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dikman

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Everything posted by dikman

  1. dikman
    Looks good Dwight. What a complicated bit of strapwork!
  2. dikman
    Red Cent, did you airbrush that rig? It's certainly very striking in appearance! AA3JW, that last rig definitely shows improvement from the first. Keep at it, you're doing well.
  3. dikman
    Ho-hsing are generally considered to be a very good motor. That one doesn't include GST - another $42 - + shipping? This is where I bought mine - https://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Energy-Saving-Brushless-Servo-Motor-TD-422-550W/1088544_1606343305.html?spm=2114.12010608.0.0.2995e5c0iwbxBR $180 for a 550 watt, for another $30 you can get a 750 watt.Free shipping. It comes with a 75mm pulley but when I bought mine they were offering a 50 mm instead, not sure if they still are. NC, a friend bought a 555 and reckons the servo was brilliant, but the machine didn't suit his needs and it was going to be too much trouble to swap the servo over and try and get it working. You've done well, just out of curiosity what was involved in getting it working on the Consew (in case I come across one at a good price )?
  4. dikman
    This was posted in another section - They will be more expensive here (as is everything) because of the logistics involved for people selling them. As mentioned, changing a plug is easy (if you know what you're doing) but I'm sure you could find a friend who does know how if you're not sure.
  5. dikman
    Ok, that explains your comment. Sounds like a nice motor if you can get hold of one, good luck with the retirement (I can highly recommend it ).
  6. dikman
    I've snapped more than a couple of needles through deflecting and hitting the needle plate, and a couple because the timing was out and they caught down in the bobbin/shuttle area (), haven't tripped a safety clutch yet. Looks like the 1206 can handle slightly heavier thread. One advantage of buying the 1206 is that you'll be getting a new machine, set up properly to start with.
  7. dikman
    That P1206RB that Wiz mentioned looks pretty good for the money, handles up to #207 thread and even includes a servo!
  8. dikman
    I reckon that a flatbed should let you do pretty well all that you want. As for overkill, it's always better to get a machine that is a bit more than what you think you'll need, within reason.
  9. dikman
    Actually, unless you've got something completely different on your side of the pond, every grinder that I've come across has had a left-hand thread on one side and a right-hand thread on the other. It is impossible to fit the wrong spindle on the wrong side, so whichever side you use it will always tighten up (unless you some how manage to reverse the motor direction).
  10. dikman
    Glad you got it sorted. The mechanics of these machines can seem a bit daunting at first, but it's worth spending the time trying to understand the operations of the particular machine that one is using. At least these older machines, for the most part, are simpler than many of the newer ones.
  11. dikman
    If you can only have one machine then a cylinder arm walking foot would be nice (the ubiquitous Pfaff 335 or clones comes to mind), but the 206RB-5 should suit nicely, particularly if you can fit a servo motor (it will give better slow speed control and be much easier to learn on than a clutch motor). As for the oiling, if you're going to be using it slowly then learn how to manually oil the various parts. It will also help you to understand the machine better. Just curious, what is the "Singer heavy duty" that you have?
  12. dikman
    I had the same issue with my 111W117, it looks like the innards are the same. I loosened the screw at the back (photo 1) and adjusted the bar down that the presser foot is attached to (slides in collar in red, photo 2). You may need to adjust the locking collar in yellow, which the presser spring pushes on. Be aware that it is probably going to require a bit of adjusting/readjusting of these screws, in conjunction with the one you've already adjusted, to get it working right. Be careful that the crank arm (above red circle) doesn't bind on the edge of the housing where it goes through the slot. By doing this you will reduce the height under the foot a little. IF you decide to do this and you get in a mess don't blame me, you've been warned!
  13. dikman
    Which screw are you talking about? The screw that adjusts the rocking arm at the back is the usual way of adjusting the feet. The height of the bar holding the foot can also be adjusted from inside, but it can be a bit fiddly because, in my experience, all these adjustments tend to be interlinked.
  14. dikman
    Very nice work. Did you have any problems feeding the pouch through the loops on the long barrel holster? I'm guessing you had to have it pretty wet. Firearm laws and regulations are certainly bizarre (and usually defy logic). Here in Oz replicas are treated the same as real handguns, which means you have to have a handgun licence to own a replica!
  15. dikman
    I just had a look at his website, unfortunately it's all Greek to me! I tried enlarging the photo and it looks to be in very good condition (at least on the outside), If all he means is that the stitch length isn't as long as newer machines then it's nothing to worry about because he's right! You will probably want to factor in changing the feet/feed dog plate, as I mentioned (maybe you can beat him down a bit, based on this?) but if it sews ok then it will be a nice machine to have.
