Wizcrafts

Tis time to pack up the head and ship it to an industrial sewing machine repair depot. Where are you located?

That Singer is in all likelihood a home sewing machine, with a drop feed and flat steel pressor foot. It probably does not have sufficient pull to feed and sew upholstery leather. You should be looking for an industrial walking foot machine if you intend to do any upholstery at all. Names to consider include Adler, Consew, Juki, Seiko, Pfaff, or a Singer 111w155. Several of our member-dealers sell these and other machines, like Artisan, Cowboy and Cobra. The difference is that the industrial walking foot machines have triple feed and a very big and powerful motor. This is what is needed to pull and feed heavy and thick material. A household machine is not designed to do that and will either bog down, skip stitches, vary the stitch length, drag apart multiple layers, or fail to sew a straight line. An industrial walking foot machine can sew with #138 bonded nylon or bonded polyester thread, which home machines cannot handle. Some can sew with even thicker thread, like #207, or 277+ (only big leather stitchers). Home machines are mostly limited to sewing with a maximum of #69 nylon thread, using a #110/18 needle.

That is a ridiculously low price for a working ULS machine. I am asking 2 1/2 times that amount for mine, with the motor and table. Here are some things you need to consider if you intent to buy a ULS head only. The head alone weighs about 350 pounds The motor used in most ULS machines is a continuous running 1/2 HP or 3/4 HP motor, not a clutch motor This motor has a double 1.5" pulley. One pulley drives the flywheel, which has a clutch is on the inside. The other pulley drives the special bobbin winder, made specifically for this machine. My motor is mounted on the top right rear of the table. Newer models have the motor under the table. One of the pulleys is for the flywheel; the other is for the bobbin winder assembly. The table made for the machine has a cutout under the entire body, for adjusting gears and shafts The machine bolts to the table from underneath, in the front The machine is clamped on the back by an angled bracket bolted into the table top. The table top will need to be about 3 inches thick to support this machine. You will need very strong steel k-legs to support this machine. You will either need the original pressor foot lifter and speed control pedals and rod/crank assemblies, or will need to buy new ones from Campbell-Bosworth, or will have to fabricate them from scratch. They are totally different than any other system used on industrial sewing machines. Assembled, the machine, motor and table weighs about 500 pounds. It will cost you several hundred dollars to have the head trucked to your location (on a pallet). You will probably need a forklift, or a few very strong men, with a very heavy duty steel dolly to unload it and move it into your establishment. These some facts to keep in mind about a Union Lockstitch machine head only. I personally wouldn't buy one without the correct table, legs and motor. You are going to spend hundreds of dollars on creating or modifying a table to support and activate it. If you don't receive the bobbin winder, pedals, rods and pivoting cranks, you will have to buy them somewhere.

Change the bobbin and/or bobbin case and see if that fixes the problem.Make sure you buy the M size case with the slot to the left, like the original. Sometimes, the anti-backlash springs cause trouble. Seek a bobbin case without the backlash spring and try it out.

If possible, can you have some closeup photos taken of the shuttle and its positioning bar, with the throat plate off? Take photos with the needle going down, then coming up, which is where the thread breakage occurs. Use a thin strip of leather or vinyl to give an accurate record of the problem as it develops. Other things to check: the needle for burrs and proper alignment. Also, make sure the needle is fully seated in its housing. Make sure that there is just a bit of play between the recess in the bobbin shuttle and the tang that secures and positions it. Too much sideways clearance might cause thread breakage problems. The actual forward/backward position can throw off the pickup point timing, or can allow the needle to hit the case, rather than pass it cleanly. Have you tried lowering the needle 1/16" and seeing if the problem changes? It is possible that the timing of the hook has been thrown off. It is possible that the inside foot is not coming down and lifting up at the precise moment in time needed for a full length stitch. This could possibly have something to do with your problem.

