Wizcrafts

If the two photos on the right are the top side, either your top thread is jammed somewhere or the bobbin thread has come out of its position under the bobbin tension spring.

Another way to sew through gummy glue is by running the top thread through a lube pot filled with liquid silicon. It is not 100% foolproof but better than sewing dry. Or, if you don't have a lube pot, use Weaver bonded thread which is heavily lubed already.

A quick Google search revealed many hits for System 135x16 titanium needles for sale in Canada, including these: Ebay.ca

I have some of their bonded nylon thread and it is fine.

You did not say what make and model your sewing machine is. However, if it is a walking foot mahine that uses System 135x16 or 135x17 needles, you should buy tiotanium needles to avoid or reduce gumming up the needle's eye. The same advice applies when sewing through seam tape.

Please don't take this as a professional option, but, couldn't one buy a longer less obscure needle that has the same upper shank diameter as the original and grind the top down until those needles are in time with the hook? This would help fill in the gap where nobody makes a particular system for your old machines but longer ones would fit if trimmed down.

See this sub-forum and my comments where there are several posts about reducing the size of images for posting to forums.

Rockford Leather sells shoe repair supplies, one of which is Sellari's Hard Stitching Wax which is melted in heated pots on stitching machines. It is meant for use on linen thread.

The Adler 30-1 is best limited to #92 bonded thread. Most would only use #69 thread due to its tiny bobbin. Use a #18 needle with #69 thread and a #19 or #20 needle for #92 thread. If you must use #138 thread, use a #23 needle and move the throat plate to the large hole position. You will probably only sew two or three items with #138 thread. You can't use heavier thread or a larger needle on this particular model. I own the next model up; the Adler 30-7 and my good friend has a 30-70. I sew patches and repair purses with my Adler 30. It can sew up to 5 standard rifle slings or guitar straps with #138 thread in the bobbin. My model is heavier duty and can take up to a #24 needle and #207 thread, but that's pushing its limits.

Probably NOT. You cannot hide the lockstitch knots inside 4 ounces, or 1/16 inch. That requires about 6 or 7 ounces minimum. You would have to use half the thread size in only 4 ounces; #69.

No, it is not too much machine for #138 thread with a #23. That is where it shines. Using #92 thread calls for a much thinner #19 needle which is not usually available in leather point. If you need to sew thinner interiors you will be pushing the lower limits of the feed system and may have to dumb down the machine for better results. One advantage of the cb3200 over the other machines you mentioned is that it can properly tension up the #346 bonded thread, which they cannot. A lot of folks here are regularly using #207 and #277 thread in their big stitchers. Of course, you must meet the minimum thickness requirements to hide the knots between the layers. Since your stack of leather will be 9 to 14 ounces, #207 thread will definitely work. At 1/4 inch (16 oz) and above you can start using #277 thread, or a combination of #277 on top and #207 in the bobbin. If seam strength is important use the same size thread on both sides. Otherwise, a smaller bobbin thread lies flatter against the bottom layer and is easier to pull up inside the leather. You can sit down to sew with the cb3200. Ask the seller to setup the table height to your preference. All you'll have to do is mount the head and install the v-belts and foot lift chain. If you don't intend to use thread over size 138, or sew over 5/16" on a regular ongoing basis, the smaller machines will do fine. You can add a table attachment to most cylinder arm machines, but cannot convert a flatbed into a cylinder arm. It all depends on how much of your work has raised or lowered shapes and how close they are to the stitch line. With a flatbed machine you would have to sew bag gussets or circular items along the inside leaving a not so perfect stitch appearance on the outside. On a cylinder arm you just sew on the outside and let the rest hang down on the left.

If you put together a spray gun you can blend the color into the strap and darken it gradually. There is a compressed air sprayer from Preval that attaches to a 6 ounce glass dye bottle. I bought mine from Home Depot for about $5.00. They work okay with alcohol based dyes like we use in leather work. They aren't so good with thicker acrylic or latex paint. Keep it thin and it should spray controllably. Tandy also sells these sprayers.

