Wizcrafts

That is my dream machine. If only I had the money! Maybe someday...

Bob; I'll take a pack of each size. Now, does anybody have awls 1/2 or 1 size larger than these needles? (Sizes 3, 4, 5)

I definetly need replacement pressor feet for my Union Lockstitch machine, including the basic foot that is supposed to ship with the machine. Also, raised throat plates to sew holsters and cases and other plates and guides. Some of the screws need replacing, some nuts are missing, and I can use most sizes of needles and awls. Any replies will be appreciated.

A Singer 29-4 is an old cobblers' machine designed to repair shoes, boots, handbags and jacket zippers. It will sew approximately 1/4" thickness, using 29x3 or 29x4 series needles. Thread capacity is up to size T90 cotton, nylon or polycore. The bobbin is tiny in these machines, which date back to the early 1900's. Patchers do not have feed dogs at all. They move the work via the pressor foot, which has sharp teeth and can be turned 360 degrees. The teeth will leave permanent marks in vegtan or harness leather. The 29 series are known by their common use name: "Patcher" - as in shoe patcher. They are not designed for production, but for footwear repairs. A 29-4 is not going to sew 3 layers of 8 oz leather. If you really push it you might get 5/16" under the foot. Stitch length varies with the thickness of the work and is limited to about 6 to the inch, maximum (rebuilt 29-4's may yield up to 5/inch for a while). If the mechanism driving the foot is badly worn you will probably get less than 7 stitches to the inch, on 1/8" of leather and 8/inch on 1/4". The condition of the inner moving parts depends on how old the machine is and how well it was maintained by all owners who used it. Certain parts are known to wear out and will need to be replaced with new-old stock, or made/beefed up in a metal shop. Bob Kovar, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines - 866-362-7397, has replacement parts, needles and bobbins for Singer Patchers.

It turned out that my new-old Union Lockstitch machine came equipped with a custom modified stepping foot, set to about 6 wide, ugly steps to the inch. Does anybody have a flat bottom, standard pressor foot they can spare? I also need a raised throat plate for holsters and cases. Anybody???

You're welcome! Here's a link to just one of the new walking foot machines offered by one of our dealers, Cobra Steve. Bob Kovar, in Toledo, has all kinds of new and used industrial sewing machines, including Cowboy leather stitchers, at very reasonable prices. He has no website, but his phone number is 866-362-7397. He can mail you brochures for Cowboy machines. Other brands represented by members of the leatherworker.net forum include representatives of Artisan, Campbell-Bosworth, Boss and Techsew (and probably more). You won't find a better place to get help online for your leather sewing problems and questions than right here. BTW: here is a picture of my National walking foot machine. It sews just over 3/8" of leather, Naugahyde, or nylon strapping, flawlessly, with up to #207 nylon thread. It uses Consew parts, which are available everywhere industrial sewing parts are sold.

Pretty much any compound feed, walking foot machine, that can sew up to 3/8" with a #22 needle, will sew dog collars, using #138 bonded nylon thread. You can take your pick from these brands: Consew, Juki, SewPro, Cowboy, Cobra, Neels, Artisan, Singer, National, Adler, Pfaff, Mitsubishi, Seiko, Sailrite, Morse, Rex. You should get a machine with a swing-away edge guide and a reverse mechanism. If you plan on making a lot of collars try to get a large M bobbin machine. A variable speed servo motor is going to be necessary to sew the box stitches at the ends, because they are more controllable at slow speeds than clutch motors. Check with our dealers before you buy elsewhere. Most of them have excellent used machines in stock and unbeatable followup service.

The following parts are from the Union Lockstitch parts list and pictures. Looks like I will need some replacement 4-sided screws, # 5 and # 117, some shuttle screws #253, a few awl set screws #86, and maybe a needlebar and definitely a new needle set screw # 133. Other screws needed are for the brake: 2 #19, with 2 #20 nuts. I'll need a new knockoff stud #12 and these springs: #148, #241, #292. I could use a spare pickup thread point #276, and throat plates #250F, 250N and 250G. Also, small and a large four-sided wrenches in good condition. I can use needle sizes 2, 3 and 4 and awl sizes 2, 3, 3 1/2, 4 and 5. Any leatherpoint awls would be a treat! I'll post more requests as I find more worn out parts. BTW: my machine serial number is 42xx. Does that indicate that it was built in 1942, or that it was the 42xxth machine built? Thanks in advance. I hope someone has spare ULS parts they can let go of. PM me if you have parts to sell!

