Wizcrafts

Art; Thanks for the reply and your recommendation. Unfortunately, their prices are way beyond my means. Does anybody else know where I can buy American tanned bridle leather at a much more affordable price? Anybody have an extra back or large bend they will sell?

I have just gotten back into the leather belt and strap business after a dozen years doing other things. I am looking for the best price supplier for a black English Bridle leather back, or bend, in about 10-12 oz (~20 sq') weight. Alternately, a large side (25'+) will do, but I have no use for the belly. I need belt quality, not harness. I can only afford one at a time, right now, so wholesalers (like Weaver) are probably out for me. Your recommendations are appreciated, including leather vendors. I will be happy to purchase it from forum members who happen to have excess black bridle leather.

FYI: Bob Kovar has explained the purpose of the strange t-bar adjuster on the back side of the head of the patcher. If I turn the T so it is in the line of ascent of the takeup shaft mount, it will be struck by that part and the foot will be lifted off the material, with the needle up. This allows one to darn work. I tested it and was able to pull the material any length I wanted, between stitches. This would be useful for skipping Dee rings and buckles on straps and belts. The T bar has two heights on the two arms. One is the full diameter of the T arm. The other is half the diameter of the shaft. This lets you choose how much the pressor foot gets lifted when the needle is at its highest point. Here are some close-ups of the head assembly, showing the T-bar in various positions. The last photo shows the pressor foot lifted, with the needle up, but the pressure is still engaged in the upper tension disks, so you can jump-stitch around dee rings. And, here is a close-up shot of the custom made thread stand holder, that sits where the standard little spool rod usually resides. This is definitely more useful!

I just got home with a Singer 29K172 long arm, big bobbin patcher, complete with the cast iron treadle base. It has a few non-standard nuts on top and needs the bobbin winder rubber belt replaced and a new bobbin winder tension disk set. plus the screw that locks the rotation of the head. Other than that, she's ready to sew. The best part is that I only paid $125 for it. Anybody who has the replacement parts I need should give me a shout.

I built up the feed motion crank lever lobe on an old 29K something I had, because its maximum stitch length was too short. I may be doing it again on the 1920's 29-4 I have now. I used a bronze welding rod and a propane torch, with a pinpoint nozzle, to get the steel lobe red hot. I added a thin layer of bronze around the worn out steel lobe, then worked it into shape with a file and emery cloth, for the closest fit that allowed it to rotate 360 degrees. I finished it off on a buffing wheel and when I installed it into the bottom of the head, I got 5 stitches per inch, in 12 oz of leather.

Ginny; I just removed the leaf spring from my 29-4 patcher and laid it on a flat table, with the arch side up. I measured the highest point of the arch, and it is just barely over 3/8" above the table (1/4" max. on underside of arch). My tension is fully adjustable from very light to very heavy, with this amount of arch. My spring is 1/8" thick and 11 3/16" long, if that matters. The measurement was made with the lift adjuster removed.

You will need to move up to a #25 needle to sew #207 thread, on the top and bottom. Or, use #207 on top and #138 in the bobbin, with a #24 needle.

The leaf spring needs a small amount of arch to exert proper force on the pressor foot and lefter parts. When you find a metal worker ask him/her to reduce the arch by 50% to start. Try it and decide if it needs more or less reduction. BTW: the spring normally is installed with the arched side up. You adjust the pressure with the big screw on top of the spring, towards the back. Thread tension If the bobbin spring is tightened all the way and the thread is feeding under it, then through the tiny output hole and there is decent tension when you pull on the thread, then the top should be inspected to see if the thread is twisting around any obstacles. The thread should feed smoothly and totally freely off the spool, through the oil pot, around in inside the top tension discs, through a little loop, up to the takeup arm, down the snout, into the left side of the needle. Do not thread the top thread through the secondary tension discs unless it is really needed. With the bobbin thread properly adjusted to a mild tightness, with smooth feeding, the top thread should have a little more tension when pulled just before the needle. If there is a big difference in the top tension, look to find out what is squeezing the thread so tight. If the thread cone is on the spindle on the top-rear of the machine, get it out of there. Put the thread behind the read quarters on top of the shelf on the back of the machine. Feed it up, from behind the trolley, around the spindle, and on to the thread path. I do this and it relieves all top thread problems. I even feed the thread coming off the cone into the thumb hole in the threading rod, which I have stuck securely into the trolley, with the hole sticking out in the back, on the back of the trolley. This places it just ahead of a cone of thread sitting on the back "shelf" of the body of the machine. If the bobbin is too tight the stitches will be knotted under the work. If the top is jamming the stitch knots will sit on top. If the spring in the upper tension adjuster is too heavy it will cause upper tension problems. Compare that spring to the one on the front of the machine and use the lighter spring on top, if it will fit.

