Ole South

Just a question or two: Was that a Carpet Stitcher in 3rd picture? Do saddle makers use those? Oh wait.... saddle blankets! Mebbe??

A 5 in 1 (or 3 in 1 with presser) is invaluable for welt sealing... IF you do a lot. BUT... it is a very pricey investment unless you find a cobbler shop liquidating or a barn find... then they are just Expensive AF! The skiver is not really for long strip skiving but for half-soleing shoes and boots. So effective for 6in or less imo. The cutter.... OH BABY YES!! For thick Veg Tan or 1/4in rubber/synthetic material (think replacing heel caps and synth soles). If I could find a cheap one I'd buy it JUST for the rotary cutter! (and I so do NOT have space for it, but I'd make room!) A quick look on Ebay shows used going for $650 (3in1 not having the welt presser) to $1200(plus shipping, they are NOT light). I think the last time I priced a new one, it was around $17-1800 fully dressed sans shipping, probably more expensive now and I can't find an online price. Oh.... yeah, you want to bolt these down to a very sturdy bench... most of the broken ones I've see were from people thinking they would "store them under the bench until needed" then... Yeah well, you get the idea. Spokane area, Nice, looks well maintained, reasonable shipping. https://www.ebay.com/itm/157448216625?_skw=5-in-1+Landis+Cutter&itmmeta=01KAMD942RV7KC83G5TP037X7Z&hash=item24a8a52031:g:z-wAAeSw3ttpDmsM&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA0FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1cDbLOvOcqn1r3yDpPfb12XOo5DAWr7wY%2FSyVytTBGroS%2F96PyQtmyuHqTxEd%2BH67LRi%2Fodgr5uzUNYAnWm9YVtNpKIO9cTHkoj2jVziznK9A754aX%2BLBR2nY8VOj1SlMDlkq8yUxaCvmmni3KPoCm7SORLkQNGe3nUjYVak6YVgwQwcnihSDPS0E%2BvdnQyeU4J699jve3BArWxjrImy6p3FHwxVB0PwVU6h1rfpRdQzcHQCndVXYjCmqJ0trqzx4M%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR9jBpI3VZg

For leather work After using all mentioned so far, my choice for heavy duty leather projects I'd rank contact cements as follows: 1. Masters or Petronio Shoe Master All Purpose Contact Cement 2. Barge 3. Weldwood 4. Tandy low odor, water based cements. #1 is the ONLY cement(s) I'd use for cobbler work. I've not had good luck with Weldwood from Hardware/Big Box Stores. It's okay for temp tacking but not for extended use... maybe I got a (couple) bad batches and it's fine for most everything else but never again for leather work. That being said, the Barge/Weldwood I've gotten from my suppliers has different labeling and did work pretty well.

Want a Cobbler cheat? Lay a light coat of cyanoacrylate (super glue) and spread thin with a business card over the area to bond. Let dry or hit it with accelerator. Then use your contact cement. The superglue will act as a bonding primer for your contact cement and/or most synthetic glues. If the cyanoacrylate won't bond then there is probably a lubricant or the finish is gassing off like Starboard. (Did you try scuffing the seam allowance with an abrasive first? Question: are you bonding flesh side to flesh or Flesh side to Top Grain?)

A couple of things to try: 1. "Dust" the inside (maybe the back) liberally with 20 Mule Team Borax laundry powder and let sit for a day or two. 2. Suspend holster flat a few inches above a wide flat container (approx. the size of of the holster. DO NOT WET the holster) with about 1/4-1/2 inch of vinegar and cover with a plastic bucket for a day to a week. Check after a few hours to insure the finish(black dye area) isn't being affected. Borax is a "dry" deodorizer that has worked for me on moldy smells and about the only thing I've found that will truly neutralize dog and to a lessor extent cat urine(takes longer) from carpet and upholstery. (sprinkle thin layer over carpet area spotted, and mist lightly with water, then vacuum up about 2-3 days later, repeat until odor is gone). I've never had issue with it affecting pile or color. Vinegar (vapor?) is especially effective removing cigarette/cigar smoke from upholstery. The vinegar will draw many unwanted odors out. I've tried it with black mold and it removes the smell until the mold "blossoms" again but it doesn't kill badly infected leather. For furniture, fill a cereal bowl size container or two, half full of vinegar, then bag and tie opening shut(works best) or drape the item in plastic sheeting, tape closed as well as you can, and leave it for a couple of weeks or until the smell is no longer noticeable. (*Note: you may want to change out old vinegar with fresh every 2-4 days. If you choose to spray/mist leather, do so with caution! It will stiffen, darken, and brittle veg tan, even cut 50/50 with distilled water.)

@Samer, if you have an Android, Google Translate will work with your phone camera and translate about 1/3 of the page at a time. Mebbe more with creative positioning... not familiar enough with iPhone to verify if it will.

Hope this Patcher is working better for you. The thread in your pictures looks mighty thick... 138? Use 69 thread top and bottom to get the machine set up and working. 92 thread is about the biggest that I've found works somewhat reliably on a 29 series Patcher. Although, once functional and you have a decent stitch length you can get by using 69 or 92 (MAX) as bobbin and 138 as a top thread (for cosmetics) with a larger diameter needle (DIX4 / 29X4 -130/21** or /22) for some projects. Also, if you haven't already, check your bobbin shuttle drive for slop. Side to side (NESW) and rotationally. On machines this old I've found the wear in the arm pivot hole* coupled with wear on the shuttle drive shaft to be excessive. Replacing the shuttle doesn't always completely close the tolerances as the hole in the arm has significant wear over the last 111 years. I've cut feeler gauge (.002 I think?!!?) to exact size and length to "line" the shuttle shaft receiver hole* and a liberal application of high speed (not needed for speed, it sticks to glide surfaces well) silicon grease (red or green usually) during fitting and it helps. Of course, the proper way would be to fill with and peen brass or bronze and then rebore to your shuttle shaft diameter but... I just needed mine to work for another 50 years or so. (The rack and pinion gear(s) under the arm also play into this equation but after reducing that play as much as possible, I've still found too much slop. Those parts were usually the first swapped out until they were no longer available (25-40 years ago??). So oft times, they have less wear than the shuttle drive area. and if no rack or idler gears are forthcoming you CAN reduce those tolerances by building up the back of the rack gears slightly (.001-.004 mebbe). This just pushes the rack teeth deeper into the idler gears thus reducing lash, Make sure everything still glides without resistance before lubing it up. I found jams and thread nests under the shuttle drive virtually go away once the shuttle rotates on a stable axis. Parts are hard to find for these oldies but goodies... some -71 parts still work, some import 71 parts need work and most of the "used" parts are worse than you have on your machine... *sigh*. You do what you can. * (same reference) ** I believe Organ and Groz-Beckert still makes these, I've purchased them in the last 5 years. Yeah, just checked Ebay and Amazon... both have plenty of stock.

Iron pipe caps(or nipples) work well (comes in brass, copper & pvc too). They come in various diameters too. If you need more weight, fill with fishing sinkers or BB shot and melt hot glue or paraffin to hold in place and some self-stick cork sheet cut to size, to make the iron ones non-marking. Southland 2 in. Galvanized Malleable Iron Cap Fitting 511-408HN - The Home Depot Kinda pricey to buy new in iron but you may find some in Pop's junk bin. I use copper heat transfer billets cut from old school aluminum computer CPU heatsinks. About 1.25inch diameter and 1.5in tall, weigh from 6-10oz each.

(@Sham)New bell cranks can be made to work (as can motion rings) it just takes a lot of hand-fitting, grinding/filing and polishing. But before all that...what are the stitch issues you are experiencing? I.E.: length? Missed stitches? Looping? (Sorry if you posted symptoms, I didn't see any in this thread) (@MikeRock) I will check 29-4, 29k-30 & Adler 301 (where are you measuring your play?)

Don't know who's looking for a Stop Screw but my 30-1 appears to have a small (compared to a 29k) collared and knurled M5 1.0 (near as I can tell, does that indicate an approximate date?) Stop Screw. Unfortunately, the machine looks to have been stripped and repainted a semi-flat black and no Decals. Cast iron, not wooden treadle.

Check the Needle Bar Lift Lever Follower Roller. My post this thread: Singer 29-3 Presser Foot Won't Rotate - Leather Sewing Machines - Leatherworker.net

I've got one (long arm, don't know if a short arm was made)... done some work on it. Parts other than those in common with 29K are virtually nil. I did find some Adler decals though. It's a much nicer machine than 29- series and I do like it better than most 29k small bobbin machines. Info is in short supply but if anyone has it Constabulary will. In my experience it makes a nicer stitch and sounds and feels like a Mercedes vs a '62 Ford sedan compared to the Singer Patchers. Prolly the only reason I still have mine AND a Singer 29k60 (long arm, big bobbin). (and no... you can't date the machine by Serial Number unfortunately)

If the bell crank and feed motion ring don't entirely fix your stitch length, check for play in the Needle Bar Driving (or Lift) Lever (the thing that looks like a old fashion bridge truss that rocks back and forth as you sew). Specifically, at the handwheel end. Index your way around as you turn the handwheel alternately pushing and pulling on the rear of that lever or have someone press down(flat hand) firmly on that end of the lever as you sew. Too much slop or improved stitch length as pressure is applied indicates you have wear there. I've had machines that the guide follower bearing (or Cam Roller) had seized and worn a flat on that bearing. Conversely, well used machines may have worn down the outer dimension and/or the guide it rides in. You can't do much about the guide but the follower bearing can be replaced. Thickness of the material sewn will also shorten your stitch so test with a folded piece of canvas or denim to reduce your variables.

Kunpeng on Ebay sell both bell crank and feed motion rings pretty cheap. I've used them in both Adler 30-1 and Singer 29-4 machines as well as a 29k60. Be Aware... the parts are not always consistent from one order to the next, don't appear to be matched to anything after they were machined and you will need to do some machining/grinding yourself to make them functional, especially in a 30-1. Basically.... expect to "Hand Fit" the aftermarket parts to your machine. Occasionally you can split the difference by mix n match if you have a surplus of used cranks and rings (i.e. a new aftermarket and an old worn-in part). But don't count on it. Cowboy Bob is spot on.... building up (by brazing) the knob on the crank is usually the best way to go. As you have two parts that have lapped in to each other over many years, even then it will take some hand finishing to make it work. The 29k60 was the best fit out of the box but even then I was matching multiple cranks and rings. It sews like new but feed motion only rotates freely about 280 degrees then stiffens and takes a firm hand to continue to rotate it. Luckily I don't sew too many circles and it's not impossible to turn. Eventually it will either wear-in or I'll tear it all down and figure out what's causing the bind. It all depends on what's the most stubborn... me or the parts. (Too bad Pilgrim isn't around anymore... I heard Harris dumped all his patcher parts in a scrapyard when he liquidated *sigh*)

Oh my goodness, it's a hex set screw in the drive pinion to remove. So didn't expect that. Okay, got the shuttle carrier out. Thread wad under it. Once removed found way more slop in vertical axis. I'm going to try and shim the Carrier Drive Pinion Cog from the underside and perhaps the short rack gear.