catskin

I have never seen a 97-10 or the bobbin but the BUSM / Pierson have a manual / hand crank one, could you possibly rig one up that would work sort of the same. Maybe pulleys insead of gears.

Thanks yet again Wiz for your time and advice. Now after all I said about looking for loose parts I realize I missed one. I tended to be looking at the bottom and finally found that the set screw that holds the top cam that drives the needle bar and takeup lever plus foot lift onto the main top shaft was very slightly loose. Which allowed it to move a few thousandths back and forth on the shaft. It has timing marks on the shaft and cam so I know it is right now. This seems to have all but fixed the problem. Now it only misses the loop on very thick ( near its limit ) but changeing to a thicker needle might help that. If anybody out there knows what those marks on the shuttles mean I sure would like to know. If as I suspect they indicate which shuttle should go with which size needle it would help set things up right the first time.

Thanks Wiz. I tried changeing the travel on that spring,from maximum to no travel and several in between, no improvement. This machine takes the same System 794 needle as the 4500 Cowboy, I am using schmetz I even tried some that Bob sent with the Cowboy. This machine does not have a post with holes to run the thread through. I know 180 is on the small side for 346 thread and 250 might be on the big side but the surpriseing part is they all do the same thing . I would have expected either better or worse with changeing size but there isn't any. I kinda hope Bob or someone who has seen a 20-2 might see this . In case they have some quirk that is unique to them.

Thanks Wiz. First I have this old machine slowed WAY down so heat is not likely, deflection maybe. but on one ply ? Next I MUST check this spring adjustment. Is this the one between the tension roller and the pullup lever? Pickup point seems okay BUT. No shims since I have it. I have 4 shuttles and they have a machined spot of varying sizes just back of the point on the outside edge that I THINK might have something to do with telling you which one should be used for possibly different needle sizes. Side slack seems very small. In fact not noticeably more then on the new Cowboy 4500. The point does not really miss the loop but rather pushs it forward then slips past. I can see what is happening by taking of the plate to the right of the needle. When the loop forms it doesn' always stick out straight from the needle but twists slightly forward ( the direction the shuttle is going) Gotta go check that spring.

Please can anybody help me. I am having trouble with my machine ( Adler 20-2 ) not forming a good loop for the shuttle to catch some of the time. It will make the most perfect stiches for a while, some times 2 or 3 feet then start missing some times as many as 10 in a row. This is with 346 bonded nylon thead on leather. Here are what I have tried. Changing shuttle. Seemed to have fixed it , went back next day and was back to same problem. Turned the needle slightly one way and the other , no help. Changed needles to try different sizes. !80, 200, 230, 250. no difference. Changed feet, No help. Changed to diferent spools of thread, No help. Adjusted needle bar slightly up and down , no change. Tried sewing different kinds of leather, no real change. Different thicknesses from one ply of about 8 oz. to 5/8 thick (4 plys various thickesses) Most of the above seemed to make a bit of difference but only for a short time. Checked for loose parts. Can't find any parts that seem to have noticeable wear. Now can these cause this kind of trouble. Worn hole in needle plate? Dull point on shuttle? Worn shuttle track? What have I missed? I've had this machine for quite a while though it never got much use, its always been prone to this sort of thing and at times it would get going good without my knowing what I did to make it better. I doubt it can be timing , if it was it wouldn't make perfect stiches for a while then start missing. Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

Have you checked that little T shaped spring in the needle bar above the needle? If it is broken or bent or the thread is not under it it can skip stitches sometimes.

It looks nearly identical to my Adler 20-2. I've been told that there is a Singer that is virtually identical so I am hoping one of the experts will tell me if this is it. With a bit of tinkering I have my 20-2 sewing 7/8 inchsof harness leather.

Good solution. Bet it cost more then rosin!! But don't through away a good saddle that can be fixed with a bit of rosin.