  16. dikman
    Figured it's time to see if this wee beastie will actually work! Foot clearance measured at 3/8", which is what I expected given that it's a 111-class machine. I shoved several layers of veg under the feet and fitted a #22 needle (no thread). It punched through ok, but tended to lift the leather on the upstroke. I couldn't get enough tension on the feet to stop it lifting. It was fine if I reduced the thickness of the leather. Changed to a #18 needle and no problems, went through whatever I could jam under the feet, with no lifting. Fitted a bobbin and some #69 thread and it sewed beautifully.Top tension was off a bit but that didn't matter. Back to the #22 needle and some #138 thread top and bottom. As long as I kept the thickness down a bit it sewed fine. I figured the 22/138 combination is probably pushing it past its design parameters, but the fact it will work if I keep the thickness down is a bonus, as far as I'm concerned. My original intention when I bought it was just to use it to pre-punch leather when handstitching, but the fact it sews is great, considering what I had to do to make it into an "ordinary" machine. Not bad for $150 .
  17. dikman
    That's actually quite a clever way to mount the burnisher! It never occurred to me when I was making my burnishers - so simple that I missed it.
  18. dikman
    My first thought would have been the takeup/check spring. If the stitches are coming out ok then it means you've got the tensions right, there's not much else I can think of. That spring has a couple of adjustments - travel and tension - and if either one is wrong for the thread you're using you'll probably get slack thread. I think.
  19. dikman
    Ah, yes, I seem to remember that coming up somewhere. I think it was the plate that the dial adjustment lever slides in, the slot was deliberately made shorter to restrict the stitch length. It doesn't make any sense that they would re-engineer the cams and offsets inside just to reduce stitch length. The machine in that photo, at least, appears to have a full-length slot. I would really like to know what the vendor meant regarding stitch length.
  20. dikman
    I bought mine from China via aliexpress. The company has a warehouse in Sydney so they shipped from here instead of having to come from China. I've bought three and so far haven't had any problems, however I'm aware that if something goes wrong it could be a hassle to sort out. The 550 watt (3/4 hp) were about $200 each and the 750 watt (1 hp) was $250. If you have any concerns then buying locally should give you peace-of-mind (although it will cost you more). A member on here, Darren Brosowski, sells machines and may sell just the servos (not sure).
  21. dikman
    G'day Lee, no, it came with a standard handwheel that the previous owner had fitted a wooden handle to (pretty rough job though). While on holiday recently, browsing through second-hand stores as one does, I saw this 8" alloy pulley for a couple of dollars. It had a bit of corrosion on part of the rim but I figured it would make a good handwheel. I cleaned it up, drilled and tapped for a handle and gave it a coat of paint - but I did have to make a bushing 'cos the centre hole was to big for the machine shaft. Once I get the feet sorted I need to find out what the limits are leather-wise that it will work with.
  22. dikman
    Welcome to what is probably the best leather and sewing machine information resource on the planet! For a newbie any industrial sewing machine is a big step. The Paff 335 is a very nice machine and as long as there's nothing wrong with it mechanically it should be great for what you want, and coming with a servo is a huge bonus for someone just starting out, but ideally you need to see it sewing first. Is this photo the actual machine? If so it is set up with a binding attachment (most of these seem to come that way). You can sew normally using the binding feet, but it's not ideal. The feet and feed dog plate will need to be changed to more conventional types.There have been posts about this before. Be aware that if there's anything wrong with it Pfaff parts can be somewhat expensive. I'm not sure what the vendor means by trouble with stitch length, like all machines they have a maximum stitch length, I'd want to see it sewing different stitch lengths to make sure that the stitch length adjustment is actually working ok. I haven't used mine much (too many machines!!) but I'm impressed with it's quality, and like Gary have got it to sew with #138 thread.
  23. dikman
    Unfortunately, Brian, living in Oz as we do, when it comes to repairing old machines the only two options we sometimes have are the first two. Good luck with your search, though.
  24. dikman
    You nearly got it right, Chayse - the All Blacks are Kiwis (NZ). The list so far - Had a homemade thread tension and release - replaced with a proper assembly and internal release fitting. Both feet needed adjusting to get the correct clearance Needle bar had to be adjusted to take 135x17 needles (first needle I tried went Twang! when the hook caught it). I've no idea what it was set for. Feed dog was set too high Came fitted with 1/4" piping feet (nearly all my machines came with these , most peculiar). For some reason the vibrating feet off my 111/211 don't line up on this machine so because these feet fit I've decided to fill the piping grooves with epoxy and sand flat to give me usable feet. Chayse, the routing itself wasn't difficult. Rather than make a template to use as a guide, I clamped a guide along one edge of the table , with stops so I didn't go too far, and took 3 or 4 passes, going deeper each time until I went through. I then shifted the guides to the next edge. It was a bit time consuming, but I'm pleased with the cutout itself. Where I went wrong with the corners is that I should have taken shallow cuts and checked as I went, instead I relied on my measurements and tried to do it in one go. Dumb!
  25. dikman
    Uwe, your photo enlargement showing the thread path makes me wonder how it worked at all.
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