Wizcrafts

The photos don't show the pressor foot/feet, so it's hard to tell if it is a walking or snapping foot machine, or straight needle. The first photo, of the right side, shows what looks like an ancient external clutch, for the motor, but I could be mistaken. Aside from those things, it looks like it is in relatively decent external condition. You'd need to inspect it in person and maybe take some decent photos of the head area, where the feet, throat cover/feed dogs and needlebar are located, as well as the back or left side shot of the head. If you see in in person and test it and it runs smoothly, make an offer and see what it can do for you. I agree that the prices for the Juki's are too high. They sell for half that amount in the USA. You could buy a decent condition Juki LU-563 from one of our dealers and have it shipped to you, with a motor and table, for a lot less than those local machines. You could even buy a brand new Consew 206RB-5 for less, shipped!

Unfortunately, it is true. The take-up lever system, the shuttle and feed system, not to mention the various gears and bushings, are simply not beefy enough to hold up for long, under the pressure of sewing thick, or hard leather, with or without thick thread and a large needle. Add the #138 thread and a #22 or #23 needle and the pounding inflicted when penetrating 16 ounces of veg-tan leather will wear out the machine in very little time.

Welcome to our Forums, SewVic! You have bought yourself a very high speed garment sewing machine, with a self oiling system. This machine is best used with thin, soft material, under 1/4 inch total thickness. It is designed for use with thin sewing thread, not exceeding #69 bonded nylon. The needle system is correspondingly thiinner than walking foot machine needles. You will be lucky to get it to sew leather with a #20 needle, and #69 thread. Still, you might be able to cheat and up the thread and needle size a bit (to #138, with a #22 needle max). I definitely know where you can get a super servo motor that will improve your sew-ability. It is called the SewPro 500 GR and it is sold by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. Many of our members use this motor on our walking foot machines, myself included. When purchased for leather sewing it comes with a 50 mm (2") pulley. It has built-in 3:1 gear reduction and a speed limiter knob on the back. Your current motor is probably equipped with a 4 inch pulley, for the high speeds required in cloth garment work. Since the 500GR sits closer to the table than a standard clutch motor, you will need to subtract an inch more than otherwise, when buying a new, much shorter v-belt. For every inch of difference in pulley diameter, you need an inch shorter belt. Thus, if the original pulley is 4" and the new one is 2", on the SewPro motor, order a 3" shorter v-belt with it. This assumes that the original belt is set in about the middle of the motor tensioner bolt. If the existing belt is sitting near the bottom of the bolt, subtract another inch for the new belt. With the SewPro 500GR installed you will be able to sew under 1 stitch per 3 seconds. It is capable of extremely slow sewing operation and doesn't drop out with a shudder, like some of the cheaper servo motors do. With this motor and a heavier top tension coil spring (and possibly a heavier pressor foot spring and heavy duty feed dog conversion as well), you will be able to penetrate 1/4" thick veg-tan or bridle leather, using a #22 needle and #138 top thread. Considering what you paid for it, you have little to lose when you destroy the machine sewing leather bridles. Hopefully, you can sew enough of them to get your money back. Then, buy a walking foot machine that is made to sew heavy leather.

You "can" sew all types of leather with a 441 clone machine. But, some jobs are more suitable for these big mechanism machines than others. I have been able to sew everything from coat sleeves and zippers, into leather coats and jackets, to gun holsters, on a 441 clone. Last week, at work, a friend of the business came in with a big chiunk of Naugahyde that needed sewing. I installed the table attachments onto the owner's Cobra, changed to a #20 needle and #138 thread, held onto the Naugahyde to guide it, and sewed the pieces together. The thickness of two layers of Naugahyde is about 1/16". I had to reduce the bobbin tension a lot, then reduce the top tension as well. Also, I backed off the pressor foot pressure. If you are willing to dink around and change needles and tensions, you can sew from 4 ounces to 22 ounces of material on a new 441 clone, or, 20 ounces on an actual Juki 441. With that established, the only two questions remaining are what length of arm do you want and how much can you spend? If the idea of dinking with the machine to sew different thicknesses and thread sizes doesn't appeal to you, you have to decide which end of the sewing spectrum is more important to you: thin leather with thin thread, or thick leather with heavy thread. Try to decide what the maximum thickness of leather will be and the largest thread size you intend to use. If the numbers come in at or under 3/8" thickness and #138 thread, a 227 type machine will suffice. This machine, selling for about $1500, sews up to 3/8", with #138 thread and has a triple feed walking foot mechanism. It uses a very common system 135x needle, available from sizes #10 or 12, up to #25. Most crafters use a #22 or #23 needle with #138 thread, in such machines. If you prefer a flatbed machine, look no farther than a Consew 206RB-5 - which is about $1300, or so. This machine can be fitted with either system 135 or 190 (longer) needles. It has a large, M style bobbin and a reverse lever. It is an excellent machine for upholstery, leather garments, vinyl, denim, medium temper leather and sails/boat covers. Accessories are boundless for such machines.

