kgg

Does it have a tight spot without the drive belt installed on the machine? Before I would attempt replacing things I would give the internals a really good oil bath and flush with some synthetic transmission oil combined with some light synthetic oil to penetrate deep in all the bushings surfaces and bearings. Looks like a nice color for the paint job. kgg

I think these are probably a specialty clip that is produced solely by or for Sleepypod as the clip has sleepypod molded into the face of the clip. You could try and order one from Sleepypod in the size you would like. kgg

I am going to assume when you say "flywheel" you mean the hand-wheel that the drive belt from the motor is on. The hand-wheel: i) the hand-wheel slides over the main shaft which has a groove ground into it. ii) hand wheel has two set screws. One that seats down into the groove of the main shaft and the other set screws seats onto the the round part of the shaft. If the hand-wheel slips chances are the set screws weren't tighten down properly or the groove location is damaged. If the set screws weren't tighten properly with one in the groove then the hand-wheel will slip / spin. You probably can just regrind the hole so there are no burrs to tear up the thread. It maybe just the angle of your photo but it appears you have the needle in backwards. The long groove going up the shaft of the needle has to be on the left and the scooped out part of the needle (scarf) on the right so when the thread is threaded from left to right the thread slips down the groove to the eye of the needle. kgg

Maybe try Ailexpress for something like this: for about $0.53 https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000204100606.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.93.326chJ3BhJ3Bx3&algo_pvid=d6a455b0-fe99-4dfe-b30a-dca3ace3c4f9&algo_exp_id=d6a455b0-fe99-4dfe-b30a-dca3ace3c4f9-46&pdp_npi=3%40dis!USD!2.18!0.39!!!!!%40212240a316873568966258263d0787!10000000776821401!sea!CA!4496536814&curPageLogUid=42ffrQ11iGMV kgg

Thank you. Good point I will keep an eye on that. kgg

Try searching for swivel hooks, swivel snaps and or swivel snap hooks. kgg

Thank you, I figure the leather sleeve will out last the recliner. kgg

This type of guide is used with typically two needle machines where the thread from one thread spool goes through the holes on the left of the bracket and then to the bottom thread guide before the tensioner and the other thread from the second spool goes to the one on the right which would have second thread guide place in the where the screw in the photo is on the right side of the bracket. It can offer extra tension and also keeps the two top threads separate so they don't get tangled up when sewing. A example can be see on this video: ( www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxLo85ClZ2U ) kgg

I am assuming the top head casing is a separate casing then the cylinder arming casing and maybe able to be moved / twisted slight to get rid of the 1mm difference between the front and rear as you noted in the photo. Otherwise it is just a slight error when the machine was cased. kgg

Those mag base are great aren't they. I figure you got a few choices: i) Strip the machine down to bare bones and reline the casing and replace the main shaft. However that may not solve the problem as other bushings / guides maybe also be worn slightly off. ii) Shave a bit off the part that hits / comes close to striking the other. However that will not fix the problem. iii) Run the machine machine until it gives you problems or requires other parts. Use a synthetic oil rather then sewing machine oil for lubrication. How long it will last who knows. I think that will depend on how fast you run the machine and how often you are going to use it. I wouldn't be in rush to replace the machine until a problem that effects the stitch appears but I would keep an eye open for a new or newer machine. kgg

Looks good. kgg

Is the main shaft slightly buckled??? I would check with the tip of a pencil on the shaft and see if it marks only in one spot as the shaft is being rotated. If it puts a mark all the way around the shaft is good, if it only marks the shaft in one area the shaft is bent. kgg

Thank you. It's something simple and is going to be used a lot. kgg

One of my recliners is fabric and the foot rest material wore out and looked terrible. I could have stripped it down to the board but if I reupholstered it with fabric it would eventually wear out and it would be a one of. So I finally decided on making a simple functional leather veg tan sleeve that could be reused on another recliner at some point in the future. I used: i) 3 oz natural colored vegan tan ii) Fiebings Pro Dye in British Tan iii) Udderly Smooth (cream consistency ) iv) Mink Oil (paste consistency ) v) 1" Velcro vi) V138 thread vii) copper rivets viii) 1inch "D" rings ix) 1" foam x) LS-1341 clone cylinder arm xi) heat gun I would have poured the dye the leather by soaking it in a container but I didn't have one that was wide enough so I used flat plastic butter container and used paper towels to apply the dye directly by hand. I was surprised at how good the paper towels worked on a large surface of spreading the dye around. I hand rubbed Udder cream on after I dyed the veg tan when it was almost dry which did create a tan colored foam on the surface of the leather and left it to settle overnight. The next day I then wiped off the excess and applied the first heavy coat of Mink Oil paste letting that dry for about 12 hours before using a heat gun to force it down into the veg tan. I then let it sit overnight, re-applied another heavy coat of Mink Oil and hit it again with the heat gun to force some more into the leather. I then wipe the access oils off and did notice there wasn't any British Tan dye on the paper towels. Which I figure is good a thing as the British Tan sort of matches the color of the fabric but might not go great with white pants. Any comments / suggestions are always appreciated. kgg

