Wizcrafts

I wish my buddy had your motor then. I have to go in to his place tomorrow and sew 45 belts.

I have a friend in Flint who bought a 441 clone that came with a servo motor with a digital readout and up/down push buttons. It too cannot be adjusted unless it is running, which is very dangerous. Furthermore, it shudders and drops out below 1 stitch per second, making it difficult to control around strap tips and sharp corners. My home walking foot machine came with a 1/2 HP clutch motor. I replaced it with a SewPro 500GR, from Toledo Industrial Sewing machines. I had to move down an additional inch in belt length, due to the motor shaft being closer to the body that the clutch motor. I also dropped an inch because this motor has a 2" pulley and the original had a 3" pulley. The SewPro motor has a dial on the back, to set the top speed. Lowing it from increases the pedal range for slow speeds. The unit has built in 3:1 gear reduction, so it doesn't lose power at 1 stitch every two or three seconds. It has more than enough power to slooooooowly penetrate 3/8 inch of belt leather, or 7/16"+ of bridle leather. The SewPro 500GR only draws 300 watts at full speed (1500 RPM) and less at lower speeds. Otherwise, in idle, it draws no current that is measurable on a home power meter. I now distrust most servo motors with a digital readout and push buttons for speed adjustment. Unless one can change the speed when it is not in motion and doesn't shudder and drop out at about 1 stitch per second, I'm not interested in having it on my machines. Bending over, to see under the table, with one foot on the speed pedal, to push buttons on the motor to control a big "Class 4" is not a fun thing to do. Plus, the thread has to be removed from the needle before adjusting it. Eventually, I had my friend push the buttons as I sewed a run of straps, making speed changes a two man job. This was necessary because the motor dropped out as I slowed down, with the top speed set at about 600 rpm. In contrast, the SewPro motor can go from well under 1 stitch per second, to 12 per second (on my walking foot machine with a 4" pulley on back), without touching the dial at all. The SewPro would probably need a reducer wheel to run a big 441 machine, or maybe not. It is a powerful motor. If the big machine had a 6 or 8 inch flywheel pulley, I think the SewPro would do fine on its own.

Excessive lateral motion in the shuttle is not good. You need to find out why it has so much noticeable lateral motion. Is it loose on the shuttle side (left), or the main machine side (right) of the body mounted bearing? Is the required spacer shim missing? Is there a shim, but too large of a size (over #200)? If the hook is loose, but the shaft itself has proper minimal lateral clearance, you will need to reposition the hook laterally, then time it to the needle's eye, then tighten it onto the shaft. Remove the throat plate to check this out and make your adjustments. If the hook is tight and the timing of the needle is good and the shim is not too large (or missing), but the loops are too far from the point AND the shaft moves noticeably sideways, a set collar is loose on the right side of the machine mounted shaft bearing. Use caution before moving that shaft, as it also affects the parts that drive it on the far right underside of the body.

Try slightly shortening the travel of the top thread's check spring. This is the spring that keeps the thread under suspension as the take-up lever moves downward. Too much travel will keep the thread under tension all the way down. It could even interfere with the forming of a loop for the pick-up point to grab off the eye of the needle. Too little is counterproductive. There is a balance somewhere in between the extremes that should result in consistent stitches, without skipping. If the check spring adjustment doesn't fix the problem, the timing of the shuttle is incorrect, or, the distance between the point and the needle is excessive. Normally, there is a shim in Adler shuttles, which spaces the pick-up point just far enough from the body of the needle to avoid contact (with the largest needle to be used). The shim is held in by two screws and has a number. That number represents the largest needle size to be used. You may have to remove the shuttle retainer ring to get to the shim. If the shim is a #200 (optimum for a #200 needle), and you are trying to sew with a #140 needle, you are pushing the envelope, clearance-wise. There is too much side space for the loop to be picked up, unless the loop is quite large. The loop size can be affected by the needle's eye geometry, or the amount of travel the needle has when the pickup point reaches the center of the eye, or the size of the needle in relation to the size of the thread. To get a bigger loop, change to Schmetz needles. And/or reduce the check spring travel. The timing of the needle requires at least 3mm (1/8") upward motion to form a good loop. 3/16" is better, if you can get away with it. Then, the pick-up point must pass by the center of the loop, well above the eye hole. If the point is too close to the eye, skipped stitches are more likely, especially in reverse, or with long stitches. Changing the stitch length affects the timing. Sewing in reverse exaggerates this affect. A marginally timed machine in forward sewing, with long stitches (4 or 5 per inch), may miss in reverse. You need a well timed hook to get your full range of feed motion, forward and backward, unless you use small stitches (6/inch or less). Make sure the top thread isn't twisting loose in the tension disks. Likewise, make sure it isn't twisting into a bind, somewhere between the thread stand and the needle. Make sure the machine is well oiled, top and bottom. Oil the hook race. I'm not certain if that machine model has a fixed position needle with a presser foot that follows the feed dog's rearward motion, or a moving needle and jumping foot. They are horses of a different color. An Adler 105-8 owner or dealer might know about this particular model. You shouldn't mess with the presser foot drive mechanism until you speak with somebody knowledgeable in this model.

