kgg

Yes this is a presser foot lever extension to provide more leverage so the effort to rise the presser foot up is reduced. As with all levers the longer the lever is from the pivot point the effort to lift the load which in this case is the presser foot will be less. On most Juki Class 341 clones that don't use the pedestal stand the Presser Foot Lift and Go pedals are or can be adjusted farther back at the base of the stand to take full advantage of the extra leverage the extension bracket provides. The other Class 341clones can also be setup like the Cobra with the Lift Cable / Chain connected inside the base of the machine. The Cobra setup on a pedestal stand will require a little more effort to raise the presser foot. kgg

Appears to be a Consew 206RB-5. Here is a link to help you: ( https://www.tolindsewmach.com/consew-206rb.html ) kgg

The needle is really made for V69. My thoughts: When you made the turn in the top left of your photo the stitch changed from good to bad. When you turn 90 degrees you need to move the leather when the needle is just starting on it's upward movement. Also since the needle is undersized there isn't any room to allow turning without the leather grabbing / twisting the thread and being tight in the needle which then probably throws off the thread tension. The bottom thread knot in the lightest dark color leather if it is 1.2 probably just hasn't got enough thickness to hide the V138 bobbin thread coupled with thread tension going off on the turn. My suggestions: Do a test run with the lightest color leather, I'm assuming it is the thinnest and see if V138 works properly in that thickness of leather. Do a test run with the lightest color leather, I'm assuming it is the thinnest and see if V69 works properly in that thickness of leather. Use a larger needle, #21 or #22 for V138. kgg

My take on the Juki thread spec. Juki rates their machines thread size (top and in the bobbin) to be used in the thickest material the machine is rated for not based on what the size of the thread that fit in the max size needle it will accept. Example: Juki LS-1341 is rated for V138 thread and will accept a #24 (180) needle. The #24 needle will take V207 thread yet the machine is only rated for V138 thread. Depending on how thick and tough the material is you could use V207 a lot of times. It appears that some clones rate their machine based on the needle being able to accept V207. Also if you are looking for that little extra pop V207 would give you maybe able to get away with V207 as a top thread and V138 as the bobbin thread but the strength of the seam will be that of the smaller V138 thread. Once you go consistently at V207 or at the max thickness of the Juki LS-1341 then you are at the cross over point into a Class 441 machine, Juki TSC-441. The cost of a Juki TSC-441 is for most prohibitive at around $8,000 USD and that's why the clones are the option for most at around $3,000 USD. The major drawback of the Class 441 is the size of hole the needle makes as compared to that of the Juki LS-1341. Think of a 3" finishing nail hole size. kgg

Nice brand name list. Expensive but very nice. I can't speak to the Alder machines other then parts and accessories can be expensive / limited. What my concerns would be with the Juki's are: I like my machines simple, machine, belt, motor and maybe a speed reducer. The Juki LS-2342 would be out of the running for me as it has an integrated drive motor, needle limit of 140 unless you go with the LS-2342H or LS-2342h-7-OB and uses the 134 needle system. The Juki LS-1341/1342 use the more common 135 needle system and can accept 180 needles. Motor replacement down the road could be expensive and does not allow for a speed reducer option. That totals about 24 oz of leather which means about 9.6mm (about 0.38"). That is within the approximate 1/2"+ ability of the Juki LS-1341/1342. Since you are planning on a large outlay of cash I would suggest making a trip to a dealer and test driving with your stuff a couple of machines. Here is a couple of links so you can compare the Juki specs: https://www.juki.co.jp/industrial_e/admin/pdata/filedata/332/ls1340.pdf https://www.juki.co.jp/industrial_e/admin/pdata/filedata/330/ls2342.pdf kgg

We all got to start somewhere. Basic parts of binding: i) tape binder (folder) ----- inline or 90 degree style in single or double fold for the size of binding tape ii) binder to machine attachment ----- either bracket or table mounted iii) binding tape --- fabric, webbing or leather in various sizes in spools or the more common rolls in typical sizes from 1/4" to 2" widths in cotton, nylon, polyester iv) binding tape holder ----- vertical or horizontal style kgg

