Wizcrafts

AFAIK, only the Singer 132k6 and 45k25 can sew 1/2 inch. I've owned both a long time ago. The 132 has a spring loaded alternating pressers system while the 45k25 has a roller foot. Both have aggressive feed dogs. Both take up to #346 thread, using a #26 needle. The roller foot doesn't hold leather down as well as the alternating pressers, or a flat foot with a split toe. So, I limited the 45k25 to #277 thread and a #25 needle. FYI: The Singer 132k6 was marketed as a buffing wheel sewing machine and had a special attachment available the was used to sew them in a converging circle. The modern equivalent of the 45k is the Cowboy CB2500. Although the foot lifts to 1/2 inch, it is spec'd at 7/16 inch, with #346 thread.

Trial and error. Keep in mind that if you ever-flex the driver it may break. So, source a replacement just in case.

No. I was referring to the driver. Polish the end where the top thread exits. If your hook has burrs, polish it to a shine.

Harnessman hasn't posted on this forum since January, 2016. This topic is from September 2010; nine + years ago.

I have the same box reducer under my post machine table. The rest of the machines have standard 2 or 3 pulley reducers.

I have a few spools of Serafil bonded thread. It isn't as strongly bonded as Cowboy thread. The stitches look looser to me. The Strongbond looks comparable to what most of us in the US are using for sewing leather.

Check to see if you threaded the needle backwards. Your drawing shows it threaded from right to left, from the scarf side to the rib side. That is backwards! You should be using bonded nylon thread to sew leather. The Venus thread you have is for cloth garments. Your needle is very small as well. To sew 2 layers of soft to medium temper leather you should use #69 (T70) bonded nylon thread with a #18 leather point needle. Sewing 4 layers calls for moving up to #92 bonded thread with a #19 or #20 needle. This assumes that the leather pieces are each about 2 ounces thickness.

Yes, that's the shuttle driver. I think I see a crew on your shuttle driver. If so, unscrew it/them and remove the driver. Insert it in a vise and carefully bend one of the arms out slightly. Reinstall it and see if there is more clearance for the top thread. Also, polish the trailing end where the thread exits.

My Singer 31-15 has a pinned shuttle driver that can't be rotated to adjust timing. When I bought it, the clearance between the ends of the driver and the shuttle was just enough to clear standard cotton or polycore garment sewing thread. This made for excellent results with thin thread, but not with bonded 69. My solution, which was passed along by a friendly industrial sewing machine dealer, was to carefully pry the ends of the shuttle driver out a little. This increases the free space between the driver and the shuttle. I fine tuned the clearance for #69 bonded thread and called it a day. Because the 31-15s had fixed position shuttle drivers, the only way to time the machine is by moving the needle bar up or down and changing the clearance to the shuttle. Many of these almost 100 year old machines have partially or fully stripped set screws on the needle bar. If you can get the screw to turn it is best to replace it with a new one. Then you can fine tune the needle's eye to hook point very slightly, or even to change needle systems. I set mine to use system DBx1 , also known as; 16x231, 16x257, 1738, or 1515. These are the same needles my serger uses, so I get double duty out of these needles. Here is a discussion about the Singer 31-15 that I was involved with. Note, that if you set too much clearance on the shuttle driver, the shuttle action will become sloppy and you'll get unpredictable results.

I have never actually seen or used Vinymo brand thread, but if it is not left twist, bad things will happen when it is used in a normal lockstitch sewing machine. Untwisted and right twist unravel in most machines, except for shoe sole stitchers

Just a penny!

This reply is totally off topic and not even about an industrial leather sewing machine. It is a hijack of the existing topic. All such replies will be hidden.

I use and recommend the Family Sew FS-550s servo motor with a 50mm pulley preinstalled. It is easy to control down to a stitch and a half per second, or less, if your toe is steady. System 135x17 is round point, for cloth, webbing and vinyl. System 135x16 is a leather point of some shape. It could be an oval chisel or a triangle, or a diamond shape. A Juki LU-563 is not going to treat #207 thread nicely. There may be shreds and skips and knots on the bottom.It totally can't handle #277 thread at all! Fergetit ! You have an upholstery class machine, with reverse, such as it is. It can sew with #138 thread all day. The LU bobbins can hold twice as much thread as the standard Singer G bobbin used in the Juki LU-562.

I can't see the machine in the photo you didn't post. Without a couple of frontal views of the table, nobody can know what is missing. There are various levers, pedals and shafts involved in driving the flywheel. It may have been set up with a continuous run motor, or a clutch motor, or even a modern servo motor. Or, it may have been foot treadled. Here is a topic on our website that has several good photos showing the machine and table with the motor and control rods. Here is a video of a Campbell Randall Lockstitch sewing, including a view of the motor and linkage. Another page showing the motor and linkage.

