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dikman

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Everything posted by dikman

  1. Tom, if you're not sure then if you can get to Elizabeth Machines and take your needle with you I'm sure they'll be able to help (they specialise in industrial machines).
  2. I buy my needles from here - https://www.elizabethmachines.com.au/brands/Elizabeth Unfortunately, if you're at Golden Grove then they're on the opposite side of town! Failing that you can order them online via ebay, as Constabulary said you already have all the info you need - system, size, type you want.
  3. The MSDS for Lilly White oil indicates it's an IS0 32 (although I have seen a reference to ISO 22) oil, which is an hydraulic oil. I'm using ISO 68, which is a bit heavier but it's what I had handy and seems to work ok.
  4. That could be very handy for someone having trouble getting the bobbin position correct.
  5. Impressive looking machine.
  6. Horses for courses, as they say , just didn't work for me. I was aware that someone got a speed reducer working with a positioner, I just couldn't remember who, but I think that is an exception as there have been a few who couldn't get it to work (including me). I wouldn't like to just assume it will work with any servo.
  7. Rocky's idea of a thread tensioner could work, something with just enough tension applied to keep any slack from occurring as the coils come off the spool.
  8. Interesting idea, the only potential problem I can see is that what is now the bottom of the spool will have to be a very tight fit against the "base" as loose coils will have a tendency to gather there and may catch.
  9. My first servo came with a needle positioner (because it seemed like a good idea). I used it once and took it off! As Wiz said, not needed for slow speed sewing. They also don't generally work if you fit a speed reducer or replace the handwheel with a larger pulley.
  10. Mike, that link goes to "example domain". Your French keyboard giving you problems again?
  11. Actually, Mike, I've done just that. I couldn't push the awl through when I made a holster with a thickish welt, and none of my machines are capable of handling more than 1/2" so I made an adapter to fit a spare awl bit into a rivet press. It will go through 7/8", the maximum that I can fit under it (for now). That will let me pre-punch the holes and then when I put it in the pony run my awl through it and then the needles.
  12. AArrrggghhhh! Idiot! I clicked on the link in the wrong post! I'll delete it forthwith!
  13. oops. wrong post.
  14. Ahh, ye olde MMO...no matter what forum I'm on it gets a mention. Way back when it was treated by many as necessary to anything that used an internal combustion engine or needed lubricating! And still is by some........
  15. It's a good start, however most motors appear to come with a 3" pulley, which will only give you a 2:1 reduction. If you fit a 2" to the motor you will get 3:1, an easy option before going to a reducer.
  16. I suspect that most just use the yellow beeswax, I can't see the point in (presumably) paying more for white wax. The leather won't care if the wax hasn't been "purified". Incidentally, I just looked up the MSDS for "Saddler's Oil" - it's nearly all Naptha, a petroleum derived solvent. I think I'll pass on using that.
  17. You're quite right of course, gymnast, if the needle was in backwards there's no way you would get any stitches! As for the thread path, the only thing I can see that's not quite right is the angle of the thread coming down from the needle clamp, it looks like the wire guide is missing? In reality, however, it won't make much difference as at least one of my machines is missing the guide but it works fine. Your testing methodology is impressive, it's just not something that many of us worry about, we tend to "wing it" and just learn about tension by experience. I don't think we've seen anyone delve into tensions in such a detailed manner before.
  18. That first one looks exactly the same as the last one I bought (locally) right down to the position of the power switch. Works fine, but I couldn't get it slow enough for my needs even with a 7" pulley on the head unit and a 2" on the motor, so I made a reducer as well with 2" and 5" pulleys. This is the one that now does 1 stitch every 2 1/2 seconds. My Pfaff 335 has a 10" pulley and a 2" on the motor, using a Skyrit motor and that works well at sewing slow. There are photos in my other posts somewhere. They're all brushless motors.
  19. Welcome to the forum, that machine is potentially a good choice (assuming it works ok). I would remove the motor (very heavy!!) and have a good look at the clutch mechanism to see if it's working properly and/or gunked up - although if you're going to fit a servo it's probably not worth the effort. I don't know anything about the one you listed but on the face of it looks ok. Thread breaking - check the timing, bobbin feeding the correct direction, needle threaded the correct direction (if you go the wrong way it definitely causes all sorts of problems - I still do it occasionally!), tensions, threading path, needle scarf facing the right way. I'm sure others will chime in here. Anyhow, while you are trying to get it stitching properly you don't need a motor as the best way is to handwheel it slowly to see what is happening.
  20. Fitting a larger pulley in place of the handwheel is actually a very good option in place of a speed reducer (not quite as effective but works well). It's something I do with my machines. I didn't mention it because I didn't want to confuse you. While Wiz is correct about the "push button" servos, in practice it's not an issue for me as I run a 45 mm pulley on all my motors, larger pulleys in lieu of the handwheels and a reducer on a couple as well (one machine will do one stitch every 2 1/2 seconds!!). My aim is to give slow controllable feeds, and while it works for me probably won't suit the more competent users.
  21. If you ask a question about anything you will always get conflicting reviews. I didn't comment on which one to buy as I'm in Australia so the ones you mentioned aren't readily available. I bought 3 from Aliexpress (Skyrit brand) and one "locally" via ebay (a fairly generic type). No problems with any of them. If you find a majority of opinions in favour of one brand then that's probably as good a basis as any on which to make a decision. Pulleys - most servo shafts appear to be the same size, although there is the odd one that is different. Either buy the pulley from the same place as the motor or wait until you get it and measure the shaft to make sure.
  22. Looks to me like you got a great deal! Make sure you fit a 2" pulley on the motor (every bit helps) but a speed reducer will certainly help, as it will give increased torque at slow speeds. Best thing, however, is to just fit the servo first and try it as is, you might find it works fine for your needs.
  23. If you've never used a sewing machine then fit a servo, you will save yourself a lot of grief and frustration!
  24. I've been pre-punching the holes using a sewing machine since I started. It just seemed logical to me, as it gives a neat row of evenly spaced holes and ensures that the holes on the backside of the leather are also straight and not wandering! I've got some punching/stitching chisels but don't use them much. The trick is to make sure the needle in the machine isn't too big as it's the awl, when pushed through, that determines the shape and ultimate size of the hole. In a sense I consider it the best of both worlds - a machine to give neat straight evenly spaced holes (and it's easy to get the exact spacing that you want) along with the look and strength of hand stitching. Works for me.
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