Thanks to Andrew Wood, I now have a manual for a Union Lockstitch machine. I only need everything else in my previous post!

A trade for a ULS machine has been arranged. See my post looking for spare parts, needles, awls, bobbins, springs, etc, in the Leather Sewing Machines section of the forum.

I am looking for parts and accessories for a Union Lockstitch machine. I have posted a list of items I want in a topic on the Leather Sewing Machines section of Leatherworker.net. I prefer to buy from individuals with extra, or left over parts, not retail dealer prices. Contact me via the forum if you have anything to sell for a ULS machine.

I am getting a Union Lockstitch machine (ULS) in trade for my Adler 204. The ULS has minimal accessories with it. The machine has the standard extended throat plate, a roller edge guide and closed standard pressor foot. I am looking for the following spare parts, preferably from individuals, not retail outlets. Needles (various sizes) Awls (various sizes) Bobbins Raised throat plates for holsters and pouches Other non-standard throat plates Non-standard pressor feet (e.g. left toe, right toe, open front double toe, stepping foot [5 to 8 to inch]) loopers thread guides Swing away, non-roller edge guide Various springs and tension parts (esp. bobbin cover springs) Misc straight and tapered screws, nuts and bolts T-wrenches A users' manual Threading rod Take-up lever/spring and lifting parts that wear out Any other replacement parts you don't need Let me know what parts you have laying around and how much you want for them, shipped to Flint, Michigan.

The outside tension disks, on the front of the head, facing you, are meant to be used for darning, or for situations where the pressor foot lifts so high that the main tensioners are released by it. You can use them if needed instead of the top tensioners. You can also use the front tensioners for winding bobbins, if you have bobbin thread on the little spool post near the back of the machine.

I do! I'll need to scan it into a PDF and zip it up. I will try to get that done in a few days, as time permits. Let me know if you get one online.

Try to buy a machine with smooth pressor feet, so as to not mark the tooled top grain side. Stay away from spring loaded pressor foot machines, as the foot may slip on the polished top edges of a tooled belt (it happened to me on a Singer 132k6). Look for either a triple feed walking foot, or a needle feed jumping foot machine. Once you decide how much you can afford you can call the various dealers who frequent and advertise on this forum. You will get excellent value for your money and unmatched support and servicing. In fact, Cobra Steve is one of those dealers. I'm sure he has a machine for you! He wishes he had my Singer 29K172!

Certainly! A Walking Foot machine can actually describe several different types of feed systems, but all have commonalities. Basically, the usual, or typical description refers to a compound feed system, where the feed dog (a device under a slotted cover plate with teeth, that raises and lowers as it moves the material forward or backward), an inside pressor (aka pressure) foot and the needle all move together to move the material without slippage or drag. An outside pressor foot is lowered to hold the material as the needle goes up to form the stitch, then is raised as the needle penetrates and begins to move the work the set stitch length. The inner pressor foot lifts and lowers with the needle and helps stabilize the work and prevent it from puckering as the needle begins to raise up. This alternation of the inner foot raising with the needle up and outer foot raising with the needle down allows the machine to literally walk over higher or lower levels of material, without getting hung up on seams, or multiple layers. Often, sticky types of leather will drag against a plain upper pressor foot. Multiple layers can separate from the drag. A walking foot compound feed system ensures that the needle pulls all layers together as it moves forward or backward. This is the best system for sewing vinyl and garment/chap leather. Some harness machines are modified to not use a feed dog at all. The needle does all the feeding. This is a needle feed machine. The pressor foot lifts straight up on these machines as the needle begins to penetrate the material. This takes all upper pressure off of the work, allowing the needle to easily push or pull it the stitch length you have set. Then it comes straight down to secure the work. The lifting pressor foot will clear added layers, just like its compound feed cousins. These are sometimes referred to as jumping foot machines. The are certain brands of walking foot machine that have the outer foot driven, to push or pull the work in time with the feed dog. These machines have needles that only move up and down. The inner pressor foot also moves with the needle, but does not aid in moving the work. The pressor foot moving in time with the feed dog assures that multiple layers move together. These machines have teeth on the outer foot. Some older designs have a stationary vertical operating needle and inner lifting foot, with a spring loaded moving outer pressor foot, that gets dragged backward as the feed dog pulls the work back. When the feed dog reached the end of its travel, and the needle starts to penetrate the work, the outer foot lifts and snaps forward. The old Singer 132K6 works like that. These are the basic types of walking foot machine. Details will vary regarding capabilities, depending on the brand, model and modifications. To answer the last part of your question, top feed means that a pressor foot does the pulling of the work. The shoe patchers are all top feed machines, all without any feed dogs at all. Bottom feed means that teeth on a little rack known as a feed dog do the pulling or pushing of the material. The feed dog comes up through slots in the cover plate, under the needle and pressor foot, in time with the machine. They push up and move the work against the pressor foot, which should have just enough pressure to keep the material from slipping, or from lifting with the needle as it makes its way up to form a stitch. Most home sewing machines work on this principle. They also usually have a means of dropping the feed dogs down so they don't make any contact with the material. This allows one to darn or embroider by hand or with special cams. Machines with this addition are called "drop-feed" machines.