Of the two machines, only the hand operated Boss will sew over 3/8" with heavy thread. This will work out okay for short sewing projects. If you get into sewing a long run, your right arm will wear out fairly quickly. Keep a kid handy to pull the lever! Have you considered getting a motorized heavy stitcher? A nine inch arm model can sew over 3/4" of leather, with up to #415 bonded nylon thread. These 9" cylinder arm machines sell for under $2000, shipped.

The problem is caused by either too much bobbin tension, or too little top tension. The bobbin thread should have a modicum of tension, so the thread can be pulled out smoothly, with some back pressure. Then, balance the top tension, via the top tension knob, over the coil spring. Follow the top thread path, from the top of the spool, to any post holes on top of the machine, to the top tension disks, out the disk, to the thread check spring assembly, then to the take-up lever, and on down through the guides to the left side of the needle. The thread must feed from left to right on most industrial sewing machines. The recess in the eye of the needle faces right.

I recommend the w155, or if you can find one, a w156, with a reverse lever. Just make sure whatever you buy has triple feed. Modern walking foot machines usually come with a M bobbin, which holds 50% more thread then a standard industrial bobbin (similar to 15-91 bobbin). This is useful when you thread up with #138 thread. The old Singer 111s mostly have a standard bobbin. Maybe #92 thread will work for your blanket repairs. It goes a lot farther than #138, in the bobbin. Then, you can go down to a #19 or #20 needle.

I own a Singer 15-91 and I am here to tell you that it can barely sew through 8 ounces of leather, or 3/16" of denim. The pod motor that is mounted into the machine is gear driven, but lackluster in punching power. The feed dogs are very small. The machine is best suited to sewing thin cotton garments. I can't imagine a Singer 15-91 sewing any kind of blanket, much less a horse blanket! The second machine you mentioned, on a treadle, has no model number, but from the serial number it must be from the early 1900's. If it works at all, it will most likely be a home sewing machine, designed to feed and sew garments. What you are looking at are collectors' machines. They are not up to snuff for sewing today's heavy weight materials, or leather, or blankets. That said, if you are prepared to throw away a couple hundred bucks on an antique sewing machine, save your money and buy a used Singer 111w155 walking foot machine, for sewing your horse blankets. They can be found for about $250 to $300, with a motor and table. If the dirt jams it up, tear it apart and clean it, or use compressed air to clean it out. If the clutch on the bobbin drive disengages, clear the thread or blanket strands out of the bobbin and shuttle, then push the reset button down, rotate the hand wheel until the clutch re-engages, and continue sewing. Eventually, it will break down beyond repair. When that happens, buy another old clunker, for blankets. You really need a walking foot machine for horse blankets. I mean triple feed, where the feed dog, inside foot and needle all move together. Note: The Singer 111w155 does not have reverse. If you want a walking foot machine with reverse, look for a (used; out of manufacture) Juki LU-563, or a newer style walking foot machine, like a Consew 206RB-5 - with a 1/2 horsepower motor, with a 2" pulley, and a 20" x 48" industrial - k-legs table. Plop in a #23 needle, thread it with #138 bonded nylon thread, and she'll sew through 3/8" of anything you put under the foot. Change to a longer series 190 needle, raise the needlebar to place the eye in the same position as the original series 135x needles, and she'll sew just over 7/16" of blanket.

