Wizcrafts

One of the more interesting System 190 needles I have are number 150, which are between #22/140 and #23/160 in diameter. They are a perfect size for #138 thread into medium to hard temper leather. I believe I got some of them from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines.

You forgot to mention the model number of the machine. If you don't know it, take a small resolution photo of the operator's side of the machine and upload it in a reply. Then we who might respond will know what to tell you about where the pressure adjustment is on the head. Also, tell us if there are teeth on the bottom of the presser foot or feet.

You can always buy Pfaff System 190 needles which are exactly 3/16" longer than System 135x17. They have the same top shank diameter. I'll bet that the previous owner raised the needle bar to let him/her use these longer needles to get higher alternating foot lift. I've done that on a few walking foot machines to sew a particularly tall step or thick seams. The scarf is a cutout on one side, above the eye hole in the needle. The other side has a ribbed thread channel. Normal alignment places the scarf side of the needle towards the rotating or oscillating "shuttle hook", which has a sharp point on one end that picks off the thread loop that is formed as the needle rises above bottom dead center. SOP on your machine is that the point of the hook intersects the rising needle about 1/8 inch above the eye. At that position there is usually a decent loop for the hook to split and carry around the shuttle and bobbin. If you don't plan to sew over 3/8 inch, download a manual for the Singer 111w155, read the sections about timing, then lower the needle bar.

It would help if you included your location in your profile. There are parts suppliers in different countries.

This is why we frequently recommend calling or visiting a dealership before buying an industrial sewing machine. These dealers are usually old school and love to deal directly with their customers. They are knowledgeable in the makes and models they carry and want to have happy customers. Before the Internet this is how things were done every day. I'm glad there are still real brick and mortar businesses that serve the needle trade. I personally travel 2 hours each way to visit my favorite industrial sewing machine dealer when I want another machine. Sometimes, like the OP, I come home with a different one than I originally thought I wanted.

Check all the guides and rollers/tensioners for a burr.

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I have a Cowboy CB4500 and a good friend has a Cobra Class 4, both of which are now about 8 or 9 years old. From day one I can move the stitch length/direction levers on both machines with two or three fingers and they stay in place. If you have to force the lever up and down, it is binding or too tight somewhere.

Then some moving part in the stitch length/direction path is now binding against another part. 441 machines are robust and don't usually have bent shafts, but anything is possible after a hard stop that throws the timing out 180 degrees. It may help if you post a movie of the parts in motion inside the bottom inspection cover on the lower right front on the base of the machine. Somebody more familiar with the way things should move may see the problem and offer a solution.

If you post some pictures of the shoes apart and under construction it will help you get answers to these questions. Otherwise, one can only speculate on whether or not this machine or some other machine is best suited to the job. I can tell you that SOP is to use a McKay machine to sew the upper to the insole and a curved needle machine to sew the outsole to a welt. In the case of shoes that have a side sole that is attached to the uppers (like sports shoes), a sidewall stitcher is required. That is a different model than the 5100. It is the model 7600 sidewall sole stitching machine. This machine is capable of sewing 2 stitches per inch.

Yes. You want to make sure you have round points on hand in case you have to sew webbing straps. Leather slicing needles will break the strands. Ditto for sewing denim. Use round points on woven materials and leather points on animal hides. Naugahyde can be sewn with either type of needle.

The top thread is probably coming out of the top tension disks. Loop it around the top post, through the holes, in a counterclockwise direction to offset the natural coil of the spool. You can also reconfigure how the thread comes out of the three hole guide before the top tensioner to feed it from the lowest point into the middle of the disks. I actually flip my guides down to give me three positions to place the thread, depending on how the thread is acting. They tend to vary with color and amount of bonding.

Yes, a Singer 111, or clone will do just fine for thinner projects up to 3/8 inch of medium temper leather. I use these machines to hem things, to sew patches on the back of vests, to sew zippers into jackets, sew flat cases, wallets, upholstery, motorcycle seat tops, etc. The 3/8" isn't where they sew best, but how high they climb and still form a stitch. If you get into repairing jackets and vests, you will encounter seams that thick. The CB3200 is a holster class machine that fills the gap between upholstery class and full harness/saddle class machines. It starts with #138 thread (22 pounds test) and goes up to #346 (~56 pounds test). It can sew from about 6 ounces up to 1/2 inch (32 ozs). Here is a thread and needle chart that shows the diameter and number of cords in various sizes of thread we commonly encounter in leather work. The best needle sizes are also shown, as well as the breaking strengths. The #277 (~#44) was meant to show the breaking strength in pounds (#) of size 277 thread.

It would if the bag is made with fur and the hide isn't too stiff.

I have all kinds of thread in my shop. Some of it tends to coil hard as it leaves the spool. With those I wrap the thread through the top and bottom holes in the top post (CB4500) in a counter clockwise direction. This reverses the twist as the thread goes to the top tension disks. I always roll it twice around the bottom roller counter clockwise to get all the kinks out. I feed the thread in and out of the loop over the bottom roller. This also gives the check spring more range of motion and makes it less likely the thread will come off the roller and get stuck in the spring.

