DrmCa

Looks as badass as it can get. A roll of $1 coins sounds as the safest bet for all states as it passes as a wallet if SHTF. Also, it would not be confiscated if one goes to jail/prison over the fight, and they will have to return it upon release.

So close to hardware will be a challenge with any feet. There are special machines for that. If memory serves, curved needle machines should be able to do that. Otherwise change your L into I and _ or stitch by hand. If you just made 2 _ seams on each side of the hardware then stitched your I you'd be golden.

See if you can improvise a replacement out of a BIC pen spring. The size looks about right unless I am over/underestimating the diameter.

Sorry, I did not understand what kind of seam you were making. Are you folding the edge? To keep furs out of the moving parts, you might try to wrap it in baking paper and to stitch over it then rip it off.

It's a perfect design, IMO. If it feels too slow for anyone, the motor can be replaced with one from a vacuum cleaner with or without a thyristor speed controller:

One option is to take a cloth jacket pattern and use it for leather.

It just occurred to me that in the past I had turned an adapter to put a winder shaft in line with a domestic motor shaft, so that it can be pedal-driven. It worked for a while until I got a spare machine. If only I could remember where I stored it...

Furs are usually sewn on fur machines. Some have compressed air blowers installed that blow the hair down into the seam.

I am on the outskirts of GTA.

There are standalone cone stands, and they are cheap. $65 sounds like a lot of money for a winder, from my perspective, because I am spoiled by the availability of domestic machines that I keep picking up from the curb. I have approximately 4 running machines to pick from, after having sold and given away a few. IMO they are a much cheaper and more versatile alternative to a winder. The latest one I got was Kenmore with all accessories, including half a dozen zigzag programming wheels, buttonhole attachment, feet, needles, tools and Eng/Fre manuals, all in the drawers of its nice table that only lacked rollers. The 2nd last one was a cast-iron Brother. There was a Singer before that, and the list goes on and on. All came in carry cases or on tables that I now use under my lathe and drill press. If one keeps their eyes open, in Canada, there are plenty of unwanted machines to save from landfill. A while ago I sold one on Ebay to a lady who turned out to be my kid's classmate's mother. She was ecstatic to be able to buy a cast-iron Singer with zigzag wheels for CDN$40, and to pick it up. I did not tell her where I'd gotten the machine from. Then I gave another similar machine away, to a co-worker whose wife just had a baby, and they needed baby clothes and curtains made. They had no idea that they could get away without spending $200-300 on a machine. Canadians in general are very green and environmental, but most of them only do a lip service to that cause. Considering by how much one can reduce environmental pollution by simply re-using a still perfectly running sewing machine, circular saw, lawnmower etc, they could do a lot better but all they really do is outsource the imposition of carbon tax to Ottawa. End of rant.

One option is to have a domestic machine on hand. I don't know what diameter hole M is but as long as it is the same then a domestic machine can do the winding for you.

Which needle system do you use, in that size?

Wow! You must have small hands, to accomplish that! How did you get needles/awls in there?

Perfect stitches, I must tell you! Reminds me that I too want to buy those stamps!

Spent the morning playing with my patcher as I planned on how I will motorize it with a lawnmower PMDC motor and a thyristor voltage regulator. It stitched fine through 1, 2, and 5 layers of upholstery leather. Used the stitch length from 3 to 8 spi, and the machine did fine. It does not like sharp corners on the go but if stopped and restarted after a turn, it does fine. Was using American and Efird Permacore TEX47 thread that I randomly grabbed from a shelf. It will likely run better with bonded nylon that I was too greedy to waste. The foot is not marking leather either, no matter how many layers. Maybe it would mark harder leathers? Dunno. I do not know if it is my luck that I got a sewing sewing machine or others do something wrong until they figure it out. The threading method I use is to thread through both of the tensioners set to the lowest possible tension. On the bobbin, I used the nearest hole. Maybe I will experiment with the far hole but for now the patcher just stitches.

It does. If it runs off on you on an English end of an 8oz piece, the belt is ruined. That's a different story.

Which reinforces our opinion that the roller did not rotate since.

Looks like a brass tube over the steel shaft. You could take a triangular file and clean the thread up. I wonder if it's been the previous owner's way of peening the nut in place. There are many strange people in this world. The surface of the roller needs TLC as well.

I do not see any mechanical possibility for the roller to rotate, with the pictured design. If you badly want this to work, you may have to invest into replacement parts. Until you get the formerly winged nut off you won't know. +1 for using heat and WD40 to get it off. Later, you might want to get a replacement steel nut.

Belts are likely a No unless light-weight, lined leather. It's an upholstery class machine, not for heavy leather.

Wow! A picture is likely unavailable but (in president Nixon's voice) I'd like to see that! Nice work!

When they cut corners, they also use smaller than 69 thread in the bobbin

Just beware that a roller foot, though enables you to bridge the gap to sewing heavier leather, has a learning curve and its own issues with stitching onto and off thick steps. I hope you did not pay too much for your learning experience. The best course of action would be to sell the 99 and buy a walking foot machine.