Eldorado; There are new machines based upon the Singer 153 type, but they are a bit more money than you stated as your range. However, they are exactly what you are looking for. For instance, you could get a brand new Cowboy CB227-R, with reverse, mounted on a pedestal stand, with a servo motor, speed reducer, thread stand, winder, extra stuff, et all, for about $1495, plus shipping. Techsew sells a similar machine for a similar price. Either of these machines can sew 3/8" of leather, down to a couple ounces, with thread sizes up to #138. They are triple feed walking foot machines. They are a perfect replacement for a worn out Singer 153, with the same arm length.

You have a sole stitcher. You can now replace the soles on shoes and boots. I do believe it will sew a half inch of hard sole leather. Be sure to buy some needles and awls, if there weren't any with the machine. Also, buy a few pounds of 5 and 6 cord right-twist Irish Linen thread and some Lax or Sellari's stitching wax. If you don't have one, look for a 3 in 1, or 5 in 1 sole cutter/splitter, hand cranked, with sharp blades. You can buy good sole leather (or precut soles) from shoe repair suppliers. Look for Prime soles or bends. Stay away from saddle leather for shoe soles. You'll also need a boot jack stand with different size boot inserts.

The bobbin should feed in the opposite direction as the shuttle is rotating. This will make it harder for it to unwind at high speed, or after sudden stops. So, if your bobbin drive rotates clockwise, insert the bobbin counter-clockwise; against the rotation. Vertical hook machines have snap in bobbin cases, as opposed to drop-in bobbins, as is found on most horizontal hook machines. The vertical bobbin/bobbin case machines offer two styles of bobbin case: plain and anti-backlash. The anti-backlash cases have a thin star or ring shaped spring inside them; plain do not. This spring is there to keep the bobbin from free-spinning at a different speed than the shuttle, which can cause it to unload gobs of thread, which can lead to jamming the shuttle, or wrapping bobbin thread around other windings, halting the feed totally. This anti-backlash feature is useful for people who load their bobbins in the same feed direction as the shuttle is rotating. But, anti-backlash cases remove some often needed in/out clearance around the bobbin case, where the top thread goes around it and picks up the bobbin thread. If the anti-backlash spring pushes the bobbin in too hard and far - it will increase the minimum bobbin tension, no matter how much you back off the bobbin case spring. Furthermore, it can hold onto the top thread as it gets picked off the needle and feeds around the bobbin case, rather than letting it flow around freely. There needs to be some clearance on both sides of the bobbin case, in a vertical hook machine, for the top thread to go around both sides of it. Therefore, rather than using anti-backlash bobbin cases, I prefer to insert the bobbins to feed in the opposite direction as the shuttle rotates. Same no-unwinding result, without losing clearance for thicker thread to go around the case. Note: any lockstitch machine, no matter what type of bobbin system it uses, must have some clearance around the bobbin (and case if exists), sufficient for the top thread to pass between the bobbin (case) and the shuttle that is sits in. In vertical hook machines, the movement is inside and outside the snap-in case and the bobbin inside it. In horizontal drop-in bobbin machines, it is over and under the bobbin itself.

James; If the small spool is on a peg and is feeding directly inline, then it might be causing the stitch position problems. See if you can set it on the thread stand, or on the top of the table, then feed the thread up to the top of the machine, then onward. The spider spring is an anti-backlash spring, used in high speed sewing to prevent the bobbin from floating in the case and unwinding its thread. If you insert the bobbin against the direction of rotation, it won't usually need the backlash spring. If you have a AB spring, try sewing with, then without it. Also, try using a different bobbin. I have had some bobbins that got a little bent, or have a metal gouge near the outside. These bobbins tend to cause intermittent tension problems. I throw them out as I discover their anomalies. I try to keep a couple dozen bobbins on hand.

The variance in knot position could be caused by the way the thread is feeding off the spool. It should feed straight up, without getting caught under other windings. Then, the thread should go through a post on top of the machine, then around the three hole post just before the top tension disks, and onward around the check spring, etc. The bobbin should be inserted so that the thread makes a sharp turn back through the slit leading to the tension spring on the case. There should be a modicum of bobbin tension, which you balance via the top tension disks. Also, the wrong needle size can impact the knot position. Try one size smaller needle and increase the top tension to compensate.

