Wizcrafts

I've never head of a brand named Consequence, or Congee. A photo would help us reply to your concerns. Maybe you meant Consew 225?

Machines with position sensors seem to have problems when reducers are between the motor and machine. Since the positioners can start and stop on a dime, you probably won't need a reducer if you learn to feather the foot pedal. Reducers always run at least 50% slower than direct to motor machines. Some run at 1/3rd the motor speed. These are easy to start and stop without too much of a learning curve.

It is true that system 794 leather point needles are not available under #23/160. However, smaller sizes are available in system 7x3 round point. I bought a bunch of Orange branded round point needles in sizes 18 through 27. They come in useful if I sew webbing or cloth. The smaller sizes allow the Cowboy and Cobra 441 machines to sew with #69 and #92 bonded thread. That said, these machines have heavy springs in the tension path and they need to be backed off in order to sew thin material. I wrote an extensive blog article about the process, called: Dumbing down a Cowboy CB4500, Cobra Class 4, or similar harness stitcher. The same information applies to the Cowboy CB-3200 and even the bottom feed CB-2500.

CowboySew/Hightex makes/has a synchronized binder attachment for an Adler 205. They call it: #205-370-BH Viberating binder: perfect for binding leather and very thick materials. This part would probably have to be ordered through a Cowboy/Hightex dealer. We have one who is a sponsor of this forum.

We have dealers who are members of this forum and might be willing to answer your questions about that machine. Try emailing them from their website contact forms.

I have two machines in my shop that have reverse, out of 9 sewing machines. The rest are straight stitch, forward only, or patchers. Reverse is nice if the stitch lengths match. If not, it is a pain. If your project can be sewn all the way around, just sew over 4 or 5 stitches to lock in the beginning and ending stitches. When I can't sew around, I use Poor Man's Reverse: spin the work around 180 degrees and sew over 3 or 4 previous stitches. Other times, I sew a couple stitches, raise the needle and foot/feet, pull the work towards me and bury the needle into the first hole and sew over those stitches. Cechaflo sometimes uses the same technique to lock his stitches in his videos.

I once owned a Singer 132k6. I thought it was the machine to end all machines until I tried sewing projects 3/8 inch thick with #346 thread. Fergettit. It is meant to sew buffing wheels, not leather. It will sew 5/16" better and 1/4" reliably. The feed system is a spring loaded follow foot on top and aggressive feed dogs on the bottom. The inside foot and needle remain in place. If you decide to go into the car wash business this would be a good machine for dangling brush repairs.

I found this article posted on January 27, 2019, suggesting that the virus won't survive shipping times typical from China. It doesn't address next day shipments though.

Before anybody tries motorizing a Cub, contact Weaver Leather and talk to their sewing machine gurus. The bearings, crank shafts and other moving parts may or may not be able to withstand speeds above what you can do by hand cranking. The manual oiling system may not be designed to provide proper lubrication at more than a couple stitches per second. If anybody gets official word on how fast one can safely run this machine, please post it here in a reply, quoting Weaver.

Might I ask how wide your projects will extend on the right side from the needle? Also, do you need to sew across the arm (standard and mostly affordable) or up the arm (rare and expensive)? The answers to these questions will help narrow down your list of compatible machines. I do Grok that you don't want or need to use heavy thread or large needles and need a feed system that won't pucker the soft materials.

I split the discussion about the Weaver Cub into its own topic. Any further input about the Weaver machine should go into the new topic. This thread is specifically about the Cowboy Outlaw manual sewing machine. If anybody wants to discuss a different brand, start a new topic.

WOW, Michiel! Thanks for posting these photos. I will help anybody with any similar belted machine do a changeover.

I have thrown away brand new v-belts that were "welded" off center and moved sideways, or bumped once around. Considering that these belts can be had for 5 bucks or so, I would buy a replacement just to see if the belt was the problem. Before buying a new belt, loosen the tension on it at the motor or reducer. An overly tight belt magnifies any manufacturing imperfections.

Absolutely! Buy a new type 3L belt of the same length.

