kgg

Remember to ask your customer if he has the 7, 8 or the 9 round versions of the clips or he has all three versions. The basic frame is the same unless he has added different front /rear sights to the slide, a bottom laser dot or different hand grips. The clips are three different lengths and this may play in your design / layout / making of the holster. Maybe worth checking what mods if any he has done to it as a standard dummy may or may not work. kgg

I have a couple of questions. What thread and needle combination are you using as well as bobbin thread size. What type and thickness of leather? I am going to assume that you have checked the amount of tension that the foot places on the material isn't too great; bobbin and main thread tensions aren't too great; needle installed in the correct direction, fully and clamped tight; bobbin installed correctly to allow thread to unwind properly. I think the 563 uses the same needles as my 1541s which are 135 x 17 but for leather work you need 135 x 16. I have bent a few needles trying to go through to thick of material even though it was the correct needle for the thread and material. My solution was to go up one needle size to get a little thicker shaft. I also use Schmetz sewing machine needles which I think are a pretty good quality needle and change my needle after 8 hours of use.

The way I read the manuals is the small level is a thumb nut that you move to regulate the stitch length only. The easy way to check is to place some material under the foot, slacken the thumb nut and then push it all the way to the top. Then turn the wheel towards yourself. If the material moves away from you it is just sewing then move the thumb nut to the very bottom, if the material again moves away from you then it doesn't have reverse and the thumb nut / level is just for stitch length. kgg

You mentioned you removed the clutch (stop motion ring) and cleaned it. I have two other suggestions to add that you may also check. Is the screw in the knob screwed in far enough to only allow the small knob of the wheel to have movement between two of the three exterior tabs on the stop motion ring (clutch ring) and are the interior taps facing the knob not the machine. If the screw isn't in far enough the exterior tab of the clutch ring could ride over it and if the inter taps of the clutch ring are facing towards the machine it will spin as soon as there is enough needle / material resistance. kgg

Hi Mocivnik, The price is right but how much is shipping / import taxes going to cost? If you are mechanically inclined and don't mind waiting for parts should something need to be replaced maybe a good deal. I would still advise you to see if you could find a good second hand cylinder bed machine that you would have easier access to parts and accessories. kgg

The Sailrite Fabricator is a flat bed versus the Cowboy and Cobra are cylinder machines which can be made into flat bed machine with a table top accessory. If you need the punching power because of the thickness / type of the leather and need 138 thread regularly. Go with a Cowboy or Cobra then add a table top. If you are using mostly thinner / softer leather or other materials and maxing out on 138 thread then look at the Juki 1541s and then get a used cylinder machine for the occasional need. I looked at a lot of Juki clones and figured that since most of my stuff falls into the maxing out on 138 thread and this would be my main machine I would cry once, buy once. I purchased the best I could afford, a new Juki 1541s and now I am waiting for the right priced (cheap) well loved cylinder machine to come along for the occasional need. The Juki 1541s with a Kobe 550 watt servo motor is a nice little machine. It creeps along as slow as I want through the max material I can fit under the foot and I have even forced material under the foot without any hand spinning the belt wheel, machine baulking, struggle or speed jerking from the start in both straight runs or curves. I am pleased and sometimes impressed with the Juki. kgg

I came across some 50 spools of Coates Dabond V69 white thread a couple of months back. The spools are the 1 lb size. I only need a few spools for myself but had to buy the lot. They are still individually wrapped in the original clear plastic. The description on the inside bottom of the spools is Coates V69 DABOND Bonded Polyester VT285F TY2 Cl-1SZ-E WHITE SVDP5737775. I have gone through about a spool so far with no problems. Price $5.00 a spool Canadian plus shipping. I am located in Toledo, Ontario, Canada.

dikman, I do agree that if my mix should drip down it will show a dark stain which is not what you want to see but then again I have accidentally over oiled with the regular sewing machine oil and have had staining occur. To help prevent any dripping from messing the needle / needle plate area I usually put a thick fluffy terry pad down and fully lower the needle into it. Why I like the oil filler for fly reels is that no oil is dispensed until you depress the needle against a part so not as much over oiling can occur. That said I do like your idea of the inkjet refillers and I must see if I have one around and give it a try. Another thing I have used for oiling is a syringe with a small gauge needle just don't prick yourself. I will remember your info about the hydraulic oil vs Lily White. kgg

I don't have seized up parts or heating problems but when rebuilding old Singers and I do appreciate the old Singers that I salvaged like Singer 127's and 128's from the early 1900's often they have had many parts initially seized solid. With some parts being difficult to get I have been fairly successful in trying to save everything I can. From the heat point of view in my other hobby, target shooting, parts heating up can be a real nasty problem with operation (jams, miss fires, parts fracturing to name a few) and accuracy of a lot of parts when under fairly heavy pressure stresses. The object is to ensure parts that rub /slide together or otherwise are exposed to these stresses have the necessary areas oiled with the best (slipperiest) lube possible as heat can be extreme and instantaneous. Particularly when shooting the larger cals. For my equipment I am willing to take the risk of voiding the warranty, broken parts etc. is that if the oil mix combination I use can withstand the rigours (heat / friction stress) of shooting it should be able to keep the parts lubed and handle the friction of most parts in most sewing machines. kgg

