R8R

Your inner and outer foot lift are out of sync with each other. Watch Uwe's vid from this point here: https://youtu.be/iiaaT1npYrQ?t=193 It's a different machine but the adjustment is very similar. Your foot height is fine, you just need to loosen and reset the foot lift crank screw. You want the outer and inner foot to have roughly equal lift. See page 50 of the Sailrite guidebook I linked to, it will show you which screws (marked "B") to loosen.

Nylons are tricky sometimes. You definitely want to use the smallest needle possible, and adjust the needle and bobbin thread tensions in very small increments. Never hurts to back the tension way off, then add it back slowly (both needle and bobbin threads, little by little). As DonInReno mentioned, cheap bobbins can be problematic, especially when trying to find a fine balance of tensions. Also, too high tension when winding a bobbin can make the thread hang up in spots. Makes for mystery stitches where suddenly the bobbin tension goes wacko for just a few stitches. Like others said, 69 thread typically calls for 18 needles, maybe 19 if it's tough nylon and you need to punch many layers. Where you have the thread snaking through the guides, make sure the thread is winding through "clockwise". You have it going one way through the first guide, then the other way through the next. The thread may hang up a bit from this from un-twisting then twisting back. (or maybe not but consistency helps rule out other issues)

But a good sewing machine vendor would (should) have all the tools and know how required to make the part or accessory fit properly before shipping it out. If not, why even sell it? For example my Juki dealer stocks blank table tops and custom routs them for every machine/motor combo. In my opinion this was just sloppy.

If it doesn't fit, and the workmanship is that shoddy, why even send it out to a customer? One vendor comes to mind as I look at these pics...

More like a "Cantsew".

Yes, and no. Depends on the condition of the motor and your ability to feather the treadle. Some people swear by them. I hated every clutch motor I ever owned.

I would agree. If the 211 was in nice shape, maybe, just to have a vertical bobbin machine set up for different applications if you were jumping back and forth (maybe lighter threads than the other machine, etc) but that thing looks pretty hammered. Often when a machine is left to rust and rot, it's because it was near the end of it's useful life anyway, or because it was too much of a PITA to fix.

Note: You will see Juki 5500's and 8700's out there used all the time. They are fast garment machines. The 8700's are a tad stouter, (for thin garment leathers, denim, etc) while the 5500's are race cars. They are fast and light. You can swap out feed dogs and other parts to make them fit a particular sewing requirement, but none of this is for heavy leather work. It would be like hauling lumber in a Miata.

See this thread, pretty much this whole conversation is covered:

To give you a frame of reference here... The 206RB series is an upholstery machine. The stock handwheel/pulley on the machine combined with a standard pulley on a motor allow the machine enough penetrating force yet still have plenty of top-end speed to run through yards and yards of upholstery fabrics in a production environment. For leather, different ballgame. Nobody selling these machines is going to recommend throwing an iron reducer wheel in the mix and increasing the torque to a machine past what it was engineered for. It arguably can reduce the life expectancy of the machine if you are placing a greater amount of torque to it than was originally intended. However, people do it all the time. These machines are made to last for years, sewing 40+ hours a week. They can handle a hobby level of abuse. You have some choices: Use the stock 550w motor with the smallest pulley you can fit on it (typically 45mm - 50mm) (cheap) and/or Add a larger pulley in place of the stock handwheel. You want one with a 3L belt profile (still cheap) and/or Add a speed reducer pulley under the table (about $150 - $200) and/or Add a high-end motor with good low speed control ($250 - $1000)

They all look to be straight stitch drop feed machines (garment) with the exception of #3 which looks like an old Singer 211, which are *generally* bomb proof but no telling what's up with that one.

I've had some really good luck with Magic Erasers lately. Spots and stains on this older white Juki I recently obtained seem to buff away pretty easily with these.

Better shot of this table I got for the Mauser. Unless I find another TSS table, these will be my go to.

Note: Some L-leg stands that have casters will have a bent lower brace that holds the treadle so it is lower to the floor (because the casters add height): While some will just have blocks or sections of tubing added, like the Artisan tables I use - (block circled)

So I have four tables in use at my shop right now - how about a review? 1) VERY old K-leg under a butcher block top someone routed out for their grandma's new mini walking foot. Was too much machine for her, they sold it to me. Verdict: I hate K-legs. Harder to adjust, often shaky from side to side and they don't accept casters. They are an old school solution of taking a work bench support and pushing the front legs in to make room for the operator. Compromises abound. I will probably dump these and get L-legs for it. 2) A single column L-leg table, on casters, under my Juki 2810. This is the same table Artisan sells. Verdict: great table. L-leg tables are easier to adjust than old K-leg tables and stem casters are easy to put on, they screw right into where the leveler feet go. HOWEVER, the materials matter. L-legs made of thinner material can be bendy and twisty and not sturdy at all. The metal on these is plenty thick and my 2810 (which is about 130 lbs for just the head) is well supported. Artisan's table tops are plywood core with a 1/4" layer of MDF top and bottom, and 1/8" melamine on top, banded with thick grey vinyl. The tops are very smooth and even. Time will tell if the MDF is an issue but it makes for a smooth table with no rough exposed ply underneath. 3) A double column L-leg stand on casters, also from Artisan. This is under my new-to-me Mauser 335 on a U-shape cutout table. Verdict: even better. This is the extra rigid version Artisan sells for their 3200 "Toro" cylinder machines. The table that came with the 335 was super whimpy so I set this up instead. Overkill maybe but it's super solid. 4) TSS ergonomic adjustable L-leg table that came with this used Juki LK-1900A I just got. This is the best sewing table in the universe. Super beefy tubing. Big smooth casters. Ultra rigid and solid. Cranks for height and table tilt. Channel box along the back for cables and power for chaining machines together. If I could find more I'd have these under every table in my shop.

