mikesc

Levis were ( maybe still are ) made all over the world..in official Levi factories or official "contracted to Levis" factories, Eric ( gottaknow ) mentioned recently that they had run a contract to produce Levi 501s..I know that wranglers and many other jeans brands, and very many big name leather garment brands do not make all their own garments, many are made in Asia, but say that they are made somewhere else closer to "home" or "home"..some production may be, the rest is "badged" "made in xxx" or "made in xx" or "made in xxxxxx" The company ( who is not in France ) who makes the things I design, asked me if I wanted all production runs that they make of my designs to have "made in France" labels sewn in..or sent separately for me to sew them in..they make for many very well known "brand names" all over the world, they said that 90% of their customers have the "made in USA" or "made in France" etc labels sewn in ( the company is Asian, based in Asia, they only manufacture in Asia ) ..customs ( anywhere ) never check as long as it is not "fake"..and as long as the "brands" are the big guys.. The customers who have the labels sent separately are not big enough to feel confident about taking the risk of a control by their customs officials.. My stuff says designed in France if it isn't actually made in France.. There is a lot of stuff ( including leather goods ) on Etsy too that is not made where it says it is..

What is the stitch count into a piece of thin leather like a 1 or 2 oz ..( 8 stitches could be good for 8oz, I thought you would be quoting the best you could get into thin leather, usually that is the "baseline" ) best stitch count I have heard of for one in good condition was 4 at that 1 or 2 oz kind of thickness, 5 is considered to be good..my 29K was doing 7 when I got it, then I cleaned the crud away from the foot bar, now it runs 5 stitches per inch into 1 oz chrome tan lambskin..Still a lot more cleaning to do ..so little time, so much to do..need a box of 36 hour days.. Also will depend on the thickness of the thread a little..thicker thread gives shorter stitches.. There may be some tweaks that I am unaware of that could get to 4, but wiser and more experienced heads than mine will have to post them if they exist..

Allow for the costs of spare / replacement parts and accessories that you may need, Pfaff parts seem to be made out of "expensive", some older Pfaff parts may even be made from "unobtanium", Seiko parts maybe made from "less expensive" ( but still very good quality ) and "more available"..it is going to depend on the models.. The prices I've seen for some Pfaff parts, even feet, frightens my wallet.

What is a good stitch count , is going to depend what it is sewing into ( total thickness ) when it gives any particular stitch count..8 into thin leather is not good ( because as the thickness increases, each stitch will get smaller , the stitch count number per inch will get higher ) depending on what you want to do ..8 sounds worn..as mentioned above, college sewing is your friend..or you could do some very finicky welding.. Clean it all up, ( check the play in the "foot bar"*, less is better ) then see what the stitch count is, crud and gunk makes the stitch count worse. I can't remember what the true name of the part is, and it is late here, but someone(s) (sic) who knows far more about Singer29 machines will be along..

Yep, the outer foot of the AM set is shorter, and the base of it is not perfectly parallel ( sloppy tolerances in manufacture ) with the feed dogs /table, the underside of the "toe" part ( end nearest to you when you are sewing ) is higher than the underside of the "heel" part ( end that is at the base on the presser foot bar ), so the only contact point of the foot when it operates will be it's "heel" ( the part directly below the bar ) resulting in pressure on only a small part of the leather compared with the OEM foot.. You could try grinding it to be parallel* ( use grinding paste on a piece of heavy glass ), but you'd have to hold the "stem" perfectly at 90° to the glass, or you could declare that "life is too short to be fixing manufacturers errors", send it back, ask for a refund, and do as Rocky Aussie and Wiz have said, grind a spare OEM foot to make what you need. * You'd then ( if you got it parallel ) have to lower the presser foot bar a smidgin to compensate, and do you really want to get into that, you'd have to raise it by the same amount every time you put the OEM foot back on, and you'd maybe have to grind of a little of the inner foot too, and maybe futz with the timing and ...

Would you have a picture of one of these darning attachment contraptions Wiz ? First time I've heard of it .. re the machines..the top "elastic " one looks very much like the machines ( various manufacturers ) which show up on our version of Craig's list ( "le bon coin" ) usually sold as machines for cobblers ( cordonniers, derives from the word Cordova, as in Cordovan leather ) or antiques for decoration, in working order they are about €700.00 and non working the average price is around €500.00..

A few degrees of "table tilt" ( except on oil sump machines ) and power lifting ( can also be done by foot operated hydraulics or "gas shocks" like those used in in office chairs, dentist's chairs, surgical /medical chairs and tables and architects tables ) is very very good for your back. My computer chair ( the one in front of this particular computer ) is a fully reclining and posture adjustable by hydraulic ram ( swivels too ) that I "recovered" from our local analysis laboratory, they were throwing it out due to a tiny ( less than 1 cm ) wear patch on the seat, and replacing it with a new one, they were more than happy for me to take the "worn" one away at no charge..got the hydraulic ram assisted smaller seat that the doctor sits on at the side of you too..:) They had bought the new ones as a set.. Both units can support , and lift/ lower way more weight than the usual spec for an office chair, I can fall asleep in the recliner it is so comfortable :)

There will be less ( but maybe some ) blood involved in installing the speed reducer :) re the circuit board, usually the only precaution you need to take when installing circuit boards ( whether in PCs or anything else ) is to make sure that the polarity is correct ( connectors are usually designed to go on just the one way to make it easier ) and to avoid static electricity as you would when working on a PC..and to remember to switch off and unplug the mains power before doing anything.. Count your screwdrivers and tools before closing up ;) Your hand sewing is no doubt amazingly precise, as it is rather more "mission critical" ( as lives really do depend on it ) than the hand sewing of the rest of us..

+1 Darren :)

There will be VAT on machines sold in Europe, if one is registered as business one gets the VAT back..VAT rate varies between EU countries, but the average rate is around 20%..

Previous threads..here at leatherworker.net about sew line machines http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/33496-sew-line-106-rpl-any-one-know-about-these/ http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/59066-how-do-we-like-sewline-sewing-machines/ http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/67136-sew-line-sl-29-timing/ http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/38282-sew-line-sl-5-1/ HTH ps..I would tend to agree with Wiz, Art etc in this thread, http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/33496-sew-line-106-rpl-any-one-know-about-these/ if you are going to buy new , buy from one of the dealers who advertise / advise on Leatherworker.net..or, ask them if they have any used machines that are within your budget.

Uwe, my innner nerd is in awe :)..Now I have the perfect reason to give my wife as to why I need to buy a laser..( raises glass ) ..cool.

Maybe Trox has used / has one ?

The 669 was mentioned in passing in this older thread.. http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/45996-adler-205-370/ Current French price appears to be €4,666.00 in VAT/ TVA.. model DURKOPP ADLER 669-180010 E 1/9 If you are looking to buy new, you'd probably get a better price in the UK or Holland, or maybe even Belgium..at least based upon my Sail Maker ( Voilier ) friend's experience of buying Durkopp machines new in France.

Lot of French distributors sign up non French manufacturers to "exclusive distribution deals"..selling in the French market requires being extremely proficient in the French language..and it is a hard language to learn ( especially if one is coming from a language that doesn't attribute "masculine" and "feminine" properties to all words arbitrarily ) , so to get some sales in France that they otherwise would not have got, the manufacturers sign the "sole distributor "deals..Then the distributor just buys a start up minimum order stock and it is like a licence to print money, prices are multiplied by 2 or 3 at each step of the chain, so if the national distributor has secondary distributors ( who frequently keep no actual stock ) and they sell to retailers, we get ludicrous prices..or we import the stuff ourselves from neighbouring countries, or direct from the manufacturer.. Two cases in point.. I bought a semi-domestic / artisanal machine, Kachiran 4048D* a couple of years ago, manufacturers price around $200.00 ( and they will sell you just one ) ..UK retail price ( rebadged as "Silver" ) is equivalent to $400.00..German retail price ( re-badged as Gritzner ) equivalent to around $500.00..The UK and German distributors buy from the manufacturer Karchiran in Iran..they use English to communicate..The French "distributor" buys their "Silver" machines from the UK ( with an "exclusive distribution deal " ) they retail them themselves, and they supply other French retailers..at an equivalent price of just over $1000.00 and some of their retail partners charge $1200.00..The French individuals who could read English bought theirs from the UK for a few years, then the UK distributor under pressure from the French distributor threatened to shut off the UK retailers that were supplying France if they continued to sell to France, the French individuals now buy from French retailers who are next to the border with Germany, and who go over the border to buy from the German distributor each time they get an order from France, they retail their machines at around $800.00 in France..a bobbin case for the machine goes for around $150.00 in France, or around $25.00 from Holland via the web..plastic bobbins for it are €1.00 each in France..and €3.00 for 25 from Holland.. * The machine is an exact clone of the Pfaff select 4.0.. Example #2 A local professional sail maker I know bought a long arm Durkopp Adler machine with Efka variostop and "jog" type system full pneumatics etc..From the Durkopp distributor in France, cost him €15,000.00 ( around $20K ) .. he then saw whilst on a visit ,the identical machine , same set up, in Holland six months later at a Durkopp distributor there, price €8000.00, ( around $11,000.00 ) ! he loves the machine, but swears he will never buy from the French distributor again, their after sales service is shocking , he has to call in a freelance machine mechanic because the French distributor either doesn't show when called out, or shows and then spends hours on the thing and still can't get it to run correctly, but charges full hourly rate ( €150.00 per hour .) with mileage and expenses anyway..Machine is two years old now, next machine he buys , I'll go with him to Holland and interpret between him and the Dutch ( who of course speak English, but not French )..I didn't ask him ( I was at his place, his sail loft is about 5 kms from me, two days ago ) how much he pays for his needles There is "reasonable profit", and there is "outright price gouging"..

Floyd..I'm thinking that where there are wagon wheels and a 31-15, and tractors in the background, there may be harness etc..the leather may be dried out and no use by now, but the old buckles and fixations and maybe old leather working tools ( or carpentry, wheelwrights tools ) ..I'd ( if I lived near ) go for a look, ready to deal for more than just the machine Yep, "get the wheels"..and, as getting the wheels and sewing machine would need the pickup, may as well take it home full as only half full

Is she aware of the impending exchange..traditionally it is camels..

31..( spent a lot of time looking a pics of 31s the last week ).. agreed, probably a 31-15.. the wagon wheels are worth quite a bit ( like a $1000.00 or even more each ) to an antique dealer..we sell our old ones to your antique dealers

Eric..for "unbelievable" try these prices..this is the "trade price" I pay ( in France ) for a box of 100 of the same needles.. http://www.mazet-locam.fr/79-aiguilles/81-boite-de-100-aiguilles/259-aiguille-134-lr/fiche-produit-detaillee.html €28.00 plus 20% VAT..= $39.75 per box of 100 needles

I was lucky / good at haggling Guy in the UK in a recent thread was looking at, and asking questions about a 211U166 in UK ebay at £599.00, which is below the usual price I've seen them at there or here..

Thanks Darren :)..I'll research them..the more alternatives I have, the better the chances of finding something, even if it is only a "stop gap"..saw one on line ( USA ) that went at auction for just $50.00..another on sale ( condition unknown ) at $450.00, and another that went for $999.00 on US ebay, I presume the heads weigh around 30-40KG, so shipping for any could be a bit of an "ouch"..

Found what it is.. it is a Singer 107w102..now just have to find one.. or a 107wsv ( which has feed dogs, which may be removable ? ) Alternatives are ( but apparently not as good ) 20u62 and 20u142. and with removable feed dog , the 20u63 and 20u143.. Anyone here ever used any of the above machines ?

The new Consew that Wiz mentioned would be at least twice that price here in France, if one could find one, and would probably involve driving at least 500kms each way to see one..and I've commented in other thread about the non existent French after sales services.."once the machine is out the door and the cash banked or the cheque cashed, the customer is forgotten"..and the price of spares..Oi!!!..<= applies to all brands, all dealers here..:( ..every and any dispute , even getting them to respect legal guarantees, has to go to court, at the customers cost, with lawyers, in the area where the dealer is based..

That looks clean and sweet, like Eric says, "nice find"..

My 211U166a ( WF compound feed )<= 'cos there is top and bottom feed sometimes also called ( WF) and WF compound feed <= the best ..was advertised at €450.00 ( about $600.00 ) normally here in France they go for €700.00 to €1200.00 ( about $900.00 to $1500.00 ..and that is used ! )..I "haggled" and paid cash €350.00 ( about $450.00 ish ) came with a clutch motor, I built a 5:1 speed reducer..sews 8 to 9mm of veg tan easy..runs upto 138 thread, might run 207 , but I figure it wouldn't run it for long before something expensive broke..so I don't make it do what it wasn't built to handle easily.. My Juki DLU 490-4 came with an older EFKA clutch motor with EPS..is not normally suited for leather ( it is a high speed, oil bath, garment machine ), it is sometimes described as WF ( but is actually top and bottom differential feed ) no needle feed..can be sued fro leather ( it will punch through 8 to 9mm veg tan ) but it wasn't designed to run slow or to go around corners, but for heavy tarps and canvas it is ideal ( thanks again to Eric "gottaknow" for pointing me to a manual for the differential feed system ) , bought it from someone who had no idea what it was or how to use an industrial machine, paid her around $150.00 , she was very eager to take the money, for her it was a "boat anchor"..it ran, but had not been looked after correctly. I also have a 29K51 patcher, paid about the same as the Juki , needs a restore when I have the time, runs OK though. Have a semi domestic Kachiran 4048D..superb for light leather , lambskin, goatskin etc up to about 4 to 5oz total..goes for €650.00 to €800.00, I bought mine used , but with a 10 year guarantee still to run, for half that lower price, owner had no idea how to use it, have seen them go on ebay in the UK for about what I paid for mine..and also for much more.. Last Friday bought A Singer 15K88 treadle ( with drop feed and reverse , it is clean, runs smooth, I'll strip and clean and oil etc it anyway ) for freehand embroidery on lambskin, Darren mentioned them as good for embroidery, I watched few Youtube videos about them, especially Marilyn Lee's work, drove 100kms each way and bought one the next day..Paid €50.00.. Today, Sunday, someone is advertising another 15K treadle ( without the drop feed, or the reverse ) at less than 1Km from me, it looks clean, sews, and they want only €20.00 .no real use to me ( can't drop the feed dogs , but could cover them for embroidery )..that is cheap..usual price here is more like €100.00..a 15K can run lambskin and light garment leather..and Singer made millions of them..