Gregspitz

I sew watch straps with a Techsew 5580 Roller foot needle feed machine (otherwise looks similar to yours)..but I recently added a speed reducer to do it well. Since I am sewing slow all the time and it is self oiled with a pump...I run it as fast as I can for bobbin winding and oil it regularly through every hole I can..Not sure if that helped but that is what I do. here is a video https://youtu.be/U9S2C4jrQdk

With help from Techsew Ron Mike and Eric (very patient thank you!) and my friend Harold the carpenter we moved the legs, shifted the motor, enlarged the belt slot, installed the reducer pulley... blah blah blah and reassembled it all . Took from 9am until I was sewing at 5PM.....overall I learned a lot and it completely changed the machine. torque and precision for what I do mostly is making watch straps changed the servo motor circuit board to accomodate the needle positioning with the reducer...I NOW have the machine that I dreamed of! Smooth Smooth and plunges through the leather precisely. If and when you do this take your time, measure a lot and buy several belts of different sizes around what you think you need. I made a couple trips to the auto parts store and finally a 36 inch V belt fit perfect. I have the NP motor set to stop in the down position. my favorite part is when I hit the heel of the foot pedal and it GLIDES out of the material and stops. This is not a slow motion video this is real time. here is a video

thanks...I have a friend who is a master carpenter for the table modifications...I think between the 2 of us we should be able to do it.. the part I am worried about is installing the new circuit board in the servo motor so that the needle positioning works. Techsew will help on the phone when we get to that part I have replaced the aorta in several patients so I am hoping this is easier.

installing speed reducer on Techsew 5580 Roller foot machine.. several steps. strip down the table to.... move legs of the table! enlarge belt slot move bobbin winder move servo motor INSTALL new Needle Position circuit board in Servo Motor to work with speed reducer install speed reducer pulley adjust everything as you reassemble and put machine back in place and pray it all works.. all this to go slow anyone else do this and have any tips??? thanks for listening..

call Ron at Techsew..they will get it figured out...

not worried. but the machine arrived and the heat supply box doesn't work so he is sending another one. He has been responsive and the stamps he made seem nice but I would like to see if anyone else has experience with this machine. thanks

the one that RMLeathersupply and Fineleatherworking sell is the best..very nice product and works very well and should last forever https://www.rmleathersupply.com/products/edge-paint-roller

I ordered my Hot stamp arbor press from Calvin at LWLeatherworks a sponsor here. Anyone else have experience here? thank you

Please let me know if this is still available or how I can get it. I messaged you thank you

when I have to make a tapered watch strap that is much shorter than my dies I need to use a strap end punch or hand cut the english point, I try to center the punch after marking a center mark but all the strap end punches that I can find are bigger than an 18,16 or 20mm strap that I cut out. I use soft leather mostly and wonder if anyone has any tips to make this easier... thank you

start planning your stitches ahead when you are at those critical areas. For instance in the picture on the buckle end of the strap you need to decide after you make the turn whether you want 4 or 5 stitches and then do them manually with the machine to get those 4 or 5. Otherwise you need to do some testing prior to sewing the strap and see what works best . When you go back up and finish the billet end of the strap you need to plan ahead and maybe even use a scratch awl to place a hole where you want to end up and shorten or lengthen your stitch length a little for a few stitches and then manually place the needle in the last hole you made. Hope that helps. I also found if you have a good machine you can remove your thread and start over and hit the same holes and change where the bad ones are if the thread is thick enough to cover your mistake. Greg

here is another one on a $450 strap different company...knots showing on the top..my worst nightmare!!! oh the humanity!!!

I think it takes skill and know how to operate an industrial sewing machine which is proven by all the threads here with people asking questions on how to do this and that. My favorite part of making straps is sewing them with one of my machines! Hats off to those who hand sew also though! Great discussion..thanks for participating!

here is the "hand Sewn"strap from the back

I will update this thread when I get a response from the email I sent. Thanks for all the replies.

Cousu Main just means hand made in French and it is on several hand made straps from several companies

I did email them and just waiting for a response..

No malice or anger here. and these are not OEM straps that are being sold..they are an aftermarket company that has a popular website for watch information that is highly respected for their ethics. My straps are custom and this does not affect me at all and as a matter of fact I think the owners of the website DON'T know that they are machine sewn. Personally I do not want to advertise this but I let them know that they are either being misled by their manufacturer or misleading their customers...Just thought it was an interesting topic to throw around and see what people think thanks they clearly say hand sewn in their ad.

Hello Leather workers I have primarily been making watch straps for the last few years and love using my Techsew 2750pro to sew them anyway..the ethical dilemma is that one of the bigger players in the watch strap business on several watch collectors website is blatantly advertising HAND SEWN watch straps when it is clearly seen by anyone(from their own pictures) that they are machine sewn. The straps look good however this does not seem right to charge a premium for a hand sewn COUSU MAIN strap when it is machine sewn. I have contacted them discreetly and hope to get a response..but would YOU post this "problem" on the watch collector sites to set the record straight(with pictures) if they do not respond?? just thought I would run it by here.. thanks Greg

I will do that. thank you so much

it is a new Techsew 5580RF that they just came out with. The teeth look like fine or medium..the feed dogs are what it came with it is a about and inch or so diamter roller foot here it is on youtube when I just got it

by the way ...it does a great job as long as everything is flat!

the roller foot is definitely hitting the padded part and then goes to the flat part and does well....so I think I have set the padding so that the roller only rides on the flat part of the strap so it is consistent..does that make sense? thank you

I have been using a walking foot for a couple of years now but got a Techsew Roller Foot to get closer to the edge on watch straps and that has been going well with flat straps. I have run into a problem with stitch length with the padded area of watch straps with stitch length. This is with 69 top thread and 46 bobbin. 16 needle and the tension is fine. but when it is on the padded part the stitch length is much shorter than the flat parts even though I do not change any of the settings. here are some pictures any help on what adjustment either in sewing or padding would be appreciated with the leather sewing gurus! thank you Greg

I change to a smaller needle if tension is too difficult to adjust