chrisash

From what I have read, most need adjustment when first put together and the metal work needs cleaning up rough edges, apart from that they work and sew medium thick leather At £120 or there is you don't expect them to sew such a nice stitch as machines costing from £300 second hand to £3000 new, but that;s to be expected, but the stitch quality can be improved by tinkering with them and the feet teeth softened For many Hobby people they seem a good first machine to learn on without great expense

Is it a clone of the Singer 11 series, I know nothing about the Mercury machines, but many clones use the same model number, your best bet it to look at some photo's of the singer 111 series and company them to your model. Tons of information on the singer 111 series

Would it be any different if you had the best round knife in the world, They are different from flat edged knifes and need a new skill to get very sharp and also to use. Maybe a few more hours and watching some YouTube video's may help you learn the skills, Polishing it is the item you don't mention but gives that perfect edge

I guess the one further away from the lens is the machine made on just slightly more consistent tension

This may help with the Singer range https://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer_industrial_model_sewing_machines_and_accessories.html look under the model range

Its normal for B2B sellers to not show VAT in prices as the buyer will be able to claim back the VAT paid for private buyers you need to follow JCUK post above Unfortunately first time buyers get stung the first time

Have you contacted the Imperial war museum in London , alternatively there are quite a few British regiments museums around the country (England)

Excellent and so nice to see matching thread rather than contrast colour thread fighting for the attention of the leather

I tend to agree but folk are just like car owners, there car is perfect for the job, which is why we get my machine xxx is perfect and is therefore better than clone xxx, lets face it there are only a tiny few bad machines around, any of the popular makes will be good and do the job well, But how on earth a non professional person sort out say the benefits, of say the Juki flatbeds which claim to be leather and heavy duty is beyond me, so many models nearly the same, but different codes. And then tie it up with owners who want to sew 1oz to 20 oz Also the two camps many if not most quality brands never use different coloured thread in their designs whilst many leather workers seem to prefer making the thread colour stand out, funny world we live in

Have you considered Bonded Nylon or Polyester

I use a cheap hammer one of those modern ones with only a hand length handle, but glued a thin piece of veg tan over the head so its leather on leather/ thread

the above is correct, As i pull the needle through as soon as possible i hold the end of the needle clasping both the needle as well as the thread, but normally there is enough friction on the long tail to stop and pull through

Its just like airlines, using hubs is far cheaper than going direct when there are not enough customers. filling a lorry with a few pickups along the route means that the lorry carries hundreds if not thousands of items meaning the average cost per packet is peanuts and staffing at the hub is automated with expensive machines and low staff numbers

I just use a long tail which also gives the advantage that there is less thread to pull through at each stitch

Welcome Noel You have come to the right place as we have some great Australians on the forum who can give you advice on machines that are local to Australia this link on the forum will give you some good information on what machines to buy

I think Sergey stamps are all made by multi axis milling machines and designed in Cad. not sure about the other makes, the cheap Chinese sets are most likely just stamped or moulded Many companies in many industries establish a name years ago and use that to justify high prices, that are not always the outstanding quality or innovation they once were by todays standards

First class work, I am sure many will appreciate your hard work

When I brought my 155 I found it virtually impossible to keep a constant tension on the Bobbin, I ordered a new bobbin head and the problem went away, When i looked closely at the old head you could see the grove under the tension spring where the thread had worn it away and made the tension spring have little effect unless you used 138 thicker thread

I don't really think production was started for leather workers like people on this forum, but more for people in the third world who just want to repair something without worry about how nice the stitches are. but a new market has now appeared for the hobby guys and girls who cannot justify the higher priced machines

Have seen "Pre Punched Holes" mentioned before, why would and one combine pre punched holes and then use a sewing machine, What am I missing?

Being Pfaff I guess many bolts will be Metric

Most industrial machine you disassemble very easy by taking the leather belt off and just rocking the machine head away from you and pulling clear Some machines have a more complicated set up with electronic or hydraulic / air controls which may need expert assistance The weight of the machine you need to check but only lift able is a man and well built the table is also heavy especially if it has a clutch motor If you have a tail lift van it may be easier to keep all together Most machines will run in any conditions but would pay to keep covered so condensation does not occur and lead to rust Those will oil tank need to be emptied and fresh oil top up before starting

I don't have one and not looking at buying one I don't expect a high cost industrial machine to be as reliable as a domestic machine What i do expect is not the bullshit from people who have heard of them but never owned them, who crucify them out of hand as crap; and people should by something the seldom use at a price they cannot afford If you find you cannot do more than a couple of inches or it needs constant adjustment that's fine you have one and speak from experience, but others have also stated once set up they are fine, so maybe both are right. there are plenty of comments on here about Industrial machines that wont work properly so is the finished stitch good or bad thats all I asked

Thanks but that does not answer the question, its not if you like the machine or not, that's like asking if you like a ford focus over a BMW. Its about if you can tell the difference in a blind test (not knowing who made what) of the stitches.

Now I just have to sort out why the bloody fan on the Nozzle does not switch on. maybe a hidden switch