Cumberland Highpower

Sounds like a bent shaft, but could be a bent pulley as well? I doubt it a bad bearing though. A damaged bearing would make a rumble or a bit of vibration from the brinelling caused by the impact but that's about it.

Got the job done. If Eli's 82 everyone better take note and get those parts you always wanted... I've got a 16 and hardly ever use it, but I just bought it because I liked how it looked. Still find it unique. Sort of like that Farmall Super C all restored up in front of your local produce/greenhouse/farmers market type store.

Something else to consider is to not put so many "tacks" in that backtack. All you really need is one back stitch. One is enough, but 2 can be a plus. 2 as in 2 complete stitches back, not 2-3 piled up on top of each other. All that thread in one place just makes a globby mess and doesn't look so neat. If you're backtacking with heavy thread like yours, you shouldn't have more than 2 threads visible in each completed backtack stitch.

Why not just start your work one hole from the end? Make one stich (or 2) and turn the work around 180 degrees and chug away? I've almost never used a reverse on a machine. Some machines just aren't timed right. is your forward and reverse identical in stitch length? There can also be times when a switch to reverse and then forward again wont pull the lock up right. (geometry). Just things to consider.

The domes are nice and pretty, I used to use a rivet set, then a custom driver in a riveter. I use allot of #12x3/8" copper belting rivets, but set them flush across the surface in a steel piece in a 5 ton press. 5 tons is enough to swage the rivet tip into a hole .110" in one whack. Looks pretty sharp in it's own way and bites allot better than you'd think. I don't think it would work with a copper burr though, just too thin and soft.

Unfortunately running a UL is a bit of a trade in itself. Unless a guy was sewing 200 units a day that would definitely be the wrong machine and attachment to recommend. If he had 200 to sew, daily I'd say that's right up his alley! I used to have an Adler 205-25 that was built for moccasins. What was the advantage? Hard to say really, because I never saw the good in it. At least on that machine you could set the upper foot to feed more or less relative to the feed dog with easy adjustments. Apparently quite allot of moccasin makers used the 205-25, I've seen a fair number out there.

Post a couple photos

I'd normally agree with that Dwight. But in this case he's got an alibi. Shooting coats are designed to be restrictive. Usually having straps and hooks that can be cinched down tightly to more or less hold you stiff. I've personally broken a few straps on my jackets and haven't put any weight on...lately! I'd maybe use a 5-6oz piece as a backing plate and keep it all on the backside. Looks like a smallbore jacket? Smallbore shooters tend to be a more refined lot....But Service/HP shooters are a bit more grizzled. As long as the jacket is sound that's all that matters.

I clicked the College Sewing link out of curiosity. Yeah that's about $455! That's close to approaching half of what i sold the 205-64 for...! I've bought some goodies from College Sewing and had pretty good luck so far with "other" prices at least being somewhat affordable. Brexit? Is England the source of Singers in your part of the world? Singers seem to be good machines, but nearly every clone of a Singer I've found made in more modern times was a little better in build quality. Seiko/Pfaff/Adler etc.

It's easy to mistype these days, especially with all the autocorrects, I do it all the time! A person could have an oversaturated motor w/stators made from Chinese bean can steel that draws 600W and a quality built Efka or Misubishi that draws 575W and actually have "more" output shaft power put out by the later. When it's a $200 servo vs one a few times more expensive, nobody really seems to care though. I bet all the ROC made clutch motors I have aren't as efficient as my old Belgian and USA made versions, but I don't seem to care either. I'm just rambling on GerryR.

Actually there are a few other bits at play, such as the elemental composition of the iron used in the stators. Chinese motors often use some really low quality sheet steel for that. You'll get oversaturation and more heat as a result. I'd gamble an Efka motor generates a good bit less heat to dissipate based on the Watt rating than any of these bargain Amazon servos. Seems like I remember a guy on ebay selling some 4:1 speed reduction bolt on (planetary?) gearboxes for servos. I don't remember too many details other than they were somewhere around $100. Anyone here have one or try one out?

My dad was a bricklayer and one summer when i was 12 we were putting up a pretty tall chimney at a neighbor's lodge. I fell 3 stories off the scaffolding when I slipped on a bit of grit. After laying in the dirt and eating a little somehow I pulled myself together and got up. We took the rest of the day off work.

That was my post you quoted I think. I recently sold my 205-64 so that's not a problem for me any longer! LOL "Big" money is subject to interpretation I guess...With German goods it's always to be expected. The irony is that any roller feet Adler would have in stock were either made back in the days of "West" Germany with a production cost of 10% of today or made in the Adler parts plant in Romania where they pay $800 a month tops in wages. I'm still a little sour about the $126 I was charged for an Adler thread guide pin for one of my 205-370s....And the $26 charged for a plastic lift lever ball.... But if you need it, you need it, Right?

Somewhat unrelated to the question at hand, but I'm curious what shows/types of show you attend?