Here are some Google search results for Industrial Sewing Machines Buffalo, NY

Robin; When I lived in Toronto there were at least two industrial sewing machine shops on King or Queen Street, who serviced Adler, Singer, Juki, etc industrial sewing machines. Here is one who specialized in Adler machines: Central Industrial Sewing Machine Co Ltd Phone : (416)504-2500 Address : 491 Queen St W, Toronto GTA, ON M5V2B4

I was wondering if they were used to sew parachutes? No reason why not!

The big body, long arm machines are meant for use in sail, tent, sign and canvas shops. They are also used in the car wash industry. Most of the jobs they sew involve the same bobbin thread, in veeeeeeeeery long runs. The large bobbins enable the people using the machines to complete at least one full item, before they change bobbins. They'll use #26 needles, so one can thread them with up to #277 thread. The machines are about 3 feet long. They are very impressive and heavy!

PRICELESS!

Wrong! As quoted in the details on this web page: "Extra large bobbins have four times the thread capacity of the Singer 111W, 112W, Class Machines."

The stirrup plate is both raised and rounded on top. It has a long narrow slot. This plate will help feed highly curved items, like cue bags, golf bags, sleeves, tubes, and even stirrups. The holster plate is raised and flat on top. This helps when sewing formed cases and holsters, allowing the shaped side to slide past the raised portion. It is also useful for sewing past snaps and buckles and D-rings. The flat slotted plate is for sewing very close to the edge of narrow leather straps.