Ginny; That's interesting about your spring. Mine is also bowed downwards, but not as much. Maybe someone mistakenly forced your leaf spring into an excessive arch, creating too much pressure on the foot. Do you still need that leather spacer under the lift adjuster slider over the spring? Things like this are a learning experience for all who have patchers. Who would-a thunk it?

I have had three Singer 29 series shoe patchers in my career and all of them are truly made for doing just that: patching rips in shoes and boots. They are also useful for fixing zippers and handbags, small pouches and various thin projects. They are not designed to be used in manufacturing or for sewing long straight lines. They are not meant to use anything heavier than #135/138 thread, with #69/92 in the bobbin. Long arm patchers with large bobbins can do heavier sewing than short arm patchers, and can do light manufacturing in the hands of skilled operators.

Shoe patchers generally are limited to sewing a maximum thickness of between 1/4" to 5/16" - depending on the bobbin size/arm length. Long arm - big bobbin patchers, made by Adler, will sew up to 5/16", using a long #22 needle (I use one at a friend's shop). My short arm Singer patcher only manages to sew 1/4" with #69 thread (#18 needle). The machine in the photo is a short arm patcher. Furthermore, the short arm machines generally only handle #69 TO #92 nylon thread, whereas the long arm patchers can handle #138, top and bottom. Note, that some folks are able to setup their patchers to sew heavier thread or thicker material, and use larger needles, but this requires an intimate knowledge of how to modify the machines.

Ginny; I believe you labeled the leaf spring number 9. It is a long flat spring on the back of the machine, with a big screw adjuster near the middle of it. Its front end goes into a slot in the back of the head, and applies downward pressure to the pressor foot. Tighten or loosen the adjuster screw in the middle of the long leaf spring to control the pressure of the foot. Good luck with your patcher. If anybody on this forum has Adler parts they will let you know about it. Otherwise, contact Bob Kovar, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine Sales, at: 419-380-8540. I know he has Singer patcher parts, so maybe he'll have some for your Adler. Really, all you need to fix is the problem of wear in the pressor foot mechanism, where it goes up into the ring in the bottom of the head and that lift adjuster that you say needs a strip of leather to lift properly. That's two or three parts. Shouldn't cost much more than a thousand dollars! LOL

Yes to all, but #2. It can be a second tensioner for thick top thread, if needed, or a tension disk feeding the bobbin winder. Also, the leather spacer under the lift adjuster means that the lifter or puck has worn down. You set the pressor foot tension with the thumbscrew in the middle of the leaf spring. If the teeth are marking the material too much, back off a turn, or two. You just need enough tension to pull the work evenly, to stitch it. The short stitches are the result of a worn puck inside the rotating assembly, at the bottom of the head. See if you can find replacement parts pertaining to the pressor foot bracket assembly.

Congrats! You figured out how to get it to stitch. Now, about the stitch length. The sliding bracket is one of two adjustments that affect stitch length. Move it all the way physically down, after locking the pressor foot in the lifted position. That is the maximum length setting on that part. You could lower the slider with the foot down, but you might not be able to lock it up to relieve the thread tension on top. Look on the back of the head of the machine, over the lift lever. There is an adjuster with a butterfly knob on the back, mounted on the main pressure spring, over the lift lever. It is what sets the lift of the pressor foot, while it operates. A puck under it is raised by the action of the working machine. That puck hits the bottom of this butterfly adjusted part and causes it to lift the foot. If the foot is not lifting enough, move the adjuster away from the head, towards the back. There should be a notch in the pressure spring to stop the adjuster. Move it to there. Rotate the wheel with one hand and look at this area to see if the puck under the adjuster is hitting it firmly and causing the spring to raise up. Note, that the end of the main pressure spring must go into a slot in the back of the head, to control the height of the pressor foot. Also, there must be some pressure set via the set screw over the middle of that leaf spring (enough to prevent the needle and thread from lifting the material on the way up, as a stitch is locked). It seems to me that somebody has placed a piece of leather on the puck that lifts the adjuster, that lifts the pressor foot. Why is that there? Patchers don't have a reverse lever. You use the butterfly thumb knobs to turn the foot in the direction you want it to feed, with the foot up and needle down, then continue sewing. Or, use the poor-man's reverse and spin the work 180 degrees for a couple of stitches.