A jump foot is a single presser foot the lifts up while the needle or awl pulls the work back, then drops down to hold it during the stitch formation cycle. A jump foot machine doesn't have an inside foot like the walking foot machines have. Originally, this mechanism was used on the old time harness stitchers of the late 1800s through early 1900s, like the Pearson, Landis, Union Lockstitch and Randall Lockstitch. 1970s through 1990s era jump foot machines included the Number 9 and Luberto Classic as well as some of the Ferdinand Bull machines. With a jump foot machine there isn't a smaller foot surrounding the needle, just a single or double toe outside foot. There is a sizeable gap between the needle hole and the inside edges of the foot, so there is much less pucker on the bottom, if any.

This could be due to the leather lifting with the needle. Watch the leather as you sew and see if this is what's happening on the upstroke. If so, you're going to have to increase the needle by one size or add more foot pressure to hold down the leather. The overlapped thread knot presents a lot of mass to get pulled up in the needle hole. A larger hole reduces the force needed to bring the knots up. If increasing the needle size and/or foot pressure doesn't solve the skipped stitches, the check spring throw might need tweaking. Try lowering the stop bracket under the spring so it travels further down. A marginally damaged needle point might also cause skipped stitches, so replace it just in case. BTW, have you tried using the low plate with the narrow slot? That reduces the height you have to deal with and may eliminate the problem completely. That's my go to throat plate for difficult jobs when the feed dog is removed. I only use the holster or stirrup plate if I have to clear a formed shape that drops down close to the left edge and would make hard contact with the standard throat plate or the nose of the machine or the end cover plate. I actually ground and sanded off a bit of steel from the left side of my flat slotted throat plate to clear drop shapes better.

Place it in a for sale ad in our Marketplace > Items For Sale > Machinery > Sewing and Stitching > under either Used or New/Refurbished, depending on its condition. You might get more replies under Used.

Yes there is! Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines can service your machine. The Neel's model 5 is now known as the Cowboy CB2500. TISM is the primary dealer of the Cowboy brand in the USA. Your machine is a clone of the venerable Singer 45k series.

The datasheet is technically correct about #69 (T70) thread. However, in real life this thin thread will be problematic to get right. The springs in these machines are extremely heavy duty. The top tension would almost have to be run at next to nothing to keep the knots from sitting on top. The bobbin tension spring would have to be cranked really tight to balance the knots. This will pucker thin or soft materials. Further, thin thread requires thin needles, which tend to deflect and break, unless you don't mind a larger than normal needle hole from a larger needle. You don't absolutely have to remove the feed dog and standard throat plate if your leather is stiff enough to not get pushed into the big lot and hole. Perhaps they can find you a Juki feed dog that has a smaller hole. The difference between us is that I am in business and have different machines for thick and thin work and thread sizes. I don't try to make my huge harness stitcher sew wallets because I have lighter duty machines that are better suited to that work. To answer your question about the larger thread, only a 441 (Juki TSC-441) clone, or Adler 205-370 or above will handle #346 bonded thread. None o9f the upholster class machines will tension and clear that size of thread. If you are at all able to visit a dealer, do so. Bring or send in your leather and ask them to sew it on machines they are offering to you. They might do that if they have time. Be prepared to spend twice as much so you can get two machines, possibly at a package price. One could be a light duty walking foot and the other the CB3200 equivalent. I will be busy for the rest of the day. Good hunting!

P.A.; Read my blog article that I linked to in my first reply. It explains what you have to go through to dumb down a 441 type machine. If you do that it will be capable of sewing with T70 thread using a #110 needle, or T90 thread with a #120 or #125 needle. The feed dog may have to be removed and a narrow slot throat plate installed in place of the standard plate. This makes it a dual feed machine that is less likely to let soft thin leather gets pushed into the huge cutout for the standard (enormous) feed dog (which also has a huge needle hole). Sieke may or may not offer that throat plate. Theoretically, one can operate a 441 in dumbed down mode most of the time, then smarten it up for heavy work. The conversion takes between 10 and 20 minutes. Be prepared to replace thin needles often as they are easy to deflect and break I would stock up with extra packs of #110 and #120 needles if you use them in a 441 machine. The reason is that they are about 65mm long and the hook pulls the thread to the left as you sew. The stronger the bobbin tension, the greater the needle is deflected. Personally, I would avoid using T70 thread and a #110 needle in a 441 machine unless the work is soft temper and thread tensions are very light. This would minimize the deflection caused by the machine itself. When dumbed down, my Cowboy CB4500 can hem denim jeans with T90 thread, but the needles often break when it reaches the big side seam (if I forget to hammer down that seam). These machines really don't come into their own until you install a #160 needle and T135 thread, top and bottom.

