dikman

It can take quite a while to get your head around how industrial machines work, some of the adjustments only have to be out a smidgin to cause problems and it's sometimes tricky to figure out just which adjustment is out. As you get used to the various adjustments it becomes easier troubleshooting them - but it takes time and hands-on fiddling to reach that stage. After all the messing around I've done with my machines I can still get it wrong! A little while ago I made a gunbelt for someone and started running the stitching around the edge. I got halfway and thought it looked pretty good - until I flipped it over, it was a mass of loops!!! I had to cut out all the stitches and re-do it.Seems I'd somehow forgotten to set the upper thread tension (still can't figure out how it happened). Those Singers, by the way, are great machines.

No doubt about it, Uwe, you do some nice work! Constabulary, the bluing worked, just thought you might like to know. Not quite up to Uwe's standard, but, hey, the leather won't care .

Dwight, that is very nice, quite elegant looking.

Good idea! I've got some cold bluing solution, I'll give that a try first.

Ok, Uwe's had me thinking about this, so I figured I'd have a go as it could be a useful addition to my foot collection. I had a spare welting foot that came with some bits with one of my machines (can't remember which one!). As I have two of those feet, and am unlikely to ever use them anyway, I figured I could sacrifice one. I filled in the hollow on the bottom with weld then got stuck in to it on the belt grinder. Took a bit of trial-and-error but I ended up with a working foot. It still needs a bit of smoothing down, and the only problem I can see is being plain steel it will rust. Two possible solutions occurred to me - coat it with Devcon epoxy or Parkerize it (more messing around but probably the best solution).

Nothing wrong with that, mate, once it's on the belt it'll look great.

Obviously good design right from the start!

Drawer? Mine goes well beyond a "drawer"!

No worries, glad I could contribute something useful. I figure the post on the front part of mine is for small spools.

Nice bit of fettling. As an aside, my 31K20 came with the winder in two parts, I assume you have the other bit to feed the thread?

I'm not sure how you'll go with a small cylinder arm that can handle heavy thread, hopefully others with more experience can provide suitable models to look for. I think the 227r can handle up to 207, but my Pfaff 335 can only handle up to 138.

If you can find a larger pulley to replace the handwheel you'll slow it down even more.

One of the advantages of a walking foot is no slippage of layers if using multiple layers, with a roller foot you could get slipping/bunching. I've also found that it's fairly easy to get needle deflection and breaking (not nice!) when using a roller foot if the leather is too thick or moves in any way while sewing. As for seeing the needle where it enters the leather, yep, I know what you mean. I bought an inner foot that is slotted so I can see where I'm sewing, not perfect but acceptable.

Nice buy, and looks to be in remarkably good condition. Like that stool!

I have a 201K (similar, just a little bit later model) with the original Singer handcrank. It takes a bit of effort to get through thicker leather (I would say 4mm/10 oz is the comfortable max.) Plus with that homemade handcrank you have to turn it backwards compared to the Singer (geared) crank. A nice writeup, but a bit over-the-top in my opinion, and way to much money for what it is.

Looks good! That original setup would need to be bolted to the floor, I reckon, doesn't look particularly stable to me!!

Funnily enough, I've found I'm doing the same thing, always studying holsters and belts.

Wicked, there is a lot to learn about industrial sewing machines, particularly relating to leather use. Just keep reading, it took me quite a while to start coming to grips with the subject. For what you want to do any of the "old standbys" should be more than adequate - Juki 562/563, Consew 206, Singer 111W153/154/155, Singer 211G165/166, Seiko STH-BLD, all are pretty similar in operation and capability. Or a Pfaff 335 cylinder arm. These machines are all "oldies but goodies".

Fish-scale pattern? Makes a change from basketweave.

Nothing wrong with that video, Wiz, looks fine. Bit of a motley bunch you've assembled!

Paint it? Heck, it's in far better condition paint-wise than all of my used machines! I'd leave it like that (unless you want to change the colour). That little wooden needle holder looks OLD!.

Very nice, on the face of it looks to be in very good condition overall. You've done well.

Matt, I've made a few different ones and the one big advantage that one has, in my opinion, is compactness. To make one like that you have to either cast your own pulley stack or figure out how to join different size pulleys plus machine it to take the bearing - not impossible, of course, but a lot of messing around, and time as Darren said.

Nice. Just wondering what I could use it for. Might work for stitching bullet loops on gunbelts? Might have to make one anyway (just 'cos I can ).

Yep, first one is a basic edge guide. Only problem with attaching it to that plate is you have to make sure that plate can't slip back, otherwise the edge guide will move. I'm no expert on feet, I'll leave that to others.The hook thingy fits into a hole along the back edge of the bed and is a pivot for tilting the machine back. You can see the round bit screwed to the table that it fits in to. This is an older style of tilt. The roller wheel is a roller feed, used instead of a presser foot. Not a lot of use on a walking foot machine!