I remember when I went in search of my first sewing machine. I was doing leathercraft for about one year, or less. I decided that I wanted to make a leather stage vest, with pockets and conchos. I bought the leather from Tandy when it went on sale, along with a vest pattern pack. Then I set out on a quest for a proper sewing machine to assemble this seeming simple project. What followed was a true adventure down sewing machine lane! The first machine I bought was a slant needle Singer home machine. It was very good at breaking needles; that's all. I returned it a day later and got a refund. The dealer told me I needed an industrial sewing machine and gave me a phone number of a sewing machine shop he knew. I called and they told me they had just what I needed and it would only cost me $400, plus tax. I went there and came home with a Singer 96K40, with a motor and table. I had never seen such a big machine since I worked in my Dad's tailor shop, many years before. I quickly discovered to my chagrin, that as solid as that machine was it wasn't going to sew my vest together. The leather tended to stitck to the pressor foot and drag, causing tiny stitches in many places, and skipped stitches in other places. I called the dealer again and told him what was happening. He told me that I needed a "walking foot machine." I went there and came home with a Singer 31-19 head, and a pair of table clamps in the holes on the back. This machine did get the vest sewn. Since I had such great luck sewing the vest with the 31-19, I tried sewing a 8 oz hand stamped and waxed leather belt. Big Mistake: the stitch length varied all along the perimeter! I called the dealer and told him about the stitches varying in length and he told me that I really needed a real walking foot machine. Huh, said I? I soon learned that what I had was not a real walking foot machine, but was a snap foot machine, with a spring loaded outer foot that dragged back with the material, then snapped forward at the end of the stitch. It worked fine on heavy garment leather used to make a vest, but not so fine on a polished surface veg-tan belt. The next year was spent acquiring and getting rid of various sewing machines, from both private and commercial sources. I finally got a Singer 111w155 and a Juki LU-563, both of which are true walking foot machines. Yes, they sewed belts, including double leather belts, but were limited to using #138 thread. I tried using #207, but it they had random trouble tensioning it. So, the quest continued, for a machine capable of sewing heavier thread into thicker leather. When I bought a Singer 132K6 I thought my quest had ended, but I was wrong again. As big and impressive as that machine was it still slid over the top of polished stamped leather belts! The only way I got reliable consistent stitch length was to sew the projects before hand polishing them. Frustrating! It's only saving grace was the fact that it would sew with #346 thread. But, the varying stitch length caused serious visual problems. I knew I needed a big machine to sew thick, or polished leather, with heavy thread, but had no idea what it might be. Chance solved my dilemma! I have played music for a living since 1975 and this sewing stuff, a paying hobby, was happening in 1986. I happened to take a one week gig in a city in Canada, named Barrie. Good pay, nice enough room, decent food within walking distance. Also, Barrie was the home base of Tandy Leather Of Canada. I looked up the retail store at the headquarters and went to buy stuff. When I got there I saw that there was a huge warehouse behind the main showroom. I asked what they kept in there and the manager told me that in addition to kits, leather. lace, dyes and tools, all their machines lived there; machines used to punching (clickers) and sewing leather kits. So, I asked if I could have a quick tour. What followed changed my sewing life! In the middle of the warehouse stood a sewing machine that was a tall I I was, and four times heavier! The name on the tag said "Union Lockstitch By Randall." In awe, I asked about what they made with this huge machine. The manager told me that they used to sew purses, carry bags, holster kit parts and harness straps with it. However, the fellow who knew how to work it had retired and nobody had any idea how it threaded, much less operated. I laughed and asked if they would consider selling it? He told me YES! I asked how much and he said $1500. I left a $100 deposit, then came back the next Monday, bought the machine, had their employees load it into my station wagon (disassembled off table) and drove it home! I had the beast at home and threw a moving party to get it down to the basement, where my shop was. But, I had no idea how to work it. So, I called a friend who called a friend, that knew somebody who could probably help me. I called and spoke to Sam Freedman, owner of the famous Freedman Harness Company. He invited me over and handed me a photocopy of the manual for his Union Lockstitch machine. He took me to his machine. It was really old and dirty and hadn't been used in over 20 years. He had me clean it up and oil it, then thread it according to the manual he printed for me. Once I had it threaded he had me sew scrap leather with it, then a 6 foot long harness strap (free labor). Then he sold me all of his spare parts for the machine. These included 20 bobbins, all available pressor feet and throat plates, edge guides and hundreds of needles and awls, of all sizes ever made. Once I understood how to thread and operate the Union Lockstitch Machine, I never looked back. I sewed all manner of heavy leather projects, including all kinds of pistol holsters, up to 3/4 inch thick, gun belts, weight belts, handcuff cases, briefcases, et al. Once set, the stitch length didn't vary, like it had done in the big Singer 132k6. It didn't care about thread sizes. Want to use #554? No problem! Wind some 554 onto a spare bobbin, thread the rest through the top path, change the needle to a #4 and the awl to a #5, clamp down and sew. If the next job was a 1/4" thick pancake holster, I changed to a #1.5 needle and #2 awl, changed the thread to #207, top and bottom and sewed it like butter. I still kept a dozen other sewing machines, each of which was set-up do use a particular size needle and thread and do jobs best suited to their design. Alterations to hems, cuffs and arm holes were done on a cylinder arm Singer 153, using #69 or #92 thread, which it thrived upon. Garments were sewn on a Juki LU-563. Hats were sewn on roller foot post machines. Patches and zippers were installed on a Singer 29k Patcher. Cloth was sewn on the first machine I bought; the 96k40. For zig-zag work I bought a Pfaff zig-zag head. I just swapped out heads, in one table. Sometimes I had to move the knee lever a bit and maybe change the v-belt, but they all worked perfectly for the jobs they were designed to do. So, in closing, you may be able to get a given machine to sew heavier or lighter than it was designed for, but it won't do so to perfection. As Bob Kovar mentioned, a 441 clone (Juki 441) can sew garment leather (I do this at work), but will be more likely to bend or break the overly long needles. The machine is designed to exert a lot of pressure to the thread, top and bottom, and to the pressor feet. The slot in the throat plate is huge, compared to a traditional walking foot machine. Soft or narrow leather may drop into the slot and hang a bit, before the equally huge feed dog pushes it up and moves it back. There are other machines that are better suited to thin and narrow work, which doesn't require thick thread. A leather shop really does need more than one machine. The types you need depend on the nature of the leather and how thick or thin it will be. It is a fact that a Cowboy CB-227R can be set-up to sew almost 1/2 inch of leather, albeit with #138 thread tops. This is a good medium duty cylinder arm machine, which takes needles that are available in a multitude of sizes and point styles.The Singer 31 class that Bob mentioned and I had once, is great for sewing vests, garments and other flat work. It mounts into a 20" x 48" table and is usually equipped with a half horsepower motor.