You have discovered the dilemma that almost every leathercrafter encounters as the ponder a sewing machine. I went through the process of elimination years ago by buying various sewing machines for different thicknesses of thread and material. What I and most others have learned is that there are really a minimum of two classes of machine needed to properly sew things from 1mm up to 20mm. The thinner materials, ranging from say 2mm up to 10mm need a gentler mechanism than thicker stacks of leather. This includes all of the moving parts, as well as the thread tensioning springs and presser foot spring that has to hold down the work as the needle comes up. This type of machine, in walking foot form, is referred to by me as an "upholstery class machine." These machines have triple feed for positive feeding of fairly heavy leather seams that are often 8 feet long on couches and sofas. The machines are designed to sew properly with thread sizes from #46 on the small end to #138 on the big end. This calls for a range of needles from #80 through #160 (EU/Metric). Some machines are built with heavier take-up parts and springs that can tension and clear #207 thread. As for #277 thread, this is very large and difficult for upholstery class machines to clear around the hook mechanism. It is really too much for most machines except those that have been beefed up by the manufacturer, or modified by the dealer. The clearances have to be increases fot the hook, sometimes leading to problems with thinner thread and thinner needles. Some of our advertisers have done these modifications. Since you are in Europa you should probably contact Siecke and ask them about this matter. They may have a suitable machine that is already beefed up that can sew from 2 up to 10mm with #207 or 277 thread, on top and bottom. They may tell you that a certain machine can handle the heavy thread on top only with thinner thread in the bobbin. Otherwise, you would have to dumb down a 441 clone, which I have written about here.

Could you please post a close up picture of the flat ground #230 needle?

I believe that the Cobra 26 uses standard Singer 111w155 style walking feet which are sold by virtually every industrial sewing machine dealer in the World. Cobra sells presser feet too. Have you contacted them to get a double toe presser foot?

Normally I would say no. I use #19 needles with #92 thread, or a #20 in difficult/dense materials. But, what have you got to lose by trying a #21 needle? I think that a #22 needle will poke such a big hole it will look bad on top. Another way to tame loose stitches is to tighten both sides so the thread is pulled tighter against the surfaces. In that case you would probably want to use an S point inline wedge needle that gives a submerged leading and trailing edge. That is a Schmetz design that is available for your machine in compatible System 134-35. They are pretty much the same length and shank as the 135x16/17 needles. I checked with Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines and he has those needles in stock in sizes 16, 18, 19, 21, 22 and 23. Unfortunately, he hasn't got any #20. Those Organ needles you mentioned have a contradictory designation. System 135x17 is a round point cloth needle. Diamond points are usually leather needles and are System 135x16. But, who knows anymore? You could try some actual System 135x16 needles with different point shapes. PS: if you tighten up both tensions you may also have to tweak the check spring travel and its position in the curved slot. Overly tight top thread tends to pull hard going around the bobbin basket and will make a snapping sound on the way out. The check spring position can feed a little more slack in the top thread to compensate for this, while still maintaining the required thread tension on the take-up stroke. Just keep that in mind.

It looks like the needle is a fair distance away from the hook. Try moving it to the left until the hook just misses the scarf. When you actually sew material the needle gets pulled to the left. If it is already a little distant from the hook, it is farther away during sewing.

Chuck, the stitches might lay better if you can lap skive the leading and trailing edges of the double leather that transitions to/from a single layer. This would give the machine a couple stitches to adjust to the different thicknesses. Another thing that may help set the stitches is to increase the foot pressure to press the layers together harder. Unfortunately, this will increase the foot marks and bubble through on the back side. You can also try using one size larger needle. This will affect the top tension because it will be easier for the take-up lever to pull the knots up. This may be the easiest change you can test. Needle shape can also affect the stitch quality.

Our member Uwe (pronounced oo-vah) makes custom table attachments for cylinder arm machines @CowboyBob Kovar has some table attachments for sale.