I recently bought a flatbed Adler 204-374, which sews an honest 3/4" thick belt leather, with #277 thread in a #200 needle (as currently setup). It can be altered to use up to a #250 needle and #346 nylon thread. I am willing to trade for a cylinder arm stitcher, or needle and awl harness stitcher, like a Union Lockstitch machine. I am located in Flint Michigan, so the trade would have to be made within a one state radius, unless you are prepared to drive here. I am not available to travel on Wednesdays or weekends.

If your holsters are only two layers of flat 8-9 oz vegtan leather, any geared down industrial walking foot machine that can handle thread size #207 - with a number 180/24 needle, or #277 - with a 200/25 needle will work. If they are going to be sewn after you shape them to a gun you will need a cylinder arm machine that allows you to sew right up to the nose of the machine (to the bobbin case cover). The Cowboy 2500, Techsew GA5-1 and Singer 45 Class machines all have 1/2" maximum lift of the pressor foot and can sew just a tish over 3/8". Expect to pay up to $1200 for one of these machines. If the holsters have a 1/4" side filler the equation gets more complicated. For that you'll need a geared down machine capable of sewing 1/2" of hard leather. You'll most likely want to use #346 nylon thread, run through a silicon lube pot. The needle needed to sew these threads is either a #230 or #250. This brings you into the realm of the large cylinder arm harness stitchers, like: Adler 205-370, Cowboy 3500/4500, Cobra Class 3 or 4, Artisan Toro 3000/3200, Techsew 180-2 and Juki 441 types. These very heavy duty machines sell for prices ranging from about $1800, up the $4000. The average selling price is about $2200 to $2500, fully equipped, with needles and accessories. When you begin sewing with heavier threads you need to be prepared to pay around $18 a pound, up, for nylon thread. I use Linhanyl and Weaver bonded nylon thread, in sizes ranging from 69 through 277. Here is a picture of a recent acquisition of mine, an Adler 204 Class, that will sew up to 3/4" of anything you can get under the feet...

Your little Singer 66 Class can sew up to #69 bonded nylon thread, which is fine for light leather and vinyl projects. You can buy tons of it on eBay, or from the various sources on this forum. It comes in spools of 4 ozs, 8 ozs, or 16 ozs and is available in many colors. The spools range from 4" to 8" high and 2" to 4" in diameter. Get some #110 (US #18) leatherpoint needles to sew the #69 thread. It uses standard home needles, with a flat on one side. You can get by with a number 100/16 LR needle, but that is really pushing the envelope. You will need to either buy a thread stand, or make one, so that the thread is pulled straight up from the top of the spool of thread, then over to the eyelets on the machine. Play with the top and bobbin tensions until the knot sets in the middle of the layers. You may want to look for a more powerful motor. You should buy a walking foot ("even feed") pressor foot attachment to keep the leather from dragging on the steel pressor foot. Singer home machines all use a low shank pressor foot. You can buy these at Joanne Fabrics, or on eBay. Don't try to sew anything over a quarter inch with that machine or you might damage it. The mechanism is not designed to absorb the impact of penetrating and sewing hard leather, but garment or chap leather should be ok. Eventually, you will outgrow this classic machine and want something more substantial. When that day comes, click over to the Leather Sewing Machines section of the forum and we will assist you with your search for the best machine for your projects and finances. Note, that I am referring to big industrial machines that have separate large 1/2 HP clutch or servo motors under a hardwood table on steel legs. Here is a picture of one I bought last summer for under $500...