another thing I've found helpful since picking up my machine is leaving a healthy 1/2" allowance on things so that there's room for the presser foot to be on the outside edge of the piece, allowing me to get right tight to where I want to be with the needle.
That's a great idea.
The 135x16 & 17 will still work in this machine.
To get to that screw,there's a square hole on the end the the arm,you need to take a flaslight & look in there as you turn the machine slowly you'll see it & go in the hole w/a small screwdriver to check if it's tight.
Bob
I usually recommend the largest you can use without giving problems is #138,IF your careful & you hold the threads carefully when you start sewing & tighten up the needle thread tension alittle more 207 might work.
Oh,you need #22 needle for 138 thread & #23 for 207 thread.
Bob
Yes,there is many different lengths of needles that come in a #22,but you probably got 135x17 which SOME 1245's take but it sounds like you need the 190R for your machine.
Bob
Doug,
Yes,this is a common problem,I think people forget to oil the hook & race as often as they should & the race is cast iron & it will wear causing it to be loose.
Bob
I think the sideways stitching he's talking about is zig-zag.
Many home machines have this option & so do some Industrials,but you need a walking foot Industrial capable of doing some fine work on leather & you don't want to leave marks as the walking foot zig-zag feet has teeth on the bottom & they are also very wide.A standard straight stitch walking foot like our Chandler 406RB will do a great job sewing your leather & there are many different feet available too.
Bob
We sell the same machine Cowboy Model#227 & I would never tell someone they would sew 1/2" thick w/277,more like 3/8"
with #138.
NOW years ago I sold a Singer 153 same machine w/o reverse & he claimed that he ran 277 on it.
I sell these to people for sewing purses,chaps,belts & lightweight material where they don't need a large thread.
Bob
I've never seen dies for sale as I suppose they were always made on screw machines,but yes we can order the tap kit of 20 most common taps & they can be bought individual also.
Bob
Darren,
Here's some # for you,5/16-18,5/16-24,1/4-24,9/64-40,1/8-40,3/32-56,5/32-32,11/64-40,15/64-28,3/16-28,3/16-32,3/32-48,1/8-40,9/64-36
There is a kit with 20 of the most common ones available for just under $200.00 us
Bob
Greg,
I've never heard of that model 122 I always thought the 47K was the heaviest ZZ machine they made of course back in the day any manufacture of certain products would go to Singer & their engineers would draw up & they would make a speclized machine for sewing anything that needed sewing.
I wished I kept track of them more but yrs ago we had a customer with some I think 5 class real long double needle machines w/a puller.If you want to hear something that sounded neat those machine had the nicest rattle,klang to them I've ever heard.
Oh,I forgot to mention this before, I think it was around 1983-84 I stopped @ your store & bought a couple of 6 class from your Dad,they were upstairs.Don't see many of them around anymore either.
Bob
Just for kicks I want to let you guys see a 98-3,which is similar to a 97-10 in many ways just smaller & alot easier to load.It was made for sewing tires when you recap them.Of course this was in 1915.It does have reverse though.
Bob
Looks good,
If you open the upper plate & look to the left of the timing belt,you might have to turn the machine around so you can see the little screw,there SHOULD be 2 in there,take the 1st one marked BB on the diagram & turn CC in as far as it'll go,reinstall lock screw BB & it will be as long as it can be.We can get a teflon foot for it that will reduce the drag of the steel foot or you could even just glue some teflon on the bottom of the feet to help.
Bob
There is some models of the 132K made with roller feet.It could be made to fit by taking the outside flat bar off & then you might need to adjust the back pressure foot bar.This is a big machine for sewing thin material.The smallest needle made is # 18 so that would limit them to a #69 thread & that's a round point,I'm alsmost certain that leather points aren't made any smaller then a #22.
Bob