Wizcrafts

You are missing the little known fact that the Adler 205 uses shims/spacers to set the distance between the hook and shuttle race. I've never had one of those machines, so I can't give you a better definition. Your machine may have been setup for #138 thread to optimize it in production use. In order to use larger thread, you need to buy the correct spacer. I think Weaver has them. If not, Campbell-Randall should have some. As a last resort, there's Durkopp-Adler USA..

As I suspected. The Consew 230 must be a tailoring class machine that uses System 16x257, aka DBx1, aka 1738. The shank on these needles is thinner than the walking foot needles being mentioned earlier. Machines using this needle system are meant to sew cloth. I use this system in my ancient Singer 31-15 tailoring machine and in a Pfaff serger.

Yes, those are the correct specs for a System 135x16 needle, size 18, to sew with #69 bonded thread, top and bottom. The only unasked question is whether or not your machine uses that needle System.. I brought this up because when I searched for needles for a Consew 230, I found System 16X257 listed, not 135x16. Did your machine come with a pack of needles that have the designation on a label?

I use a #18 (Metric 110) needle when sewing with #69 (T70) thread. This diameter is perfect for punching a large enough hole to bring the lockstitch knots up in the material, or leather, with #69 bonded thread. The 16/17 you asked about looks like part of a needle "system." e.g, 135x16 leather point of some shape, or 135x17 round point for cloth and synthetics.

I don't think the Pfaff 335 is what I'd call a heavy duty binder machine. Our member, @shoepatcher would know that better than me. But, if you need to sew heavy material and edge bind it, maybe look into a carpet binder walking foot machine.

@Lgbrs9 You can buy a large blade, wide handle screwdriver from your local hardware store. I have one with a blade that's almost 1/2 inch wide, and a rubber covered handle that's almost 2 inches in diameter. That screwdriver will loosen bolts like the one you need to deal with.

@Rob2613 You might be able to hire an attachment company to make a suitable folder that will attach to the T-bar plate that the sliding edge guide attaches to. This assumes that the T-bar plate is present on the arm. If it isn't, you won't even have an edge guide on the machine, unless somebody installed a drop down guide assembly. The Adler 205 series are long in the tooth by now. Parts may need to be ordered from Adler itself. Those parts are very expensive. Make sure you are getting a completely outfitted and working machine. Note, that there are clones of the Adler 205 machines that are made in China. Those companies may offer some of the the parts you may need, at a lower price.

The throat plate covers the feed wheel on the bottom. It has a detente that holds the tab on the shuttle, with a little side wigglke room for the thread to pass by it. The area you circled in red is athe pull back lever that pulls the shuttle back a little to assist letting the top thread clear the tab on the shuttle. It comes into play after you get the tab under the throat plate.

Yes. Loosen those two screws so you can lift up the throat plate enough to slide the tab on the shuttle into the recess on the bottom of the throat plate. Once it's inside that section, screw the plate back down. It will keep the hook from rotating as it does now. I can't help you any further until much later.

@Csahirad, the hook is spinning because the tab sticking out of it is NOT under the throat plate. Also called the Needle Plate, it has a cutout area that secures that tab and allows it to move sideways a few degrees, just enough to clear #138 thread. Loosen the two screws on the throat plate, rotate the shuttle until the tab finds the cutout under the plate, then tighten down the screws.

This is exactly what I was thinking of recommending!

The Toro 3200 is a cross-clone of an Adler 205 and a Juki 441. It is in the same capacity class as a Cobra Class 4 and a Cowboy cb4500. However, it has a 4 inch shorter cylinder arm. This matches the Adler 205. I would try out the machine first, as it has been sitting unused for 15 years. Bring some sewing machine oil if you have some. The machine will likely be dry and should be oiled before you try running it at any appreciable speed. If it forms good stitches in your leather, make an offer. But, be aware of the current prices of brand new machines from Cowboy and Cobra.

@Martin74, it would be more useful if you include the model number of said machine.

