Wizcrafts

With the v-belt disconnected from the motor, and/or the speed reducer, the machine should turn freely with the feet up. With the feet lowered the pressure spring comes into play. The tighter that spring, the harder it will be to hand wheel the machine as the feet alternate up and down. That foot pressure would be adjusted by the large threaded screw on top of the left side of the machine. This is different than the 2700 which has a flat pressure spring running along the back that is adjusted by a thumbscrew in the middle of the machine, to the rear. I should mention that if you bought the machine with a speed reducer, it will be harder to hand wheel than one connected directly to the motor. This because the reducer becomes an increaser when turning it from the machine instead of the motor. And, as mentioned in an earlier reply, your motor may or may not have a cork brake that needs to be relieved with a little toe movement to hand wheel without the motor turning over. Another point of great importance is to oil the machine thoroughly before running it with the motor. This includes opening the face plate cover and dropping oil into the tiny holes in the crankshafts and the sliding part on the take-up lever. Oil to excess and leave a shop cloth under the feet to absorb the drip. Before sewing anything important, wipe oil off the feet and the bottom of the head where the presser foot, alternating foot and needle bars come down. Only use Lily White sewing machine oil!

Read this thread and needle chart to understand how industrial sewing machine thread sizes compare to hand sewing thread sizes. Pay close attention to the right column under Diameter. You'll see that 0.8mm is about size 554 bonded, or 8 cord linen thread. Almost every upholstery class sewing machine maxes out with #138 (T135) thread, which is .414mm diameter. You cannot sew .8mm thread into 10 ounces of leather. The lockstitch knots would occupy too much vertical space to hide them. Only the very largest needle and awl harness and sole stitchers can sew with #554/8 cord thread.

I once owned a Singer 96k40, which was a tailoring machine similar to the 31-15. Both use Class 15 side load bobbins and have bottom feed only. The 96 is lighter duty than the 31 series.

You really should get the quietest machine you can fine, with the best balance so it doesn't vibrate on the floor as you sew. Definitely get one with a servo motor that starts rotating from zero, rather than 200rpm. You don't need any of those controls for home. slow speed, leather sewing. They are for factory production machines that are run hard and put up wet, 8 to 12 hours a day, at 2500 rpm and up. Just find a solid, slow speed, manually oiled, non-electronic, triple feed, (hopefully with a cylinder arm + table attachment) walking foot machine (like this CB341).

I never knew there was a dealer in Waco who sells Cowboy machines. Or, is that a private sale of a used machine?

Leather goods manufacturers don't necessarily use one single machine to produce their wares. Travel bags like those you linked to (India) might require 3 or 4 different types of sewing machines, plus one or more kick presses for rivets, scuff feet and decorative spots. I will hazard a guesstimate that these bags are sewn using a combination of flatbed and narrow cylinder arm walking foot machines and a tall, narrow post bed machine which could have a roller feed, or might be a chainstitch needle and awl machine like a Puritan, with a minimal footprint post. If you are thinking about making messenger bags, or briefcases, plan on buying flat bed, cylinder arm and post bed machines.

I've done that a few times and then took work home and got paid on a piece work basis. I made more that way than working hourly at the shop. Plus, you can work at you own pace at home. One such gig paid for a walking foot machine in one month.

The wax pot was there for linen thread. Before there was bonded nylon/synthetic thread, there was cotton or linen thread. Machines that were built to sew heavy and hard leather used left twist Irish linen thread that needed to be waxed on the way to the needle. The wax had to be in liquid form to avoid clogging the needle, so pre-waxed hand stitching thread wouldn't work. The liquid wax dried in the holes around the lockstitches. This is the same technique that is still used to sew soles onto shoes with curved needle/awl machines and Randall Lockstitch machines. The bottom line is, if you aren't going to sew with Irish linen thread, you don't need a wax pot on top of the machine! Bonded/pre-lubricated thread is sewn as is.

Nothing in particular. There was a bee in the house. I deleted the comment.

What new box? This machine is obsolete. The only way to get an authentic was box would be to remove it from another 97-10.

Are you referring to the BUSM Pilot the O.P. bought in 2013? That was 6 years ago.

I don't usually direct members away from here, but in your case, I recommend visiting our Sewing Leather forum first. Ask questions and read topics and replies to get a better understanding of the thicknesses of wallets and the best sizes of thread and which needles to use to sew them together. Hand sewing is also discussed in that forum. Once you understand the techniques and thread/needle sizes vs thicknesses to be sewn, come back here for a machine recommendation. You may have to import a suitable machine if none are to be found locally. Importing is tricky business because you may end up having to do all the work of de-greasing, assembling, timing and adjusting the machine before it actually sews. In essence, you may become the "dealer" for legal purposes. That leaves you on your own if things go wrong, or parts are damaged, or you can't get it to sew. If possible, try to find a company, in your country, that produces leather goods. Such a company might be willing to share sources for machines with you. They may even sell you one of their used - but still functioning - machines that has already been replaced with a new one. But, beware of bottom feed, high speed garment sewing machines. They will be of no use to you as a leathercrafter. If it does come down to importing a brand new machine, complete with a table and proper (servo) motor for your electricity, stick to known brands, like Juki, Cowboy/Hightex, Seiko/Consew, Adler and Pfaff. Some of these companies may offer an option of paying a little more to have the machine setup with your desired thread and sewn off in a certain thickness of leather (within its capacity) before it is shipped.