The Singer 111w155 uses the very common System 135x16 (leather point) and 135x17 (round point) needles. Leather points come in various shapes with the most common being a left twist slicing point, a triangle point and a diamond shaped point. Needles are available in packs of 10 and are relatively cheap. You can buy a pack of each point in one "size" until you decide which you like best, then stock up on those in all sizes you'll need. Here is a thread and needle chart to help match needles and thread sizes.

You are wanting to make leather items spanning a fairly wide range of thicknesses. Chaps with a folded hem are about 8 to 10 ounces thick. Bridles and halters can range from 14 to 24 ounces thickness. Chaps hems can be secured with #138 bonded thread (~22#). Bridles and halters that take a lot of stress need stronger thread, like #277 (~44#). The machines normally used to sew these ranges are different. Chaps are usually sewn on flatbed walking foot machines that max out with #138 thread. Some have large bobbins that can go a long way between reloads. Bridles and halters and other horse tack is usually sewn on cylinder arm harness stitching machines that have a lower end of #138 thread and go up from there. Some of these machines can sew 1/2 inch while others sew up to 7/8 inch. But, something has to give on such heavy machines and that something is the lower thicknesses and smaller needles and thread. Chaps can be sewn on these harness stitchers but not as conveniently as on a flatbed machine. A lot of new sewers ask similar questions as you asked. They are looking for one machine that sews from very thin to very thick leather and handles thread sizes from garment weight to hand sewing weight. There was one machine I know of that claimed to do all that, but it is long gone. Even if one found that machine, parts would be made of unobtanium. You will have to make a decision to purchase a standard size walking foot machine for lighter weight projects that are fine with thinner thread up to #138 and another one for thick and hard leather and heavy thread (e.g., 207, 277, 346). BTW: The thread used in these machines is either bonded nylon or bonded polyester. Hand sewing thread does not work in modern industrial sewing machines as it clogs the eye of the needle and is too thick to be tensioned and cannot go around most of the shuttles in common use.

I see a reverse lever in the photos. It is attached to the right end of the head and has leather strips wrapped below its top. One presses down on the lever to reverse the feed. Parts availability depends on what machine it is a clone of and if parts for that machine are available in the aftermarket, or from a manufacturer in Asia. There are few if any actual Ferdinand parts available. Hoffman Brothers in Chicago would have whatever was left when they bought the brand. You might want to contact them about this machine.

It's entirely possible that the upholstery shop adjusted the clutch for fast action, because they like to sew fast. You can tell if this is the case by checking how much free movement there is on the floor pedal before the clutch engages. It there's little or no play before it takes off, back out the big bolt on the left end, in front of the shaft and pulley. This increases the slack and may clear up the noise it is making, if it was caused by a hair trigger clutch setting.

Since the posts were about the same machine, I merged them into one thread. Unfortunately, the title of one was lost and replaced with the one about oil. I can change the title for you, just tell me what you want it to say.

You can spread a little oil or grease on the brake pad to get smoother engaging of the clutch. A combination of a small pulley and slack before the clutch engages will make the motor much more user friendly. The belt should have at least 1/2 inch deflection in the middle, between the motor and the pulley on the machine, when you press it with your finger. Of course, you don't want it so loose that it slips....

Remove the top thread from the machine. Have a helper stabilize the left side of the head as you remove the drive belt from the flywheel and foot lift chain from the back of the head, then remove the bolts and nuts that secure the head to the pedestal table. Carefully lift the head off of the pedestal, with one person holding the left end and one holding the flywheel and put it on the ground. Next, loosen the linkage that goes from the motor to the motor control pedal, freeing the pedal. With your helper, loosen the big bolts in the square pedestal until the table top can be raised or lowered to the height you prefer. Tighten the pedestal bolts, then reconnect the pedal linkage to allow a full range of motion on the floor pedal to the motor lever. Next, lift the head onto the pedestal table and bolt it down. Reconnect the lifter chain using whatever link best controls the floor lifter pedal at the new table position. Roll the v-belt onto the flywheel and you should be good to go. Note: you can leave the extra foot lift chain loose on the top or the bottom, as you wish.

All modern era clutch motors have a big bolt on the right front that adjusts the slack between the brake and the clutch ring. Back out the bolt to get more free movement, then set the locknut. There is a thumbscrew on the arm under the motor with a spring. Screw it in to raise the lever all the way up when your foot is off the pedal. Make sure that the back of the pedal isn't hitting the floor when backed all the way off. It is does hit the floor, readjust the linkage until it has some clearance above the floor.

https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

You've made a wise decision. If you even need technical assistance, the dealer is a phone call away and speaks the same language and is in the same time zone. You can get thread, needles, bobbins and accessories in-country instead of by a slow boat from China.