Darren Brosowski

A Chinese 29k hand wheel - if it has the pulley groove - will fit and save the drama of reinventing the wheel. If no pulley groove then it can be machined.

Unfortunately it is always possible that a screw or two will slip loose in shipping. Apart from Locktite on every screw none of us dealers can do anything to prevent it. I just shipped a machine 4000km by road from one side of Australia to the other. It worked perfectly here but played up on arrival. A local mechanic went over the machine and a bunch of things had rattled loose on the trip but he sorted it all out and the customer is now happy.

You mean HHW - His Hot Wife LOL

Firstly I want to make it clear that I am enjoying this debate and no nastiness is intended!!!!! I hope you understand that I love old machines and it is a huge part of my business. It is difficult to compare apples to apples and I used the Pearson as an example as it is equivalent to the CB4500 which seems to be the most popular machine on this forum. Personally I love the 45k25 and I know master saddlers who still use them for the majority of their work despite owning more modern machines. Is the GA5 as well built as well as the 45k? Possibly. Are the materials and heat treatment as good? No, No, No and No!! Will they improve? Yes. Japan built many of the Singer machines from the 1960's and even improved on them but the difference is that they were doing it to Singer specifications so had a great starting point. China is starting from a lower point and in many - not all - cases is reverse engineering machines. The great news is that many Chinese parts fit the Singer 45k so there will be a supply of wear parts for decades to come!! I disagree with you on pricing. As a comparison you only need look at domestic Singer machines where they pretty much invented Hire Purchase so people could afford them. Today a domestic machine is extremely cheap if we compare base models. The same comparative pricing goes for industrial machines.

Almost as rare as rocking horse poop!!!!!

Cool - better than sox and jox for Christmas!

0000 steal wool and kerosene. Normally paint only comes off if there is rust underneath and that is unavoidable. The pictures may not be showing everything but mostly what I see there is oil staining.

I have a deal with the local scrap merchant - he takes away my old motors and gives me any industrial machines that come his way. While most of what he gets are thrown back in the scrap pile I do get the odd gem.

Ouch, That would suggest that something is out of round. If it is just the rotating block then it should not be too expensive to replace but if the whole head is out of alignment then you have a more expensive problem. OTOH it could be a bent needle bar. Check that the four bolts that hold the head in place are tight before you do anything. If the screws are tight then I would suggest finding a mechanic who knows 29k's intimately and preferably with experience on the Asian machines. Bob Kovar may be your new best friend.

Sorry, I may have been a bit grumpy when I wrote that post An eBay search for 97X3 will bring up the needles that are almost the right size. Disclaimer - I am the supplier. The ones that appear to be identical to the 97X3 I cannot give out the number for commercial reasons as I am trying to arrange a supplier. They are not currently available in the West as far as I can determine so obviously I want to be the first.

OKAY, let me throw a spanner in the works. Just to be a pain some Chinese manufacturers use a different system. For example; They call a 7X3 (794) Nm250 needle a 7X250. BUT!!!!!! There is also an oddball needle for a special machine that they call a 7X250 (76) as it is 76mm long. Also the GA5 needle can be labelled as a 45X250 as it is originally the 45k needle. The 97X3 (97-10) needle is made in China under a different numbering system entirely!!

There are two different Chinese needle classes that can also work but neither is available in leather point. One is exactly the same dimensions. I posted the details here once before but a representative of a company that only deals in old super heavy machines told me I didn't know what I was talking about so I won't bother again. There is also another needle which is about 2mm shorter and is made for a shoe machine.

Maintenance is a different issue altogether and I have seen ADLER machines that stop working after a year because the owner did not bother to remove the needle plate and clean out the crap. Price/quality are no insurance against stupidity.

Yes, there are 100 year old vehicles on the road but they get 2MPG and cost a fortune to keep on the road as parts have to be custom made. Life expectancy is directly related to cost of materials and accuracy of manufacture. As I said before - Chinese heavy machines cost a months wages but a Pearson 6 when new was worth several years wages. Would you pay $100,000 for a new sewing machine? A well cared for modern Chinese machine will easily run for 20 years or more before needing major work as the leather machines we are talking about rarely run at more than a couple of hundred stitches per minute. Bearing wear is directly related to RPM and the bearing areas are huge for the loads involved. The Australian and US sewing industry folded because they tried to compete with Japan and then China while using machines that were 50 years old while the Asians poured money into modern technology. China uses ultrasonic sewing machines for synthetic materials in the underwear industry and fully automatic machines for sheets and towels. The automotive comparison is relevant as it is the equivalent of using a Model A tray back to compete with a modern diesel prime mover for interstate deliveries. The same goes for any production machinery.

Sorry, that should be TE as the TF is the Seiko built 18

From a business perspective that makes no sense at all. You do not buy a delivery vehicle and expect it to last for 60 years. If that was the case my great grandfather would have been buried with his Model A delivery van. Technology changes and improves. In a previous life I was a refrigeration mechanic and found it amazing that companies that would lease vehicles for 3years/50 thousand kilometres would expect their air conditioning unit to run 24 hours per day 7 days a week and get upset when they started breaking down after 20 years of service. I love old sewing machines but the older they get the more expensive they are to maintain and the more often they will be out of service and not earning you money. Everything mechanical is subject to wear.

You sure about India on the Groz-Beckertz Bob? I only ask because India generally seems to be unable to make anything of any quality!

Westkyleather just learned an expensive lesson. Your servo motor is a great device and it is run with all sorts of electronics and other black magic. Just like your computer you really should protect it with a surge arrestor. One of those silly power boards that trip out at 15Amps overload is a waste of time and money. Spend $30 and protect your expensive motor.

Yep - it "let the smoke out".

eVilBay prices include their fees plus Paypal fees and I always do a bit better for people who contact me direct. Postage cost is fixed but ABLE Sewing is always happy to do a deal.

Another problem with the Chinese & Taiwanese machines is that the screw that locks the mechanism in place is too short. Normally I fix this by taking off the hand wheel and grinding 1mm or so off the area where the head of the screw sits. The last Chinese 29 I had was given to me as a gift and they are going to give me one of the "upgraded" version. Freight is all I am prepared to pay for these things. Usually the Taiwanese machines are better and I am surprised Nick-o-sew missed this problem. I am sure they would be grateful if you let them know there is a problem so that they can fix it.

That machine has been repainted as they were not that glossy when they left the factory!!! I bought three 17-25's at one time and all were incomplete so there were enough to build one jump foot, one roller foot and one as a darner. Many parts are available from Seiko as they build the 17 class as the TF but I don't think the double row feed dog is one of them. Bob Kovar would be the best person to ask.

Schmetz are made in Germany. If it does not say "Made in Germany" on the packet then you have been sold a Chinese rip off.

I sell Cowboy machines and they are pretty good but I doubt that any of them will be running in 100 years time. Even the best current ADLER or Juki machines of today probably won't run in 100 years time but I could be wrong. The other way to look at it is that a CB4500 is worth about one months average wages but a Pearson 6 was worth 2-3 years average wages. It is possible to build a machine to last 100 years or more with spares but is anyone prepared to pay $US50,000

OK, found one for the Singer 155 which in theory is the same as the Seiko LSC and Consew 227. OD is 1.50 Pitch is around 0.65. Cannot find my pitch gauge so using the verniers.