It is a general purpose upholstery class machine. It maxes out at 3/8 inch with #138 bonded thread, like every other similar upholstery machine. Their needle stroke is too short to clear 1/2 inch under the alternating feet. The needle is not long enough either. Further, the top of the alternating feet will make hard contact with the bottom of the needle bar if you try climbing too high. This may break the thread guide off and may even throw the needle bar out of time. The Juki 1508NH will do what you asked. It was built specifically to use longer needles and lift higher before any parts make contact. Why look at less qualified machines that use standard walking foot needles? Note, that only the 1508 subclass NH can sew 1/2 inch and use #210 thread. The other 1508s only sew 3/8 inch with #138. There is another class of machines that can sew up to about 1/2 inch. They are cloned from the ancient Singer 45k and have bottom feed only. Cowboy has this model, called the CB2500.

This 205 variant has been discussed on Leatherworker.net and elsewhere in the past. Here are some links to those conversations and a manual. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/19014-adler-205-8-qustions/ User manual from Adler Considering that it has bottom feed only and uses system 214 needles (same as a Singer 45k), I doubt it can sew anywhere near an inch. It's more like 1/2 to 5/8 inch.

I only use bonded nylon or bonded polyester spools of thread in my lockstitch machines. The only lube on thread should be silicon thread lubricant.The maximum your Consew 227 can handle is #138, with a #23 (aka 160) needle. If the seams are taped or glued, use titanium coated needles. Keep a small can of Goof Off and a dauber handy to clean the adhesive off the needle.

There is one I know of: Juki LU-1508NH that has a longer needle stroke, takes System 190 needles and can be setup to sew 1/2 inch with up to #207 thread, using a #24 needle. The next step up is the Juki TSC-441 that sews at least 3/4 inch with up to #415 thread and uses System 794 needles.

The #26 is the old Singer size. The 230 is the metric designation. Some of us think in Singer US sizes while others think in millimeters. The bottom line is that a #26/230 needle is the proper size for #346 thread, top and bottom, and it pokes a really big hole. My largest needles are #27. Some giant harness stitchers and sole stitchers have humongous holes in the throat plate or feed dog that allow for a #30 needle. I once had a needle and awl set for a Union Lockstitch machine that resembled roofing nails, which covered #554 bonded nylon thread.

Followup info. Your domestic sewing machine uses "low shank" (short) feet. Industrial straight stitch machines use high shank (tall) feet. Never shall the twain meet.

As a stopgap measure, buy either a Teflon or roller equipped presser foot (for domestic sewing machines) that lets leather glide under it rather than be dragged. To sew with #69 bonded thread you need either #16 or #18 needles. If you are sewing cloth or webbing, or vinyl, use standard round point needles. When you sew leather change to leather points. The roller foot may require an adapter to mate it to your domestic machine presser bar. This, combined with the thick foot, will reduce the clearance under the foot to about 1/8 inch. Teflon presser feet are simpler to use, but are easily damaged if they land on top of the feed dog teeth. It's best to buy a bunch of them at one time so you can swap them out as you forget about avoiding the teeth (ask how I know). You may also be able to improve the feeding of leather by spraying the top of the seams with silicon as you sew. Keep the bobbin winder knob as tight as possible on the flywheel. The impact of sewing leather tends to cause it to loosen and may allow the wheel to spin and not drive the machine. Finally, try to buy titanium needles for sewing leather, or any other textile that is secured by basting tape.

The Singer 15 class machines are domestic use, cloth garment sewing machines with bottom feed only. They have light weight take-up and tension parts and are not up to snuff for sewing leather of much thickness over a few ounces of garment or thin chap leather. Leather that is sticky on top doesn't feed very well on this type of machine. You are best to dedicate that machine to sewing cloth and look for a used industrial walking foot machine for sewing leather, vinyl and webbing. A good starter machine would be a Singer 111w155, or a Juki LU-562, or a Consew 206RB-1 through -5. The criteria to watch for is triple feed, where the needle, inside foot and feed dog move in concert as the outside foot alternates up and down.

This describes the Cowboy CB3200. You would want to order it with a range of needles and thread covering thread sizes #92 through 277. Then, consider a flat slotted throat plate for lighter weight projects and smaller thread and needles. Get lots of bobbins and preload them with various sizes of thread. Buy thread spools in pairs of each color so you can wind a fresh bobbin as you sew.

I might could use a needle clamping screw that goes on the needle bar, among other parts. Do you have that screw in your spare parts? It is square headed.

System 134 sounds right for that Pfaff. Avoid 134-35 as they are too long. You want System 134 Leather Point or Diamond/Tri Point. The needle bar can be raised to accommodate longer needles, but why do that?