It depends on how close the Class 26 is to a Juki LS-1341. I don't know if the Juki LS-1341 V type kit part number 21434857 would fit and even if it did the cost for the kit is really expensive probably in the range of plus $900 USD without any tape binder attachments. Also it was meant for 90 degree binders and I'm not even sure that attachment is still available for the Juki LS-1341. The question then becomes do you really need the synchronizing feature plus the additional cost of the 90 degree binders?? I ran a lot of rolls binding tape through my LS-1341 clone and I would have had a hard job justifying the additional cost of the V type kit. I also did NOT change the feed dog / presser feet/ needle plate as recommended by a lot of people. The way I figured it was that when you use a flatbed you don't have to change those parts to do binding so why on a cylinder arm ??? One minute I would be binding the next I would slide the swing away binder out of the way and continue on doing something else. By not making those part changes, in my case, I eliminated unnecessary tinkering with he feed dog / presser feet/ needle plate. Your results may differ. Also just like thread tension you still have to get the back tension on the tape correct, too tight or too slack and the result will look awful. What are you planning on binding, using raw edge binders or double fold binders, how thick and wide is the binding tape you want to use???? Yes they will work that is a similar style binder and swing away bracket. But and it is a big but they are meant for flatbed machines and you need to have some type of an adapter to mount them correctly to a cylinder arm. I have not seen any of the aftermarket table tops wooded or metal that will accommodate this type of attachment. So you will need to come up with something. That unit you referenced is made of two parts the swing away bracket and the binder. A single fold binder is also called a raw edge binder as it just folds the tape in half while a double fold binder folds the tape in half and then folds each side again to give a nice finished edge. The typical sizes available for the inline binders for raw edge or double fold range from 1/2" to 2" once you go above that you are into custom folders and they are expensive. The cost I think for the one you referenced is a little high as you can get them much cheaper off places like Ali Express for a 1/3 of the price. In my experience they do the job just as good as the more expensive ones but may not be as pretty. kgg

You have two basic options: i) 90 degree binders which are typically pretty expensive per binding tape size probably in the $70 USD range. The main advantage is you can get a tighter turning radius on bends. ii) Inline binders which are relatively inexpensive per binding tape size probably in the $15 USD range. The main advantage is you can also use them on flatbeds. Here is older version of what I done on a KOBE LS-1341 which is very similar to your Class 26 and it may give you some ideas. The binder has a swing away base. I use a similar setup on my 441 clone. kgg

You got to remember the leather sewing industry is a much smaller market then the fabric industry so most machines specify fabric needles like DPx17 needles (needle system 135X17). The spec's are the same for 135x16 and 135x17 except for the tips like @Northmount stated. Leather pointed needles (135x16) cut through while fabric needles (135x17) separate the fabric fibers. kgg

Here is what I done with my 441 clone to do edge binding using the inexpensive inline binders that I use on all my other machines. This may give you some ideas. kgg

Couple of questions: i) You say you are using V69 nylon and V92 polyester thread with 100-140 needles. questions: Are you using system 135x16 or system 135x17 needles. Are you using the same size thread for the top thread as you are in the bobbin. Are you using metal or plastic Singer 15 bobbins? Question: i) How many stitches per inch are sewing at?? The 100d Cordura is very thin. If I remember correctly Cordura is similar to Ripstop. Getting a nice bottom stitch may require either more layers or a filler between layers to allow the bobbin thread to lay correctly. When I sew 1000d Ripstop I find i have to use about 5 spi with at least 4 layers and I use the system 135 x 16 which is leather point made to cut through rather then separate fabric fibers. Any chance of a video of your machine sewing and showing your top thread path from the thread spool to the eye of the needle? Also here is a link for thread size to needle size: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html kgg

I do agree. I also have a customer that has not paid and that just irks me to no end. Not leather related but the principal is the same. This client boarded his personal dog with us recently and didn't pay. Not that the amount is a great amount but... Over the years when he was an active police dog handler we boarded both his working dog and his pet dog never a problem always got paid. Now that he has moved onto other police related duties he has become, to be polite, a not so good a client. I did see this in the past back in 2008 / 2009 when the economy went down the toilet. How I coped with the "delinquents" and not peeve the good clients off in the past is when that individual wants / needs our service they pay for the amount owing and the amount for that visit up front by cash or e-transfer. No pay, have a nice day. I figure this is directly related to the state of the economy. Not they are bad people but... kgg

There is a couple of links to video's of the moving arm. I assume there are specific feed dogs and needle for each machine. i) https://www.facebook.com/khsewing/videos/how-the-moving-arm-working-in-binding/554470568589194/ ii) https://www.facebook.com/100064388931666/videos/223974593051605/?__so__=permalink Unless you are going to turn the machine into a dedicated edge binding machine it seems to me like a lot of extra work just to do edge binding and then have to strip it down to do regular sewing. kgg