Oops! I completely forgot that some patchers had the wheel mounted on the front. I have never seen one in action, so I didn't know that the wheel turned clockwise. I'll keep that in mind in case I do encounter such a machine. I apologize for the error. I should now ask the question, "Does this Adler patcher have the hand wheel on the front or rear of the machine, when you sit in from of the long free-arm?" If the wheel faces the operator and rotation is supposed to be clockwise and Ginny is turning anti-clockwise, that would cause a failure to acquire the bobbin thread. What I should have said was that most modern machines that have a wheel on the back of the main shaft turn counterclockwise. Aside from that error it appears from the latest video that the shuttle is retarded in its action and needs to be advanced. Maybe the screw is loose that holds the gear on the underside of the shuttle assembly, or, maybe the shuttle gear needs to be advanced one tooth, in the rear rack. Once we know if the wheel is turning the right way, based on where it is mounted, we'll know if the timing is out or not. I think! Maybe.

That is incorrect Tony. The wheel on almost all modern sewing machines turns counterclockwise. This is towards the operator, when pulled from the top in a downward direction, when facing the machine in the working position (in front of the machine body, lengthwise).

I don't know if this has been tried yet, but let's go over it in case it hasn't been done yet. Thread the needle Raise the pressor foot with the lift lever Open the bobbin case cover plate and remove the bobbin from the bobbin case Replace the empty case in the hole Place a narrow piece of 1/8" thick firm leather under the needle (vegtan or latigo leather will do) Lower the pressor foot onto the material Slowly rotate the hand wheel toward you from the top until the needle penetrates the material Shine a light down from the right side and position it so you can see the point of the bobbin case and the needle below the material You should rotate the wheel until the bobbin case's pickup point move just past the needle and halts As you continue to rotate the wheel the needle should raise slightly, forming a loop to the right side, in front of the pickup point As you rotate more the bobbin case should reverse direction and move towards the eye of the needle, as the needle stays in position The thread loop should be captured by the point as the point wipes past the loop The top thread should be pulled over and under the bobbin case, then released as the needle moves up The foot should pull the material back for the next stitch. Please perform these actions, slowly and report if the thread is indeed looping to the inside (right) and if it is picked up by the bobbin case pickup point. All stitching depends on this happening as described. By the way: A #22 needle is best used with #138 thread. What size is the thread you are using now? If you are using #69 thread with that large needle, chances are good that skipped stitches will result. PSS: A 29x3 needle measures a tish over 1 3/4" length. If your needle is shorter than 1 3/4" it won't sew. If it is measurably longer it would feed the looped thread under the shuttle that drives the bobbin case, jamming the machine.

Ginny; I just saw how you mistook my phrase "lowest position" for the stitch regulator as being based on the numbers on the bars! I meant physically lowest point, downward, which would be around number 5 on the bar. With the pressor foot and needle up, carefully grab a-hold of the bottom of the foot and see how much wiggle there is forward and backward. If there is a fair amount of movement possible when you push and pull the foot forward/backward, the part that causes the stitches to advance is worn out. I can't give an exact amount of motion, but I would feel confident in saying that if that foot can be moved 1/8" or more, the drive mechanism is worn out. A machinist who bronze brazes may be able to reduce the slack, or, you may be able to buy replacement parts somewhere.

Zamir Sewing Machines states in their eBay ad that they ship to the US and Canada and Mexico. They may not be willing to ship to Europa.

You can contact Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine Sales, at: 1-866-362-7397 - for information about these variable speed foot controlled servo motors.