It looks to be OSB ply, not regular plywood, so it's better than plain old particle board at least. Actually depending on the grade, OSB can be superior to regular plywood. No telling how long it lasts under a sewing machine though.

"Honey, FYI I'm gonna bake a Japanned Singer in the oven..." "You're gonna what a who now??"

If you are replacing a table and transferring all the ancillary parts, then yeah that first one is ok. I personally don't like K-legs as much as L-legs or even H-legs, much easier to add casters to those. Are there any industrial sewing vendors close by?

You are well suited for industrial sewing then. Make sure you have a full set of good quality screw drivers. Many screws on sewing machines are hard to get to so a good selection of shorty and long drivers are a good idea. Some (most?) sewing machines screws are slotted and usually hard to get un-stuck. Cheap drivers will twist out and fail and ruin the screws. Rule of thumb is any screw that strips out will NOT be available at the hardware store - they are mostly machine-specific. I use Klein Tools screw drivers, and also one of these: https://www.generaltools.com/hand-tools/precision-specialty-screwdrivers/nine-piece-ratchet-offset-screwdriver-set Great for needle plates and other short reach things. Also good to have: "Zoom Spout" oiler (at most anywhere that sells sewing machines). Use plain old sewing clear machine oil. (also referred to as "lily white") Just about every sewing machine made in the last 100 years has been specifically engineered with the tolerances to run with this oil. Small selection of nylon bristle brushes for cleaning crevices. Thread snips. I like the Gingher ones, they fit my big hands. 8", 10" or 12" heavy bent-handle shears. If you have a machine that sews heavy fabric, you want shears that cut it easily and cleanly. Skip the plastic handle Fiskars, go for the solid metal Wiss or Gingher or similar. The bent handle ones make cutting fabric laying on a flat surface easier. Some other Youtube stuff that has a ton of good info on machines and sewing in general: Alexander Dyer - general info about misc machines and sewing projects: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCg9rFUt8zEY3qE5a6QT2lPw Cechaflo - auto upholstery whisperer: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCw_8PUaXqvjSq3p1lYouXzQ Sailrite - a commercial site but they have great vids about maintenance and sewing techniques: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCLEyuinra_2j8-SKvDX33Vw Uwe Gross - a forum member here who makes some well-shot vids showing the ins and outs of many different machines, all set to some relaxing Windham Hill style piano music... https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCd_bg1sCBQPstASq1DvJsyw

Plain clear basic sewing machine oil. Inside and out. Thoroughly oil the whole machine liberally and wipe off any excess. WD-40 is ok to free some stuck parts and drive out moisture, but it doesn't lubricate and can actually hinder lubrication. Any servo motor you feel comfortable paying for will be fine. Sounds like it was a deal cheap enough to pay for an initial tune up, but there is enough info here on the forum to help tackle many basic mechanical issues. Youtube helps too.

Hmm. Crazy looking M&R Gauntlet with a custom all-over pallet setup. You usually see those on larger Challenger or older Formula presses. Weird that it says it was to print waist bands? You can print a t-shirt edge to edge on that.

https://sacramento.craigslist.org/for/d/juki-industrial-sewing-machine/6735668627.html I just bought some equipment and materials from this gentleman in Woodland and this Juki machine is still for sale from him. I've seen the machine in person it's in excellent shape and will sew through thin leather and canvas no problem. It's a heavy upholstery class machine.

Binder parts for the 246 are easy enough to get, especially generics What I am discovering now is parts for the 335 are a little less ubiquitous than I'd hoped, and genuine parts are ridiculous. In the very brief time I had with the Techsew 2600 (246 clone) it sewed and binded ok. It fed a little bit thicker assemblies than the 335. The machine in general though ran like a bucket of rusty bolts. I re-packed it and returned it. A genuine Juki 246 would be great if I could find a decently priced one, but new they are pretty much over-priced for what they are. I picked up this 335 locally for cheap so it will do for now. I just got done re-timing it for the correct needle (it was badly re-timed for 135x17 needles) and ran some tests on thin leather binding. A few tweaks and should be good. Looks like 92 will be max thread. Artisan sells a clone of the older model 335 that they tune to take heavier thread. Worth a look.

Many (most) narrow cylinder arm machines can be set up to be dedicated synchronized binder machines. The feed dogs operate horizontally only (back and forth) in unison with the inner presser foot and binder attachment. Most larger cylinder machines operate the same way most flat bed machines do - with elliptical feed dogs. The feed is up/back/down/forward. This is a more aggressive and active feed, but is tricky to make work smoothly with synchronized binding. There are some exceptions, one example is the Juki DSC-246, which can be converted from elliptical feed for general sewing, to horizontal for binding by swapping a few parts when installing the binder features.