Uwe

My Tacsew T1563 head is for sale for $550 to fellow leatherworkers. The Tacsew T1563 is a very well done copy of the Juki LU-563. For specs, manuals, and parts lists, you can refer to the Juki LU-563 documentation. I've spent a great deal of time with this machine, cleaning, adjusting, and replacing worn/broken/missing parts. I made a video of how I replaced the thread tension release guide, which gives you a good idea of what the insides of the head looks like: You can see this machine making stitches in my thumb control video (that motor setup is NOT for sale, sorry!): It is adjusted to perfection and makes perfectly matching forward and reverse stitches at a max of 7mm stitch length. The machine is ready to be shipped in the custom shipping crate I've built for it. The whole box weighs in at a hefty 97 lbs. Shipping will run between $70-100, depending on where in the continental U.S. you live. If you're in the Detroit area, I'll be happy to set this machine up in a table and a nice motor for an extra $250, but shipping a complete setup is not something I'm interested in. I'm set up to accept credit cards through my photography business. I can also send you a Paypal invoice if you prefer. Here are some detailed pictures: More pictures:

A simple Google search for "Durkopp 380" brings up Durkopp 380 Parts Lists and Durkopp 380 User Manual. With part numbers taken from the parts list you can search for vendors that might carry them. Repair manuals are rare or non-existent. The best you can generally hope for is an adjustment or service manual.

I also made a separate video on just the alternating foot lift adjustment for the Adler 205. The procedure adjusts the alternating feet to make sure they lift the same amount as they walk. Also, both feet should definitely lift off the material when you use the manual lever or the foot-operated foot lift. If they don't, something's wrong with your foot lift mechanism.

I hadn't seen that particular video yet - nice find! There's a few variations on the theme out there, mine is just a yet-another-crate version. My general approach is to sample and analyze various options and then pick the parts or methods that work for me, while trying to improve upon or simplify what others have done before. The oldest sewing machine packaging footage I've seen is part of the 70-Minute long Birth of a Sewing Machine silent film from 1934 where they show how Singer packed their machines in wooden crates around the 1 hour and 3 minute mark into the film.

I'm voting for the single needle version of the Durkopp Adler H868 reinforced post-bed machine. Its specs include needle sizes up to 250 , 25mm foot lift, and a 3XL bobbin fit for size queens. Unfortunately, if you need to ask how much it is, you can't afford it. But if you need it, you need it.

I decided to build a wooden shipping crate that will work for industry standard flatbed machines. I have a Consew 225 for sale, plus my Tacsew T1563 ( a Juki 563 clone) is ready to be adopted after starring in my upcoming stitch length adjustment and forward-reverse-balancing video. I also picked up two Craiglist finds (a Juki 562 and a Juki 563-3) a few days ago that I will put up for sale after refurbishing them (to finance my future Durkopp Adler 969, haha!) So, quite a few machines with identical shapes and dimensions that may need to be shipped. Might as well figure out how to ship them securely now! The concept is similar to the crate I built for the Adler 69, but the means of holding the machine firmly in place inside the crate is rather different. The board attached across the flatbed keeps the machine from moving vertically. The carved-out horizontal support board in the middle keeps the machine from moving horizontally. So the machine won't move at all, no matter which side is facing up. The upper portion of the head is suspended in mid-air without additional supports. The whole affair makes a rather solid impression on me and I have high confidence that this will protect the machines sufficiently during shipment. This wooden crate will go inside a foam board padded cardboard box as with the Adler 69. Here are some pictures: Here's a sketch of my initial build plan, which doesn't quite match what I actually built, because I usually make changes as I build stuff:

I finally found time to install the new (original Juki!) Thread Release Guide part on my Tacsew T1563, a Juki LU-563 clone. I made a video to celebrate the occasion and document the process. Since the part is somewhat deeply nested and connected in the head, I had to take apart and put back together a good portion of the head, including removing the presser foot bar and various connected parts. So the video might be useful even if you don't need to replace that particular part. My thread release guide works as intended and the manual foot lift movements no longer catch and annoy every time you lift the presser foot. The new part itself was cheap at $7.33, especially for an original Juki part. When I checked, ABC Sewing Machine was the only U.S. vendor who had this part (Juki Part Number B14602460A0) in stock AND listed on their online ordering system. So props to them for that. So here's the video for your viewing pleasure and edutainment:

The machine is sold, sorry.

It certainly looks like a technology or method that was invented when operator safety was a secondary concern. For myself I've concluded that this particular oddity in sewing technology is skippable. I don't feel the need to add burn marks and electric shocks to my personal list of sewing hazards. I'll stick with cuts and punctures for now.

Weaver posted a few new videos on youtube last week, including a nice overview of the Durkopp Adler 969 Eco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kqHbL_47b0#t=24.306041

Today must be Italian heated presser foot day. Another italian video shows a (broken and rather unsafe looking) heated presser foot machine in action at the 1:51 mark (what sewing machine is that?) I also realised that I'm not wearing nearly enough gold jewelry when I do my leatherwork.