Make sure that your shuttle carrier is screwed tightly into the driving pinion gear inside the nose. Any looseness in the drier will throw the shuttle timing off. After tightening the tiny set screw all the way, check for wiggle. If the hole in the shuttle driver is worn, the timing can be hard to maintain. If these parts are worn, try to obtain replacements. With the shuttle driver tightened in the driving gear, try advancing the timing so the hook picks off the thread loop sooner. This is done through a round hole in the front right lower side of the machine. There is a rod coming down that joins a rod feeding the racks inside the arm. The screw that connects them is eccentric. There is usually a locking nut on the back side of the assembly that you'll need to loosen first. Then turn the eccentric screw as you watch the hook move. The needle must move all the way down, then rise about 1/8 inch. The hook should arrive and pick off the thread loop before the needle moves down again. The needle's jog is down>up>down, then up for the take-up cycle The bottom line is to have the minimum amount of slop in the driving gears inside the arm. After you fix the top thread jamming problem, check for slop in the presser foot driving mechanism. Even 1/32 inch of slop forward and backward will shorten the maximum stitch length noticeably. If you need parts for your patcher, our member @shoepatcheris one of the best sources for parts for Adler, Claes and Singer patchers.

In fact, there are! Some manufacturers offer/offered walking foot machines with dual feed, which is really geared towards the upholstery and banner/tarp business. Other walking foot machines are designed to sew denim garments. Yet others are intended for use sewing Velcro and heavy webbing. A dual feed machine has a moving feed dog pushing on the bottom, while a moving outside foot claws it in sync on the top. I have had such machines and they can be absolutely brutal on veg-tan, or retan leather. These machines tend to leave deep tooth marks on both sides. Thus, if you intend to sew veg-tan leather projects, stay away from dual feed machines that claw the work through on the top. Please note that some companies, or aftermarket sellers offer knurled teeth feet that supposedly are less damaging to veg-tan leather on their dual top/bottom feed machines. Sailrite comes to mind with their portable dual feed machines that re designed to sew sailcloth, Bimini covers, awnings, and boat seat covers. Some reasons why a walking foot machine may not do a good job sewing leather are it may have a light duty (and light weight) hook, light duty springs, or be designed with an automatic oiling system (and internal pump) that needs to spin at 20 to 60 stitches per second. Some dual feed machines only have 1/4 inch clearance under the feet while in action. This next machine brings me full circle to the second head I bought, back in 1985, that I used to sew my leather vest. I was a Singer class 15-something that had a spring loaded follow foot. The work was clawed along by the feed dog on the bottom, while the presser foot followed it backwards on top. The inside "vibrating" foot went up and down with the needle. When that foot was down hard, the leather was help in place. As that foot lifted with the ascending needle, the feed dog and top spring loaded foot moved the leather. It turned out to be a light duty machine that couldn't handle thick thread, or two layers of 8 ounce holster leather. Over many decades, Adler, Juki, Mitsubishi, Pfaff and Singer produced some awesome walking foot designs. For instance, I used to have a Singer 42-5 flat bed follow foot machine that sewed up to a little under 3/8 inch of veg-tan leather, using #277 bonded nylon thread. The head weighed over 100 pounds! The bobbins were cylindrical and held lots of thick thread. All of the springs were super heavy duty. I sewed things like heavy work aprons and tool belts, bikers' and Farriers chaps and stirrup straps on it. Somebody saw me using it and made me an offer I couldn't refuse. Now, it's theirs.

@Cattleman I have used my CB4500 with thin needles and thread and I'm here to tell you that it can be stressful. The first problem is the feed dog's hole. It is pretty huge and elongated to allow for #27 needle that move forward and backward. Thin or soft leather, or any other material, can get pushed down into that hole by the inside foot. The second problem is the needles themselves. A #18 or 19 needle in type 7x3 is very easily deflected by uneven layers. It doesn't take too much deflection to break a long, thin needle in leather. The third problem has to do with the tensioners that have very heavy springs meant to give plenty of tension to heavy thread that's being pulled up against its will into 3/4 inch of unfriendly to needles veg-tan leather. Short answer is, you will need to dumb down the machine to sew with thin thread and needles.

