Wizcrafts

I once had a Union Special blind stitch machine, as do a lot of tailor shops. It used a curved needle to make a hidden stitch inside hems and cuffs, on cloth garments. Union Special are mostly garment factory and tailoring machines. I doubt you will find any that are suitable for sewing leather or vinyl, but I could be wrong. I once thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken!

If it is like the rest of the walking foot machines from, or based on the Consew system, it will sew with #138 comfortably, and, #207 with caution and very, very slow speeds. If the machine has a standard (small) industrial bobbin, it will limit you to #138 in the bobbin, unless you only sew short runs (1 or 2 belts). Number 138 thread in the bobbin will last for up to 3 belts, in a standard industrial bobbin and almost double that in a large M bobbin. In order to move #207 thread you will need a #24 leatherpoint needle. I recommend Weaver lubricated thread. In lieu of Weaver thread, use Linhanyl, but run it through a lube pot, filled with liquid sewing silicon, that you can buy and attach to the top of the machine. They are under $100. I have a walking foot machine, based on the Consew 206RB series and it is not happy sewing #207 thread, with the required #24 or 25 needle. The huge needles take a lot of pressure to puncture belt leather and hit hard. The pressor foot needs to be tightened all the way down, to keep the leather from lifting with the needle, which tends to get stuck from friction. That's why I recommended running the top thread through a lube/cooling solution, or using Weaver's prelubricated thread. If you find that this machine doesn't do the job you want it to do, there are beefier machines available. Some sew up to about 1/2", with #277 or 346 thread, others up to 7/8", with #346 to 415 thread. These machines are sold under the brand names Cowboy, Cobra, Techsew, Artisan, Adler. The big machines use a different spool shaped bobbin that holds a *huge* amount of thread. They use a longer needle system that has sizes up to #27. Most of these machines are geared way down and have high power servo motors, for slow speed control. They can sew with #277 in a #25 or 26 needle and penetrate 3/4 inch without allowing the leather to lift with the needle. Whole nuther story. So, if you buy the Consew 225 for cheap and fix it up, let it do what it was made to do: sew with #138 thread, up to 3/8" thickness, with a #22 leather point needle.

The Rex walking foot machine has been sold. This still leaves the USM Puma Skiver and the 30-1 Adler Patcher available. Pickup only, in Flint, Michigan.

Now that you have whacked the dookie out of the two little screws that secure the needlebar thread tension spring, you can order new ones from Bob Kovar. While at it, get a new spring from him. 866-362-7397

I just use flat surface punches in various diameters to knock out those pins. The concave punches you mentioned are for driving finishing nails and making animal eyes in leather.

Oops! My bad!

OldTimer; You didn't tell us the size of the needles and size of thread you are trying to sew with. Jovial is suggesting that you try the next largest size of leather point needle. If the leather point needle is a smaller size than the round point, that would explain the problem. Needle sizing is explained in a sticky topic at the top of the index page of the Leather Sewing Machines forum. Too small of a needle will fray the thread and cause other problems on the bottom of the material and in the bobbin case. Finally, make sure the needle is firmly seated, all the way up in the needlebar. Listen for a tick sound as the pickup point passes the eye of the needle. That indicates unwanted contact. The point must just pass the eye, without touching it.

Suem; Get a pin flame torch and train it on the needlebar, around those little screws. This may expand the steel enough to loosen the screws. Alternately, or additionally, insert the screw driver and tap on it with a small hammer as you twist it counterclockwise between your other thumb and middle finger. Chances are this will free it.

For chrome tanned soft leathers, I use either a white or silver gel ink pen with a ball point, or a wing divider with sharpened points (to score the leather). A ruler, or curve template is used to one side of the desired line. I suppose that one could also snap a gel ink pen into a school protractor, in place of the pencil and use the pointed side as an edge guide. For harder veg-tan leathers I prefer an adjustable distance edge gouger. Use it lightly to scribe the double lines, or cut actual channels for both stitch lines and follow the yellow brick road! Start both stitch lines at the same point, feed them at the same rate of pull and speed and the stitches should pretty much line up. For more precision, sew the second line for short distances, then check the alignment and adjust it slightly, then continue another short distance. Nothing beats a twin needle machine for double row stitching. Note; the old Singer twin needle machines will be limited to a maximum thread size of 138, as will many of the newer machines. Also, most of them lack a reverse lever. Now, if you really want to sew some serious double, triple, quadruple, etc., lines of stitches, get a needle and awl Puritan machine! They are chain stitch machines, but sew perfectly aligned multiple rows, depending on how they were setup. A Puritan can sew with linen thread run through a waxpot, or use nylon or polyester thread. The needle and awl sizes are chosen for the thread size. A 180 or 190 needle is used to sew with #277 bonded nylon, or 4 cord linen thread, while a #200 handles #346/5 cord thread. Look at a golf bag or leather briefcase to see how well they stitch.

The old Singer 112 and 212 series are double needle, mostly walking foot machines. They are plentiful, well built and reasonably priced (~$500 - $750 head only). Pull out one needle and you have a single needle machine. You can remove either needle. If you want something more modern, there are brand new twin needle machines from most of the top industrial sewing machine companies. Prices new range from just under $2000 to over $12000. Why don't you call Bob Kovar, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines: 866-362-7397, and ask what he has in stock for twin needle walking foot machines. He can set one up for you, with the needle spacing you desire, on a k-legs table, with a SewPro 500GR gear reduction servo motor.

If, as Art suggested, the material is being pulled out of the needle path, while guiding it, more pressor foot pressure might help keep it in line with the hole. Try using a bigger needle, which is harder to bend. Look at where the needle is positioned as it enters the hole in the feed dog. It should be centered. If not, realign the feeder positioning bracket underneath (fwd/bkwd_ rt-lft). Breakage can also be cause if the needle hits the bobbin case instead of entering it freely. A threaded needle going through tough leather (or thick hems) can deflect the needle sideways. If the pickup point touches a deflected needle, it can bend or break it. The giveaway is a soft tick sound as the point touches the eye of the needle, instead of just passing it and grabbing the thread loop. If this is happening, remove the cover plate, loosen the screws that secure the shuttle, but not so much that is spins on its own, and tap it slightly away from the needle, with the needle down and the point just at the eye. Then tighten it back up and see if the problem is resolved. The point should pass the eye without making contact with the metal. Do this with the largest needle size you intend to use. Bad top-to-bottom timing can also cause needle problems. Watch the action of the triple feed parts, without any material or thread and see if the inside foot and tip of the needle makes contact with the rising, but not yet moving feed dog. If the dog is in forward/backward motion before the needle enters the top of the hole, the tip of the needle might pass too close to the edges of the hole. If this happens, the leather would cause further deflection and breakage. Finally, if the top thread tension is too great for the needle size being used, the needle may be pulled sideways on the way through the material, causing it to make direct contact with either the bobbin case, or the pickup point. Try reducing the tension on the top and bottom threads. On a related note to the above; look at the thread cone and make sure that the thread is not getting jammed or twisted over itself in the loop on top of the thread stand. This can cause sudden excessive top tension that might deflect your needle.

In portable walking foot machines, all I can do is suggest you call Bob Kovar, at 866-362-7397. As I said in my previous comments, he repackages them to survive what actually happens to boxes shipped by UPS. He can setup a machine with the needle system needed for the thread you intend to use and send extra stuff you will need. When working, they are good little machines. Most of them are produced in the same place, but with different name tags and sometimes different colors. The accessories make a difference in what they can sew. As is, they don't have a lot of punching power at slow speeds, so you may have to help one get going in veg-tan belt leather. Once it starts it will keep on going to the end. The thinner the thread and needle, the less this is a problem. If you stick with #69 thread and a #18 needle, or #92 thread in a #20 needle, it should start up on its own at slow speed. Basically, portable walking foot machines were designed for use on boats, to repair vinyl sails and covers. They can do light upholstery work and hem your jeans. Most ship with pressor feet that have aggressive teeth on the bottoms (to feed slippery vinyl and plastic windscreens). Other feet are available with smooth bottoms, for use on belt leather.

The Consew CP206R should be able to sew up to 3/16" to 1/4" of soft leather, if equipped with a leather point needle that is just the right size for the thread. Don't waste time trying to get it to sew with anything heavier than #138 thread in a #22 LR needle. They use the standard industrial needle system used in full size walking foot machines (135x16 LR and 135x17 Round) The portable walking foot machines can be modified to sew thicker/denser material, driving up their cost, but they still have the same interior and often inferior moving parts and bearings. Sometimes they are damaged beyond repair if the box they are shipped in is dropped on the front or back end. Shafts jam and bend from the shock and plastic covers snap off. This happened to one I bought and I went through Hell trying to get a refund, after paying to ship it back. If you buy a portable w.f. machine, of any brand, make sure there is a full refund offered if it doesn't turn over smoothly and sew when you unpack it. If you do get one and it arrives in good working condition, search for threads on this forum where owners of them discussed how to modify them to do a bit more serious work. Bob Kovar, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, sells portable walking foot machines and sets them up and repackages them to survive shipping. He is a member here. His number is 866-362-7397

Since you live in Canada, have you considered getting a Techsew? The company is located in Montreal, a division of Raphael Sewing. Ronnie, from Techsew, is one of our sponsors and has banner ads all over the LW forums. Their 180-2 series is similar to the other 16.5" cylinder arm 441 clone machines available here in the USA. You won't have to worry about Customs, since the machines are already inside Canada. They also do the servicing and have parts and accessories for their machines and many other brands. The phone number for Techsew is: 866-415-8223

If you really want to rebuild that machine, take it to Toledo, to Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, on Marine Drive. They do that kind of work and don't need microfilm to get one back together.

I should add that leather drive belts come in a variety of diameters, from 1/8" to 3/8" and can be cut to your required size (+ a couple of inches just in case). I use a 5/16" belt on my long arm Singer patcher. The bigger diameter gives better grip. But, home treadle pulleys may not accept that width of belt. You may be limited to 1/4" or less. If so, belt no-slip is imperative. All new leather sewing belts ship with a couple of C clips. You have to punch or drill small holes into the two ends, about 3/16" in and clamp them down with pliers.

Welcome to the Leatherworker.net Leather Sewing Machines Forum, Colin! The machine you bought is called a patcher and is primarily used to repair torn boots, shoes, replace zippers and to sew patches onto leather jackets and vests. It is not designed for any heavy use, despite its appearance. The bobbins are tiny and unless you restrict them to a maximum thread size of #69, they run out very quickly. You may be able to find a cast iron base for sale, but shipping could get very expensive. If you want to modify a standard treadle base, get one with the smallest possible drive wheel diameter. A patcher base comes with a dual size pulley: 9" and 12". Most home treadles only have a 12" wheel. This is too fast and lacks punching power on such a clunky machine. Anyway, if you find a treadle base with even a 10" pulley, hook it up to the larger of the two pulleys on the back of the machine. Get a good quality leather belt to drive it and spray on some sticky belt no-slip treatment. I sold a 29-4 patcher head to a local shoe repair shop and he put a home sewing machine motor and a belt on the back of it and uses it semi-motorized for small patching jobs. Parts are usually available from most industrial sewing machine dealers. At least one of this forum's member-dealers is Bob Kovar, of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. He has patcher parts that would make your head spin. Call him at: 866-362-7397.

Oops! The Adler patcher for sale in Flint is a model 30-1, not a 30-7. I apologize for any confusion.

Catskin; ? There is an adjustable brake screw on the back of the servo motor (it may be inside the rear motor casing). It is secured by a lock nut and it is hard to turn, at first. I adjusted mine to give some foot movement before the motor engages. However, it does not give as much free movement as a clutch motor. Bob Kovar can assist you on the phone, or by email, with this adjustment.

Could be. This happened around 1987 or 88 and the machine is long gone. I never bought another Juki for myself after that, but I did arrange to buy them for other people and they seemed to work okay.

As a favor, I have posted the following machines for sale, in the Used Sewing Machines For Sale section of the forum, at: http://leatherworker...showtopic=28118 ... USM Puma Skiver, Rex 26-188 walking foot machine and Adler 30-7 long arm patcher These are not my machines, but belong to a local leather shop for whom I do part time work and contract sewing. Contact the owner (phone number is in the listing) if you are interested in any or all of these machines. They are all cash and carry, from Flint, Michigan.

A friend of mine, with a professional leather shop, has placed three of his production machines up for sale, on the Flint Michigan Craigslist. The ad was posted on December 6, 2010. They are as follows (use links to Craigslist to see photos): United Shoe Machinery Puma leather skiving machine, with an extra unused blade, a 1/2 HP, 120 volt motor and table. $500 or best offer Adler long arm patcher on a treadle base (black). Has several small bobbins and an extra bobbin case. $750 Rex walking foot machine - model 26-188. $500 o.b.o. All of these machines are sold as is, but in good working condition. This is a cash and carry sale. No shipping is provided. The buyer must remove the machines themselves. The machines are located in Flint, Michigan, at M&M Leather, 1276 Linden Road, Flint, Mi 48532. Phone Doug Monroe, at: 810-732-4907 for more information.

There is no Juki 565. I think your friend has a 562 or 563 model. The 562 has a standard industrial bobbin and the 563 uses a large, M style bobbin. Both are otherwise the same machine. The maximum thickness I was able to sew on a Juki 563 was under 3/8". The stitch length varied all over the place, because the reverse lever was part of a spring loaded balance system. When I sewed fast, the stitch length mechanism floated between forward and reverse! The stitches went from long to short until I slowed down. The machine was a real POS and not worth the gas money to take it to the dump.

What about a "pippin" punch? They cut a hole and slot, similar to a guitar strap hole and slot. You can make one like I did, by welding a 1/4" hole punch tube onto the end of a 3/4" steel chisel. The hole punch needs a piece sawed out so it can be attached and welded to one end of the chisel.

I have an idea! Take some scraps of the garment leather you will be using and go visit all of the sewing machine dealers within nominal driving distance. Include your nearest Joann Fabrics, as they have a Viking and Singer sewing machine department in every store. The ladies running that section know their machines as well as anybody does and may let you try several to see if any of them can sew a keyhole buttonhole in your leather. Or, they may tell you that it won't work, and/or might damage the machines. If you can go to an industrial sewing shop and look around you might find an old buttonholer that they will sell cheap, as a fixer-upper. I have gotten machines for almost nothing that were in poor visual condition and needed a few parts replaced. Sometimes, they will sell you two partially complete machines for the price of one, so you can use parts from one to complete the other. I got that kind of deal once on two post machines, which I turned into one perfectly working sewer. Finally, if you can still get a real industrial buttonholer machine, with motor and table, for under $1,000, grab it! But, try it first with leather. I apologize for the long sentences. That it my literary style (writer's license)