Those machines are not built to sew leather. They are for sail cloth, marine vinyl and upholstery leather. They will not hold up if you sew veg-tan thicker than about 8 ounces. Sailrite makes a much better portable walking foot machine that has beefed up moving parts.

The only way you're going to get help on this forum is to post pictures of the motor and its path to the machine pulley. We are used to dealing with motors rated at 1/2 to 3/4 horsepower, not 1/15th. As for the type of motor you linked to, it is a typical throwaway household sewing machine motor and vari-speed pedal. They are sold by numerous domestic sewing machine dealers, rebuilders and enthusiasts. The price seems unusually low to me. I usually see these combinations sell for 50 to 70 bucks. I wouldn't trust or even plug in anything that cheap. A Singer patcher is best powered by a 1/3 HP to 1/2 HP motor.

Trivial. Change needle and thread, wind appropriate bobbins in advance. Tweak top tension and foot pressure to hold down thicker/denser leather, then back off for thinner and softer stuff. Use round point needles for fabrics and vinyl and use leather points for leather.

This Consew 206RB-5 is probably what you need.

I didn't mention the Janome because it is a bottom feed only, domestic sewing machine. We don't deal with domestic machines on this forum anyway, strictly industrial leather sewing machines. There are other forums where people can discuss domestic sewing machines.

These machines are slightly different designs. The CB3200 is a more limited machine in that it maxes out at 32 ounces, while the Cobra Class 3 and CB3500 (same build) max out at 7/8 inch. The 3200 is best limited to #346 thread while the Class 3 and 3500 can handle #415. Accessories The lower lift on the 3200 works against the stirrup and holster throat plates that stand at least 3/8 inch above the standard plate. This only leaves about 1/8 to 3/16 inch of sewable space over the plates. With the 3500 and Class 3, there is more than 3/8 inch clearance (almost 1/2") over the plates before you max out the alternating feet. The inner and outer feet must alternate up and down at least 1/8" to allow the material to feed as you sew. If they can't alternate, the work will either stall, or stitch length will become unpredictable and short. Finally, the Class 3 and CB3500 ship with a pedestal stand by default. The CB3200 comes with a U cutout table that is 48 inches long and one must pay more to upgrade to a pedestal stand.

You should keep a lookout for used but still functional triple (compound) feed walking foot machines that use Singer 111 feet. This includes the progenitor, the Singer 111w155 (and older w103 and w153). These machines are many decades old now, but were built to last. There are some decent clones from Juki (LU-562 and 563), Seiko and Consew (206RB-x), Mitsubishi, National and a myriad of Chinese and Japanese brands. These are upholstery grade machines and most upholstery shops have several. You may find one for sale in one of those shops. Be prepared to spend from $500 to $800 for a used walking foot machine that is in good working condition. Less expensive machines may require rebuilding and timing. Be forewarned that upholstery grade walking foot machines usually have an upper limit of 3/8 inch (or less) under the lowered feet and #138 bonded (nylon|polyester) thread. They are good for chaps. vests, jackets, signs, tarps, awnings, drapes, wallets, phone cases, dog collars, belts, seat covers, bags and

I want to mention that I have personal experience running Cobra and Cowboy 441 clones. We have a CB4500 in our shop and use it every day. While most jobs are at least 12 ounces, a few are thinner. I have to do a procedure I call Dumbing down a Cowboy CB4500, Cobra Class 4, or similar harness stitcher to sew thin material with thin needles and thin thread. These are basically the same class of machine as the Artisan Toro 3200 and 4000: 441 clones.

Again, I recommend that you contact the company directly with your concerns. If they warrant that their particular machine can effectively sew from x thinness to y thickness, by simply changing needle and thread sizes, then you can either take their word for it, or request sewn samples ranging from 2 ounces through 72 ounces (sewn with the appropriate range of thread sizes). If it turns out to be so, post pictures and buy the machine (get the full details about the warranty and phone/email/chat assistance after the sale).

No!

Set the bobbin spring for a modicum of pressure on the outgoing thread. Balance the knots with the upper tension disks and thread path. The bobbin is too loose when loops form on the bottom of the work despite the knots being centered. I tend to run fairly loose bobbin tension most of the time. I only crank it up if I want the thread to be pulled deep and tight into the top and bottom. This puts a lot of strain on the take-up parts.

Bobbins are usually loaded so they feed against the direction of rotation of the hook and bobbin case. This means that their thread make a sharp reverse turn as it feeds out. When you start and stop quickly the bobbin tightens its thread rather than letting it loose. A lot of machines have star or round shaped springs inside the bobbin case to prevent run on. These are called anti-backlash springs. They can compensate for feeding the bobbin thread the wrong way, including on purpose for a smoother feed.

Since they sell direct, it is best to call or email them about the minimum thickness it can sew They are little wooden handles that screw loosely onto sewing machine handwheels (after drilling and tapping a hole) that let you crank the wheel with a handle instead of your hand on top of the handwheel itself. They used to be available for steering wheels and Barney Rubble had one on his car. They are usually found on the handwheels on shoe patcher machines.