When the top thread bunches up under the bottom layer, it has probably come loose in the upper tension disk. Or, the bobbin thread may have twisted around itself. Check your thread paths and tensions. Time the needle so that the pickup point passes at about 1/8" over the eye, after the needle has ascended about 1/8 inch or so. You have to have enough upward motion to form the loop in the eye, but not so much that the point hits too high over the eye. You need a tiny amount of side clearance betwixt the point and the needle's eye. The check spring affects the length of time that the top thread is held under tension, as the take-up lever moves down. You should verify that the top thread is properly seated in the check spring disks and is being pulled down by the spring. The length of spring travel can be adjusted for a balance of degrees under steady tension, vs loose top thread. Too much check spring motion can cause the loop to not form properly, under some circumstances. To little can cause loose top stitches, or thread that flops around the bottom disks and gets wrapped around the knurled nut on the front of those disks. The feed dog must also be in time with the needle and presser feet. IHTH

Change the needle first. It might be bent slightly, causing it to touch the pickup point. The shim must match the largest needle you will use. If you move down more than 3 sizes, change to a smaller shim to match that new top size. I had no trouble with skipped stitches with my previous Adler 204, when moving down from a #25 needle with 277 thread to a #22 needle with138 thread. However, it wasn't as happy when I tried sewing with a #20 needle and #92 thread. Another thing that causes occasional skipped stitches is when the needle gets stuck in the leather. This happens from friction, from a big needle and thread sewing dense leather. When the needle sticks on the way up the loop doesn't form on the bottom, leading to a skipped stitch. If this is happening on any sewing machine, tighten the pressure on the presser foot (or feet). I notice that when I use a left toe only presser foot, more pressure is required to hold down the work than with a double toe foot. This holds true whether the machine is drop feed, jump foot, rolling feed, or walking foot. Even my Union Lockstitch machine will skip stitches (jammed awl) if I lighten the big pressure spring for a light job and forget to screw it back down for a thick job. Does your machine have a snap foot outer foot? If so, you could either replace the foot spring with a new one that is stronger, or try bending the spring forward a bit. The snapping forward only occurs when the feed dog drops below the slot in the throat plate. If the foot suddenly stops snapping forward, it suggests that the feed dog is lingering too long. That would be something you could adjust with a big flat blade screwdriver, under the head. The dog should drop as soon as it fully reaches the back of its stitch length travel. The needle should have penetrated the material before the feed dog drops and the foot snaps forward. This is a timing issue.

