer made specific machines that could stand up to day in day out sewing. This is not one of them.

There were tow different machines used in that video. One is a big bobbin LU-563, which is out of production. It has been replaced with the DNU-1541, or the LU-1508. The other machine was a cylinder arm machine. I don't know what model or make it was. But, there are equivalents available from our dealer-members. Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines is a Juki dealer. I think that Keystone Sewing is also. Steve, at Cobra has similar machines for sale. Finally, Techsew, a division of Raphael Sewing, sells Juki and many other brands, including Techsew. Whatever machine, or machines you buy, you will want a servo motor with slow speed settings that are controllable. Older Juki machines all came with a high speed clutch motor. You must either change the motor pulley to a tiny 2" or smaller, or add a speed reducer, or swap out for a servo motor, with a speed dial. The wallets in this video were sewn with either #69 or 92 bonded nylon thread. Any industrial machine can handle those threads. You'll want to use a minimum needle size for whichever thread you settle on. That would be a #16 for #69 thread, or a #18 for #92 thread. Use a leather point, or triangle point needle. You will need a swing away roller edge guide. Our dealers can setup a machine with the roller guide. If you choose to buy from our people, they will assist you with problems that may arise. I can't speak for outside dealers. If you decide to buy a used machine, make sure it has been gone over and any worn, or slack parts replaced. Buy a few quarts of oil with the machine and oil it often.

The 206K is a home sewing machine. It is neither designed for, nor fully capable of sewing anything more than a couple layers of garment leather, or thin chap. The mechanism is limited to using no larger than #69 bonded thread. It is primarily used with standard cotton thread and normally sews cloth. As for a roller foot, this machine uses a low shank standard presser foot. You can buy plastic feet equipped with long rollers in front and back of the needle slot. This will reduce the clearance under the foot to just over 1/8 inch, before the needlebar hits the top of the foot. Finally, a 3.5" machine pulley is small, when speaking about sewing leather. Most leather sewing machines have pulleys starting at 4" and going up from there. If you motorize this little old home sewing machine and try to sew belts, you will destroy it.

No. A walking foot, or spring loaded jump foot requires a special mechanism, attached to the back of the body, driven by cams and cranks inside. However, if your machine has a flat foot, you can convert it into a roller foot machine, which works well on wallets and leather garments..