Wizcrafts

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.

Make sure you buy a motor equipped with a 45 to 50mm pulley. The machine pulley is smaller than usual and needs all the help it can get to punch through veg-tan leather. It was designed to sew chrome tan upholstery leather. You may even need to buy a speed reducer. You can learn more on this page.

Yeah. Use a #24/180 needle with #207 thread. It has less trouble pulling up the knots while letting the leather stay down. Also, oil the leather to soften it up before sewing it on that machine. It is an upholstery machine from the 1920s. You may need a stronger pressure spring if you intend to sew hard veg-tan leather with it, using #207 thread.

My post machine doesn't have reverse. I can easily spin the work around to lock in the stitches, or sew all the way around and over them, or lift the feet, pull back and sew over a couple stitches.

That is good advice in most cases, but not this one. Ours is an international forum. The O.P. lives in Germany and probably has no local Cowboy or Cobra dealer. He may be able to find a Hightex dealer though and they are the parent company of Cowboy brand.

You will be buying directly from a manufacturer in China. This makes you the dealer for the purpose of repairs. Pray the machine works properly and doesn't break down and need parts.

This situation is resolved by using a drop-down box style reducer. It replaces the motor under the table, maintaining the original belt angle. The motor bolts to the bottom of the box.

I use this combination: FESM-550S w/ reducer. I have multiple sewing machines and some have under the table drop down box reducers while others have wheel reducers that mount under and to the right of the v-belt slot. If the machine is a flat bed, a box reducer may be best because it mounts in place of the motor. The output pulley is on the same angle as the motor used to be. This allows you to tilt back the head for maintenance. It also maintains the position of the belt so it can be used with a stand alone bobbin winder. By-the-slot wheel reducers are a little trickier to install and change the geometry of the belt feeding the machine. This will interfere with an external bobbin winder and make it difficult to tilt the head back for repairs and oiling the underneath shafts. However, if tilting the head isn't anticipated, the wheel reducers work just fine. I use them on a couple of cylinder arm machines. External bobbin winders can be re positioned to contact the belt. Two of my walking foot machines go direct from the motor to the machine. The FESM motors from my supplier have a 45mm pulley and give decent reduction. However, the Family Sew motors have less torque at slower speed dial settings. So, I don't set them at the slowest number, but move up one or two clicks and feather the foot pedal as needed. One is mounted on an 18" arm Consew 206RB-18 and it works well enough to sew 3/4 inch box patterns on cloth pull straps sewn onto blackout window blinds. If you need high torque without a speed reducer, nothing beats a 1/2 or 3/4 horsepower clutch motor. You can back out the clutch adjuster for more free play and feather the clutch. This requires a steady foot and has a learning curve. But, this is how it was done before servo motors were commonplace. Two of my machines still have clutch motors and work just fine.

Nobody I know uses an EPS on a Cobra Class 4, or Cowboy CB4500. They already have 9:1 speed reduction and are easy to control unless you have RLS.