My very first industrial sewing machine was a Singer 96k40 tailoring machine that was sold to me by a dealer who swore it could sew leather. I was making a vest from a Tandy pattern, with a semi-dense heavy garment leather from Tandy. It could only sew flat seams, broke needles when I came to doubled seams. I ended up buying another head, a Singer 31-?? with a spring loaded walking foot, that dropped into the same table. That machine did sew the vest and climbed over the thick seams. I have since learned that the best mechanism for sewing leather is a compound feed walking foot. With this system, the feed dog on the bottom moves in sync with the needle and the inside alternating "vibrating" foot. The outer foot is a presser foot that moves up and down to hold or release the leather. These machines have not one, or two, but three bars coming down: a needle bar, a vibrating presser bar, and a presser foot bar.

That stirrup plate is made for the Cowboy CB3500, 4500, and 5500. @CowboyBob Kovar, owner of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, is the primary dealer in the USA. Here is the Cowboy page of available accessories for the CB3200, 3500, 4500, and 5500 heavy leather sewing machines. The phone number on the bottom of the page is the one you need to call to order parts, accessories, thread, and machines.

@Cattleman I use the stirrup and holster plates on my cb4500. The stirrup plate requires the removal of the feed dog. The holster plate (that I have) doesn't. Both lift the work about the same height. You may be able to eek out a little extra lift of the feet by reducing their throw ratio. That's done by changing the position of the crankshaft coming out of the back of the head and attaching to a curved slot on the rear housing. I don't have my machine at home, so I don't recall which direction you have to move the crank. But, lowering the alternating foot lift allows you to eek out a little more sewing thickness in a pinch.

Yes, but it is also for us in the USA who may not be familiar with Metric measurements.

The bottom appearance can be changed somewhat by using different needle shapes. If your current needle is a wedge, try a diamond point instead. They give a bold exposure on the top and bottom, compared to a slicing point. Diamond and triangle points are close to round points in thread appearance, but penetrate leather better.

You're welcome! Yes, you can strop them and polish them. I wouldn't grind the points on a stone wheel. Rather, pull them on Emory cloth to deburr them, then buff them to a shine using green or brown buffing compound. BTW, here is a handy needle and thread chart to get the best combinations for various sizes of thread.

@1985, I moved your post from Help Wanted to Leather Sewing Machines. This is where you will get answers to questions about machines and needles. Help Wanted posts and replies require a moderator's approval before they become visible. I can tell you with certainty that synthetics and cloth require round/sharp point needles, no matter what system a machine uses. Leather point needles are specifically designed to sew leather and other animal hides. If you use round points to sew leather, the holes will be unsightly on the bottom and the needle may even get stuck in the leather. If you use leather points in cloth and synthetics, the slicing point may sever the fibers that hold that material together. However, a triangle point or diamond point leather needle is less likely to cause as much damage as a chisel point. Webbing and elastic are synthetics where you should always try to use a round point needle. With Velcro you can use any point. Vinyl (e.g., Naugahyde) doesn't seem to care either way. Denim doesn't like leather points at all. Garment and chap leather can be sewn with almost any point, unless the bottom is going to be visible and looks bad with a round needle. Patches are best sewn using a round point needle, even if they are on a leather vest. The back side isn't visible and a leather point needle will cut the threads on serged borders. Also, since most vests are lined with satin lining, a leather point will sever the fibers and the lining could run. Thus, I use round point needles to sew patches onto anything. I hope this helps.

You don't want a machine that only sews tiny stitches with thin thread.Seek out a heavy duty machine capable of sewing 5 to the inch, or longer, with up to #207 thread. You can probably get by with #138 thread if the layers are also cemented together. The dog harness would need double row stitching with #138 thread as it only has 22 pounds breaking strength. I personally use #277 on dog collars and harnesses, as well as holsters and knife sheathes. Number 277 thread has about 44 pounds breaking strength. This calls for a #25 needle. A lot of machines that can sew leather can't use this size thread, or even #207, and sew together 1/4 inch of veg-tan leather. I went through 10 machines trying to sew that thickness and more, with #277 and 346 thread. The 11th machine was the winner! It was a Union Lockstitch machine.

I could use 2 packs of #24.