Yes, I knew that. Almost every triple feed walking foot machine ships with smooth bottom pressor feet. Feet with teeth are usually an add-on option. Almost all triple feed walking foot machines, except for the Adler 20(4|5)-374, have teeth on the feed dog. Jumping foot harness stitchers do not have a feed dog at all. Similarly, needle and awl machines do not have feed dogs. These machines are either needle or awl feed, while the pressor foot is lifted. All patcher machines have teeth on the bottom of the pressor foot. That is their sole means of transporting the leather. Portable walking foot machines, meant for sewing boat vinyl, usually have pressor feet with teeth, for more grip on slippery vinyl and plastic windscreens. My friend at Doug Monroe, M&M Leather, in Flint, Michigan, has a Rex walking foot machine for sale, with teeth on the pressor feet. It has tremendous grip on anything you place under the feet. God help you if that includes a finger!

I didn't know you were into milling or I would have suggested filling in the teeth with steel, or bronze rod, or maybe cutting one out of stainless stock. A decent mill should be able to turn out a smooth-top feed dog and bore the center hole/slot in under an hour. Just use the original dog as a milling pattern.

Actually, the inside pressor foot moves up/down/fwd/bkwd with the needle. The outer foot can be left or right or double toe. It's only job is to secure the material between stitches, while the inside foot and needle are up. Yes, the deed dogs move the material from the bottom, in concert with the needle and inside pressor foot. The outer pressor foot comes in a variety of styles, each designed for a different use. There are narrow outer feet, standard and extra wide feet. Inside feet are also available in several widths and lengths. I have a a set of left toe zipper feet that only occupy 1/4" width. I have sanded and buffed some pressor feet to make the slightest impression possible. That, and backing off the main pressor foot spring, while increasing the pressure on the inside foot can give a nice result. That is why this forum exists. There are no dumb questions. Now, I feel it is necessary to impart some advanced technological information to you, regarding the function of the feed dog. It is true that the feed dog is partially responsible for moving the work the set stitch length. This is the basis of most bottom feeders. However, the feed dog on a walking foot machine has a second function; one that is critical to the operation of the machine. Read on... When you get your new Consew 206RB set-up, rotate the hand wheel towards you (CCW direction) from the top and watch the action of the pressor feet very closely. If the machine has been properly adjusted by the shipper or seller, you will notice that as the inside foot and needle come down, just as the needle reaches the plane of the feed dog, the inside foot makes intimate contact with the top center of the feeder. As you continue to rotate the wheel (slowly), the feeder will move backwards, as will the inside foot and needle. When the feeder reaches the end of its travel, as determined by the stitch length setting, the needle and inside foot will begin to lift up. At this moment, the feed dog moves under the throat plate surface and is brought forward, to begin the next cycle. If the feed dog is lowered to avoid marking the bottom of the leather, the inside foot will push the leather down into the now basically evacuated, rectangular slot in the throat plate. The leather will tend to stick down into this gap and will fight the action of the needle and inside foot. This will either result in broken needles, or stitches that vary in length. You will immediately lose a good portion of the preset stitch length, due to drag. Further, since the leather will give at the bottom, when the inside foot comes down under pressure, the timing of the lifting will be thrown off. The inside foot may not lift when it reaches the back of the preset stitch length; it may in fact lift late, and less than normal. You see, the inside foot depends on the solid bottom provided by the steel feed dog to perform its lift and move action. If the inside foot stays on the material too long, the outside foot will also stay down too long. This will further reduce your available stitch length, due to pronounced drag of the double sprung pressor feet. Lastly, you will lose any semblance of an equal reverse stitching action, as the timing of the lifting and lowering of the alternating pressor feet are tied to the feed dog being at the correct height, at the necessary time in the cycle. If the teeth on the feed dog present a problem for critical jobs, I would recommend purchasing another dog and have the top milled or ground flat, then polished. Then, raise the height of the feeder to match the original setting above the throat plate. This will give you the bottom feed and support needed to both move the material and actuate the alternating pressor feet. This assumes that there is enough material inside the feed dog to grind off the teeth and not cut through to the underside of the oblong hole, enlarging it to a ludicrous size. Or, one could just have the teeth ground or filed down, leaving the smooth center bar and hole intact. This may disturb the timing, but not to the degree that lowering the feed dog all the way will do. All of this work can be avoided by purchasing a harness stitcher with a flat topped, smooth feed dog (with a 1/8"+ hole). The Adler 205-374 is such a machine. Its smooth feed dog can probably be used on 441 clones, like the Cobra, or modified for use on them. I don't know of any such feeder that is on the market for walking foot machines like the Consew 206RB, but I could be wrong.

