Wizcrafts

I believe the machine that best matches your specs, at the lowest out the door cost, is the Cowboy CB3200. The only difference is that it uses a barrel shaped bobbin that holds a lot more thread than an M or U bobbin. They have authorized dealers in Ohio and Texas. There are a lot of members who have this machine because it can sew with heavy thread into 1/2 inch of leather.

The needle - thread pairings are shown in the first and second columns on the left. For example, needle size 25/200 pairs best with #277 (T270) bonded nylon or bonded polyester, or 4 cord linen thread (~ .0231 inches, or .586mm). The .040 inch thread you mentioned is 1mm diameter and would require a #30 needle. It is bigger than #554 bonded thread. You would need a Union Lockstitch, or Campbell-Randall Lockstitch, or a sole stitcher to sew this size thread. The strength of lockstitch thread is that of the smallest thread if the bobbin is smaller than the top. Otherwise, it is as shown in the needle and thread chart under the "Break Strength" column. Thus, if you sew something with #277 bonded nylon thread, top and bottom, the breaking strength of each stitch would be 45 pounds lateral pull. A force exceeding that would cause a stitch to let go. I am not sure about the strength of hand sewn saddle stitches. It might be as strong as either thread, or both doubled up. It is outside of my purview. All I know is that is takes much longer to hand sew than machine sew. Most customers prefer to pay less for any given item than more, so we machine sew unless asked and paid to hand sew or do over the edge lacing.

I bought a Singer 168G101 walking foot post bed machine for a little over a thousand dollars, cash and carry. It sews with #207 thread if the post is properly adjusted to clear the larger #24 needle. I got a half size (20" x 33") table with it. I have seen them sell for more. Keep a lookout for that model, just in case.

Then look up Solar Leather Machines in Arlington, Texas, between Dallas and Fort Worth. They probably have or can get what you need.

Be careful when offering (pseudo) legal advice if you are not a certified commercial lawyer. Even if one is a credentialed lawyer, the laws would be different in France than elsewhere. Bad legal advice can be counterproductive.

Much of the difficulty people with domestic machines have sewing leather has to do with the bottom only feed. The same problems carry over when these folks buy industrial tailoring machines and get the same results. This happened to me when I first got into sewing leather. It wasn't until I learned about and acquired walking foot machines that I began getting the best results, especially when reaching seams that stop feeding with a fixed flat presser foot. Takeaway: Buy a walking foot machine with triple feed. Order it with a controllable and powerful servo motor and maybe even a 3:1 speed reducer for the utmost slow speed control. The Consew P1206RB is an excellent example of such a machine.

Note to responders: The pdf contains photos of his or her machine and model tag.

It really boils down to what you need to sew and how many machines you can afford to buy. When I first began sewing I had one machine that was inadequate. So, I bought another head that would drop into the same table and just moved the knee lever to fit either head. Later on I bought another heavier duty machine that still dropped into the same table but required a different knee lever. Then I got into the big machines.

You might have a better clue about why this is happening if you can find a way to watch the hook as it intersects the needle. One way would be to tilt the head back to the peg and hand wheel the machine. Leave the stack of leather in it. Pre-punch the holes if you must to get the threaded needle to go through the stack. Aim a work light at the hook and watch what happens as you rotate the wheel. The loop may be too small, or dissolved already, or the needle may be deflecting too far to the left for the hook to pick off the loop.

No, it's neither a Randall, nor a Campbell, nor a Union Lockstitch. It doesn't look like a Puritan either.

Sorry for answering out of sequence. I am just catching up on this forum. The DNU-1541 is a lighter duty and weight version of the LU-1508 series. It uses a horizontal axis M style bobbin that is 25.5 x 10mm. The 1541 uses standard walking foot system 135x16 and 135x17 needles. They max out at 3/8" and #138 thread. The LU-1508 is the follow-up to the discontinued LU-563. They use "double capacity" U size Juki bobbins that are 28mm x 11mm in a vertical axis hook (drop in). The double capacity is referring to the standard G size bobbins used in the Singer 111 walking foot machines. 1508N and NS use System 135x16/17 needles. The 1508NH uses longer System 190 needles, allowing it to sew almost 1/2 inch with up to #207 (T210) thread. Some dealers alter these machines to use easier to find and shorter System 135x16&17 needles.

There is a conflict in that statement. The 441 machines (e.g., Juki TSC-441, Cowboy CB4500, Cobra Class 4) use System 7x3, 7x4 or 794 needles, which are about 2.6 inches from the butt to the end of the tip. The walking foot Juki 1541 and 1508 use System 135x16 or 135x17 which are about 1.75 inches long. The LU-1508NH uses a 3/16" longer System 190 needle. These are all much shorter than the needles 441 class machines use.

Raphael Sewing Machines, aka Techsew, is located in Montreal. They are a major dealer of industrial sewing machines, parts and repairs. Their address is: 155, rue de Port-Royal O, Montréal, QC H3L 2B3. Their local phone number is listed as: 514-270-1537. As for the machine not sewing after a thread jam, it may be because the safety clutch popped when the hook got jammed with thread. Remove the top thread, then clear out all thread remnants from the hook and bobbin area, oil the hook well, them push down the button on the flat bed as you turn the handwheel away from you. The clutch should pop back into place and restore normal timing and operation.

Although not stated in his profile, according to the IP address, the O.P. lives in Duesseldorf, DE. This may help with replies and recommendations for parts.

That's definitely not according to Hoyle! Something has come loose or unscrewed, or out of its bearing.

