Ole South

@DrmCa:... probably IS the start cap. (*Note the caveat that follows) He could have a shorted winding but that generates significant heat/smell and this motor does start... not the correct direction but that's the Start capacitor's job in a single phase ac motor: though Art has a point with the starting relay. If bad and it doesn't de-energize it can fry the start cap causing the electrolyte to overheat and expand. @LovetoLearn: Swelling (visible in the last picture) indicates the electrolytic inside the cap is expanding (I.E. failing) this is an old motor, *BUT.... the cost of the cap probably will equal or exceed a down payment on a new motor. Retail is probably $15-30.00 usd. Do you have a friend in A/C Heating? Caps like these are used in most air handlers and A/C condensing units. An A/C tech can probably source a substitute for you and steer you down a safe path should you choose to continue to try and resurrect this beast.. Me?... I'd plug in a substitute and stand well back as I power the motor up.... but I've done this before. Sparks flying make the heart beat faster! And often precede the rapid loss of aforementioned smoke necessary for proper operation of electrical components.

Just a guess not being able to see the inside of one of the pockets but notice it's: stitch, space, stitch... probably a running stitch pulled tight with a fid every twenty stitches or so. Just a guess but that's how I'd do it to get that look.

Thanks to all of you folk!! What a life-line this crew is!!! The whole not hitting the scarf bothered me all day so once Bob and Constab verified the timing was right all that was left was needle bar height... and of course we can't adjust that readily so..... Thinking outside the box... I swapped out the 135-17 needle for a 134-35 from my Adler and viola!!! IT STITCHED 18" without a single skip and this was with a crappy hook!!! *happy dance* still have some tension issues to work on but this is great for the owner. The 134 needle is a few thousandths shorter than the 135 thus raising the scarf and that minute variation made a huge difference in the final product.

Thanks Constab, The pinion gear is definitely running out of teeth. Yes it does have the openings for the racks to exit the end of the horn. Does your 71 needle rise twice each shuttle cycle?

I know this has been a topic ad nauseam, but I've run into a unit with problems. I've dealt with most issues but still stuck with skipped stitches. It's a Sewline model SL29 the owner purchased off eBay. Unit has never worked properly since owner purchased it. Three industrial sewing machine mechanics have worked on it before me (I am not a sew tech). Here is the timing: The needle descends and then rises about 1/16", the hook barely catches the very top of the scarf and then proceeds around as the needle descends again and pauses. The needle rises setting the loop and begins the next stitch. When I set the timing that the hook passes the scarf just above the eye... the rack and driver pinion gear run out of teeth and bind, hard stop. At the current setting the machine stitches about 5-6 good then skips 1 or 2, rinse and repeat. I can't rotate the pinion gear on the shuttle shaft as it is a "through the shaft" set screw. The machine is EXTREMELY picky about hook and bobbin selection!!! Here's my question: Should the hook pass the scarf on the first needle rise or the final needle ascent? I know it needs to pass nearer the eye but knowing which part of the cycle changes where to make the timing adjustment. I haven't run into this problem on other Singers but my 29-4 doesn't have that descend/rise/descend needle motion and I don't have easy access to a true 29k-71 for reference. And yes... both ascents and descents are machined into the cam follower pulley. Some of the other problems I've found: 1. The rack drive toggle connector knuckle was impacting the casting at the end of the throw, I've ground a bit from the casting allowing the driver rod full motion. This allows the timing to remain constant even if it seems incorrect. 2. Voids in the cam follower pulley race that appear to bind when sewing a single layer 4-5oz veg tan. 3. Burrs throughout the entire thread path. 4. Gouges in the shuttle drive pinion gear's bearing surface (poor factory machining), This may also be a factor affecting the binding in #2. The owner is stuck as they can't afford to purchase a new patcher and can't afford not to have one onsite. Any help would be most appreciated. Thanks

Seam allowance... depends on the material/design. I like 3/8", it allows for double needle look, lots of glued contact and 1/8" spacing, 1/4 gives similar look with a single stitch line. For me it's really what looks right and how much stretch/compression the material affords before puckering. Mallets are a tremendous aid in the disciplining of canvas and leather as well as setting the stitch line in both. I understand prior to hot iron they were used in the tailoring of regular fabric too. One more nice thing about leather is that it compresses better than most wovens thus a smaller seam doesn't force you to cut relief snips to keep the bulk down. Kinda cool to always have selvage too. I just did an apron design that's horrible in light nylon (ripstop weight) but was easy in leather. I couldn't gouge the seam lines in the body due to the type of leather used (waxed suede) and I'll probably use a contrasting thread if I do another in this color but... I was out of 138 black at the time.

Okay, since machining one of these lil guys seems out of the question... I went looking around. I found, Bobbin drive wheel from old domestic Singers (99k, model 66 etc)... Pull the tire off an you've got a 5/8ths (bottom of race) steel pulley mounted on a 1/4 shaft with a race of about a 3/32nds radius. You might find an aluminum drive wheel from a late 50's 221 Featherweight. Same assembly from a Patcher bobbin drive... These look to be closer to 7/8ths bottom of race diameter and a slightly wider radius.. Options: Tear apart an old 3 1/2" hard drive. The spindle in these are 1" diameter aluminum; probably similar to aircraft grade. You'll have to find one that doesn't have a live center, some have bearings mounted where you need to put the shaft. Too bad the the motors don't have enough uumph or you'd have your burnisher and motor right there. You'll still need to cut a groove, but a little time with a round file and abrasive paper will get you there. The wall thickness and workable height of the spindles vary. Older drives stacked more platters, thus were taller and usually had thicker walls. You will have to cut or break these free of the motor as they are pressed on. I have used the entire motor/spindle assembly as light duty live centers on drill press and (yes Tinker, gawd FO-bid...) my lathe.

Borax is a life saver! The only thing I've found that actually neutralizes dog and cat urine odor. Just yesterday I took powdered borax to an old stinky sheepskin fleece I acquired... smelled old like an abandoned tack shop. Sprinkled it with 20 mule team and let it sit for a few minutes then tumbled in the dryer on medium with a milled designer belly... both came out smelling 200% better. The belly is going to need a bit more airing out but the fleece is not bad. Of course there was a 30 minute clean up session involving a wet/dry vac and the dryer but those two hides don't chase me out of the room anymore.

It's amazing how "photogenic" old Singers are. I've taken pictures in progress of the old black Singer I happen to be working on and the sleek beauty in the picture looks like a prom queen compared to the cosmetically challenged machine on the bench. I wish pictures of me worked that way o.O

"Soft" metal... if it's just to try... and you have a fairly decent drill press... center a round and mount on a 3/8 - 1/2"D, 3 or 4"L hex bolt. Chuck it in your DP, clamp up a steady rest and go at it with a fat handled rat-tail file. Smooth with emery and wet/dry. I've made a few temporary pulleys this way over the years... now I abuse my wood lathe. It will be slow going but you don't have to all that deep for a test tool. Let me look around the shop and see if there is anything readily available we could scavenge for this and not have to put life and limb at risk.

What sort of paint did you use?

What type of metal should be used? Preferred diameter and race width?

Could also be Steel Rapid Rivets pg 144 #190 Tandy Buyers Guide Look up Tandy sku 1381-11

Looks like Double Cap Rivets. Tandy is now carrying Brass rivets and burrs.... put them in backwards... bump to the back.

Feet sweating... try using only a thin layer of cork under a smooth insole, no lining. Add a couple 3/16ths grommets to the upper under your arch.

I re-soled a pair that fit perfectly a while back... used saddle-stitch and had to tear it out and re-stitch using a whip-stitch. If you have exact sizing saddle-stitching doesn't allow stretch around the sole. If you have a slightly larger sizing allowance you're probably okay.

Check your regional craigslist. I think I saw one in "Antiques" or "Leather tools" in Mass. when I was up there at Christmas.

What type of glove? Fashion? Work? Welding? Roping? Type suggests material, material determines stitch requirement. McCalls and Simplicity have a pattern pack (see your local fabric store) or... you can always google for free glove patterns.

Black goes with pretty much everything. You going to spray booth or rattle can it?

I like the sofa straw idea! I've had trouble with golf tees as the enamel adheres a bit too well and chips as you remove them, especially acrillic enamels. Use a good pencil sharpener and a single chopstick will yield 8-12 tapered plugs. Leaching paraffin into the bamboo is to reduce plug surface adhesion and shouldn't be so thick to transfer to the painted surface.

Uwe, I was just pondering the oil hole vs paint issue yesterday. I finally settled on impregnating a bamboo chopstick with molten wax. Whether to twist it out immediately after spraying or after drying is the rub.

The simplest, most readily available tool for Windows is Paint. Not very complex or capable it will let you paste, resize and print... and it's free and already on your pc. Sketchup is a freebie as is Inkscape. Both have significant enough learning curves that it's easy to get invested in a tool that will you eventually out grow. Or maybe won't. Difference of opinions aren't always arguments and LW.net is pretty civil compared to many other niche forums out there. Silence sometimes is just ... an indication no one has anything constructive to add or the search box needs to be explored.

"Clean flat seams" Leather joining as in fabric seams have different construction methods. A flat felled seam is different than a French seam than a lap seam. Since we don't have to deal with "fraying" in leatherwork it's hard at first to set aside years of (woven material) "best practices" and embrace simplicity (and then NEW complexities arise) What is pictured isn't a flat seam it's basically a lap seam of the same facings (i.e. right side to right side or wrong side to wrong side) To belabor the obvious... Gluing replaces straight pins. Sometimes. The example of the French seam is one of those "sometimes". Sometimes you CAN glue parts of a French seam (and use basting tape too!) Uwe just posted a great video of doing a two basic parts of the French seam. The methods aren't so different... the medium IS.

Glue is your buddy when dealing with chrome tan gussets... and roughers, abrasive paper/cloth and denatured alcohol or sometimes acetone is glue's best friend. Thin leather will stretch more than most fabrics. Just clamp (lots of binder clips are handy) be patient and let set. If you're using real contact cement (Barge, Lepage, Weldwood etc) remember it is "impact activated" I.e. Use your mallet or hammer to set the seam then clamp.

Either or both of the above and set it out in direct sunlight rotating (all 3 planes) as needed. Chlorine, ultraviolet light (sunlight) and temps above 115° all kill mold and mildew. Chlorine additionally will bleach dark spots but is NOT selective. YOU have to choose which method is appropriate. Murphy's oil soap is good for wood with mold but not sure it really kills it. It's used on leather too, search the forums. Direct sunlight over time seems to be the least damaging option BUT... that entails completely disassembling the table, wiping each and every surface (might as well use a dilute solution of lemon/lime or vinegar or chlorine bleach as appropriate) then exposing every surface to UV for several hours. If you live in the SW (and I see you don't) not so hard... Ohio this time of year... not so easy. Too bad sub-freezing temps don't kill the stuff. Btw:dawnlight seems to be most effective killing and fading mold/mildew probably something to do w/light spectrum and more long wave light bouncing around. Using white vinegar has the added benefit of neutralizing stale smoke smell.