Uwe

Many gears on sewing machines (and other machinery) are machined to mesh with specific opposing gear teeth. There's often a factory marking on the gears that tells you which tooth on one gear is supposed to match up with wich valley on the other gear. If you assemble the gears with an offset in the tooth alignment, the gears will probably still work, but they'll be noisy. I noticed that issue when I was timing my Adler 67. I made a mention of it and show the gear markings around the 4-minute mark in my hook timing video: Your gears may also be machined to mesh with specific opposing teeth. Look for markings (often just an ink dot or pencil marking that may look random at first). If the mark disappeared during restoration, you can try shifting the gears one tooth at a time and see if the noise gets better. The noise was very obvious with my Adler 67 when I accidentally got the gears mis-meshed.

All three machines you are looking are good designs, but not identical. If they work well and you can afford it you can't really make a wrong decision with any of these. The two 269 machines have a very different cylinder arm design from the 69. The 69 has a horizontal hook, smaller bobbin, small arm (good for getting into tight corners inside a bag), feed dog goes back and forth but not up and down, and it can be set up for special synchronized binding operations. The 269 has a vertical hook, larger bobbin, descending feed dog for full compound feed, but the arm diameter is considerably larger and it is not as versatile for binding operations. Which design is better suited to your needs depends on which features are important to you. I have a Durkopp Adler 69-373 and it is a very nice machine for my needs, but I like the 269 design as well. I made a flatbed table attachment for my DA 69 to sew flat pieces.

In terms of actual machine suggestions that can sew that kind of leather and fall in that general price range, the only recommendation that comes to mind are the Singer 111W155 and Consew 225/226 class of machines. These machines are frequently available used in various degrees of use/abuse. They are actually capable of sewing fairly thick leather if they are set up properly. I did a little video some time ago sewing thick veg tan leather on my Consew 225 after adjusting it as good as I know how: Here's the video on how I adjusted it, to give you an idea of what you have to do (or pay somebody to do):

If you find a machine for under $500 that sews two or more layers of 10oz veg tan leather well, you are very lucky indeed. Many sellers will claim their machine will sew anything perfectly, especially if they've never used it themselves. Make sure you see machine actually sewing what the seller they claims it will sew, before you buy it.

Without seeing any pictures, I'm guessing the two machines are nearly identical (except color perhaps and which country they were made in). Durkopp and Adler became one company ("Durkopp Adler") in the 1987. Machines built around that time may have only had a change in name and perhaps paint color. Later, some production was moved to the Czech Republic and later yet, to China for certain models. The Adler 269-373 is a fine machine if it is in good condition. All other things being equal, there's really no reason to pay twice as much for a machine just because it was built after the two companies merged. Older may be better, actually. If the Adler 269-373 says "Made in Germany" it is more desirable than a newer DURKOPP ADLER made in the Czech Republic ("Made in Czech Republic") or China (no "Made in . . ." statement at all on the machine), not only because build quality MAY be better but because resale value WILL be better. GOOGLE TRANSLATE VERSION: Sin ver ninguna imagen , supongo las dos máquinas son casi idénticos (excepto el color tal vez y en qué país se hicieron in). Durkopp y Adler se convirtió en una empresa ( " Durkopp Adler " ) a finales de 1987 . Máquinas construidas alrededor de ese tiempo pueden sólo han tenido un cambio de nombre y tal vez la pintura de color. Más tarde, parte de la producción se trasladó a la República Checa y, más tarde , sin embargo, a China para ciertos modelos. El Adler 269 a 373 es una máquina bien si está en buenas condiciones . Todas las demás cosas son iguales , no hay realmente ninguna razón para pagar el doble por una máquina sólo porque fue construido después de las dos empresas se fusionaron . Mayor puede ser mejor , en realidad. Si el Adler 269-373 dice " Hecho en Alemania " es más deseable que una DURKOPP ADLER más reciente realizada en la República Checa ( "Hecho en República Checa " ) o China (sin "Hecho en . . . " La declaración en absoluto en la máquina ) , no sólo por la calidad de construcción puede ser mejor , sino porque el valor de reventa será mejor.

It looks very much like a copy of the Juki DU-1181N, which runs about $1,300 new with a table and servo motor (plus shipping which can be substantial). This machine does not have needle feed, but bottom and upper feed may be all you need. The central pump lubricating system can be troublesome if you sew really slow all the time - the pump needs to run at a certain speed to keep oil moving. But for $425 it looks like a perfectly good starter machine in very clean condition. Manuals and parts like different presser feet should be readily available from Juki part bins, but they may be harder to find in aftermarket sources - the feet seem less common than other models. The nice solid wood table (not a particle board weakling) and decent servo motor alone are worth $200 in my mind. Go try it out and see if you like it and if it works with material you're planning to sew. If it's okay, go for it. Decent new-ish industrial walking foot sewing machines don't get any cheaper than that, really.

Here are a couple more detail shots of my flatbed table attachment for the Dürkopp Adler 69 class of machines, for the LW archives.

