Wizcrafts

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I have the same shuttle in my Singer 168 post machine. You thread the bobbin into the cap outside the machine, feeding counterclockwise. Pull the thread through the tension spring (set the tension), then hold both parts together with your right hand and drop the package into the shuttle driver post. It only fits one way. Once in place, snap the locking tab down.

Not the same mount as yours, but my 30-7 came mounted on what Adler called a Power Stand. It has a 1/2 hp clutch motor built in. If you get a treadle stand, there will be a lot of fabricating needed to solidly mount a motor to it. It is doable though.

Look out for a used Juki 4 thread, 2 needle MO series serger with a half horsepower motor. Or, contact Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines (see ad banners at top) and ask what they have in stock. For sure, Keystone Sewing and Techsew will have some for sale. New 2 needle, 4 thread overlock machines, setup on tables with good motors, run from about $2000 and up. You'll want one with a wide throw to encompass all that material. The motor should be at least 1/2 horsepower.

In my case, I lowered the height of my feed dog slightly to clear the holster plate. Later, I had a friend mill out some material from the inside, just in case. Not having the feed dog increases drag on the leather, shortening the preset stitch length and usually making reverse not match forward holes anymore. I found that I could sort of compensate for this by backing off the top foot pressure screw. The lower the foot pressure, the easier it is to move the material. Leather is stickier than fabrics and also tends to grab the needle and thread knots on the way back up. You always need enough foot pressure to hold down the leather on the upstroke and nothing more.

Factory spec for the doggie is a maximum height of 1mm showing above the stock throat plate. I usually temper this down to just the teeth showing, not the base metal. Make a note of the height before you remove the dog. I had my holster plate modified by a machine shop to allow the feed dog to remain in place, clearing the interior metal, saving time and adjustments.

Teflon and roller feet are for straight stitch, bottom feed machines. Your Pfaff has compound feed walking feet. This means that the feed dog, needle and inside foot move in sync as the outside foot alternates up and down. If the inside or outside feet are impressing objectionable marks, back off the pressure screw on top. It controls a spring that exerts force on the feet. The pressure screw is on top of the left side of the head, toward the back. Keep backing off this screw until the marks go away. Be careful not to back it out so far that it pops out! Some pressure is required for the feet to alternate and to keep the leather from lifting with the ascending needle, which causes skipped stitches. I found a YouTube of your machine being described and demonstrated. Give it a view...

I found a source for System 16-63 (16x113) on eBay, here If they won't ship to Canada, contact Techsew in Montreal. They are an advertiser here and have parts and needles for all types and makes of industrial sewing machines. Just click on one of their banners that will appear in rotation with each page load, at the top of each page on LWN.

It will, as long as it is properly adjusted. The foot lift is changeable on the back by a moving collar on the long pressure spring. Moving the collar all the way to the right causes maximum lift. You may be able to eek our as much as 5/16 inch, depending. But, with the small trad and needles it uses that's a lot of leather to hold with thin thread. You'll probably break a lot of thin needles trying. You can start making extra money by sewing patches onto Bikers' vests and jackets. Your machine can install new zippers into light weight jackets. Go gettem!

The 30-1 isn't really strong enough to sew holsters much thicker than about 1/4 inch. It is limited to a maximum of #138 thread, but the bobbins are so small they can only hold a couple yards of that size thread. Despite its appearance, the 30-1 is actually a shoe and boot repair machine, strictly for uppers. I use patchers for purse repairs and for sewing patches over pockets. Your machine is best used with #69 bonded thread and a #18 needle. It can also sew with #92 thread using a #19 or #20 needle. If you need to sew holsters, find a machine capable of handling #277 bonded thread, top and bottom. These are known as harness stitchers. Mine is a Cowboy CB4500, which I recommend. Before that I had a Union Lockstitch machine, which has a long learning curve and costs a lot more for parts and accessories.

You are correct in saying that the needles are too big for the thread. I use #18 (110) needles with #69 thread and sometimes #16 (100) for better precision. A #140 needle is a #22 in Singer size and is the typical recommended for #138 thread, top and bottom. I personally find the holes too tight in leather and prefer a #23/160 with #138 thread.

Here is an online manual for the Brother LS2-F52A

According to this video, it has a large bobbin, meaning an M bobbin. Also, according the Brother, it had a large bobbin.

It most certainly is missing in the photo. It may or may not use a commonly available replacement plate. If not, a piece of thick cardboard can be used to keep material from falling into the cutout. From the looks of that Brother machine, it was rode hard and put up wet! It also has a small flywheel pulley indicating that it is geared for high speed upholstery sewing.