I sew holsters, gun belts, knife sheathes, pouches and cases. I have a room full of industrial sewing machines of all descriptions. However, I don't use my upholstery grade, patching, tailoring or light duty cylinder arm machines for holsters. These are serious projects that need to be sewn with serious thread. Peoples lives may depend on the integrity of the stitching on a holster. Don't dink around with your customers' lives, or the public they interact with. If you want to machine sew holsters, get a proper heavy duty holster rated sewing machine like the Cowboy CB3200. It sews up to 1/2 inch with up to #346 bonded thread. This is a serious leather sewing machine. I personally have a longer arm Cowboy machine that sews at least 3/4 inch. In fact, I have sewn almost 1 inch thick holsters with it, but it is difficult at that thickness. When I call a machine upholstery class or grade, it means that the machine was designed to sew and transport soft to medium temper leather about 1/4 inch thick. Most can walk over 3/8 inch seams if setup correctly and the machine itself allows it. None are built to handle the heavy thread required to sew holsters carried in the public. These machines stop at #138 thread but may handle #207 on top only and #138 in the bobbin. This means that the bottom thread is smaller, weakening the stitches down to #138 level. Additionally, the moving and take-up parts are not built to withstand the forces of heavy thread, big needles and dense leather.

My thinking is negative to the virus surviving a trip across the ocean on an inanimate paper bag or envelope. But, I don't know and have not heard this type of question asked at any press conferences yet. It would be worth posting to your State reps so they can ask the CDC.

Shine a flashlight under the body and see if there is a locking nut on the back of the eccentric bolt joining the vertical and horizontal shafts. If so, it has to be loosened to change the timing.

2L, 3L, 4L, and 5L prefix – The “L” stands for light duty, and is designed for use with fractional horsepower motors. Meaning less than 1 HP. “L” style belts are often designated as light duty industrial, or lawn & garden. These are all called "V belts" because their taper resembles a V shape. You are correct that these belts vary in 1/8" increments in the USA. Type 3L = 3/8" across the top. The entire profile is different from automotive belts that are 1/2 inch across the top.Now that you know the best lengths, you can order proper belts from one of our dealers.

Earlier in this discussion I mentioned the lifting block on the back that pushes the pin inside the head. I believe that its part number on the 206RB-1 is 10544. In the 206RB-5, it is part number 18479. In both instances it is described as Presser Bar Lifting Bracket. This part is adjusted up and down by a screw accessible from the rear. There may be a very wide screw, #10548, holding it against the body that has the flat spring passing through it also. This part may need to be raised up and rotated so it lies against the body. It has a tapered ramp inside that gradually pushes against the pin #11. It the lifting bracket is shot, replace it. The part was cloned from the Singer 111w103, 153 and 155. I had to replace that part on my 111w103 when I bought it out of a guy's pickup truck last year. This manual shows the location of the presser bar lifting bracket in Plate 8, as number 9 in the exploded view (part 10544). Here is a link to a Consew part #18479 Presser Bar Lifting Bracket.

I wasn't aware that O'Reilly's carried type 3L, 3/8" sewing machine belts. Or, did you buy an automotive 4L, 1/2" belt? This would be a mistake because that size won't fit inside the pulleys properly leading to premature slippage and wear of the belt and the bearings on the motor and reducer.

A Union Lockstitch machine sews 800 stitches per minute (15/second), flat out, with thick thread, into as much as 3/4 inch of leather. It gets the job done like few others can. A Campbell-Randall Lockstitch may produce a slightly better looking bottom stitch, but is slower, sewing only 300 or 400 spm. Truth be told, none of my customers turn the work over to study the bottom stitch appearance.

This was my finding also. I've owned two ULS machines and both produced awesome stitches. If one has a "stepping foot, the top stitches get pushed down on the ends, giving them a rounded appearance. Unfortunately, there is no such attachment for the bottom (wouldn't that be awesome though?).

The best bottom appearance I ever had on a sewing machine was on Union Lockstitch machines using a special narrow slotted throat plate and a 1/2 size difference between the needle and awl. I believe this was doable up to needle size 3.5. Beyond that you have to do full size differences and the slots have to be wider. It is tricky to get the needle perfectly positioned in two planes with only a half size larger awl.

Check how much free play there is before the hand lift lever engages the lifting block. If it is more than 1/16" you are losing height under the feet. The lifting block has the end of the flat pressure spring along its back side. Loosen the screw through a hole on the back of the head, in the face area and let the block drop to the bottom. Raise it a tiny amount with a thin flat blade screwdriver, then lock the screw down. This may increase the lift so you can turn better. Some turns may be 180 degrees and are called Poor Man's Reverse.

On a compound feed walking foot machine, the inside foot is always down until the outside foot drops and causes it to lift. On my walking foot machines, I hand-wheel to raise the needle about 3/16 inch, use my knee or foot lift pedal to raise the feet and turn the work. If your machine won't let you raise the feet at all with the needle in the material, it is out of adjustment internally. Does it sew normally and climb over seams?