If so, it belongs in Warehouse 13! Artificer; If you only need to sew up to 3/16 of an inch, of soft temper leather, you can use either a roller foot or walking foot machine. Singer post machines were often equipped with a roller on top and a rolling feed dog on the bottom. There is a new Cowboy post machine that has gear driven top roller, in addition to the rotating feed dog. Machines like this provide very positive feed. Still, if price is the driving factor, and you will be buying used, a Singer post machine is a good option for 10 to 12 ounces of soft leather. The post will allow the material to be moved in all directions after each piece is sewn (hanging over the post, inside, outside, front or back). I used to make caps and hats on old Singer roller foot post machines. The one thing you must keep in mind is the thread size limitation of these old machines. They will not be happy sewing with anything bigger than #69 thread. None of the tensioners, not the presser foot spring are heavy enough to provide enough tension to sew with #138 thread, or hold down hard leather (with a big needle). If you limit the needle to a #18 leather point, with #69 bonded nylon thread, you should be able to sew your bags on it.

Art; Is the Lily Oil you get from Campbell different than the Lily Oil sold for typical industrial sewing machines? I have been using some 20 weight oil in my Union Lockstitch machine. I wasn't aware that Campbell had something heavier than standard machine oil. I like that idea of adding Mystery Oil to Lily Oil. I have even used Lucas Oil in the rear lower shaft bearing's oil hole (to keep it from flowing right back out the bottom).

I wish I could afford to buy a Puritan chainstitch machine, just for the pleasure of owning another piece of real American iron and steel. I have repaired rifle cases that were sewn on a Puritan, and it wasn't the stitching that gave out. That video was encouraging. A lot of skilled sewers are employed at Red Wing, sewing on Puritan chainstitch two and three needle machines. If any of you have a chance to buy one for money you can afford, do it. Then buy liquid wax and linen thread and put her to work on heavy leather projects, where the bottom layer is not normally visible. When the wax dries, the stitches will be locked for a lifetime.

That machine will not sew anything more than light weight garment leather; small sections at a time. It will need a Teflon foot to even do that. You will be limited to using either home cotton or polyester thread, or up to #69 bonded nylon. There is no way this machine will sew belts or heavier projects. Still, if it was cheap, experiment and see what you can get it to do.

You are stretching the capabilities of the Juki LU-563. This series is a couple decades old now and was never designed to sew 24 ounces, except for denim or vinyl, which compresses under the feet. 24 ounces of veg-tan leather is hardly compressible. You would be better served with a traded in LU-1508N, possibly with high lift and system 190 LR needles. It is built tougher than its predecessors from the 1980's.

The reason I steered you away from the portable machine is the fact that they are not usually made with strong enough metal to withstand the pressure of sewing veg-tan leather. Also, there are teeth on the presser feet, which assist the feed dogs in feeding the material and they will mark the top of the leather (as the feed dog does to the bottom). These machines were made to sew small marine vinyl and for sail repair jobs. With a presser foot clearance of just 1/4 inch, unaltered, they will not sew anything more than a pancake of two layers of 8 ounce leather. If your work is all under or at 1/4 inch, of not too dense leather, a portable might work for you. When it comes to portable walking foot machines, many are made with junk metal moving parts that can be bent by hand pressure on the cranks and the walking foot guide parts. You would really have to check out the way a machine is built before buying one of the portables. Or, send a sample of your leather and have the dealer sew it on that machine, using #138 bonded nylon thread. In contrast, a recent model Consew, Chandler, Juki or equivalent walking foot machine will all sew 3/8 inch of leather, with #138 thread. The moving parts are strong and smooth at the mating surfaces. The bearings are good size and many take a large M style bobbin. All modern walking foot machines have a reverse lever, for backtacking. Even an ancient Singer 111w155 (no reverse) can sew almost 3/8 inch. Some Pfaff walking foot machines can sew 7/16 inch, due to their longer needle type (190). There are several cylinder arm machines on the market that can sew 3/8 inch. What machines have you already looked at? Have you visited any industrial sewing machine stores? If you were to go to such a store with samples of your leather projects, they might match a suitable used machine to fit your budget. There are few if any new leather sewing machines under $1000, capable of sewing hard leather, 3/8+ inch thick, with heavy thread, all day long. The closest would be the Cowboy CB2500, or Techsew GA1-5. These machines sell for about $1300 to $1500, depending on the setup (reverse, roller foot, edge guide, speed reducer). Both are able to sew 7/16" out of the box, with #346 bonded nylon thread. There do not appear to be any small needles for these machine, so the bottom end of their sewing would be #22 needles with #138 thread.

