nuncanunca

Good advice - thanks! I left most of the inner workings on the adler alone - I wanted to clean up all the outer surfaces to get it looking pretty to sell. Hopefully when I get my replacement parts and put it all together it will sew. Neither machine was in sewing condition when I got them. Maybe I will skip taking the lever off the 29 - although I was hoping to give it a funky paint job, since I will be keeping it.

Thanks for your help! Turns out it was a taper pin, it just has a large hex bolt head on it - and a good thing, too. I don't know how I would have got the pin out otherwise. That sucker was in there tight! After a lot of careful wrenching I got it out, cleaned everything up, and am now in the process of struggling to get the pin all the way back in. Its halfway there - will start in on it again tonight. Next question: When I go to refurbish my 29-4 - how do I get that pin out without damaging anything? It doesnt have anything to get ahold of, so I was thinking of using a rubber mallet and wooden dowel to try to tap it out from the back side. Is there any trick to getting the pin out on the 29s? Incidentally, the reason I am taking the driving levers off is to clean decades of grime from the machines. I got them from a retired shoe man who had them sitting in his shed for 15 years at least. The good thing is, the thick greasy crud coating these machines has kept them safe from the Florida humidity - underneath it all they are in great shape. Dave

I am trying to remove the needle bar driving lever joint pin (at least that is what it is called on the 29-4) on an adler shoe patcher - it has a bolt head that I can turn with a great deal of effort, but it doesnt appear to be backing the pin out when it turns. I don't want to damage anything by forcing it with a wrench - can anyone tell me how to get the pin out without damaging anything? Is the pin threaded or just held in place by pressure? I am going to be refurbishing a Singer 29-4 soon, and I suppose I will have the same problem when I try to take the needle bar driving lever off of that machine too. Can I just tap the pin out from the back side? Thanks! Dave

Here is a great video of your machine in action. Looks like a winner!

I don't have project to add, but a suggestion that may be helpful. I wanted to do a leather project with my son's scout den but tooling space was an issue. I called up a local company that that does granite and stone work, and they were happy to let me dig through their scrap bin for as many pieces as I wanted. I got 7-8 roughly 1'x1'x1" scrap granite pieces for free. I am sure it would be the same with any local company - once they know you aren't trying to take advantage of them - it doesn't cost them anything and its for a good cause. When I can afford granite countertops in the kitchen, guess who I am going to buy from? - Dave

Kevin is right about the clutch motor. The one I have has a slower motor as clutch motors go - 1725 rpm I think - but it still sews much too quickly for me on many projects. Belts and bags are ok at full speed - in a straight line - but for corners or detailed inlays I have been turning it by hand. Some of that is due to my lack of skill. Some members have put a servo motor on these with good results. I was looking into a servo motor or speed reducing pulley for it before I got my new machine. The needle size goes up to 25, but I haven't tried to sew with thread to fit a needle that big. I wouldn't try to sew anything as thick as a holster or saddle with it, but it has been fine for wallets and small bags. Dave

I have a singer 31-15 that I will sell for $150 if you can find a way to get it to Ft. Myers from Orlando. It has a table, good motor & clutch and about $60 worth of new accessories I bought in the past few months before I decided I wanted a cylinder arm machine instead. I just got a singer 17 class and the wife says one of them has to go. It will sew up to 3/8" of leather no problem. If you search on the singer 31-15 in this forum you will find lots of info about the machine. PM me if you are interested. Good luck. Dave

Thanks Steve, I saw the pictures of your machine and was hoping to hear from you. That gives me a good idea where to start. It sounds like it will be comparable to my 31-15. Now if I can just figure out a way to get the wife to let me keep them both!

Hello all, I just bought an old Singer 17-16, it will be arriving next week. I found the instruction and part manuals for it on the singer site, but I am wondering how thick of leather I can stitch and how heavy a thread the machine can handle. I see it is designed for portfolios and pocketbooks - but I don't know what they considered a "pocketbook" in 1919 when this thing was built. Would that be a closer to a small purse or a wallet? Will it handle #207 thread? I have a 31-15 now and I know that the general rule is 3/8" max thickness for leather. Is the 17-16 the same? I know the first question should be "what am I wanting to use it for?" But I won't know until I see what it can do... I am hoping to use it for anything from a messenger bag to an archery quiver to a leather top hat I guess. Nothing so thick as a holster or horse tack. Any help is much appreciated! Dave

Wow! thank you for posting this. I have to tell you that I never really appreciated masks before looking at your website a week or so ago - your masks are so poignant and expressive - I was completely floored! I had to show my wife and she had the same reaction. You are an incredible artist! ~nuncanunca