The cost difference between a brand name like Juki, PFAFF, Alder and a clone is going to be substantial ($2500 vs $5000+) so traveling to test ride a machine is a great plan as this is going to be an expensive outlay of cash. When you go to visit a vendor bring along some samples of leather you would be sewing with the thread size you would like. Hopefully the vendor has a LS-1341 there as well so you can compare it to a LS-1342 as you may decide you can do without the lift feature and save some dollars. All the machines in the 341 class will handle V138 and some claim to be able to use V207 in 3/8" plus thickness. Once you are at or above the 1/2" thickness consistently you probably should consider a Class 441 machine like a Juki TSC-441 or clone like a Cowboy 4500, Cobra Class 4 to name a couple. There are many clones of the Juki LS-1342 and another option maybe something like a Thor GC-1341 ( https://sunnysewingcenter.com/index.php/product/thor-gc-1341-cylinder-arm-walking-foot-sewing-machine-for-leather-upholstery-and-heavy-weight-materials/ ). A couple of reference charts: Leather weight to Thickness: https://www.weaverleathersupply.com/pages/leather-thickness?srsltid=AfmBOopqG07GeZKU1T96bRXTs1dHSx0rvBmYIep5bJEKUcl3ltioJRUZ Needle size vs Thread size: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html If you want to reference someone type the "@" symbol then type a letter of the persons user name, a list will appear and then just click on the persons user name in the list. kgg

The Cobra 26 is a hybrid clone of the older Juki LS-341 with what appears to be a Alder type bobbin assembly rather then a Juki style. The Techsew 4800 is sort of a clone of the Juki LS-1342 expect it has the larger nose gauge of the Juki-LS-341. The large knob on the top of the machine changes the vertical stroke of the presser foot and walking foot (amount of alternating vertical movement). @Wizcrafts has offered some excellent advise. How thick are the seams you are planning on sewing / crossing over?? Where are you located?? kgg

Just for future reference: Needle to Thread Chart: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html kgg

The thickness to don't think is the problem I think it has more to do with you needle thread size combination. If I am reading the label on the thread correctly it is metric 20 size which is V138 thread. The metric 120 which is a size #19 needle is for metric 30 which is v92 thread. The correct size of needle needs to be a minimum of 140 metric (#22) and max 180 metric (#24) in real thick stuff. The needle hole made in the leather has to be large enough to basically accommodate 3 strands of thread, the top thread strand and the two strands of bobbin thread on either side of the top thread forming the loop. kgg

That took effort. Not for the faint of heart. Nicely done. kgg

If the cable slips again just make a complete wrap of the cable around the bolt. I don like KISS solutions. kgg

As a couple of suggestions to tighten up the cable: i) add two nuts and large flat washers to the threaded bolt to sandwich the cable. ii) I had a machine that had a half moon pulley on the end of the knee lift shaft that the lifting cable went into. I can't remember the make or model but here is a sketch of sort of what I remember but using a small wheel pulley. kgg

Looking on their Milwaukee website they say i) " We constructed the durable tote with 1680D ballistic material and all-metal hardware so it can withstand harsh jobsite environments." There is no mention of any plastic. ii) "The PACKOUT™ 10” Structured Tote features tear resistant layered ballistic material, a reinforced structure that holds its shape over time, and has a carrying capacity of up to 50 pounds." From those two statements there is no plastic being sewn. The multi layers of ballistic material would give the sides of the bags the needed structure strength to keep the sides stiff. Sewing ballistic material is probably going to be tough on needles and will need either be sandwiched behind layers on fabric or have multiple layers to be able to bury the thread knots in. I agree. I think punching through 1/8" or close thick LDPE or HDPE is going to pose problems as cracking / splitting maybe a real concern. I also think you would probably be into using a Class 441. kgg

What machine are you planning on using?? kgg

The Cobra 26 is essentially a hybrid clone that has the same specs as most of the other Juki LS-341 clones except it appears to be using a Alder bobbin assembly rather then your typical Juki style assembly. In this class there a lot of capable clones of the Juki LS-341 to add to your list like the Cowboy CB341, Thor GC-1341, Techsew 2750, Kobe LS-1341 to name a few. Basically it comes down to who you feel will give you the best service, access to replacement parts and of course dollars. kgg

Looking forward to seeing your arrangement. I assuming you are going to tie to the existing presser lift lever. kgg

There are a lot of Fusion 360 youtube video's that would be helpful in getting started and as you use it the easier it gets. Just choose one CAD program and stick with it. Thank you. I did not include any of the typical 3D machines you see on buying sites like A mazon as I discounted them from the very beginning. If I can offer anything just drop me a note. kgg