dikman

Very nice holster (did you notice the snap is crooked?). One way of avoiding the problem would be to use a hammer thong instead of a strap? Anyhow, good job.

I reckon because it doesn't have reverse or a servo you might be able to knock the price down! Sounds like a pretty good deal and would be a nice cheap intro to industrial sewing machines.

Very nice! While it's not my style, it's always good to see other designs to show what can be done. What colour dye?

Thanks for that, I'll probably have to ask them to get it in as I haven't seen it on the shelf.

I have one and have fitted a servo AND speed reducer! It crawls along nicely. It will do belts fine, and probably knife sheathes, but I wouldn't expect it to do a typical folded over holster (I've decided to only handstitch my holsters as I think it gives a stronger piece). As Wiz said, 3/8" is pretty much the limit. It's a nice machine and has reverse, which is very handy. I do my own servicing/repairs so can't comment on costs if you have it done, but I've found it pretty easy to work on - once you understand how it works!!

Nice. I made my last lot as natural, no staining just oil/wax. I think I like the walnut better, as it looks more natural than natural . Is it Feibings dye?

Forgot to ask, what colour stain did you use (or is it natural)?

On the inside of the pulley there should be two flats, put a spanner on them to hold the pulley and take off the nut on the front. The pulley should pull off, it has a slotted key-way to locate it on the shaft. Check the shaft diameter, most of them are 15 mm, if so it's a standard size for most motors and pulleys are readily available via ebay.

I had the same problem with the 111WSV77 that I bought. I ended up comparing images of similar looking machines on google until I found some that looked the same and then downloaded manuals/parts lists for them. By working through the specifications/parts I eventually found that it was, to all intents and purposes, the same as a 111W153. Many of the parts had different part numbers but appeared to be the same parts. While there appear to be lots of SV models there's virtually no information available for them.

Looks very nice, LumpenDoodle. I was wondering why someone would want the holster soft. My research thus far has shown that most "original" holsters of the Old West were indeed soft leather, as they were intended to enclose and protect a gun (a fast draw didn't seem to be a concern). The modern need (single action shooting etc), however, really requires a very stiff holster, shaped to the gun and with very little retention (like you appear to be making). So I'm a bit puzzled. Lots of neatsfoot oil will definitely soften it, but could also turn it into a shapeless lump! If someone wants a soft holster the best way is probably to use thin leather with no lining?

I'm with mike and Uwe, looks like it could be more trouble than it's worth. Plus because of its age some of those components could be a bit suspect (old capacitors, for example, tend to dry out over time). If you want a needle positioning system I reckon you'd be better off buying a servo with the NPS option. I did that, but found that I was better off without it, as the slow speed of the servo gave me sufficient control. An interesting device, however.

For what you want to sew the 211 will be more than adequate, and reverse really does make life easier.

Looks like all they've done is mount their "B" version to a small thick wooden board and mounted a typical servo motor behind it. I think Uwe made a similar setup for one of his machines. If it's anything like my Pfaff 335 while it could be considered "portable" (as in not being attached to a table) it's going to be a heavy lump to move around!

Jimmy, I buy my (industrial) needles from Elizabeth Machines (were Capron Carter) here in Adelaide. I'm sure there would be an equivalent place in Brissy. As for thread, the only place I could find heavy machine thread is at a leather supply place. My 335 is happy with Metric 40 (#69) and will go up to Metric 20 (#138). I use polyester/cotton and straight bonded polyester. If all else fails you can get thread via ebay. Make sure to get a few spare bobbins too, so you can keep some wound. I slowed mine down with a servo and a large pulley on the head unit and it has a surprising amount of grunt!

Probably just one of many such companies that we don't hear/know about until someone finds them. A pretty impressive array of products, including assorted spare feet/feed dogs. With such a range they're obviously not some backyard operation. If you're getting them through a dealer then you would be getting a warranty? The first one looks interesting, handling 20mm thickness is pretty nice, the second one is obviously a direct copy of a Pfaff. IF the price was right I'd probably give it serious thought - but can the dealer help you out with setting them up if you have problems? Or will you be on your own? A good price isn't much use if you can't get them working, and the last one in particular, with all the electronics is not something you want if you can't get support.

Glad it worked out ok.

I was about to ask the same thing re-price. Looks like it might be pretty good for holsters/gunbelts, given the thread size. The only real issue with mine is the presser foot, the teeth on it are pretty vicious!!! I had intended making a new foot, but not long after buying it the electric machines came along () so they've kept me rather busy. Still, it is rather tempting.....

346? I reckon that's pretty impressive! I just found their website and they have a couple of interesting machines, also down the bottom of the page it says Paypal.

Hockeymender, much like my experience with the smaller version, I spent a fair bit of time smoothing some of the castings (sliding parts) and generally did a bit of tidying up and modifying slightly, but it's a pretty solid little machine overall. What size thread did you get up to on yours?

From the sound of it you've removed the necessary screws. My Singers have two set screws recessed into the pulley grooves, it seems to be a fairly common method used by Singer. One of my wheels was also pretty tight, and took a fair bit of force from the puller to break it free. If the screws have been over-tightened they can cause a slight flaring on the shaft, which can jam things a bit. If you use heat don't worry about damaging the shaft, it will take a lot more heat than you can likely generate to do that, just be careful of the bearings behind the wheel, as mentioned only heat the wheel.

Olie, I have several old machines, all of which have required varying degrees of work and parts to get working. I have probably been lucky in that none of them have required junking. Unless you're mechanically inclined, and enjoy the challenge of keeping a (probably) very old machine going then I would advise caution if considering a used machine. At the price you're talking about you'd be far better off buying new (or almost new) from a reputable dealer. It could save you a lot of grief.

I too bought a plasma cutter some time ago. There are many for sale on ebay, locally and direct from China. I ended up buying one from a company in another state, turns out the owner went to the trouble of finding a factory in China who could build to his specs and had excellent QC. He regularly visits to follow up production. I found that the power cord was too short for my needs (I suggested to the seller that they consider making them longer) so opened it up to change the cord. I was pleasantly surprised at the build quality, it was very well put together. As Mike SC said, they can make excellent gear.

Hi Jennifer, there is a sticky at the top by Wiz that is an excellent introduction/explanation about industrial leather machines. There is a lot to digest, and it's a steep learning curve (well, it was for me) but it could help you figure out what will suit you best and hopefully keep you from buying the wrong thing. (Be aware that many advertise machines as "industrial" when in reality they are far from it). As Uwe said it sounds like a compound feed cylinder arm might be the best option - but just how thick do you want to sew?

For what it's worth, I bought a replacement hook for my Singer 331K4, the hook was obviously not original but was the correct replacement part and was bought from a reputable company. It would not work and was so tight at one point in the rotation that it was scary! I eventually worked out that I had to grind out metal from beneath the hook itself, in the "web" below the hook. Then it worked. Just pointing out that even though a part is "made" for a machine they can still cause problems with these old machines., so assume nothing!

I note that Cowboy Bob's instructions above state that the default (as shipped) direction for the motor is reverse - as the two gentlemen on here appear to have confirmed.