Thanks for offering to check your stash, pcox. My Puritan's needle/awl shank size is 0.086". The one awl I have is 1-7/16" long. I measured how deep the needle and awl are seated inside their holders, and the closest distance between top and bottom holder during the cycle. Per the manual, there should be a gap of 1/16" between awl and needle at this timing point. I calculated how long the needle should be based on this info. So, if I did my calculations right, the needle should be close to 1.97" long and have a 0.086" shank. Any "size" will be fine for testing, I eventually plan to sew with about 207 size thread. Here's a little scale drawing I made to help me figure this out: I do really like the concept of needle/awl machines, so I'm gonna try hard to make this one work. Less sure about the chain stitch yet, I tend to lean towards lockstitch machines.

"This one's different" is my take so far on the Puritan- and I'm sure people still say that about me sometimes, too. Very few things work the way I expect them to. The handwheel turn away from you, this being a first for me. The chain stitch and needle/awl thing takes a little while to digest. I still haven't figured out how you actually start sewing a stitch with thing (not I have any needles, mind you.) None of the youtube video show this, actually - they're already in the middle of everything. The manual also does not give even a hint. I'm guessing people "just know" or at least used to know these things. Right now I'm leaning towards bringing the needles up and then manually wrapping each thread into the needle hooks and holding on to the thread while I turn to pull down the needles. I'm still not totally sure which exact model I actually have. I think there's some fluidity since you can change things over from one model to another in the field. Mine appears be "transitioning" - it's mostly a "Three-Row Vamper BX 3/32", with a few mismatched parts. The BX 3/32 should have three stitch rows spaced 3/32" apart (pitch) with small shank needles (.086" shank). There are five elements that need to have matching pitch: 1. The needle holder below the needle plate 2. Needle brace/castoff holder 3. The needle plate 4. The presser foot 5. The awl holder at the top They all need to be synchronized with the same pitch of either ALL 3/32", or ALL 1/8" spacing between the three stitching rows. Mine has everything 3/32" pitch, except the needle holder which has a pitch of 1/8". This combination will never sew three rows of stitching, but it'll sew a single center row of stitching just fine, apparently, which is how the machine has been used for a while. I tried to order some needles and awls today and called Puritan (how much could they possibly be, right?) Nice fella answered and he had a few questions that had me take the digital caliper to the machine afterwards. So it turns out that needles are $8.25 EACH and awls are $8.60 EACH, with a minimum purchase of ten needles/awls. So I'll be out around $170 just to get a single pair of needle and awl into this machine (center row) just to see if it will make a stitch. I'll have to get a new needle holder with the right pitch to attempt triple-row stitches. I'm almost afraid to ask how much a needle holder is. Like I said, this one's different. Does anybody by chance know if these needles and awls are unique to Puritan, or if I can substitute other needle/awl brands (e.g. Campbell Randall)? If this post seems to lack organization and direction, that's because I have none when it comes to this machine. I don't even know what my next step should be right now. I'm gonna let it simmer for a few days before tackle it again. I also need to sell a couple swing-down guides and presser feet on ebay so I can afford to buy needles and awls, haha!

Here's a quick sneak peek at my Adler 69 version of the flatbed table attachment. Proper glamour shots to follow later this week.

Well, I survived Ohio and I'm happy to announce my new arrival. I'll update with more details and photos in coming days/weeks.

Thanks for all the sillyness and comic relief! In an unexpected plot twist, the deal is on again and Karma points may get restored. I'm off to Ohio - wish me luck . . .

SARK9: Nice and simple - I like it! I'd love to see what your hammertone powdercoat looks like. None of the ones I've seen come even close to the original Adler texture.

Turns out the "family heirloom concern" was really a mild case of greed. For some reason he had no takers on his initial CL listing and lowered the price. After I agreed to buy it, his wife started googling Puritans (has anything good ever happened after "let me check with my wife"?). He now wants thousands of dollars instead of hundreds for the machine. Oh well . . .

I know it's only a matter of time, now that the thought of owning a Puritan has taken hold in my mind.

Thanks guys! Alas, it seems it wasn't meant to be. We had a deal and shook virtual hands on it, but then he backed out citing family heirloom concerns. Now all I can say is that I came very close to owning one of these beauties at one time. Just for the archive, here's the close-up of the what appears to be currently single needle, but ready-for-triple-stitch setup.

In a moment of weakness I'm contemplating getting a Puritan Stitcher. The problem of sorts is that I have no idea which exact model I'm actually looking at and the guy selling it doesn't either: It kind of looks close to this "Vamper" model: Does anybody know how to positively identify a particular model or where to find the model markings? I'm waiting for some close-up photos of the needle/awl area. The guys says it works "flawlessly". It's a looong drive to go pick it up so I'm trying to do a little sanity check before I committ. My other concern is that the only real Puritan Stitcher documentation I found was at the Smithsonian (which hasn't figured out how to make a PDF yet.) The manual talks about Vamping, Staying, and Fairstitch - I've never even heard these terms before! Is there a glossary on what these sewing terms mean? I know they're all chain stitch machines, but I don't know these variations on the theme. There is precious little information available about these machines other than the manual and that glowing Redwing Shoes video which made me want to own one of these machines in the first place. Can these models really be "easily converted" between 1/2/3 needles modes as the Puritan website states? They say they have all parts in stock and ready to ship - has anybody successfully ordered parts from them? Is the Ceroxylon liquid lubricant the manual talks about just plain Palm oil/wax or is there a modern-day equivalent available from a vendor? Is that wax pot heated somehow to melt the wax? Lots of questions, sorry. I hope some sewing machine savant will just know many of the answers and/or have some actual experience with these machines.