I was out by about $800 on the price of this machine. They sell in the mid-3ks. This sub-model NH is different than the simple N or NS. It is factory modified to use the longer System 190 needles, has a longer stroke and sews up to a full half inch with #207 thread, top and bottom. Below is a quote of the specs compared to the regular 1508N and NS... The H in 1508H means very heavy duty, with longer stroke 190R Needles which allows for thicker fabrics and higher foot lift, a bigger hole in needle plate for thicker threads, and bigger teeth on the feed dogs which allow better feeding on thicker fabrics, etc compared to 1508N and 1541N that take shorter stroke 135x17 needles. N Stands for the Color: White H Stands for Extra Heavy Duty 10-15% heavier duty than the Standard NS Version, with a longer needle and higher stroke.

Cowboy/Hightex makes programmable pattern stitchers and we have 2 Cowboy dealers and the USA Rep on this forum.

No. Those are domestic cloth sewing machines with bottom feed and very light duty take-up components. They max out with #69 bonded thread which is just good enough to hold wallet interiors together.

Read this sticky article for good information and to eliminate unworthy machines. It defines the type of machine you need to sew serious leather projects. You will soon learn that there is no single machine that sews thin and thick equally well. If most of your work ranges from 10-12 ounces to 32 ounces, a CB3200 will suffice. That is its best range. You can sew with bonded thread sizes 138 through 346 on that machine. Consult this needle and thread chart to gain insight into how thread sizes equate to actual diameters. As for the question about other brands than our advertisers, there are several good brands out there. The Artisan Toro machines are very good. There are needle and awl harness stitchers that cost an arm and a leg but lay down a stitch to match hand stitching. Campbell-Randall and Union Lockstitch machines are the best of the class for needle and awl harness machines.

If you get screws with it, find out their size and pitch, then buy a matching tap and pilot drill bit.

The OP isn't aware of how lockstitches are formed yet. Here is an animation showing how the top thread picks up the bottom thread as it goes around the bobbin and draws the tow threads up between the layers. The way lockstitches are formed requires enough material over and under the knots to conceal them (aka: bury the knots). First, the needle must be wide enough to open a hole large enough for the overlapped threads. That may be 2 to 3 times the diameter of the biggest thread. Then the thickness of the material has to fully bury those overlapped knots. That is often 4 times the size of the knots. So, a 1mm diameter thread requires a needle about 3mm diameter and the material/leather would have to be at least 6mm thick. By comparison, when hand sewing an over/under saddle stitch, a 1mm thick thread will look beautiful on both sides in 4 to 6 ounces of leather. That's because there are no overlapping knots to deal with.

I have a TS 2700. It is a fine walking foot machine for thread up to #138 and no more than 3/8 inch seams.

I strongly recommend that you read this handy thread and needle chart to see the sizes of thread you are saying are too small. By my reckoning, .55mm is a little bigger than #207 (T210) bonded thread. If that is 50% too small, the closer size would be either #415 or #554. These are equivalent to 6 and 8 cord linen thread. #207 is close to 3 cord linen. Now that the desired thread sizes are defined, it's time to narrow the field of available machines that can handle those sizes. Right off the bat, remove all tailoring and upholstery class machines. Gone! These max out with between #69 and #138 thread. Some high end Jukis and their clones can manage #207 on top and one Juki can handle it both on top and in the bobbin (LU-1508NH: about $2600). But, that is still 50% too small for your projects. So, what class of sewing machine can actually handle #415 thread? That would be the 441 class. This is based on the Juki TSC-441. It is similar in specs to the discontinued Adler 205-374. It also includes some famous and very expensive needle and awl harness stitchers. I will link to a few examples below. These are the types of sewing machines you need to sew with 6 to 8 cord, or #415 to #554 bonded thread: Juki TSC-441 (bonded T410/#415 max) Adler 205-374 (bonded T410/#415 max) Adler 989 ECO (bonded T410/#415 max) The Cowboy CB4500 (bonded T410/#415 max) The Cobra Class 4 (bonded T410/#415 max) Techsew 5100 (bonded T410/#415 max) The Artisan TORO-3200 or 4000 (bonded T410/#415 max) Cowboy Outlaw hand cranked leather stitcher (bonded T410/#415 max) Boss hand cranked leather stitcher (bonded T410/#415 max) Campbell-Randall Lockstitch (#415 bonded, or 8 cord waxed linen) Union Lockstitch Machine (#554 bonded or 8 cord waxed linen) Landis 3 harness stitcher (obsolete) Landis 12 series sole stitchers American Straight Needle sole stitcher Frobana/Pederson hand cranked sole stitcher Junker and Ruh hand lever sole stitcher

It would help if you put your location in your profile. Anybody interested in that chainstitch machine would want to know where in the World it is located!

The Consew 206RB-5 is a leather sewing machine for thicknesses not exceeding 3/8 inch and thread sizes not exceeding #138. It is fine up to those limits. Personally, having sewn many double leather belts and more holsters than you can shake a stick at, I use a Cowboy CB4500 for that kind of work. It uses thread sizes 138 and UP, with thicknesses up to 7/8 inch. I have a several medium duty walking foot machines for lighter, thinner work and thinner thread. In case you are wondering about how thin you can sew on a CB4500, or its little brother the CB3200, I have hemmed jeans and chaps on mine. There is a trick to it though. You remove the throat plate and feed dog and install the flat slotted plate instead (to prevent the cloth and soft leather from getting pushed into the feed dog hole and its rectangular slot). Then fit a #20 needle, thread it with #92 bonded, or #105 polycore jeans thread and stitch away.