Wizcrafts

I checked out that ad and the machine is setup as a standard crossfeed machine, not up the arm. The foot and feed dog must sit inline with the arm to feed up the arm. This one soen't have that.

If you go to this Singer model number page and look under the section for the 11 series, there are several listed as up the arm feed machines. Finding one in working condition is another matter. They are from the 1940s and WWII.

From what I can see in the dark photos, that cylinder arm machine just has normal feed over the arm. Transverse feed machines have the foot/feet and feed dog aligned inline with the arm, not across it. Singer used to make a machine that sewed up the arm.

That style of feed is called transverse feed, or sew up the arm. There are sew up the arm machines used to make blue jeans, but they aren't really able to sew with heavy thread and may only be chainstitch machines. There are some specialty sew up the arm machines that are smaller than the Hightex in the video, but you'd have to search the Internet for them. If a chainstitch is acceptable, there is a brand made in the USA called Puritan. Their machines are chainstitch with needle and awl feed. The make an up the arm machine called The Alligator.

Another factor is about to come into play regarding the prices of Chinese vs Japanese built sewing machines. The Chinese machines now have a 25% tariff applied at the port of entry, Japanese machines have much lower tariffs that are not about to go up. As the prices of Chinese clones rises due to tariffs, the Japanese prices will likely stay put. The difference may zero out soon, making a JP built machine a better deal all around.

Bore out the hole in the pulley with a bit that is the closest good fit. You will need to use a caliper to figure out if you need SAE or Metric to get it to fit. That's what our dealers do when they sell you a Family Sew motor with the 50mm pulley already on it. Of course, they have special drill bits that bore an exact diameter to fit on the motor shaft. You could have saved all this running around if you bought the motor with the 50mm pulley installed from our dealers.

If I recall correctly, the Singer 15-91 also threads from right to left (groove on right). However, it is a horizontal hook machine using Class 15 bobbins. Singer slant needle machines thread from front to back with a vertical hook in front of the needle.

Then update your profile to show your location.

I have better success using #23 (160) needles with #138 thread.

Sorry. Not me.

Personally speaking, I would prefer a clutch motor with a 2" pulley over a pushbutton servo motor that starts spinning at 300 rpm. One can learn to feather the clutch, but can never feather an on-off switch. I have clutch motors on a few machines and prefer them over any servo due to the nature of those machines.

The only servo motors I would avoid are those with push button controls. The ones I have and had all started rotating at between 200 and 300 rpm and have no smooth transition from off to on. Conversely, most of the rotary switch and pot controlled motors do transition smoothly from zero on up. Unfortunately, those motors often suffer from low startup torque when the maximum speed has been turned way down. This calls for a 2:1 or 3:1 speed reducer to be thrown into the mix. Of course, the smallest possible motor pulley helps a lot. Every sewing machine has a different size pulley in the flywheel/handwheel. Most are about 3 to 3.5 inches in diameter. Even a 2 inch motor pulley doesn't get you 2:1 reduction unless the machine pulley is at least 4 inches diameter (at the top, where the v-belt rides). Only the biggest and heaviest machines have 4 inches and larger pulleys. Shaft sizes are not universal, so a big hand/fly wheel from an old Singer may or may not fit on a newer or Chinese machine.

Have you tried rotating the threaded rod stitch adjuster? It should reach a position where it will rotate right out the back. The knob on the back has a little stud on the inside. It rides inside threads cut into the shaft. If the threads are damaged the rod can slip about or not move in and out. The shaft with the threads is made of unobtanium, which means you'll need a salvage machine or a metal lathe to get a replacement. If the adjuster turns in and out but won't come out, open the top access cover and rotate the wheel to bring a set screw to the top. Ignore the cap screw on the other side for now. It covers a powerful spring that will launch it into space. Unscrew and remove the internally threaded set screw, then back off the second set screw that's under it. See if the adjuster will back out. If not, rotate the wheel to bring the cap screw to the top. Unscrew it carefully as the spring may try to launch it into space. Try unscrewing the rod. It is a good idea to remove the spring now, set it aside and reinstall the cap screw to keep the internal parts from dropping out. If the adjuster will not unscrew, use a rawhide mallet or a #2 rubber mallet to lightly tap on the left side of the handwheel as you turn the adjuster. Hopefully, it will allow it to unscrew and come out. This may destroy what's left of the threads on the shaft. Once you have removed the adjuster and handwheel, cleanup warped threads on the main shaft with a flat file. Do the best you can to preserve as many threads as possible. The examine the adjuster to see if it is gouged at the pointed end. Clean up the pointed end with Emory cloth and a buffer. If it sucks badly, replacements from Asia are available. If the threads are too far gone on the main shaft, you have two options. Locate a replacement shaft that has good threads, or have one turned on a metal lathe. Then loosen the set screws on all of the upper shafts and cams in the head and pull the shaft out the back. Reassembly won't be fun either. Leave the damaged original in place and reuse the original adjuster rod, statically. This means instead of turning the knob, you have to remove the threaded set screw to get at the secondary set screw that actually determines how far the stitch length mechanism gets pushed by the pointed rod. When you have the desired length, reinstall the top screw to lock the thrown down. In either case the spring on the opposite side needs to go back into its hole and be tightened down with the cap screw. Good Luck with that! At this point most people take the machine to the scrap yard.

Have you visited our Marketplace section, under Sewing equipment > Old? You can post a machine wanted ad for free. Include your location to narrow it down to nearby sellers. If you don't find a post machine for sale from a member, check with Toledo Industrial Sewing machines (Ohio) or Leather Machines Company (Cobra; California).

