Wizcrafts

When I have this problem I draw out several inches of top thread, rotate the hand wheel until the take-up lever is at its highest position, lower the foot while trapping the thread, then sew. Doing this eliminates the pull on the top and doesn't jam the bobbin case. Just make sure the loose top thread is captured by the presser foot or there will be a thread jam. Note: This may or may not work on your machine.

All I can tell you is that whatever motor you buy, it should be a digital motor (with LED readout and push buttons), not an analog servo (with a speed limiting knob or switch). Someone else will know more about this than I know.

I was contacted offline by a nice lady in Lake Forest, Illinois, up near the Wisconsin border, who is part of a group of people doing needle point designs. She is seeking somebody who can sew their cloth onto 3 piece bridle leather belts. The belts would have separate buckle and billet straps that the cloth goes under. The cloth will be rolled under on the edges. I think this can be done on pretty much any walking foot machine capable of feeding 1/4 inch of material, using #138 bonded nylon thread. If you live up that way and are interested in the project, get a hold of me and I will give you her contact info. I could do it but am too busy right now, working two jobs. Please note that because of how this section of the forum is setup, your replies will have to wait for approval from me or another moderator before they appear. This can take a while to happen.

That is a dual feed upholstery leather, cloth and vinyl sewing machine. The outside foot works in sync with the feed dog to claw the work back. There are probably aggressive teeth on the bottom of the feet to help it feed. They will mark the top grain of veg-tan leather and leave deep tracks.

No, you have it wrong. The marks on the bottom aren't just from the feed dog hole. While the size of the hole is important for letting the needle pass through it without binding, the hole itself does not cause the bottom to pucker. It is the spring pressure on the inside foot that surrounds the needle that pushes the leather into the dog's needle hole. If your machine is equipped with a separate adjuster over the inside foot, backing off the pressure on that part will reduce the puckering on the bottom. Look at the left side of the head of the machine. Is there a screw adjustment inline with the inside foot? It would be between the needle bar and presser foot bar. On machines having that adjuster, it could be a thumbscrew, or a simple screwdriver adjustment that is close to the top of the head until screwed down. Consult your owner's manual, or open the faceplate and see if there is a coil spring around the inside vibrating foot bar. If there is an adjustment screw it will be directly over the bar and spring. This is a separate adjuster than the main presser foot pressure adjuster. If your machine only has one pressure adjuster, you will have to try to optimize it so it just holds down the leather as the needle ascends while exerting the least required pressure on the inside foot. Otherwise, live with the bottom appearance, or try using a different needle point shape. As a rule, the larger the needle, the more pronounced the bottom pucker around the hole where it presses into the feed dog hole or slot. This is how it is with walking foot machines that have a middle/inside foot.

That is how leather looks on the bottom with most walking foot machines. The inside foot is small and surrounds the needle. That's what causes the bottom to pucker around the needle holes. If your machine has a separate adjuster screw over the inside foot, back it out as far as it will go and just use the outside foot to hold down the work. Getting the foot pressure right can be a balancing act. Too little pressure allows the leather to lift up with the ascending needle. This causes skipped stitches and rats the thread. Too much pressure leaves marks on top and puckers on the bottom.

The top thread is ratty and will come apart as you sew. I wonder if it has a right twist instead of the recommended left twist?

This is a fairly modest range of thicknesses. There are lots of sewing machines that can handle up to 1/4 inch without having linkages hitting together. One that comes to mind, from my own experience, is the Consew 206RB-5. It can sew your entire thickness range and a little more; up to about 3/8 inch seams. I use an 18 inch version of this machine and I love it.

It is a portable dual feed walking foot machine, much like the Sailrite. It is limited to #92 in the bobbin and #138 on top and 1/4 inch maximum thickness.

No. The machine mentioned is a Cowboy CB3200, detailed here. You would have to call the dealer for a price for the head only, or on a tiny table, with a Barney handle on the flywheel.

A roller foot will do just fine for patches. Just crank down the foot pressure and let er roll!

How sad this makes me feel. Gregg was a contributor here over the years. He will be missed.

I use a walking foot post machine to sew patches onto hats and other areas on vests and jackets where I can sew through the lining, or move it out of the way. I use my long arm Adler patcher to sew patches onto sleeves and legs and over pockets.

What is the minimum and maximum thickness you might have to sew? Will the layers be secured with glue, staples or nails? The answers to these questions will tell us the range of thread sizes the machine needs to handle. This will also reveal the needle sizes.

May I ask you guys who are repairing turnout gear, where do you buy your Nomex thread and what sizes do you use on various parts of the suits? I am hoping to find one supplier who stocks multiple sizes in different colors, just like we have in the bonded nylon field. My thinking, after looking over the suit they left on my table, is perhaps T60 on Reflexite and numbers; T80 or 90 on cuffs and some heavier weight on suede overlays (T105+). I am finding really odd Tex sizes in my search for Nomex suppliers. Some thread has two different numbers, like 100 Tex 24 Firefly, or Tex 105 Protos, or Tex 700 Protos. From the suit I have, I see Khaki, black, yellow and white thread. Some is in the T60/T70 range and others look like T90 to T135. I see black denim cuffs and black 4 ounce suede over knees and elbows.

Here's how I get the bobbin thread up on top. Load the bobbin into the bobbin case/basket so it feeds against the direction of the thread slot to the output end of the bobbin tension spring. This usually means counterclockwise, but not always. Feeding it this way ensures that the thread doesn't ride out of the tension spring due to vibration. Next, with the top thread going through all guides, tensioners and take-up lever, thread the needle and pull back about 6 inches of thread. Lower the foot/feet, hold back the top thread so it doesn't get pulled into the bobbin case. Hand wheel the machine one cycle so the needle goes down and all the way up. Lift the foot/feet and the bottom thread should be easily pulled up with the top thread. Pull out a few inches of bobbin thread and sew! Remember to hold back the starting threads.

Because of active shooter alerts inside schools. The blackout blinds prevent shooters from seeing where the kids are hiding. They are supported by anti-kick-in door locks on the floor, which we also make at Nightlock.

That's how we roll here.

I guess it was no coincidence that I felt the need to give some input to this topic. I have a side job sewing blackout window blinds for schoolroom doors. I work 2 days a week sewing these blinds with Nomex thread. When I went to the shop on Sunday there was a full fireman's suit on the Consew table. The Mount Morris fire dept is across the street and they want us (me) to repair their gear! Coincidence? I think not. Kharma? If I get this gig I will be a lot more active in these discussions. I will need help sourcing some materials. If this topic gets more attention and draws more new members, I will create a new sub-forum to discuss sewing fire fighting gear.

Yes and no. A #19 needle creates a smaller hole giving a tighter thread fit. This means less water will get into the holes. However, you can use a #20 needle with T90 thread if the material is bulky and you are sewing over thick seams. The larger needle can resist being deflected better. The holes will be a little wider though. It may not matter if the construction deflects water spray anyway. This advice applies to any gear that will be used outside, like motorcycle and snowmobile seats. Smaller needle holes make for a tighter thread fit and less water penetration..

That should not happen. Perhaps the set screw on the needle bar is slipping. That would throw off the timing in a few minutes, or less. Also, someone may have dinked with the timing gears and left the set screws loose under the machine. I also bought a 111w156 from an upholstery shop and it stays in time and sews with #92 thread all the time. Hint: you can set the reverse to match the forward stitches at up to 5/inch. If you want longer forward stitches, the reverse will be smaller and hit between the forward stitches. That is how it was made. ;-( When sewing cloth upholstery material this is not a big deal. Mine was originally set for 4 to the inch forward. I adjusted it to 5/inch to get the reverse into the same holes.

I still believe this to be true.

I have a 1920s Singer 31-15 also. Right now it is sitting on the floor in my shop. But, when I had a table for it I had it hooked up to a Family Sew servo motor, fitted with the smallest pulley they had (45 or 50mm). That table was sold along with a Singer 111w151 machine that shared the table with the 31-15. Things I learned about the 1920s versions of the 31-15 include the following... This model works best on broadcloth, or thin chrome tan leather, plus thin wallet interiors. It doesn't do so well on slippery materials. It is a true tailors' machine. My Dad owned one for 50 years in his tailor shop. The early versions from the 1920s have a fixed, pinned shuttle driver, making timing alterations very difficult. I have that model ;-( It is meant for small thread, like #69. It stumbles with #92 or above. I'm told that newer models can be tweaked to use #92 or even #138 thread. It must be well oiled before use. The oil leaks everywhere, so I kept a rag close to it. The machine takes all manner of special function presser feet. There are 4 different feed dog/throat plate combinations available. One combination is a flip up roller foot, with an inline feed dog and matching one row throat plate. It uses class 15 bobbins which are found everywhere sewing machine parts are sold. It uses the common tailoring machine System DBx1 needles, aka: Systems 16x257 and 1738 It is the industrial relative of the ancient domestic Singer 15-88 treadle machine, but with a clutch motor. It will last over a hundred years if properly cared for. Parts are available to this day. These machines can often be bought for $200 and less, in good working condition, on a table, with a clutch motor and spare parts. Finally, the Singer 31-15 is a quiet machine. I have a room full of walking foot machines and when I ran my 31-15, it was almost like zizzzz sound, compared to tapokita tapokita.

Open the motors page and look near the bottom of the blue sidebar. It plainly states $135.00 includes shipping in lower 48 states. The prices of the reducers is in the paragraphs on the right of the photo, where it says: "a new box type which we sell for $200 and a 3 pulley model SR-2, selling for $150." The layout of the page changes when you use a phone instead of a computer monitor.

@pattysoup It is uncool to inject a totally unrelated question into somebody else's ongoing topic. In this case, you entered a discussion about a Landis 3 needle and awl machine with a question about an entirely different type of machine. I have split it into a new topic. Although your brand of machine is mostly unknown to many of us here, the model number suggests that it's a clone of a Juki LS-1341. Upon looking at your photos my first thought is that your needle size is too small for the thread. It is also possible that the machine cannot properly handle the size of thread you are trying to use. Please fill in the blanks of the needle and thread sizes and show a picture of how you have threaded the machine.