I fear that you will be sorely disappointed in the performance of that portable walking foot machine. You should go straight into a triple feed walking foot machine, with a motor and table and speed reducer servo motor. When you say you want to sew knife sheathes, how thick are you talking about?

That company is out of business. You would be smart to have a machine shop make the replacement part.

Sometimes, dealers list their toll free number in publications, but may also list a local number on their website. For instance, the Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines website has the toll free number in their banners and on-page, but lists a local phone number in the footer of every page. The footer is the bottom section of a web page, where copyright, important links and contact info is typically presented.

EPS motors use a separate sensor module and connecting linkage that controls the up or down position of the needle bar, when the motor is stopped by your heel on the pedal. It feeds a box with the circuitry, which then connects to and controls the motor's off on function. If all you see is a servo motor and a speed reducer under the table and no module connected between the machine and the motor (other than belts), you are missing the EPS. Here is a picture of the Cobra EPS motor: http://www.leathermachineco.com/catalog.php?item=55

In the 9 months since I posted this ad I have invested another $200 in replacement parts, to rebuild the machine to factory tolerances. Besides sewing leather and plywood, this machine even sews the crap being sold by Weaver as imitation leather, for reins and leads. A 441 clone set up to perfectly sew 1/2 inch veg-tan leather could not sew the bobbin thread into this material, but my Union Lockstitch did. The price, as of September 15, 2011, is now $2700, cash and carry, from Flint, Michigan. The buyer must pick it up and load it.

All three of these items have been sold. Please close this topic.

I don't know if he has an inline foot set in stock, or not. Call him and ask for it. It is is gone he may be able to machine another one for you. They are tricky to use, as there is no forward support around the sides of the needle, other than the inside foot..

Name the dealer and we will try to get you their local phone number.

What size, or sizes of needle and thread are you using to sew these awesome backpacks?

What size (number) are the thread, needle and spacer shim in use, when the machine skips stitches? What type of point is on the needle (round, or diamond, or triangle, or LR)? What thickness are you trying to sew, when it is skipping? What thickness of leather will it sew without skipping? Is the leather soft, medium or hard temper?

You will be wasting your money and shredding your nerves if you buy that home sewing machine and try to sew 12 ounces of leather with it. The so-called walking foot attachment is nothing of the sort. It is better described as an even feed attachment, used by quilters. I bought one for my old Singer 15-91, before I got a real walking foot machine. The attachment has an outer foot that basically follows the material as it is pulled by the bottom feed dogs. When the feed dogs drop down, at the end of the stitch, the outer foot snaps forward. These attachments cause you to lose at least 1/16" of usable space under the feet. So, a machine that could in theory sew 12 ounces thickness will now only be able to fit 8 to 10 ounces under the foot. If you try to compensate by pre-raising the pressor bar, the needle bar will hit the top of the feet on the way down. The consequences could be catastrophic for the attachment, the needlebar, or pressor bar. Without the "walking foot" attachment, the machine will not feed leather or Naugahyde properly. Your only recourse would be a roller equipped pressor foot. I have one of these and it also loses 1/16" clearance underneath and on top. A home sewing machine with a roller foot will only clear about 1/8" to 3/16" of material, before the needle bar strikes it and busts it open. Finally, these home style machines are only made to sew with light weight thread. The most you can use would be #69 bonded nylon. This thread has but 11 pounds of tensile strength.

This Boss went for sale today on the Flint Michigan Craigslist. I placed the ad for the owner, who doesn't have the Internet at this time and wishes to sell it for cash and carry only. http://flint.craigsl...2592144098.html If the ad expires, or you want to discuss the machine with him, his phone number is: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx I can't answer any questions about the machine, other than the fact that it actually exists and is as pictured in his ad. Edited to remove phone # on sold item.

By using the same thread on top and bottom, the tensions will increase in both places, usually in an equal amount. The only interference you face is the needle size. You may have to increase your needle size to a #19 or 20, which will re-balance the tensions for you.