On my older sewing machines that I have had what I found to work really good for freeing up seized parts and regular oiling is a formula that we use on our guns. The red neck formula that we use is 7cc's of Royal Purple Synthetic Oil SAE 5W-20 for gas engines and 5 cc's of Motormaster Full Synthetic Dexron- VI Automatic Transmission Fluid mixed together. This has worked really good for parts that are exposed to high heat like slides. I am using this now on the daily oil spots on my Juki 1541S rather then the Juki oil but still using the Juki oil in the reserve for now. As a side note a great cheap refillable oiler that can get into those hard to reach areas without making a mess are oilers made for lubing fishing reels at 10 bucks versus the oiler for guns at 20 bucks both look the same. Just dump the oil that comes with them and load up with whatever good stuff you use. What do you use for oil and oilers on your machines. kgg

Welcome to the forum bassplayer. The vibrations could be as simple as the table missing the rubber feet, table needs to be leveled, table bolts need to be re tightened, the motor may need it's mounting bolts re tightened, wrong drive belt, worn or bumpy drive belt. I will let others give information on your other questions. kgg

Even though I do not own a Cowboy, if you really needed that attachment for your projects, you would pay twice the price for quality. I can definitely see where the cost of a proper binder for that machine is. For one there is a very limited number of people that would ever need one, design engineering, manufacturing, stocking and shipping. Hell I paid $80 for my 1 3/4" swing away plain tape binder and another $80 for 2 1/2" double fold binder for a Juki. Could have got something "similar" off ebay for about $15 each would have it worked, probably. Same quality or longevity, probably not. Most times you get what you pay for. Buy once, cry once. kgg

Now it sounds like you have a game plan. Best of luck, kgg

If you decide on the Juki 1541 or one of the clone equivalents get the Juki 1541S. The "S" stays for safety mechanism so if you overload or jam up the machine it disengages itself and is easily reset after clearing the fault by the push of a button on the bed. The cost differences between both models is only about $100, cheap insurance against buckled internal parts. Before purchasing a 1541 clone make sure you test it first then try the Juki. If dollars are not going to be the major factor I think you will lean towards the Juki on sound, feel, finish, availability of accessories / parts and reputation. It definitely will not sound like a bucket of bolts banging around fresh out of the box like some of the cheap clones. kgg

It sounds more like a production type run where you are planning on doing more then one of's so I would advise you to buy new or good used industrial equipment. Equipment that can handle the total thickness / toughness of the items day in and day out without having to figure out work around's. It will mean a larger cash outlay up front but you will be able to take on any project from the start. It would be more cost effective in the long run to purchase too much capability up front, CB3200 vs CB 4500, then need the extra ability. kgg

Forget the Singer 128 it is a domestic sewing machine that has a vibrating shuttle, a long thin bobbin, with low capacity that rest inside a boat shaped shuttle. The very max thread size that I could push through with the 127's and 128's I once owned was v92 and the shuttle a lot of times will not work properly from one machine to another. If you are looking at portable machine with a walking foot consider machines like Reliable Barracuda or a Techsew 611. These are about $500 US new. kgg

Hi Nightshade, You are looking at three different machines made for doing three different functions. The Chinese machine on ebay is listed as a chain stitch machine which is made mostly for the garment industry you need a lockstitch, the Juki 1541S is a good machine but I wouldn't attempt to use mine for anything close to holster work where as the Cowboy CB3200 would I think be the smallest size to do some types of holster work. If the cost of a new machine is above the budget I would visit a brick / mortar dealer and bring along a sample of what you are wanting to sew to test drive a good used machine. I would stay away from the Chinese knockoffs on ebay and deal with someone who will give you support. You will need to decide which type of machine will give you the best bang for your buck capable of doing what you mostly do. Flatbed vs Cylinder vs Cylinder with table top attachment. kgg

It all depends on what you plan to sew with it but the Adler 541 is a post bed machine that I think would be more for glove making, upholstery weight sewing, installing patches on coats or other hard to reach areas. I have seen a post bed turned into a flat bed with a home made table top to have more versatilely. kgg

Damn nice job, great restoration. This proves that one person's garbage can be another's treasure. kgg

Without a machine the time it would take to make an article will be greatly increased (time is money) and the cost of the equipment probably shouldn't be costed over one or several jobs but of 20 plus years of jobs. The equipment cost then becomes extremely low. Buy new or good used once, Cry Once. No one is ever going to beat the prices of articles from Mexico, China or India based on price, it needs to be done on producing superior longer lasting quality, and custom work that people can use, abuse and appreciate for years not days. With China even if the material cost of an article was the same, wages are really, really low and a lot of the machines are made there probably at a tenth of what the same or similar machine cost in North America. I voted "Yes".

Have you check inside the front cover to see what is releasing the tension on the discs or tried to recreate the problem while videoing the internal workings with the front cover off. kgg

Is it that the thread can't seat deeply between the to discs or was this a user threading error, knee lift bump? What I see is that by making your change it is only offering a little extra friction in the thread path rather then thread tension and may be ok for one thickness but not another. What I would check by lifting up on the foot tension lifter or knee lift to release the tension between the two discs and check to see if the disc can be separated easily. If they don't separated easily then back off the tension nut to reduce the tension on the the tensioner spring. If they are easily separated then pull the thread from both sides of the tensioner at the same time and see if the thread now seats between the discs rather then just riding on the cupped edges. If the tread rides out again do the same thing again and adjust the tension on the discs tighter by screwing the thumb nut in. kgg

I think you have answered your own question. I would go with my gut. If your not getting a good feeling about this possible working relationship this early on, it ain't going to get any better. Don't walk away, Run away. Did you get paid for your work or was it a gift? kgg

That is back to basics, simple but ever so ingenious. kgg

Uwe that pan seems to fit pretty nicely. Was the shipping expensive to get it over from China. kgg