To expand on my prior reply; I at one time had over a dozen industrial sewing machines in my shop. Some were made as tailoring machines, others were designed for making upholstery or heavy denim garments. I had post machines for sewing hats and caps, patchers for patching and weird jobs sewn up the snout. But, most of my money making work was performed on four machines: Singer 29k something, with a small bobbin, for odd jobs Singer 153w102 walking foot cylinder arm machine Juki LU-563 for vests, skirts, jacket repairs, belts, Naugahyde, heavy cloth, etc. Union Lockstitch Machine for sewing up to 3/4 inch of leather, with #346 or larger thread. Now, after getting rid of all of those machines and getting out of the business for 15 years, I am back into sewing and stamping leather. I have acquired and regularly use the following sewing machines: Singer 29k172 long arm big bobbin patcher, for patching and circular jobs requiring a cylinder arm. National 300N (obsolete) compound feed, large bobbin, walking foot machine, altered to sew up to 7/16 inch, with #138 thread. Union Lockstitch Machine, for thick jobs using #277 or #346 thread (or 4 or 6 cord waxed linen). The only type of machine I intend to add is a cylinder arm walking foot, 441 clone machine. I can tell you it is going to be a Cowboy brand machine (it's on lay-away). This machine is built tough enough that I don't have to worry about out living it, as long as I keep it oiled. When I need tit to sew cuffs on leather jackets, or arm holes on vests, I will change the needle and thread, reduce the top tension and pressor foot pressure and put it to work. When a 3/4 inch job comes up I'll change back to a heavy needle and thread and increase the tensions again. So, while you can use a 441 machine to do light work, it will require a lot of adjusting to get it right. Once you have the formula memorized, it's a piece of cake. If you can afford to purchase two machines, I would recommend one 441 clone and one walking foot flatbed machine. If only one, make it a 441 with a table top attachment and all needle sizes from 18 through 27. Get lots of bobbins and thread, two spools each size and color; one for the bobbin, one for the top.

I sew on a Cobra Class 4 and an Adler 30-70, at work, in a pro leather shop. The Adler maxes out with #138 thread, sewn into maybe 3/8" thickness, taped together tightly. Otherwise, 5/16 inch loosely packed. It does a great job with #69 thread sewing leather vests, jackets, chaps, purses and even harder jobs, like belts and rifle slings. The thinner thread goes a lot farther in the relatively small "large" bobbin in this machine. The Cobra is normally used with #138 to #277 thread and a #22 or #24 needle and can sew over 3/4 inch. However, with a simple change of the bobbin spool and smaller needle (and less top thread tension), I use it to sew cuffs and zippers on leather jackets and chaps, using #69 thread. The action on the big stitchers is compound triple feed. As long as the feed dog is active, you have synchronized top and bottom feed, just like any walking foot machine. By tossing on the table top attachment you can sew chaps, jackets, belts, whatever, without it draping over the cylinder arm. Ideally, if you have a lot of steady business in both garment and heavy leather sewing, you'll want separate machines, each set-up for the type of job it is meant to do. That means a light duty walking foot machine for light thread and thinner leather, denim and vinyl, and a big heavy duty machine for thick straps, holsters, saddlery, using thick thread. I have learned that it is easier to dumb down a big stitcher, to do light work, than it is to smart up a lesser machine for heavier work than it is designed to do.

I haven't seen the Techsew 2700, except in videos, so you'll have to wait for Ronnie to answer your question about this excellent machine. However, I have seen the Cowboy 227 and can tell you that it easily sews 3/8 inch of leather, with #138 thread, top and bottom. It will also sew thin leather, with #69 thread. The 227 takes standard industrial walking feet and folder attachments. These are medium duty sewing machines, with 10 1/2 inch long cylinder arms. They are usually mounted onto pedestal half-tables, with bobbin winders, thread stands and flex lamps mounted on top. The Cowboy takes series 135,15/16 needles, but can also use system 190 needles, which are longer and require raising the needle bar. This allows the machine to sew to about 1/2 inch (but still with #138 thread). I am fairly confident that both of these machines will sew the work you described.

The owner of M&M Leather, in Flint Township, Michigan, has asked me to announce that the asking price for the Randall 132R strap cutter has been lowered, to $3600. Anybody who is interested in buying a used, but not abused, American built heavy leather, 14" strap cutter should call Doug Monroe, at: 810-732-4907, between noon and 6 PM, Eastern Time. There are lots of pictures of the machine and its accessories, on this web page. There is also a long description about its specially made, custom add-ons. The unit is very heavy and the deal is cash and carry only. No shipping offered. Bring a truck and strong men!