Here are two things you need to know about your new to you patcher. If you experience inconsistent stitching with the non-Adler shuttle, know that the timing can be tweaked to advance or retard the hook. This affects the pick-off of the thread loop when the needle makes its down-up-down jog. Another thing affecting the loop is a paddle shaped spring inside the needle bar, just above the needle mounting clamp. If that spring is broken, bent, or worn, there is no back tension on the thread to force the loop to stay long enough to get picked off.

Do not assume that either of those machines will allow #207 thread to go around the bobbin case without hanging up or snagging. It will probable result in a birds nest within a few stitches. The shuttles were not designed to clear that size of top thread. However, if you spend enough time customizing the hook, it may work out.

The way I see it, Starwind0 has the following choices/options regarding buying a suitable sewing machine: Take time off work and travel to a reputable industrial sewing machine dealer and come home with a machine that does what you need. Do research about the best machines for your situation that you can afford, then contact dealers and order a machine from a dealer, paying $70+ more for residential delivery (or the lower commercial rate delivered to a commercial building with a loading dock). Watch local for-sale ads until a used walking foot machine shows up. Ads may be on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace. Use the machine for jobs within its capabilities and hand sew the rest. Buy an old iron body Singer domestic sewing machine for thin and soft leather, using a roller or Teflon foot. Expect no more than #69 bonded thread into about 1/8 to 3/6" of soft density leather, maximum. Hand sew the heavier stuff. Continue to hand sew everything.

What's with this link, Floyd? Did you paste the wrong search results? Or is it a joke?

That "Premier" looks to be a Blind Stitch machine, for hemming trousers and lady's skirts. That is its single function. It can only be used on cloth and has a curved needle. Typically they use very thin invisible thread.

Your best sewing machine option that can actually sew together 1/2 inch of veg-tan leather is the Cowboy CB3200. It can do this with up to #346 bonded thread. You can get an idea about the diameters and strengths of various sewing threads in this needle and thread chart. There is a flat slotted plate available for this machine and a flat table attachment, both at extra cost. The machine sells for $1895 plus shipping, so it is within your stated budget. If you go this route, buy extra packs of smaller size needles to use with thinner thread. They are outlined in the needle and thread chart. The smallest available in leather point for this machine is a #23 (160), which works great with #138 top and bottom, or even a combination of #207 on top and #138 in the bobbin. If you want to sew with thinner thread, like #92, you'll need a #19 needle, which is only available in round point. Ditto for a #18 needle to sew with #69 thread (for wallet interiors). I hope this helps.

One suggestion is to replace the bobbin case and shuttle with a new part. The other is to add slack to the top thread by experimenting with the check spring tension, travel and screw position in the curved slot. You'd be surprised how much influence those settings can have on bobbin case vs top thread problems. This is especially true if the top thread is very tight going around the bobbin case. Adding slack relieves the tension and may allow the looser thread to avoid getting caught in the slit in the case.

The tension assembly has a steel tab on the back side that can be bent in or out to affect the slack in the tension release system. If there is too much slack, you have to move the feet higher to get it to release. You can pry the bent tab so it has a minimum of clearance between the rod in the machine and the pin in the tension disk unit. The entire unit can be removed if necessary to adjust the steel tab. It is held in by a screw on top and a screw on the bottom area of the head, to the right of the (lower) check spring disks. The bottom screw holds in the check spring shaft and sets the spring's return force.

That is a domestic/household sewing machine needle. It should not be used in an industrial sewing machine except in an emergency until you can buy the correct needle system. I think that your machine may use System 16x231 (DBx1) needles. They are very common in straight stitch machines. If not, perhaps DBx5 or 134. All of these needles have totally round shanks.

I would remove and clean/polish the tension disks. Then inspect the bobbin tension spring for a thread fragment. Also check the bobbin to ensure that it doesn't have a thread stub sticking out, or windings crossing over other windings. Check the thread cone for cross-windings, or knotting along the path to the needle. Clean/replace the needle.

One sews up to 1/2 inch while the other sews over 3/4 inch. The pressure springs are heavier on the Class 4 and are able to hold down thicker stacks of leather than the 3200. The Class 4 has a 16.5 inch arm compared to the 10.5 inches on the 3200. Finally, the Class 4 and CB4500 are able to actually tension and pull up #415 bonded thread, which the CB3200 may not be able to do without difficulty. Regarding accessories, if the CB3200 is fitted with a raised (holster/stirrup) throat plate, there may only be 1/8 to 3/16 inch alternating height left for leather to be sewn. That's not much thickness. It is best used on projects that don't need to be raised to clear shapes protruding down close to the left side of the needle.