There is only one throat cover (you called it a needle plate) for your machine and you have it. You can find left and right toe pressor feet on eBay, but most have teeth on the bottom. You will really have to search through the listings to find a smooth set. I resorted to buying extra standard double toe pressor feet and grinding off the left or right toe. There are no harness feet for a Consew 206RB. You will have to make your own narrow double toe set, by grinding off material from both outside surfaces of a standard outer foot. If you thought that a Consew 206RB is a harness stitcher, you were mistaken. It is an upholstery machine that is very capable of sewing leather. The feet you described are often included with Cobra and Cowboy stitchers. Those machines are twice as big and expensive as your Consew 206. They are specifically built to sew harnesses, bridles, collars, reins, etc. They are the machines that have alternate throat plates and harness foot sets.

I would use pigskin if I was building that wallet for myself, because it breathes and stretches as you load cards into and under the slots. I have a black pigskin wallet I made in the late 1980's and it is still in my pocket every day and full of cards and ID. I have fresh black pigskin on hand and can make a wallet to your specs. I don't lace my wallets; I machine sew them. Lace dries up and breaks. Nylon thread lasts for decades. My pigskin wallet is over 20 years old and it keeps on going, and going ... You can contact me through the Forum's PM.

That is a bartacker. It's only job in life is to apply a tight zigzag pattern across about 5/8". It is commonly used to secure velcro to vinyl items, shoes, or clothing. The machine is automated to sew this one pattern which is designed into it. You cannot use this type of machine for anything else.

I hope you ordered the small pulley from SewPro, or an authorized dealer. That motor has a smaller diameter shaft than clutch motors and big servo motors.

Ferg asked what's the smallest size thread and needle that can be used in a Consew 206RB. It is capable of sewing with common size 50 polycore thread, if you reduce the tensions to the lightest setting on the bobbin and top thread springs. There is also #46 bonded nylon available that can go through the machine. I would use a #80 needle with those thread sizes. Walking foot machines are tough on light weight thread and tend to break them often. The tension springs and thread path are designed to manage heavier thread. The wide outside foot allows soft material to pucker as the inner foot lifts with the needle. This is because the outside feet usually have a 1/4" gap between them; clearance for the inside foot to move with the needle. Most light weight upholstery and leather vests are sewn with #69 bonded nylon thread, with a #110 needle. Heavier projects, like chaps, wallets, purses and lined dress belts are sewn with #138 (T135) bonded nylon, using a #22 needle. If you decide to try to sew with #207 bonded thread, you'll need to have some #23 or #24 leather point needles on hand. #23 is ok if you use #138 in the bobbin. Otherwise, use a larger needle to make a bigger hole for 4 strands of very thick thread (2 up, knot in middle, 2 down).

My SewPro 500GR servo motor, purchased from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, came equipped with a 50 mm, a.k.a. 2" pulley. What size is on yours? Where did you buy it? You can reduce the pot setting on the back of the motor for slower top speed. Just stay above 50% and you'll be fine.

Mike; Who are you replying to? Is this in the wrong topic?

I was tired when I posted that info last night and forgot to include phone numbers. Cowboy brand stitchers: Bob Kovar, Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines: 866-362-7397 Cobra brand stitchers: Steve Tayrien: 866-962-9880 I apologize for any inconvenience.

A number 23 is all the needle you will ever need for #138 thread. A #22 will probably do as good a job, depending on what tension adjustments are doable. See if you can loop the top thread around one more hole in a guide post, along the thread path. Make sure the thread is pulled all the way into the top tension disks. There is are usually two, but sometimes one screw in the bobbin tension springs. If two, one mounts the spring while the other adjusts the tension. The mounting screw would be at the end, away from the thread path. The tension spring would be half way towards the thread output hole (there is an angled slot, sometimes with a hole at the end). Remove the bobbin covers and look for these springs. They should face you, in both bobbin cases. They will be covering the slots where the bobbin thread is drawn up. There may even be a channel in the body to allow a thin jeweler's screwdriver to line up with the adjustment screw head.

