orangedesperado

It can be tricky to adjust the thread tension, when you are first getting to know your industrial machine. Here are the variables that will affect your stitching: - Thread fibre (nylon, polyester, linen, etc.) - Thread size (in Canada industrial cones of nylon thread used for leather/upholstery are numbered ie # 33, 46, 69, etc.) - Needle size - Needle point (leather point, regular point, ball point) - Upper tension - Lower tension - Type and texture of the leather you are sewing It looks to me like your upper tension is too tight, and your lower tension may be slightly loose. An easy way to check this is by using different colors of thread. Ideally the stitches on both sides should look identical with no thread peeking out from below, and should be nicely embedded in the leather without seeming too tight/hard to the touch. You may have to play around with adjusting both the upper and lower tension to work together as they should. Check your needle that the point is not hooked. Check that the needle is inserted correctly (long groove faces left). Check that there is no debris in the upper or lower tension spring. Check that your upper thread is feeding smoothly. Make sure your machine is well lubricated. I always do a test run on whatever I am sewing. Thin garment leather needs a different thread and tension than hard belt leather, for example. And definitely keep the needle in more than 1/2 way when you are pivoting the corner.

Ah - okay - I missed the rinsing out after the acetone bath part. I will sit back and wait. I wasn't sure if this would turn inky black in the jar - or was supposed to. I guess I need the 101 tutorial with pictures ! Thanks for the input.

Hi Everybody ! I stumbled across Leatherworker.net completely by accident - due to the vinegaroon recipe. I have a couple of decades experience sewing garment leather on industrial machines, and some familiarity with working with belt leathers. I loved the idea of a permanent black dye, caused by a chemical reaction. I am making some placemats as a gift, and a permanent, non- transferable dye sounds much better than the stinky and not 100% fast Fiebings oil dye that I am familiar with. So - of course I ran right out for some vinegar, steel wool and acetone. This is what I did: I poured a bunch of acetone in a plastic tub. I unravelled the extra fine steel wool and dunked it completely into the acetone and squeezed it out (while wearing nitrile gloves). I let this dry overnight. I then put this into a plastic container (old gallon vinegar jug), and poured vinegar to cover. I left an opening for air. It is in a warmish place (68 - 72 degree F). I have been shaking it everyday - but so far (four days later) the liquid is only slightly greyish. For good measure I added some rusty nails last night. The steel wool looks only a tad rusty at the top. I read over many instructions and comments here and other places online. There seemed to be some differences of opinion about whether the steel used should be rusty or not rusty. Many people said they let it develop in a warm place in direct sunlight. Some people said they boiled it. Does it sound like my vinegaroon is developing naturally ? Did my steel wool not get de-greased properly ? Any input would be appreciated.