councilman24

A dress belt might be sewn with #69 but the harness leather mens belt I'm wearing is sewn along the edge with 5 or 6 cord. #69 is upholstery thread. I don't believe either of these will replace what your doing now. At least not for the same look. I consider $350 too much for a 31-15. Unless it's in a newer table with a servo motor. Without photos of table can't tell. I'm not familiar with the nikajima. Unless it's a different named version of a popular machine ( many machines are sold under many names) it might be hard to find parts. The nikajima doesn't look familiar to me. Parts for a 31-15 are easy. You can look at #69 thread at any fabric store and decide if it's big enough. To sew the heavy thread like in the photo of my belt below your going to spend 3 to 6 times as much. Browse some of the posts or dealers advertising here. To just learn how to sew with a commercial machine a cheaper 31-15 would be a good start useful for lots of light things. There were made and used for the better part of a century. But a better first machine to learn on might be an older, better quality than new, Singer 20U. Forward, reverse, zig zag. Or a 111W151 or 155 for the next machine up, more or less, from a 31-15. 111, 112 double needle or 211 and 212 versions have needle or compound (walking foot) feed for heavy materials. Read some of the starter information in the pinned posts.

No it is NOT what you want. It is made for sewing if confined spaces, like shoes or the arm of a jacket. It uses a very small bobbin. Doesn't use very heavy thread. Lots of people want patchers but not to sew straight and heavy. You want a walking foot medium to heavy sewing machine. A 111W155 singer is a standard entry level old machine available for a few hundred dollars on a table with motor. A new machine with reverse would be a consew 206rb.

Attached are a couple of photos of one of the best manual I've ever found. A USN parachute rigger essentially rewrote some of the repairs to basic machines and made his own line drawings that are much simpler than the photos often used. It covers 31-15, 7-33, 111w151, 111w155, 211w151, consew 199r,107w ans 143w, and some good general information. I've only ever seen two copies, mine and the one I copied. I've heard a library on the east side of Michigan has one but haven't confirmed it. I tried to upload some more photos but site says I've hit the limit even though it doesn't seem I have. But detailed step by step, nut by nut instruction with line drawings that only show parts in play are priceless.

No need to remove the motor. Pull.the head, no tools. Clean the top by removing a bobbin winder lamp thread stand. Screwdrivers, cresent wrech, wire cutter for lamp cord. Cut and replace if necessary. Slide table in upside down on top. Use ratchet strap to hold in center of vehicle. Don't loose hinges which will fall.out of head. Open end wrenches along with crescent wrench to shorten legs if necessary.

These are very desirable machines for parachute riggers and sailmakers. Riggers want them with a cam for doing a double throw, 308 federal, stitch needed in some applications. Sailmakers like them because a different cam allows them to do a triple throw zig zag used in sail making. The one pictured does NOT have a cam attachment. The cam on a 217N sticks above the main head casting. On a 217 the cams are smaller and you can not tell from a head on shot if it has a cam reader. I have a 217 with a cam reader and a 217N-08 without a cam reader. As a standard zig zag/straight stitch machine these are similar in quality to Pfaff 238's, which I also have. $600 is a very good price for a 217N in the condition shown in the photos. You'll see folks wanting $1200 plus for the same machine in worse condition. A cam reader and or puller option increases the desirability and price. They are fairly rare, especially 217N with a cam reader. 217N as pictured are around. If you need a quality zig zag machine $600 makes this a good buy. Not great, or a steal but very good. As to leather it will sew leather as any other drop feed medium weight industrial machine. It is not designed for it. It is not free arm. It is not walking foot. It may not solve your problem. With Global now making 217N's some parts are available. Others aren't. They make the 217N-12. If you tell them you have a -08, even if the parts are the same for both, they will tell you they don't supply parts for it. Cam devices and cams are not available from Global. A parachute rigger that didn't need the cam would snap this up. For what you want maybe not so much.

If you decide to sell it advertise it on dropzone.com. This machine is desirable for sewing parachute harnesses with 5 cord in place of using a class 7. If your not using it pass it on to someone who can keep it useful.

Half the sewing machines discussed on this forum are traditional parachute rigging machines. But they range from light weight 31-15 to 7-33. And of course leather comes in all sorts of weight. As said need specifics on machine and what lether you want to sew.

Like this or truely square? http://catalog.dj-associates.com/viewitems/buckles-loops-slides/square-loop?