gordond

Industrial chemist/engineer/..QA Manager....9 years in pharmaceuticals/hospital supply [baxter NZ]...23 years in drywall/building products manufacturing.

King = German made to ? 1950's? NEA= New England Awl & Needle Company...NEA&NCO [Medway,MA,USA] 1871 to ? 1950's?[merged with USMC] [link to long to post ; but search "united awls medway" ..photos of the factory and staff]

Hi Greg and all I talked to your Father a few years back and someone we both know had cleared out most of the needles. Actually that buyer is a quite helpful guy [no animosity in my comment] here is what I found in 2008 Groz Beckert in Germany had a number of 97x3 [roundpoint for cloth ,webbing] quantities they had ~ 3 years ago were..... sku :703762 97x3 size 250 [27] Available 3,800 needles sku: 702412 97x3 size 280 [28] Available 8,100 needles sku: 703772 97x3 size 300 [29] Available 2,100 needles Price Sept/2008 : 109 Euro/100 [Germany]. do you have any Singer 97 machine stuff left? yes I did see a new hook [complete] for sale in the US, but it was sooo expensive I didn't inquire if it was still actually available.

forgot to mention that you "can" use a 794 system needle ,but it is a shorter needle. there is a 1000H needle [long], but of limited range and not much stock around I think..Bob Kovar would know. Hi Darren..re: bobbins..sounds interesting....now that I remembered ...let me know what you can get as I have 3 machines that use this size.. Singer's 97-6 , 7-5 plus a ["Techsew"] 180...[well not a Techsew per se'... different brand ,but it came from the same Chinese factory] Raphael Sewing Machine sell a bobbin ..how does this compare?

I have a Singer class 97 [model 97-6]....picture of it in the gallery. they use a small or short bobbin [singer# 11910]...same as used in Singer 7-5, 7-9, 7-34.... Fairly common ..priced <US$6 ea for the original style or less for the plain generic ones [check ebay] Needles are the issue , depending on your intended use .. for leather ..97x4.. these are rare now for cloth webbing ..97x3..still plenty around link to a previous request for needles... http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=34978 there was a interesting discussion regarding this machine sometime back. that got some enthusiastic responses against buying a old "clunker" 97 but this machine suited me at the time and should continue to do so.

Hi talk to Bob Kovar of Toledo Industrial Sewing Machine Sales Ltd.... .he is on this site ..."sewmun"....he may have a few 97x4 left [for leather] .............................. Groz Beckert in Germany had a number of 97x3 [roundpoint for cloth ,webbing] quantities they had ~ 3 years ago were..... sku :703762 97x3 size 250 [27] Available 3,800 needles sku: 702412 97x3 size 280 [28] Available 8,100 needles sku: 703772 97x3 size 300 [29] Available 2,100 needles Price Sept/2008 : 109 Euro/100 [Germany].

Hi Gary try again.. .try Machine Part Welding in Penrose.. actually I need to do something similar and as I work in that area..I will check out and let you know... they have done industrial work for us in the past and weren't greedy.

Hi hard to see if this is a suede/spilt.. I did a case project a number of years back and used "baize" [pool table felt] look into guncase and drawer linings... there a number of "tight" felt like fabrics that would be more suitable. Pricing unknown.

Hi Alasdair and all just confirming the 29K58 Check lever joint pin is part # 8554.[Thread take-up] this tapered pin is used "throughout" the 29 Class machines....at least per the 5 parts manuals I have [i.e.....29-4...29K51,53,55,56 ... 58,60,62....70.....71,72,73]. I need to get one of these out [K58] , but had the same issue -tricky, so left it for a more patient time. cheers

I have seen an ad for a number of Pearson No.6 parts in Eckville,Red Deer,AB,Canada. It is a private sale [no price..contact only]; and because the seller's host site won't respond to me ,does anyone know this seller? Of particular interest to us here is the set of pricking feet [stitch sets] for sale.

Hi Greg and Art I was a little vague as I didn't want to mention the actual brand names sold in the US. Servo motors are of particular interest to me presently, as I will be switching out my good clutch motors into other gear with older motors [skivers,shoe finishers-just as a drive motor,so-on]..rpm and loading are compatible, so can swap. The issue is that we use 240 Volt here so can't really buy out of the US [120 Volt] …shipping weight+ $exchange also factor. Though someone in the US said it wasn't an issue to get a 240 V servo in with their regular orders.The one I mentioned is selling here now for ~USD$280 [price has increased since I bought] What I am trying to find out if the servos sold here are any good.or only to hear that particular brand has been dropped in the US for a better one with also say EPS at the same list price. the same applies to the sewing machines themselves....we in NZ are sort of at the "end of the line" in some respects. Art ...I will send you an email later when I get the specific info of the one I had seen here. I have been through a similar exercise with lawn/yard equipment and buy direct from the US.[uS retail price +shipping to NZ is still < 30% of retail here]

Can anyone identify the actual manufacturers [name] of the new Heavy duty sewing machines in the USA and particularly Servo motors. OK; Chinese made[100%?], but there can be big variances between manufacturers[or even their factories] In this part of the world,"some" equipment is showing up ..can look very similar to what is for sale in the USA ,but is "home or dealer " branded ...so can be impossible to compare against international reviews and forums on this site. for example: I have a servo made by the"Cheering Sewing Machine Company"... model:QL 400... [400watt motor .. but 220 volt for this country] does this name/ model look familiar to anyone? if so ;any reviews?

just a general FYI:... I have a 97-6..had it for 27 years...all that I could buy at that time,but it paid it's way then. A lot of these are ex-Military and had a hard life- but are "still" servicable. think tarps and parachute webbing. there are a few of us around that have a Class 97[generally the 10] ,so could offer some help on parts ,manuals and general info. the original 3" leather point needles[97x4] are virtually or all gone. there is stock of the 3" round[conical] point needles [97x3] ..held by Groz in Germany.[sizes 27,28,29] I might be wong ,but it looks like there a few parts missing -but not critical ones?[photos are unclear] I can send you copies of the Singer sales brochures...[inc' drawings of a complete machine,work capabilities,so-on] But I wouldn't stake my sole income on that one machine. My situation, even now in this part of the world ,there is really no backup service anyway.... don't have the selection of new machines as noted above...nearest dealer of these is in Australia.

Hi you are after a book titled "Ideas for Leather Projects No.1" [Tandy Publication] .has bag patterns, so-on ..not the second issue["No.2"]...this does not have the Leisure Times pattern sorry..I no longer have a copy..I'm looking for one.. sometimes shows up down here ..