My Consew 225 is my test bed for anything I want to try out or figure out. It's been fine-tuned and upgraded with new parts well beyond its market value. I've been meaning to sell it but I just ordered even more parts to try out the big-hand-wheel-pulley-speed-reducer approach. These are great machines to learn with and work on to figure out the mechanics of sewing machine operation and maintenance. Manuals and parts are readily available and parts are cheap (e.g. new hook around $35, needle plate + toothed feed dog + smooth presser feet set for under $30, etc.) I don't have a smooth feed dog, but it didn't bother my veg tan really. The Juki 562/563 are nice machines. $700 is an okay-but-not-great price for a workable 562 with servo motor. Essentially identical Singer 111W155 and Consew 225/226 can be found cheaper on occasion. That is if you have time to wait for one to pop up locally. Sometimes you just have to go make a move and then make it work as you learn. Try to talk the seller down a bit to have funds for new parts. The value of these used machines doesn't change much. If you take care of it, you'll be able to sell it for about the same amount a few years from now. When it comes time to moving the thing, I'd recommend lifting the head out of the table and transporting it separately. Trying to move the entire setup in one piece is very hard/topheavy/awkward and more likely to cause injury/damage to the machine or you.

You can buy smooth-bottomed presser feet and feed dogs without the ridges to avoid marking the leather. Certain leathers mark more easily than others. Veg Tan leather is notorious for showing marks. Garment leather is more forgiving. I've never made a shoe. Not sure a flatbed machine is the ideal tool for that - most shoe makers use cylinder arm, shoe patchers, or post bed type machines.

Make sure you spend some quality time with the manual for your machine: http://www.consew.com/Files/112347/InstructionManuals/225.pdf Your United is the same as the Consew 226R-1, as far as I can tell. You should not need to loosen any set screws to adjust the stitch length, just depress a button in the bed (page 5 in the manual.) That set screw is there to allow calibrating the numbered wheel to match to actual stitch lengths. Make sure you buy some new needles of the correct system 135x17 and size you plan to use. Check hook timing against specs (probably close to Consew 225 hook timing specs, but verify).

That 562 does not have reverse. Don't expect the machine to be perfectly adjusted, but it should be able to make stitches. Things should turn smoothly without binding when you turn the wheel by hand. I'd look for signs of abuse or excessive wear - like feed dog or needle plate that shows major battle scar from the needle hitting them when it shouldn't. Are things loose that shouldn't be? ( e.g. can you wiggle the needle bar by hand or is it firm?) Is the timing belt inside clean or worn? The picture in the CL ad looks reasonable good, actually. Most wear parts can be replaced and are not too expensive for this machine. Watch my Consew 225 Hook Adjustment video on youtube (https://youtu.be/1wNBPX8i524). The Juki 562 is nearly identical and you'll probably need to do some of the things I do in that video to make it work really well. Having a sewing machine tech do those things for you will get expensive quickly. The sooner you get comfortable working on the machine yourself, the better.

The DDL8700 and the Juki 562 class of machines may look superficially similar, but they're VERY different machines. That's mainly because the DDL has only bottom feed (the needle and upper foot don't help to move the material) and is mainly designed to be FAST. The Juki 562 has triple (aka Unison=Bottom+Needle+Upper) feed and is built for accurately moving multiple layers of heavy material, but not necessarily fast. You'll find DDL 8700 class machines at your local dry cleaner to repair pants, shirts, dresses etc. The DDL 8700 is like a racehorse and the Juki 562 is the horse that pulls the Budweiser wagon. Neither will do particularly well in the other's role.

In terms of Kwok Hing parts the items you'll need for the Adler 69 is the KA-69 (aka KHB-69) arm cover you were looking at, plus the KP-269F binder foot set, plus the KH-69F needle plate and feed dog. The Pfaff 335 binding setup has corresponding Pfaff versions of the same parts to turn it into a binding machine. I had the Pfaff 335 binding setup once, so I have a picture of it: Pfaff actually has a document that shows which parts go with which subclass. The 6/01 is the normal setup, the 17/01 is the binding setup: Pfaff 335 Subclass parts.pdf Binders (tape folders) for various tape sizes are extra and somewhat interchangeable/universal:

The simplicity of this approach is compelling indeed. This ebay seller has a nice selection of zink die cast pulleys all in one place in his listing: http://r.ebay.com/qtGSU9

Looks like Toledo Bob has a similar 441 style presser foot here (item #10):