Most of those are pretty valid and on the money points. I got into leatherworking mainly as you said I felt like it was an easy money maker and I wanted a few things. There was a learning curve, but a holster isn't the RD-180. I'd say the learning curve for myself was about a week of full time experimenting and some fine tune skill honing over a year or so. I think the big mistake that newcomers make is that they want to make "Custom" holsters, one customer at a time. There's no money in that. Maybe pocket money, but it's allot of frustration and annoyance and it's almost impossible to read someone else's mind 100%. The customer ends up never being fully happy. There are some pretty successful custom makers out there, but they're a rarity and a good few of them live on some kind of backup income like SS, Army Pension/VA Disability, Oil Royalties, etc. My approach was to make a few lines of holsters that were inspired by big name makers or of my own design and look for retailers who would sell them under their name. If they sold they sold, if not, not. Cheap models always sold the best, about 10x better.

Are you certain you're using the right needles? A needle too short or too long can give you the illusion of being out of time. Might sound like a silly suggestion but sometimes could be the case? Just look over the mechanisms, you should be able to "see" what the problem is with a little careful analysis.

Sewing machines are simple machines and anything can be fixed. It's probably just a timing or adjustment problem rather than a parts one. I don't think that machine can handle much sole work, if any? I think most buy them for things like sewing patches on jackets and shoe upper repair work in 4/5oz or less shoe leather. Positioner on a shoe patcher might be not worth the effort, you'd be better off just to set it up to run slow. Positioners are more for speedy production machines and a patcher isn't really one. Slow sewing design w/small bobbin.

I'd have to agree with that! 25 years ago I didn't have a choice, and didn't see it that way. I made a living making holsters for over a decade, and looking back, was pretty good money. I started with $200 and a 90 day loan against my 10 year old VW Golf (bought a stitcher). I made ALLOT of holsters of all types, mainly on contract. I rarely make holsters now and keep looking for something that just requires pushing a big red button. CNC, etc! LOL.

I like that answer. Sometimes my die maker is amazed by all the residual pencil marks, arcs, curves, lines and intersects he finds all over the cardstock. I tried to learn Fusion 360 and partly have, but I'd just as soon use an old way of doing something than to sit for hour/s doing that.

I bet that hurt... in 20 years I've only been bitten really good once. It was with one of my little machines that I use allot. What got me? The new "silent" ISM servo I had installed on it. I went to flip the thread out from under the feet with my finger and right then it decided to put the needle down. (had been fiddling with the positioner and didn't have it secured. Drove the needle right through my finger, clean through the bone and out the bottom. I was running 138 thread so I did have a heavy needle in it-But I'm surprised it didn't break/shatter.

I'm curious, what's the most popular weight or weights of Rawhide "Mauls" used for leatherwork? I've never actually used one until recently, mainly just used hammers and mallets made from hard rubber/plastic or wood. Just curiosity mainly, I used one for the first time at a friends place to whack a punch. Not the svelte classy type you see in leatherworker catalogs with the leather handles, but rather a more industrial rig with what looked like an ash handle but having the same head design as any other leather maul. I'd say I found it pretty effective, yet a bit clumsy?! A little intrigued all the same, might like to add a couple to our tools.

I'm just as guilty as you. On the grinder guards I had a bit of repentance though. A family friend was using a large angle grinder with cut off wheels (and no guard) and the disc exploded. He actually lost part of 2 fingers.....After that I at least use a guard when using cut off wheels, and leather gloves! LOL

If you're just working by yourself you don't want guards/wires in your way. It's bad enough sometimes with all the mechanisms of the feet blocking your view/work. If you have employees, I'd probably go that route though. Just what you need to start your day, an OSHA visit over a minor injury/hospital visit. If someone is injured and they find out they'll cite you for every possible and even questionable violation in your shop, including the needle guards you removed from your presser feet. I've been told they'll negotiate down to a lower amount, but they'll always want to start with as high a dollar amount as possible for leverage. I hate to say it Digit, but America is a nanny state too. We're overtaxed, overregulated and overwatched. It's just hidden a little better and the general public is a bit more on the naïve side of life compared to the average European.

The 335 in your top photo looks like it's a clone based on a new type casting Pfaff.(I guess is obvious) I've no experience with "Typical" machines or many clones in general, but the Pfaff 335 is a pretty decent machine for some/most of the work you're looking to do. Most of the Pfaff 335 machines were set up for binding work, but not all. I'm guessing the Typical probably follows the same trend? Dont buy one set up for binding. I've owned Pfaff 335's and I could run 138 top and bottom, same with my Seiko LSC-8 machines. The narrow cylinder arm comes in handy sometimes, but being lazy would prefer the top loading bobbin. Some (many) of the top loaders use larger bobbins anyway and you'll probably like that. Might be a consideration and something ELSE to dwell on. I've done allot of really fine (beautiful) work on my Seiko LSC's...Some work that you might struggle to do on others, but I don't particularly love how the bobbin loads. In fact, I'll use other machines at times just so I can avoid having to reload bobbins. I'd still opt for the "Typical" 318 version (if it were me). But lots of good choices mentioned here.

Cutting the middle man out does seem to pay off sometimes. He's in Paraguay, so it looks like he's importing it to Miami, then forwarding it to Paraguay for an additional $540. That would but a head in a box to his door @ $1124. Then adding a table/motor. Probably some savings, but wonder if it's worth the gamble for someone who's just starting out or having limited funds they've saved up? I just assumed Paraguay had some hefty import taxes. Sounds like maybe it's not so bad?