The needle is too small to draw the knot well up into the leather. The tensioners should be tightened on top, or loosened on the bobbin, or both, to sink the knot into the bottom layer. Do you have a #22 or #23 leather point needle? Either will be an improvement when you sew with #138 bonded thread. However, the motor power required to penetrate the leather increases as the needle and thread sizes increase. Do you have enough horsepower and gearing to punch a #23 needle through all those layers? That 24-3 is linen or cotton thread and is a lot more flexible than bonded nylon. I suspect that the tensioners are not equipped with extra heavy springs needed to pull up bonded nylon thread. Try loosening the bobbin spring to the bare minimum. It's not a leather sewing machine. It's a garment machine that has been drafted into sewing leather.

That machine is made to sew pants, shirts, underwear and corsets. It is absolutely not a leather sewing machine. You will need a #22 needle to sew with #138 bonded nylon thread. You might not be able to get such a large size needle for that garment production machine. Or, maybe you will find an equivalent needle somewhere.

Ferg; Before you buy that machine, call Cobra Steve (California), or Cowboy Bob (Toledo, Ohio) and ask what they have that will do the same job. Their prices may surprise you.

What type of Union Special is it? I've never seen that thread size, specifically, but I think is a probably similar to #69 or #92 bonded nylon. I have 10-4 linen that is the same as #207 bonded thread. In your case, 24 is the individual thread size and there are three strands woven together. It sounds like a medium beading thread. Post a picture of the machine before you buy it. Most Union Specials I've had or seen are pants and shirts sewing and blind hemming machines.

Maybe you should call and remind him about the DVD.

The Tippman Boss fits into your shop for short stitching runs (a hundred stitches, or so), or intricate stitching patterns that you can't control with a motor-driven machine, or on location at flea markets or craft shows. It is a great prototyping machine. It is not a production machine, nor is it meant to be. Production machines for leather shops are stronger than upholstery machines and run slower. Slower speeds lead to less wear on the moving parts, less distortion of shafts inside bearings - due to lower heat generation, and less skipped stitches in your leather projects. Leather sewing machines have heavier pressor foot springs, beefed up pressor feet, larger feed dogs, longer needles, bigger bobbins and shuttles and usually, much bigger flywheels. The guides that keep the needle bar moving forward and backward are larger than the guides on upholstery machines. There is at least one brand of leather stitcher that uses a square drive system, where the needle bar is orchestrated to pull straight back and forward again, rather than the typical pivoting at the top. This causes the holes to be absolutely in line, even through 1 inch of leather. The Campbell-Randall and Union Lockstitch machines also feature square drive, but don't mention it in their ads.

Unless you can find someone here who has or had one, you won't know until you buy it and hopefully, receive it in one working piece. Make sure the seller offers a full refund if you are dissatisfied. Do not tell the seller you want to sew belts or straps with it, as this may void the implied warranty. That is, unless they ad claims it can sew x-ounces of belt leather. In my bad experience, the machine was so badly damaged in shipping that it did not turn over long enough to even sew the sample cloth that was under the feet. When I tried to return it the seller claimed I ruined the machine trying to sew leather. After certifying that I hadn't sewn anything, much less leather, I was able to get a partial refund. These machines are not built to sew leather, other than soft or thin stuff. They are marketed to the boat cover repair people and hobby upholsters. They are set up for sewing low resistance Marine Vinyl and Sunbrella/Duck cloth.

You mentioned sewing leather furniture and asked about the Tippman Boss in the consecutive sentences. I hope you have a powerful arm if you intend to sew leather upholstery on a Boss. They are manually operated by a pull lever on the back. It would also have to be fairly thick upholstery leather. What you are really looking for is a walking foot industrial sewing machine, that mounts on top of an industrial steel-leg table, which has a large, clutch or servo motor under the table top. A Consew 206RB-5 is such a machine, which can be adjusted/corrected to sew leather. Cobra also makes a similar machine, but specifically set-up for leather work. There are ad banners for Cobra brand machines, that usually appear on top of this forum. When contacting dealers about machines, be sure you tell them what kind of leather you want to sew. There is a huge difference in the requirements and set-ups for machines that sew leather upholstery/garments and those sewing thick belts and straps.