Ginny; I looked at your recent photos of the needle regulator. It is set way too high. Lower it as far as it will go, with the pressor foot in the lifted and locked position. You lift the foot with a lever on the back. When it reaches a certain height it locks in the up position. That is the height where the butterfly disks in the thread tensioner are released. With the foot locked in the lifted up position, loosen the screw on the sliding bracket behind the foot and slide it down as far as it will go, then tighten the back screw. In that position you should be able to get 5 or 6 stitches per inch. If you move the stitch length regulator bracket down and still get little or no feed, and the long spring on the back is exerting sufficient pressure to secure the foot on the material, then the mechanism that the pressor foot rotates within (the ring with the big butterfly knobs, over the needle assembly, which turns the foot) may be worn out beyond usefulness. If that is the case the machine is shot. The worn parts will need to be replaced, or built up with brazing or welding to reduce the slack. Everything else look like it is setup properly. However, the failure to stitch is not resolved, despite all of our efforts. You should seek out a knowledgeable sewing machine mechanic within driving distance and take the machine to him or her, for evaluation and possible repairs. Note, that replacement parts for Adler patchers are usually much more expensive than for Singer patchers.

The pressor foot has a knob on the back of it. The know sets the stitch length. I usually raise the pressor foot with the lifter lever, loosen the screw behind the foot, lower the foot as far as it will go, in the raised up position, then tighten the screw. When you drop the lifter lever the pressor foot should be pushed by the two protruding steel brackets, pulling the material backwards, creating the stitch length. Failure to feed can be caused by a slider on the back of the machine. It has a butterfly knob and it moves a device left or right, along the main tensioning leaf spring. I usually set it all the way to the notch in the spring, giving maximum lift to the foot and length to the stitch. I have to go out for the rest of the night. Perhaps another sewing machine mechanic will be able to assist you until I return tomorrow. We will get this sorted out, unless the machine is broken, or totally work out.

Ginny; The needle is now correctly aligned and shifted close to the bobbin case assemble. Good! It looks like it is ready to sew. All you need to do is rotate the hand wheel towards you one full turn. The needle should go down, hopefully form a loop, then capture the bobbin thread and pull it up through the needle hole. I usually push the bobbin thread up through the hole after inserting the bobbin. This removes one point of failure from the equation. It matters not which way the bobbin thread lies while waiting to be picked up. The pickup point is the part of the bobbin case that is tapered into a narrow, sharp point. That is where the top thread's loop is captured, then pulled over and under the bobbin case. Yes, the top thread forms the loop, in the eye of der noddle (a movie title). You should be able to place material under the pressor foot and sew. Have you tested it?

Ginny; The needle is in wrong! You have it with the eye facing forward. The eye of the needle must be on the right side, facing the inside of the machine. The thread goes in on the left side and comes out on the right. Further, do not lower the needle in the needle housing. Insert it all the way up in the housing and tighten the bottom screw. The movement described by a previous poster was for the upper screw. That upper screw on the housing allows you to move the needle sideways, closer or farther from the shuttle. When correctly set, the needle goes down as the bobbin case turns clockwise and the pickup point stops behind the needle. Then, the needle lifts momentarily to cause a loop to form on the right side. At that moment, as the machine turns, the pickup point begins turning counterclockwise, grabbing the looped thread, pulling it under the bobbin case and forming the lockstitch. If the thread does not loop on the right side of the needle, there will be no lockstitch! If you lower the needle in the housing the eye may feed the thread under the shuttle drive and around the center post on its bottom, binding up the machine, tearing the top thread through the work. Try these changes, note the timing process above and post your results.

The top thread must go around the tension disk, then up to the the hole in the takeup arm, down through the hole in the needlebar, and into the eye of the needle, from left to right, with the eye facing to the right. The bobbin should be setup as follows: Load the thread tightly onto the bobbin. Insert the bobbin into the bobbin case so that the thread pulls backwards, from the right side. Pull the thread into the slot in the case, then underneath the tension spring, then through the tiny hole in the case, then through the hole in the top of the post in the case. Leave enough thread to pull up through the hole in the throatplate. Pull the thread up through the hole and seat the throat plate in its detent stud. Rotate the hand wheel to raise the needle, then raise the pressor foot with the lift lever on the back. Insert some material and lower the pressor foot lever, ensuring that the foot is in firm contact with the material. Spin the hand wheel towards (counter-clockwise rotation) you with some material under the pressor foot and see if it sews a stitch or skips stitches. If it still skips, check the spring on the top or back, to ensure that there is good pressure on the pressor foot. Some things that will affect stitching on a patcher include all of the above, plus: wrong needle length, or size for the thread, to much bobbin tension, jammed top thread, or machine out of time at the bobbin. If the machine has gone out of time you should not mess with it, but contact a qualified repair person.