Wizcrafts

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!

The Contact Us page is alive as of last night. Now, on to other pages. Work work work...

Kayak45: Tell me you didn't just make CB4500 into a verb!

Noted!

Thanks Ronnie!

Please note that the website is still being developed and not all pages exist yet. As they are added the links to them will become clickable.

I have an answer for the OP: Contact Henry Veenhoven, in Toronto, at: 416-231-1870. Read this topic he started in 2009 about these sole stitchers.

3/16" cloth material - #69 thread - #18 needle It is very unlikely that this machine can sew anything other than cloth. If you try to sew leather it will not feed properly, unless you convert the pressor foot, feed dog and throat plate to a roller set. There are also special flat feet with rollers inside them and Teflon feet, to help garment machines feed leather better. This will feed soft chrome tan leather, possibly up to 3/16 inch total thickness. You could use this setup to make leather vests and skirts, or to repair zippers in light leather, denim and vinyl jackets and pants. No doubt, this machine was used to make garments and is setup for very high speed operation. You will need to replace the motor pulley to a 2" pulley and get a matching shorter v-belt. You'll have to feather the clutch for slower speeds, but it will still want to go to the races, because of the small top pulley, on the back of the head. BTW: The maximum stitch length is listed as 7 stitches per inch. This is okay for leather garments, using #69 nylon, or #20 or #30 mercerized cotton thread (with a #18 needle). Another thing: the machine has no reverse lever. It only sews forward.

I was just informed by one of our dealers that their servo motor, which has push buttons and a readout, only changes the speed when it is NOT running. That is the preferable and safe system. The motor on the machine I have been sewing on, at my friend's business, only changes as it is in motion, which is very unsafe.

Ray; Since you have control over your feet you will probably have an easy time learning to sew on a leather stitcher equipped with a servo motor, with a knob on it to set its maximum speed. These motors can be adjusted for a comfortable maximum speed, while allowing you to slow it down with your foot on the speed pedal. Starting up requires a slight toe down. You then pivot the pedal toe down for more speed and heel down for less. The motor must be matched to the machine to work efficiently. I use a SewPro 500GR servo motor, which has a knob on the back. It has built in 1:3 gear reduction, which translates into 3:1 torque multiplication. Many lesser servo motors lose punching power at very slow speeds. This one doesn't. The modern 441 clone leather stitchers in use by many of our members are usually mounted on compact, movable pedestal bases. There are two pedals on the floor plates. One controls the motor speed, while the other is used to lift the pressor foot (to makes sharp turns, or to insert or remove the leather and loosen the top thread tension). If both of your feet are usable for pushing down on the heel or toe, you should be able to operate a sewing machine that is mounted to a pedestal base, with a knob controlled servo motor. I would recommend that you avoid the fancy looking servo motors with up and down buttons and speed readouts. They only change the speed while they are turning the machine! I find this very hazardous; leaning down to find the little buttons, while my foot is on the pedal and the machine is turning. With a knob controlled motor you just turn the knob to the setting mark or number you prefer and that becomes the top speed. Also, the big stitchers have a large speed reducer pulley between the motor and machine. This further slows the top speed and multiplies the torque (typically by 3:1). You will find, as you sew, that speed is not usually your friend when sewing anything other than garment, upholstery, or chap leather. For thick veg-tan or latigo projects, the slower, the better (within reason).

Try running the thread through a pot of silicon thread lube. You can buy a bolt on, or magnetic mount lube pot and quarts of liquid silicon from Bob Kovar: 866-362-7397. This is what I am using to lubricate my thread.

Maybe this topic will cause some entrepreneur to come up with an affordable (?), not too difficult to install (with tools) add-on kit that allows one to alter the height of their pedestal sewing stand, with a lever. It would have to be a bolt in/on attachment for common power stands. Also, any changes in the height of the table top requires a matching change in the length of the chains from the two pedals on the base. Or, spring-loaded take-up idler wheels would be needed to maintain the proper amount of chain slack at all anticipated heights. No, I don't intend to build one, so don't throw it back at me.

You are well on your way to being able to afford a better grade of sewing machine, than the LU-562. For only a little more money you can get a brand new Consew 206RB-5, or a CB2500 (GA5-1R type). For another $800 you can have a brand new 9 inch arm, very heavy duty leather stitcher delivered to your location on a pallet in a truck. Either of these types of machine will sew holsters with thick thread. The first type (CB2500/GA5-1R) sews to 1/2 inch. The latter sews over 3/4 inch. Both can easily handle #346 thread (larger on 9 inch types). I recommend that you read the sticky topic at the top of this forum; about the type of machine needed to sew leather. It is an extensive, ongoing work that walks you through the process of education about mechanisms and toughness, to get you to understand what type and build of sewing machine you really need for the work you intend to do.