I must admit I havn't read all of this thread . But the very simple cure for this is just a bit of rosin like the rodeo riders use on the glove for bareback or bull riding rubedv on the seat. I've used it and it works great. Do NOT put on to much at first or you can get blisters since your chaps won't slip AT ALL. only needs to be put on about once a year.

You could try Halfords in Edmonton. I have a catalog from them and the list all kinds of leather including harness. I've never bought from them since I get all my leather custom tanned.

While I do not disagree with any of the opinions expressed here this is what I see your situation to have been. You were asked to CLEAN and OIL this saddle, NOT INSPECT and CERTIFY it as safe. They accepted it as clean and oiled when it was picked up. You have no way of knowing if the strap was damaged after it left your place. Nor could they prove that it was damaged at the time you saw it. It was THEIR responsablity to inspect it before they used it.

Sounds to me like it is worn bad in the track that the piece runs in above the foot runs in.Plus bits of wear other places that adds up. If you look up into the ring that you turn to change the direction you are sewing you will likely see that there is slack. You will likely need new parts or build up and refit the worn ones. I believe these machines only do about 6 stiches / inch when new.

3/8 is absolute limit 1/4 is more realistic.

Mine has less rust than yours and I bought it a few years ago for $35.00. So you may not be able to retire on what you get.

Step by step instructions. 1 shoot dog. 2 skin dog. 3 tan hide. 4 fix couch. 5 LAUGH AS HARD AS I AM as I write this. You did ask for suggestions, you didn't say they had to make sense.

Sorry but I mildly disagree. I have several sets of wooden hames here, some likely a 100 years old, and have seen a lot of others. The reason they don't seem to me to be hames are the ends appear to have the same curve at both ends and the round rings on the ends. BUT there may have been some like that. The size is hard to tell but it looks small to me. Actually hame was my first thought but looking closer I changed my mind.

I am NOT saying Lieghtons machines are not good. BUT his price was $1000.00 more than the machine from Toledo when I checked in November and DIDN'T include all the optional parts. ( plates, feet ,table etc.) You are closer to Toledo then Alberta to. I didn't deal with Techsew because they had no machines on hand at the time, would have had to wait 4 to 6 weeks before they thought they might get some in. From Toledo I had my machine in 6 days.

I have seen something that looked quite similar made out of metal that fastened to the front of the breast collar on team harness in order to carry the pole.

Your awls must be good! Not long ago one of the guys on here said if an awl doesn't go half way through your finger before you feel it, it is not sharp enough.

I am one that Greenwood refered to. There is NO duty on sewing machines. Shipping from Toledo to Sask. was $250. plus provinial tax, Customs told me that you can bring (have shipped ) a machine without a broker, they can just attach an invoice and you pay it after the machine arrives.

I don't know why nobody answered your question. I don't do much hand sewing but from what I have done I would suggest the awl should be just big enough that you can push the needles through without to much difficulty. So that would mean thicker awl for thicker needles and visa versa.

Thank you WIZ. That does explain why my old fossil of an Adler with just bottom feed and jump foot is more consistant in stitch length regardless of how much is under the foot. It is because the feed dog moves the material the same distance regardless of how thick it is. I do understand now why this is as it is on the needle feed machine. And that it isn't just this make of machine that does it.

As Art stated other machines DO NOT make a different stitch length when you change thickness of leather under the foot. My OLD Adler 20-2 does not and it has just bottom feed and jump foot. I have a new 4500 Cowboy so I know what they are like. I thought the new machines would be at least as good as the OLD ones as far as consistant stitch length is concerned. This might have to do with the linkages in the compound feed. I do hope someone will get on here and explain why this happens.

Rayban, I believe the question here is why are the stitches not the same length on thicker leather as on thin WITHOUT changeing the setting on the lever. I think they should be, so that when you sew from thick to thin or visa versa such as where you have leather overlaped the stiches stay the same length.

Just wondering, why reply to your own post and answer your own questions?