If we make the assumption that the machine is properly threaded, the tension problem could simply be too small of a needle for the thread combinations. Consult this needle and thread chart and use the largest needle recommendations in dense leather.

This is a small bobbin patcher. The bobbins don't hold much thread. About the only size that can go very far is #69 (T70) bonded nylon or bonded polyester. That is okay for wallet interiors and thin phone cases, as well as for sewing patches onto Bikers' vests.

It is a walking foot machine. But, the third photo that shows the two feet has material under it, which is blocking the view of the throat plate and feed dog. Those items will reveal if this is a dual feed or triple feed machine. A dual feed (top and bottom) machine would have a static needle bar and inside foot bar that only move up and down, while the outside foot claws the work from the top as the feed dog pushes from the bottom. A triple feed machine has the needle bar, inside foot and feed dog moving in sync, while the outside foot only moves up and down. If you can go look at the machine, remove the material under the feet, then examine the feed dog and throat plate. It the throat plate has a small hole directly under the needle and the feed dog does not have a hole for the needle, it is a dual feed machine. If the throat plate has a long rectangular cutout and the feed dog has a hole or slot for the moving needle and the needle and inside foot move with the dog, it is a triple feed machine. Dual feed machines are meant to sew heavy cloth, vinyl and sometimes, upholstery leather. Triple feed machines work with those, plus veg-tan leathers. There are myriad accessory feet for triple feed machines but only a few for dual feed. Most dual feed feet have teeth on the outside foot. They will mark up veg-tan leather.

@pgb123 There is your answer and source for the needles.

If you are able to find thew recommended needle system, in the sizes you prefer to use, buy a few packs. then adjust the needle bar height to match those needles. Needle bars can move from impact, or from owners wanting to use a different needle system that is longer or shorter, or that they have on hand. If the needle bar height securing screw is worn it can be replaced.

I use double sided Leather Tape from Wawak.com. It comes in 1/4", 1/2", 3/4" and 1" width by 60 yards. I apply it across the length of rectangular patches, at the top and bottom. For round patches I use a criss-cross with the tape, peeling the backing off the first piece before laying the second one down. The tape isn't affected by the elements any more than the iron-on glue patches. I use a post machine to sew patches onto hats.

This dealer, whom I had no knowledge of before today, is not a reseller of "Techsew." They carry similar sounding brands called "New Tech" and "SewTech." All warranty and servicing will be through them, not the manufacturers (that's how dealership arrangements usually work, with the exception of drop ship agents who are not usually responsible at all). You should call and ask about in-store or on-location servicing and warranties before buying from them. They do mention that all machines are shipped un-assembled unless you pay more for assembly.

I've used (and still use) a variety of sewing machine motors. Some of my machines have internal clutch motors, some have continuous run motors with external clutches, some are push-button servos, some are pot controlled servos and some multi-position rotary switch controlled servos. Of the servo motor types, I preferred and used to buy Sew Pro 500GR motors. They had knobs on the left side to limit the top speed and worked awesomely once you got past the low torque setting. The advantage of these motors was that they began turning at zero and smoothly increased to top speed. But, they went out to lunch one day and never returned. When Sew Pro went out of business I began buying push-button servos. They do have a lot of startup torque. The issue I have with most of them is that they usually start rotating, with a sudden jerk, at 100, 200, or 300 rpm. After getting past the starting point the speed transition is sometimes very abrupt. So, I bought variable density Cobra light filters and placed them between the bulb and sensor. The results were hit and miss with the filters and they still didn't start at zero. When Toledo Industrial began importing Family Sew 550 motors I bought one and found that it had good low speed torque and started rotating at zero, with a smooth transition to maximum. I have 3 of them now. They are close to the Sew Pro in performance and are still in production. The important detail is the pulley diameter. It must be a 2" (50mm) pulley if you are going to want to sew in the neighborhood of 1 or 2 stitches per second flat out. The standard 3" pulley runs it too fast for precision sewing and makes it more like a clutch motor that has to be feathered to sew slowly. Even with a 2" pulley, I found the need to buy a speed reducer for my walking foot post bed machine. This gives incredible slow speed torque for precision sewing. NB: I can feather my clutch motors down to one stitch at a time, or hold the pedal steady at about 1.5 to 2 stitches per second. So technically speaking, I don't actually need a servo motor at all. But, they are quiet when not in motion and don't throw off heat in the summer like my clutch motors do. They draw less current at their typical slow speeds so the electric bills aren't as high as when I had nothing but clutch motors on for hours at a time.

Yes, it is fully capable of sewing slings, straps, belts, pouches, garments, vests, etc. It won't be any good for holsters though. Seeing as how this model lacks a safety clutch, always hold back the starting threads to prevent thread jams in the hook.

What we refer to as patchers are shoe REPAIR machines. They are also great for sewing embroidered patches over pockets and sleeves, and for fixing torn or loose strap tabs on the sides of purses.

I have a Cowboy CB4500 and previously sewed on a Cobra Class 4. These 441 clones (Juki TSC-441) are built super heavy duty to withstand the pounding and heavy load of thick thread and big needles in thick stacks of hard leather. to do this they use a very long needle. So, it should be no surprise that they aren't as effective with thin thread and thin needles. However, if you are willing to take the time to dumb down the machine, you can sew thin leather, with thin thread and thin needles. You can read how to do this on my leatherworks blog. If dumbing down a big harness stitcher doesn't appeal to you, check out the Cowboy CB341 or Cobra 26, or a Techsew 3650HD. All three brands are advertisers here and support our forum.