I came across this video by an Italian company Zallocco where they use an electrically heated inner presser foot to sew a belt. I haven't quite figured what the (heated) point of it is and my Italian is quite bad beyond ordering espresso based drinks. Are they just shaping the needle hole for visual appearance? Perhaps the presser foot has a specially shaped bottom to make an impression in the leather as you sew. They must not be using nylon or polyester thread with that heated foot. Has anybody else seen or used this, or know exactly what they're doing here? How does that heater rod even work with just one wire going to it? That modified, welded-on big-foot outer presser foot is interesting, too - definitely not leaving any marks on the leather! Too bad they don't show what the underside looks like.

Now I have trouble falling asleep because I'm like a kid who just got his allowance Options in no particular order: 1. Buy about 100 needles+awls and a set of cast-offs for the Puritan (and then one or two Starbucks drinks with the leftover money) 2. Buy a used Juki 1341, or a new clone thereof 3. Sell my Puritan too and buy a new Adler 869 4. Sell my Puritan and my Adler 205 and buy a new Adler 969 5. Fund my "No-Curb" rescue shelter for abandoned industrial sewing machines for another two years.

Did you ever get to visit Sergey and check out his shop and product line? That 1341 looks like a nice machine!

Yup, it was kind of hard to let this one go.

I normally use that plywood to make my tabletops, mainly because the edge looks super nice and the baltic birch has very few internal voids as I carve the cutouts etc. I had trunk full of this stuff after my last trip to Toledo Plywood. The machine is in the hands of UPS now and I wish her safe travels to the east coast. Here are few more pictures of the final crating:

I stumbled across this ebay listing of a Adler 30-70 with a wicked chain drive and geared motor setup and wanted to share some pictures to preserve them in the LW archives. If the needle won't penetrate the material, it certainly won't be because of a weak motor or slipping belt! The price seems rather optimistic.

Wow, it sure makes a beautiful stitch!

I didn't sleep all that well after I realized that I had to ship my precious Durkopp Adler 69. I spent six hours today building a custom shipping crate, hoping it will greatly increase chances of survival while at the mercy of UPS or USPS. The crate is intended to keep the machine from moving around inside the box during shipment no matter which side is up, and to keep fragile bits away from hard walls in case it falls off the conveyor belt. The wooden crate will go inside a sturdy cardboard box with thick foam board pads all around. The small parts and accessories will go into a second box with regular bubble-wrap type packaging. There are no guarantees, only improved chances. Perhaps I'll be able to update this post with photos of what it looked like after arriving.

Yes it will slow things down. It's all about the ratios of the pulleys. If you replace the 3" pulley on the motor with one that is about 2", your machine will run at 2/3 of the original speed. This is basic high school geometry stuff. Remember Pi (3.141....)? At 3" diameter pulley will have a circumference of Pi*3"=9.5" so each revolution will move the belt by 9.5 ". A 2" diameter pulley has a circumference of Pi*2"=6.2" so each revolution of that pulley will move the belt 6.3".

Sold.

Sieck in Germany also has a nice selection of cylinder arm leather machines that would suit your needs within your price range. Almost any of their cylinder arm machines on their "Sattler Nähmaschinen" page would work for you. In any case, that page is good reference for suitable machines and rough pricing available in Europe. Personally I think the Sieck 369-373 ( a copy of the Durkopp Adler 269 line) would make a great machine for the type of work you're describing. Get a servo motor with speed reducer to make your learning curve easier to manage. If you're brand new to the scene, stay away from oddball old machine with limited parts availability and iffy documentation. Get your machine from a dealer you can get service from in terms of repair, adjustments, parts, etc. Where exactly you are in Europe makes difference for service and shipping.

I got confused, too, earlier this morning. In Adler 205 speak, the "spacers" are the little black parts that set the needle guard distance to match the needle size. Your learning curve is steep because you're taking things apart that I haven't even touched yet in the year that I've owned my 205. I'm just not sure how the ring-like shims would affect the success or failure of an aftermarket shuttle other than allowing the fine tuning of hook-to-needle distance. If the shuttle is within specs of the original it should work. If the aftermarket shuttle it's out of spec or just plain wrong, I doubt changing the shims will fix the problem.

I thought the shims are used to fine-tune proper hook-to-needle distance. Once it's set is should never change, really (unless you take things apart).

The outer foot needs the inner foot to press against the material in order to lift up. If the step down is too high, the inner foot may not press against the bottom and prevent the outer foot from lifting up. This would cause them to appear to stop walking. There is an adjustment on the back of the machine that allows you to change how high the feet lift up as they walk. Set that to the highest lift it allows and see if it helps. The actuator needs to be at the top of the slot for maximum foot lift as they walk. Many folks people have this at the top and never change it. Inner and outer feet should also lift the same amount as they walk. Check the service manual if that's not the case.