@Handstitched I am so sorry for your loss. My thoughts are with you during this troubling time. kgg

My take on needle positioner: The controller is basically factory set so when it receives a input signal of a certain time duration in milliseconds from the needle positioner that is basically monitoring the position of the hand-wheel shaft. From the position of the hand-wheel shaft the position of the needle can be determined as it goes though it's up and down cycle. From the position of the hand-wheel shaft the controller then knows the distance that the motor has rotated and where it needs to be for the needle to be in the up or down position. When you throw in a speed reducer it changes the distance the hand-wheel has traveled (rotated) in a certain time frame (msec) so the input signal back to the controller from the needle positioner now is off as compared to the factory settings. When that happens the controller assumes the hand-wheel is in certain position hence the position of the needle but in reality the hand-wheel is in another position which means the needle is also in another position. Some people love the needle positioner and others not so much. I happen fall into the not so much group myself but that will depend on what you feel best suits your needs. kgg

I assumed the ragged thread was just that the end raveled out for an unrelated reason. At the 20 sec mark you can see the needle plate has received a few strikes over the years for one reason or another. Were any as a result of this incident who knows. If the top thread is allowed to flap out from the needle like in the video any top tension the top thread may have had is lost. Since bird nesting is usually an indicator of inadequate top thread tension I think it would be my first place to start. So I would replace the needle, re-thread the top thread from the thread spool to the eye of the needle, examine all the guides and tensioners. It appears to be V138 thread maybe V207 but it is hard to tell the size from the video so I thinking a #23 or # 24 for V138 or #24 or #25 for V207 depending on leather thickness. I would also replace the bobbin with a fresh bobbin just to make sure it was installed, tensioned properly and inspect for any old thread. kgg

Just to add here is a good video of threading the Rex 26-188: Note the video at 2:11for threading just before the threading the eye of the needle verses how your video shows it threaded at 09 sec. kgg

In the video at 09 to 14 sec you can see there is no tension on the top thread. The top thread is not in the round guide at the top of the needle on the needle bar. Did you thread this guide with the same result? Did you replace the needle with a new one after the original problem happened? kgg

I looked at your first video as the second video seems to be not working. A couple of points I see: i) you are not holding the bobbin thread and the top thread you seem to be holding it forward ii) the top thread should go through the last guide just before going to the eye of the needle. Suggest checking your top thread path. What size of thread and needle combination are you using. I'm assuming you are using the same size thread in the bobbin as for the top thread. kgg

You could try a automotive supply house or a local body shop. A couple of manuals that may help you in the future: kgg 111w152,153,154,155 (2).pdf Singer_111W155_Parts.pdf

I would try holding it at a different angle and see if that works better. If the holding angle works better the question is it uncomfortable for you to use in comparison to your other edger or is it that the new one isn't sharp. If the holding angel is uncomfortable you will probably revert back to your other edger and the new one will just gather dust. If it wasn't properly sharpened at the factory I wouldn't do any resharpening. I think when you pay a premium price for a hand tool it should be ready to work right out of the box. For me the bottom line if it is uncomfortable to use or the edge wasn't sharpened properly I would return it for a refund, but that is just me. kgg

As with all of us as we get older things get more difficult. It does sound like a interesting project and if you can figure out a system I would be interested in seeing the setup. A cable system may work on thinner materials but on thicker / tougher items is where getting enough power transferred from a foot operated setup I think will be a problem. You maybe able to be overcomed that with using a weighted wheel in a treadle setup but then you will have to contend with overrun momentum of the wheel. Why not sell the Boss and move into something like a CB3200 type machine and save the shoulder? kgg

Found this as it sparked my curiosity : Leather Bag with Wooden Sides https://www.instructables.com/Leather-Bag-With-Wooden-Sides-/ kgg

I would suspect the leather is glued to the wood with a contact cement type glue and then nailed. kgg