kgg

I do think from what I have seen and heard Sailrite provides good service, good manuals and lots of video's. I just recently sold both a Sailrite LSZ-1 portable walking foot with their new servo motor and a Chinese Clone LSZ-1 portable walking foot with just a 90 watt domestic motor. The Chinese Clone costs about $500 CAD whereas the Sailrite costs about $2500 CAD when you take into account shipping from the USA / duty /exchange rate /etc. The quality of parts appeared to be better but $2000 CAD better??? Based on my own experience if I ever need another portable walking foot for whatever reason I would not bother with another Sailrite. kgg

What system of needle are you using 135 x16x#18 (leather) or 135 x17x#18 (fabric). Should be a 135x16 x18. Have you tried a larger needle size as a #18 is really meant for Tex 70. here is a link to a good chart of needle sizes verses thread size, https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html . Like @DieselTech has said going from one type of leather to another probably will require tension adjustments do to the toughness of the leather. kgg

@dikman it is Spanish and says: You have to turn on the controller with the "P" key, nothing, there you access the programming commands. Then you continue pressing "P" until the letters SL (speed low) appear, then you press P again and 16 appears, there with the button below P you can vary the number up to 03 as slow as possible then you return to Turn off the controller until all indicators turn off. Then turn it on again and check the speed. painteramirezdaniel@gmail.com kgg

I think that a properly sized thread and a sensible stitch length would actually strengthen and increase the life of a belt. My Thoughts are: i) A 5 or 6 spi stitch line along the outer edges about 3/16 or 1/4" inch in from the edge would add strength and help prevent the belt from deforming. A decorative pattern in the center of the belt would also increase the strength and help prevent deforming. @Dwight posted a very nice photo of a belt that is about 15 oz that has both edge and a decorative pattern that is 20 plus years old. ii) Proper thread sizing in combination with a correctly sized needle for what the belts intended use needs to be selected. An example would be V138 has a breaking strength of 22lbs while V207 has a breaking strength of 32 and V277 breaks at about 45 lbs. iii) Thread maybe an important factor as the strength of the leather has many factors that contribute to the quality / strength of the leather. Is it Veg Tan or Chrome Tan, the dyeing process, the actual location it came from on the animal (shoulder, stomach, butt, etc) and the tanning company doing the actual tanning process. kgg

Na, just add a set of suspenders. kgg

It adds support and feels more comfortable to wear. IMHO a belt really depends on the actively of the person wearing it. i) dress belt be about 5oz, management where the belt just needs to match the clothes ii) daily light use belt about 8 oz, for someone with a more sedentary lifestyle like someone sat at a computer all day. iii) daily working belt about 12 oz to 14 oz, active lifestyle like a laborer I have made a few 13 oz belts that are 1 1/2" wide and made up of two layers of 6.5 oz that are glued and then the edges stitched together with V138. The people like them as they provide added support and comfort. I agree. I agree. kgg

I would go with someone who makes a Veg Tan leather belt that is made of two pieces of 12 oz or 13 oz that is glued and sewn together. I would forget about how thick the belt is and be more concerned with the strength / durability of the belt. I would suggest looking at something similar to the Rogue Oly Ohio Lifting Belt https://www.roguecanada.ca/rogue-oly-ohio-lifting-belt . A good belt is not going to be cheap and then again you only got one back. I was at my mechanics yesterday who has a bad back and he was using a cheap weight lifters belt that was made of " Genuine Leather " which is basically code for junk maybe leather. He paid about $50 and he was complaining about it as it was falling apart. You get what you pay for. kgg

Maybe a Chicago Screw maybe another alternative. kgg

Like @Mulesaw and @DieselTechhave mention if you are using Chrome Tan leather the tradition way of striking an impression will not work. You maybe could get a better impression if you used a hand press or hydraulic press and maintain the pressure for few minutes but nothing close to what could be done in Veg Tan. Another alternative maybe would be a heat press. kgg

Sorry to here about your dad passing. Personally I would suggest going the auction route or find someone willing to purchase all the items as one lot. In my area the auction houses would catalog everything for you and either do an on site auction or take it to their auction house. They would be able to give you a rough idea as to what you should be able to get at auction and you then could set a minimum acceptable bid. The downside is they do charge a fee and what you get for the equipment is going to depend on those bidding on that particular day. Sometimes you get a decent price for an item and other times it may seem like you maybe giving it away. The upside is you don't have to deal with every Tom, Dick and Harry that expresses interest in an item so it is less stressful / time consuming on you.

I am assuming you have a Cobra Class 4 machine. Are you planning on building a Juki style frame where the machine overhangs the end of basically a regular flat top table or a pedestal style stand? Keep in mind that the head of the Cobra Class 4 like all the Juki 441 clones are going to weight in around 120 lbs and they are all nose heavy meaning they always want to tip particularly in the nose downward direction. The Juki table style would give you better stability and probably be more suited to sewing in the sitting position. While the pedestal style stand would be more suited for sewing while standing. Before choosing the style consider things like are their pets / kids that could bang into the machine and tip it over. If you chose to go with a pedestal stand you probably would be better off purchasing one from the Cobra people unless you are welder and can fabricate a really sturdy safe frame. If you chose to go with the Juki style you can usually get a used frame from a industrial repair shop for a reasonably cheap price and then add a nice table top. kgg

Yes the Kobe LS-1341 is the same as Techsew 2750 and both are a clone of the older Juki LS-341 not the Juki LS-1341. I have owned a Kobe LS-1341 and presently have a Techsew 2750 Pro both are the same. A good manual to down load would be the engineering manual for the Juki LS-341. From my experience with the Kobe LS-1341 the #22 needle is really meant to be used with V92 in thick or tough or sticky materials. When using V138 thread I would go with a #23 and when sewing at or close too the machines max probably go up to #24. Here is a good thread to needle size chart: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html kgg

To be sure I would give the vendor ( Bogle-Greenwell Machine Company) 3100 E Main St, Grand Prairie, TX 75050 a call. The number I came up with was (972) 262-3101. They should be able to tell you what parts should fit your machine. kgg

You got your monies worth out of that belt. From the photo's your machine is a cylinder arm. If I'm not mistaken the Consew 226R is the same as the 224, 225 and are Flatbed machines. However the Consew 227R is a cylinder arm machine. If your machine is a 227R the belt part number is 10621 and it is called a Arm Shaft Connecting Belt. What does the nameplate say the model number is? kgg

I do have a question bout rivets and can't seem to find the answer. Has anyone seen any info on how strong are rivets????

I use a 8 oz hammer and a Weaver Rivet Burr Setter and Nipper Pliers. How I install a rivet and burr: i) I install the rivet of the appropriate length and size. ii) I install the burr with a Weaver Rivet Burr setter so it set so it compresses the leather slightly. I find the Weaver Rivet Burr setter much better then the cheap Chinese ones. As a note the Weaver is made with real metal that you hang it on magnetic strip, the Chinese one is some sort of metalish material that will not stick to a magnetic. iii) I cut the shank of the rivet with either a 8" Nipper Pliers for #12 rivets or a 10" Nipper Pliers for #9 rivets. The shank of the #9 is much thicker then the #12. The cutting head leaves the right amount of rivet shank above the burr. iv) Lastly I use the Weaver Rivet Burr setter to round the head of the shank. I rotate the Weaver Rivet Burr around the rivet shank as I hammer it. As long as the rivet is peened over the hole edge of the burr it should provide proper strength. Job done. kgg

Your machine should be able to handle up to V138 thread. Here is a good needle to thread chart: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html Here is a link to a video that shows a visual comparison of thread. A couple of notes about the linked video: ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lfMD8WEHoE ) i) the person doing the video really doesn't understand the various thread sizing / labeling of thread. ii) The white threads he calls it a #40 is V69. By looking at the label it appears to be a Chinese thread and they typically size their thread in the metric sizing and a #40 is the same as V69. iii) The burgundy thread he calls it a #92 which is V92 and appears correct. iv) The purple thread he calls it a #135 which appears to be a Tex 135 and that is the same as V138. v) The red thread he calls it a #138 meaning V138. That is the US standard for thread sizing. The purple and red thread are the same just a different way of indicating it's size on the label. From what I have seen is the Chinese threads are usually just labeled in the metric size with a "#" while North American threads are label with both the "Tex # XXX" and the US standard "V # XXX". Do yourself a favor and buy good quality thread not the cheap Chinese stuff and get better results with less frustration. Thread size V69 ( Tex 70, 40 M, 40, Tkt 40 ) is the largest size most domestic machines can handle and is the crossover size to industrial sewing thread. Confused yet? kgg

The correct needle system for the Singer 111W156 is 135 x 16 for leather and 135 x 17 for fabric. The person might have owned a PFAFF machine or purchased them incorrectly or converted the machine to use needle system 134. I would pull the needle in the machine and see what is actually in the needle bar. Like @Constabulary check the needle bar height and use needle system 135 x16 or 135 x 17. kgg

With a max 100 (#16) needle you are going to be very limited in your thread size (V69 max) which in turn is going to limit sewing thickness ability. From that needle size. From that spec alone I would not recommend purchasing this machine for what you originally listed as items you want / need to sew. kgg

According to the spec ( https://jukiquilting.com/media/catalog/product/t/l/tl-18qvp_instruction_manual.pdf ) on page #4 your machine is only rated for V46 (Tex 45) max as it on that a domestic needle up to a #14. That did surprise me. Most domestic sewing machines can handle V69. If I'm not mistake that is usually a spec for quilting machines. In my opinion V69 thread is the cross over point from domestic to industrial machines. Here is a good needle size to thread size: ( https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html ) which also gives the strength of the thread. In most cases as the thickness increases it is easier to bury the thread knot with the right machine. I do really like Juki machines but you can get a comparable clone for a lot less which may serve you really well. If you go the clone route ask the vendor what it is a clone of from that you can determine pretty quickly what it's capabilities are. Still unsure just post a question to the form before you buy, I'm sure someone will be able to help. kgg

Those machines are basically clones of the older Juki LS-341. Getting a cylinder arm with a table top attachment and there are many available would be a good all rounder. It will give sorta kinda give you the ability of a flatbed machine. Remember there is no one machine that will do everything well. My experience is that some industrial machines even though rated for V69 ( Tex70 ) really don't like it and can be really finicky with thin thread in thinner items, preferring V138 (Tex135). What you may find is using your Juki TL-18qvp for the linings and the cylinder arm for the leather portion of your project. Most upholstery class machines like the Juki DNU-1541S are rated typically to handle up to 3/8" of leather while the cylinder arm machines like a Juki LS-341 can handle up to about 1/2" or so of leather. The main problem with using 2 oz leather is going to be setting up the machine, cylinder or flatbed. Getting the knot to be buried in the leather. My Juki DNU- 1541S hates working with thin stuff that is why I have a Juki DU1181N rated for V92 but I run V138 in that machine with no problems. If you decide to go with a flatbed I would suggest going with the Juki DNU-1541S. I have owned both the Consew 206RB-5 and the Juki DNU-1541S. In my opinion the Juki is a much better machine. Since this is going to be expensive no matter which machine you decide on I would suggest going to a vendor with a sample of your stuff and test drive some machines. Buy Once, Cry Once kgg

I have a little Juki 1181N that has an oil pump but like @dikman I do manually oil the machine. The problem with a lot of machines that have an oil pump is we don't run them flat out and at slow speed the pump probably does provide proper lubrication. To combat that when I need to use that machine I always first remove the thread from the needle lift the presser foot up and run the machine for a couple of minutes at a slow speed then gradually increasing the speed to a fairly high rpm. kgg

Depending on what you are sewing you may need different feet like left toe, right toe, piping, etc. and if you are doing binding you need binders/folders, etc. The roller guide you may find gets in the way a would prefer a drop down guide with a straight edge rather then a roller guide. The list is endless it just depends on what will make you projects go easier. Finding some accessory items for PFAFF can be a chore, if available, particularly for older machines. What is the max needle size in system 134 that this machine is rated for? If it similar to the 335 going above V92 (30 M) then this could be a problem. What size of thread do you want to use?? What is the max thickness you want / need to sew??? kgg

I think to get both sides properly done and that can be consistently repeated you need to start out with a good mold. A mold that consists of two halves where the bottom half and top half can be compressed together otherwise you will never get proper fitting item. You could make a mold out of wood or have one 3D printed. I suspect a 3D printed mold would be the best cheapest route. kgg

With odd ball setups like this one I totally agree with @Constabulary. When those bells and whistles work they work very nicely and do good work but when they don't it would probably be cheaper to junk the machine rather then trying to repair them. I would suggest you try and find a machine, flatbed or cylinder arm, that has a standard setup say comparable to a Juki DNU-1541S (flatbed), Juki LS-341 or 1341 (cylinder arm ) or clones. The parts and accessories are a lot cheaper and can be readily had should something happen. kgg