Welcome to LeatherWorker.net Roy! The Juki LU-562 and its big bobbin counterpart, the LU-563, are triple feed walking foot machines. They were designed to sew denim, canvas, webbing, vinyl and upholstery grade leather. Equipped with a standard sized industrial bobbin, the 562 will not sew very far using #138 thread. My guess is that a full bobbin will sew maybe a half dozen or so men's belts. These machines sew best with #69 or #92 nylon thread. While you can easily set this machine up to sew with #138 thread, into about 5/16" (20 oz) of leather, you will be pushing it to its limit. Number 138 thread is on the small side for gun holsters; most are sewn with #207 or larger thread. You would have to sew two rows for security of the stitching. 20 to 22 ounces combined is the thickest you will probably get it to sew (without tricks). This is okay for pancake holsters, but not much else. Speed-wise, the machine itself is not meant for high speed sewing. It is a manual oiler, with a drip pan underneath. Top speed is usually set to about 2,000 stitches per minute. This is determined by the motor speed and its pulley size. If you buy it from an upholstery shop, it will probably have a 4 inch pulley. This gives you about 1700 to 2000 spm, with a 1725 RPM motor., which were standard when these machines were being built. To use this machine for sewing small leather projects, like pancake holsters, you will need to either replace the pulley with a 2" pulley, or replace the motor with a servo motor, also with a 2 inch pulley. This will bring the top speed down to a more controllable 800 to 1000 SPM. If you have a clutch motor, you will need to learn to feather the clutch for slow speed operation. A servo motor is much easier to control at slow speeds, with slight toe down pressure. If you want to build professional quality holsters, save your money and buy a very heavy duty machine that is made to sew thick leather with thick thread. These machines already have servo motors, with high horsepower ratings, and speed reducer wheels between the motor and the machine. The top speed of some of these "stitchers" is no more than 360 spm, or 6 per second. Slow speeds can be less than one stitch every other second, with the right motor and machine. This machine may be better suited to making leather seat covers, chaps, jackets and vests, rather than holsters.

Here you go:

I know that Bob Kovar had or has two Champion stitchers in his shop and I hazzard to guess that he also has parts and accessories for them. Give him a call, at: 866-362-7397.

Here is what the pedestal and cut-out tables for Cowboy machines looks like...

I have found a B61. All I still want are the round bevelers, mentioned in my first post.

You need a table that only has a slot for the belt, holes for the motor and a hole for the foot lifter chain. The frame should be a k-legs frame. They come with just the motor speed pedal. You'll need to buy the foot lifter pedal and bracket and chain. Note, that most industrial machines have a knee lever foot lifter. This does not work on a Singer 153, or a 227 clone machine. They require a flex chain that feeds straight down to a narrow floor pedal. You'll also need to buy a bobbin winder to screw onto the table and a two spool thread stand, that screws onto it. Atlas Levy charges $195 plus shipping for a "standard" industrial table, with a 7 x 19 inch cutout for a flat bed machine and oil pan. This table will NOT work for your Singer 153 cylinder arm machine. It will fall through the rectangular cutout, unless you add another piece of hard wood to cover that hole and bolt the machine to the top piece, then bolt the top piece to the table. The pedestal half-table sold by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines is perfectly matched to your machine, which has clones known as 227 types.

I guess that the OP could buy a standard industrial sewing machine K-legs frame, with a motor pedal mounted to the bottom and also purchase a second, narrow pedal and chain, to lift the pressor feet. Then, he could go to a lumber supplier and have a 20" x 48" x 1.5" piece of fairly hard wood cut for a table and buy some 1.5" wide sticky trim to wrap around it. A saber saw could be used to round the edges and to cut out a big U shape in the center, about 3/4 the way inwards, under where the cylinder arm hangs out to the left. A hand held sander would be used to smooth the cuts, then the trim would be applied all around the table and inside the cut out. Then, a router with a 1" bit can be used to cut the 1" x 7" slot for the v-belt. Finally, a drill can be used to drill the holes for the motor bolts, the knee lifter chain, and the machine mounting screws. The entire job can be done for a couple hundred bucks in materials and a couple hundred dollars worth of power tools and bits, if the tools aren't already in his shop. Or, he could buy the correct half-table on the movable pedestal base, with both pedals mounted, the slots cut, the holes drilled, a parts drawer and maybe a flex lamp and thread stand, for about $300, plus UPS delivery charge.

That is the very stand that I was referring to, which is sold by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines.