Uwe

The marks are normal. There are things you can do to minimize them. Lots of factors determine how visible the marks will be - foot print area of the presser feet, foot spring pressure, leather type and age, etc. The marks on your sample aren’t really that bad. Expecting zero marks when machine sewing veg tan leather is not realistic. As mentioned earlier, there are DOZENS of topics in this forum talking about machines leaving marks on leather and what, if anything, one can do about it. It’s not about that particular machine design, any other heavy duty stitcher will leave similar marks.

There are various factors that determine how precisely you can control motor speed input. One factor is the mechanical linkage between the foot pedal and the speed input lever on the motor controller. Depending on how close to the pivot point you connect the linkage rod to the pedal and to the lever on the motor controller, you can either exaggerate the pedal movement, or you can minimize the effect of pedal movement on controller input. For maximum control, you want a large pedal movement to cause a small speed input lever movement. On your Enduro motor the second factor is how much pedal movement does it take to make the sensor go from receiving full light to zero light. Full light means stop, no light means full speed. It’s like looking at a flash light and moving your hand in front of the flash light to adjust how much light hits your eye. A small movement of your hand covers the flashlight completely. (That’s how the Enduro works out of the box) Instead of just your hand, you can hold a clear strip of plastic with a gradient in front of the flash light. That plastic strip is going from clear on one end to black on the other end, with increasingly darker shades of gray in the middle (or increasingly dense sharpie pen lines). The longer that gradient strip is, the easier it is for you precisely control how much light hits your eye.(that’s the video above) Instead of the gradient plastic strip you can also hold a pennant shaped piece of cardboard and move it leading with the pointy end in front of the flash light. This also makes it easier to change precisely how much of the flashlight you cover. (That’s what I did) Modifying the Enduro is not very hard to do, but it does take some fiddling and experimenting.

@AmyK Don’t give up on the machine head, it’s the motor control that’s causing you grief. That poorly implemented speed ramping control on the Enduro motors is a real problem. Speed control is done via a light sensor and speed varies depending on how much light hits the sensor. The factory combo of sensor and light blocker is WAY too sensitive, jumping between full light to zero light with the tiniest of pedal movements. I also ended up making a special triangular light blocking “flag” to get any sort of real world ramping of speed. The motor is indeed capable of graduated speed control, just not with the factory bits. Whether you want to bother modifying the speed control on your motor is up to you. @toxo thanks for the demo and details on your hand wheel pulley. That speed control looks just about perfect to me, sweet! I’m very much in favor of this pulley-as-a-hand-wheel solution. I really don’t care for the in-between pulley speed reducers. @Gymnast the 100 RPM starting speed is the lowest I’ve seen on the motors I’ve researched. Just for reference, this is the kind of speed control I’m getting with my servo motor and a standard hand wheel:

Nothing wrong with installing the smallest possible pulley on the motor (usually 45mm or 50mm) - I order my motors with the smallest possible pulley to start. A larger hand wheel or a large pulley to replace the hand wheel may be a little trickier to find, depending on the machine. If that puts your machine in the speed comfort zone, you’re good.

Many folks have unrealistic expectations when they transition from hand stitching to a sewing machine. Craftspeople often use rather thick thread when hand stitching sheaths and similar projects because it looks really nice. If you told the sales guy that you want to use thread larger than size 138, then he was correct in guiding you to a heavy duty cylinder arm stitcher. The Durkopp Adler 205-370 is a very good design, but it’s complex and expensive to build. The simplified design of the Juki TSC-441 is popular and available in various cheaper clone incarnations (Cowboy 4500 or 3200, Cobra Class 4, etc.) The Durkopp Adler 205-370 cost around $5,000 in the early 90’s and they sold a LOT of them. That’s about $10,000 in today’s money, adjusted for inflation. Yet somehow people today think that it is absolute insanity that a high quality heavy duty sewing machine should cost anywhere near that much. The Juki LS-341 class machines (Cobra class 26, anything with “341” in the name, etc.) are very nice LIGHT/MEDIUM duty machines. They will not sew thread beyond size 207 reliably, if at all. Size 138 thread is really the max most of the medium duty machines are designed for. Material hardness and thickness is another factor. A few layers of hard veg tan leather for a sheath may well overwhelm most medium duty sewing machines. There’s a general tendency among beginners towards wanting to use a machine for something that is far beyond what it was designed for, instead of using a machine that is comfortable with the sewing projects. Cost is obviously a factor. There are options available under $2500 that will stitch hard leather with thick thread, just not from that dealer you spoke to. The Cowboy CB-3200 and other short-arm 441 class clones should come in around $2,500. The 25% punitive US import duty increased the price of many made-in-China machines in recent years. What used to cost $2,000 now costs $2,500 - be sure to thank your senator for that. Occasionally, clones of the Adler 205-370 design sell for $2,500 (i.e., I have one of those for sale) In any case, you’ll need to get comfortable with machine maintenance. This may be challenging if you’re not mechanically inclined. Dragging these monsters to a repair facility every time something goes out of alignment is not really a good option. Using a machine beyond what it was designed for all but guarantees that it will have frequent adjustment issues.

The Enduro motors have no setting to adjust starting speed (just the initial time delay) and they do start at around three hundred RPM. I’ve had Enduro motors before and I don’t really like them. You can always sell yours on CraigsList again and get a better option. The “Family Sew” style knob control motors mentioned above are decent, but old-school in terms of servo motor technology and not without their own problems. I personally don’t like the motor brushes that wear out, the useless motor brake pad that just gets in the way unless you remove it, and the motor torque (punching power) is rather low at slow speeds. These motor do really require a pulley speed reducers to work well for leather work. The motor plus pulley speed reducer will run over $300, not exactly cheap. But it’s what the North American market settles for. It’s what’s readily available through dealers and Ebay here in the US. There are modern servo motors available with full low-end torque and very good low speed control systems that allow you to sew at stitch-per-second speeds without requiring speed reducer pulleys. They also a support needle positioning, which apparently you either love or hate with no middle ground. Unfortunately, most of these motors are not sold in the US. The only exception I’m aware of is the SP1100 motor, sold by Keystone and SewPro. Of course EFKA motors are an option, but US consumers are generally unwilling to pay for that level of quality. Personally, I’ve been buying my motors directly from manufacturers in China. Alas, that is not everybody’s cup of tea and requires a sense of adventure as well as self-reliance in terms of repairs. But I do love those motors and haven’t had a dud yet. If you need somebody to call when things go bump in the seam, settle for what’s available locally and buy from a dealer who offers support.

If you think $111 is far too expensive for that set of parts listed above, then you’re in the wrong hobby or you haven’t been paying attention. There’s a fine line between being frugal and being high maintenance. You can always experiment and make your own solutions. Just buy a tape folder thingy and install it on your machine, perhaps with a little custom bracket to bring it into the right position. Post a topic here when it works. Binding is an art and science, frustrating to many who attempt it. Many people experienced with binding will simply say “take my money!” when they’re presented with a solution that actually works. Then they don’t touch the binding setup after it works properly - they simply buy a second machine for whatever else they might want to sew. The “72” in your model number is the subclass and usually relates to the details of the feed mechanism your machine has. The ‘E42” is likely the gauge set (throat plate, feed dog, feet) that was installed at the factory. There are dozens of gauge set configurations possible, E42 is just one of them. Odds are, it no longer is the configuration you currently have installed on your machine, so the E42 may be meaningless.

This topic covers most of it: Kwok Hing in Hong Kong is one manufacturer who still makes all the parts you need for binding on an Adler 69. You can order directly from them at http://khsew.com (create an account to see pricing) College Sewing in the UK may also offer these parts, for easy local ordering. Here’s the parts list as of October 2020:

I’m just just posting the actual photos since the facebook marketplace link will stop working eventually. I agree it looks like a late model Consew 225. Worth perhaps $250-$400, if its serviceable and complete. They’re good starter machines, easy to work on to learn sewing and machine maintenance. Plan to replace the clutch motor with a modern servo motors for about $150-$200.

This video shows how to reset the safety clutch at the 1:20 mark:

Maybe you turned the stitch length to “0”? A little quality time with the manual may help: https://www.manualslib.com/manual/364311/Singer-111w112.html#manual This is how the feed regulator on your machine works:

You’ll have to adjust your budget. Machines with longer, thinner arms cost more than $3K new. The Durkopp Adler 669 is a very capable machine, as shown in this video. Apparently it’s preferred by makers of fake designer bags.

Well, this short paragraph in the manual linked above contains all the information needed to time the hook and set needle bar height. The step by step is really the just same info, slightly reworded. 1. Set stitch length to 8 spi 2. Turn hand wheel until needle has risen 3/32” from BDC 3. Loosen hook driving gear and adjust hook position to align tip with center of needle 4. Loosen needle bar clamp and adjust needle bar height so that eye of needle is 1/16” below tip of hook

Bummer about your screw heads. Some screws have loctite (essentially cyanoacrylate super glue) applied to the threads. Acetone (nail polish remover) will dissolve super glue. Heat will also break down the glue. Getting the perfect screw driver for that particular screw head helps as well. I’ve made a trip to the hardware store in the middle of a repair job on more than one occasion to get a better screw driver. I personally like electrician’s screw drivers since they have flat, parallel sides on the tip. Most regular screw drivers have angled sides on the tip that tend to push the driver up as you turn it. Try to position the machine so that you can really lean on the screw driver as you turn it. If you get the screw out, don’t keep using it - get a new screw instead.

So here’s the video of how I adjusted my machine to center feed dog movement inside the throat plate opening:

The machine in that last video has a TOTALLY different feed mechanism. That machine is indeed close to a Singer 153, yours is NOT. Please stop looking at Singer 153 documentation to figure out your machine’s feed mechanism, it will just confuse you. I’m making a video right now on how to center the feed dog movement in the throat plate opening. Give me a chance to finish that.

I’m guessing the Consew 287R is the same as the Consew 227R , but with the added automatic lubrication bits. So, the Consew 227R appears to be a Seiko CW-8B design, and the Consew 287R is a Seiko LCW-8B design. The feed mechanism and basic adjustments should be the identical on these machines. I have a Honbo HB-8B machine, which is yet another clone of the Seiko CW-8B design. It came with a manual that has an adjustment section for hook timing etc. - but the adjustments section is entirely in Chinese. I scanned my printed manual into a PDF and I’ll try to translate key sections into English using Google translate. I’ll report back . . .

That’s a step in the right direction. Thanks for the pictures. I’m willing to bet money that this is a rebadged Seiko LCW-8BL design. Let’s use this parts list a common reference: http://www.seiko-sewing.co.jp/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/PARTS_LCW-8BL_8BLV_8BL-1_8BLV-1_1.pdf

What size thread is that? It looks quite hefty in the photo. Your needle may simply be too small for that thread. Is that your normal needle/thread combination? I would also check for burrs that can easily fray thread. Every braking needle may create a burr in the foot, feed dog, etc. I check for burrs by running thread through holes (foot, feed dog, separately) and pulling it back and forth with my hand, changing angles in a full circle. If the thread frays, you have a sharp edge somewhere that needs to be smoothed or polished. I use abrasive cord to “file” inside holes smooth (after removing the part from the machine) I’d also double check hook timing to make sure it hasn’t slipped. Do a few very slow, hand-turned stitches on a very small piece of leather. Flip open the hook cover and just observe how the hook picks up the thread and makes a knot. Try reverse, too. You may need to remove the needle guide and spacer , and crane your neck to see what’s going on. It would not be the first machine that came back from service with a screw that’s not tightened quite enough and comes loose soon afterward. Something may have slipped, causing timing problems. You may need to remove feet and throat plate to see how the hook and needle dance together. Also look at the needle height. If the needle is too low, the hook may still pass the needle in the scarf area, but the needle guard (really just a surface on the shuttle driver) may deflect or collapse the thread loop that the hook is trying to catch. You may need to temporarily remove the needle guide and spacer plate to observe this as it is shown in the videos below. I made some videos a while back that show the stitch formation on that machine. They give you some idea what to look for and do a sanity check. The needle height in the first video is actually too low (but it still made a stitch) Note how the eye of the needle goes below the edge of the needle guard (the line where the vertical part of the needle guard transitions to the angled part.) The vertical wall of needle guard “covers” the eye of the needle, which is incorrect. In the second video the needle height is correct and the eye of the needle stay just above the edge of the needle guard the entire time.

Before we go any further we really need to understand exactly which machine design we’re working with. The feed mechanism on a Singer 153 is totally different from the Seiko. No meaningful adjustment advice can be given unless we know what machine design you have. Please post some pictures of the whole machine front and back, and a few detail shots of the internals behind the covers.

Is your stitch length the same in reverse? Is there any play when you try to move the needle bar back and forth by hand? It’s possible the feed mechanism is out of balance, thus increasing stitch length in one direction and reducing it in the other direction. I still don’t know exactly what your machine looks like. I can’t find a parts diagram for a “ Consew 287R” online, or much else for that matter. I’m guessing we’re talking about a rebadged Seiko CW-8B-2 like this:

Try making some stitches in cardboard or thick paper without thread and measure those hole distances. That’s kind of the best case scenario for max stitch length - without anything slipping or stretching. (I made a stitch length measuring template that you can download and print out if you like: http://docs.uwe.net/slg.pdf ) Observe the feed timing one more time. The descending needle and inner foot should arrive at the top of the throat plate at the exact same time as the rising feed dog from below (this is a kind of reference position.) There should be no more forward movement at this point - needle, feed dog and feet should all start moving towards the back immediately after that reference position. If this is not the case, your feed timing may need to be adjusted. Try a few slow, hand-turned stitches with material and threaded needle. Closely observe how the material and the needle move. If the needle enters the material before it reaches the very front of its movement, that will result in shorter stitch length. If the material moves forward under the foot while the knot is being pulled tight (thread take-up lever at highest position.) that’s another problem that reduces stitch length. Too-high thread tension may pull the material forward as it’s pulling the knot into the material. In general, the thread tension should not be higher than really necessary to make a good stitch. Increasing foot pressure may also help alleviate that problem. But here also, the foot pressure should not be higher than really needed to firmly hold the material in place. Different materials range from very sticky to very slippery, causing differences in how well the material can be moved or held in place. Thickness of material and force needed to pull the knot into the material also play a role. Try one needle size up to make it easier for the thread knot to get pulled into the material. Vinyls tend to be elastic and close up the needle hole around the thread again, veg tan leather on the other hand does not tend to close up the needle holes again. Vinyl and some leathers is also somewhat stretchy. If you stretch the material as you sew the stitch line will shorten again afterward. When sewing, don’t pull or push on the material, just guide it with a light touch. Let the machine do the feeding. Otherwise you may introduce other problems if you pull the needle one way or another while it’s trying to do its job.

Can you please post a few photos of your machine? It appears to be a Seiko design, not a Singer 153. One thing to check is how much the needle actually moves at the throat plate level. Rotate the hand wheel so the needle is at throat plate level at the max front position. Hold a ruler next to the needle and flip the reverse lever, observe how much the needle actually moves. Sometimes the max stitch length is limited due to incorrect feed timing. A short close-up video of the feed dog and needle movement is the best way to judge that. Some machine designs allow a mechanic to purposely limit the max stitch length for projects with small-opening throat plates, etc.. This avoids accidentally damaging the machine if the operator could select a larger stitch length than the installed gauge set allowed.

Here’s a thread tension release mechanism on one of my (incomplete) Pfaff parts donor machines:

The tension release mechanism is a bit complicated on the Pfaff because it allows several different configurations. I had to make a few parts including a custom spring to convert a machine that originally had pneumatic controls back to manual controls. I’m not sure this will really help you, but here’s what mine looked like: This video shows my modification in action at the 7:40 mark: