kgg

First off a couple of questions: i) What machine are you trying to use the binding attachment on? ii) What size of thread? iii) What size of needle? iv) What type of binding are you using? v) How thick is the material you are trying to bind over? Leather or fabric? vi) Which style of binding attachment, inline or 90 degree? I agree with @AlZilla the bird nesting is usually related to tension issue but also can be related to other things depending on the thickness of material and needle thread combination. For my needs I never have to change the outer or inner presser feet or the feed dog to do binding on my machines. The only thing I may change is the outer presser foot to a left or right toe depending on what I am sewing. A couple of photo's of how you have setup the binding attachments would help? kgg

Thank you. I did try and tip it in all directions and it doesn't budge. Now if was Singer black, hum. Airbrush anyone? kgg

I have been slowly putting together my new 441 Class sewing machine. Only a couple of minor things left to do. Install the presser foot lift pedal, figure out how much I need to cut out of the table under the cylinder arm without weakening the table top too much, redneck oil bath, and mount my under the table spool holder for the top and bobbin threads as I hate those spool holders that are typically supplied with all the industrial sewing machines. i) I chose to use a standard industrial sewing machine table 22" x 48" with a 3/4" table top and modify it to suit my needs. That saved me about $200 CAD. The table top had the standard belt slot and the three servo mounting holes already cut out. ii) I placed the sewing machine about 1mm to the left of the belt slot cut and set it back 26mm from the white table top edge (ko4.jpg). iii) I cut the top long end off the third K-leg and mounted it backwards so it would fit in front of the motor (ko7.jpg) then placed it so it was slightly off center of the sewing machines mounting base. The motor is a 800 watt brushless servo motor and came with a needle positioner which I am not installing. iv) I bolted all three K-legs so their top cross braces were inline with the frond edge (ko7.jpg) of the table top. This provides better weight distribution and strength to the table. The machine weight, about 50 kg (110 lbs), is more towards the front edge of the table and directly over the third K-leg. v) I also bolted the third K-leg to the foot pedal bracket to add extra strength to the frame (ko6.jpg). So far I am pleased with how the machine is turning out. kgg

I agree. Just measure the existing leather with a mic and then compare it to a leather weight chart like. Weaver has a good chart ( www.weaverleathersupply.com/pages/leather-thickness ) with both Imperial and metric measurements. kgg

What machine do you have?? I would be easily to identify knowing what machine and model. kgg

I use bonded nylon and bonded polyester thread from A&E as @MtlBiker has suggested, in sizes V92, V138 and V207 in 1 lb spools with no problems unlike the cheap Chinese stuff that is just an exercise in frustration. I haven't used the Polyamide 66 sometimes referred to as Bonded Nylon 66. The selling points that I see being advertised are: i) Stronger ii) Less friction, iii) Higher heat tolerance when compared to standard Nylon thread. However, I can't find information to support those claims. The best I can find ( Dunmore Thread Size & Thickness Chart on the www.buckleguy.com/dunmore-thread-bonded-nylon-66-color-size-card/) is V69 has 0.5 lb more breaking strength then bonded nylon while V92 and V138 have the same breaking strength. Typically the cost of the thread is a lot more expensive then brand name threads. For my stuff I really can't justify the major cost difference without technical information. In the case of the Black Crown Thread in V92 it costs $25.50 CAD for 4 oz or $102 CAD for 16 oz (1lb) whereas I can get 1 lb V92 spool from A&E for $60 CAD. Also A&E threads are made in both Canada and the USA. Another Canadian alternative would be Cansew ( cansew.com ). kgg

I do agree the SS pins do a wonderful job but IMHO SS birdshot does a much better job especially around the and in the primer pocket. I went back to dry for couple of reasons. i) The SS pins work better at cleaning the inside of the straight wall cases (44mag, 45-70, etc) rather than rounds with a shoulder (556/762/etc) ii) They have a tendency to get stuck in sloped wall rounds like 9x19. iii) The toxic slurry water is a PITA to get rid of safely (full of everything from bismuth to nitrates to lead to mercury) compared to sand. Mostly though I went back to sand + NU FINISH because I reload a lot and after ~200K reloading with wet I noticed that they degrade the brass wall more than sand, and they can damage the primer pocket’s flash hole. IIRC it worked out to be about 1 to 2 less reloads per brass than with dry. Plus while they look shinier with wet tumble… the drying process can leave spotting AND the lack of film means they do not stay as shiny as Nu-Finish’ed brass… and with hotter loads they stick more than nu-finished brass and yet also stick more at the low end (ie less damage to the rims on +P and more vigorous ejection w/ powder puff IPSC loads). Just my thoughts, kgg

I do have a piece of angle iron that may fit the bill, just going to depend on the size of the actual cutout. The head weights in at about 55kg (120 lbs) and it took two of us to move the head, while still in the carton, into the house. A lot of different table configurations are available from mounting it on a flat table top to the pedestal style just depends on someones needs / wants. the Juki. Yes I have multiple dogs and with 55 kgs (120lbs) of unbalanced weight dangling my concern would be a couple of them roughhousing could accidentally topple it. If everything goes well I am hoping to get a start on assembly it tomorrow. I have always named my machines with some not being able to be repeated in public. kgg

I finally, after a long wait I got my new TSC-441 clone fresh off the boat. I drove 300 km (~185 miles) each way and that took about 8 hours today to bring the new toy home. I could have had it shipped at a cost of about $250 - $300 CAD or spend less then $50 CAD in gas and use my little Honda Fit which gets between 55 - 60 miles per US gallon. For my needs as I have dogs I went with a standard table top and 3 K-legs rather then a pedestal stand for stability. The top I will cut a semi-circular section out under the arm similar to what is normally done on the LS-1341 tables. The center of the machine will rest over the middle K-leg. The servo motor is a 800 watt with a 45mm pulley so with the motor running at 100 rpm the hand-wheel should be around 28 rpm without a speed reducer. kgg

With some of the generic / no name / unbranded equipment like for servo motors the information isn't included other then the very basic. Technical information like how many coils the motor is constructed with or the torque rating probably will be non existent. kgg

We all have to start somewhere and as your needs / wants / ability changes you will probably either replace or add another machine. Being new to this venture or should I say addition I would get the 550 watt servo motor and not bother with getting the speed reducer for now. My reasoning is that I think you will find that just changing to a servo motor from a clutch motor you will be able to control the sewing speed fairly easily. The advantage is that you will very quickly figure out the sewing ability of the machine without the worry of over torquing the machines internals because of the additional torque (punching power) that the speed reducer will give you. Try some simple sample items in fabric and then leather. Give yourself a month to figure out the basics and quirks of your machine. Figure out how thick of what materials the machine can handle, best thread size to needle combination in different material of different thicknesses and what type of accessories that would make your projects easier like presser feet, binding / folding attachments etc. If after a month you are still struggling with the sewing speed and not what the machine can punch through then add a speed reducer. If you are unable to sew certain projects chances are the machines internal parts weren't designed to handle them and forcing the machine to do so by adding a speed reducer then nasty / expensive repairs are probably going to happen. The 750 watt servo motor I think is more suited to the upper end of machines in the upholstery class like the Juki DNU-1508 (and clones) and the 441 class machines like Juki TSC-441 (and clones). kgg

I agree that is a decent price. kgg

What is the price for a 550 watt servo motor? I can see going with a 750 watt if their is only a few dollars in the difference but for your machine which appears to be very similar to the Juki DU-1181n a 550 watt should be able to do the job nicely. kgg

I like the KISS solution. Cheap, simple, effective and functional. kgg

I think the slight difference between actual vs the program is the program numbers are based on the inside diameter of the pulley rather then the outside dimensions. I did edit my previous post to show I assumed a 85 mm diameter hand-wheel pulley. kgg

Excellent information, thanks for sharing. kgg

The main stress will be caused by putting too thick / tough /sticky of material under the presser foot. I am going to go on the bases your machine is rated for 2000 stitches per minute (spm) in lighter thickness material. If you exceed what the machine is rated for ( sewing capability or speed ) then chances are you are going to have a problem and bust something. The speed reducer will provide both slower speed and more torque ( punching power ). The torque if you exceed the limits of your machine mostly in thickness and type of material being sewn that is when nasty things are going to happen. Keep in mind you do not have a safety clutch on the sewing machine to prevent the bottom end of the sewing machine from being damaged. Speed reducers are like a double edged sword, providing slower more controllable sewing speeds and with that you get more available torque which can damage the sewing machine internals if not cautious. Depending on the servo motor you purchase the minimum startup speed rating will be probably be 200 or 300 rpm's with a maximum speed rating of 3000 to 5000 rpm's With a 45mm small pulley installed on the motor and a speed reducer with a large 150mm pulley and a smaller 50 mm pulley here is what you can expect as far as needle speed goes. So you can see for doing thinner items you will never come close to exceeding the speed rating of the machine but be cautious on how thick and type of material you plan on putting under the presser foot because of the addition torque available. These sewing speeds would probably drive an experienced production person nuts at how slow they are. These are based on a hand-wheel pulley size of 85mm. Motor speed (rpm ) setting --------------------------------------- Needle speed (SPM) 200 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------35 300 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------53 400 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------71 500 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------88 600 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------106 700 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------124 800 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------141 900 rpm ------------------------------------------------------------------------159 1000 rpm ----------------------------------------------------------------------176 2000 rpm ----------------------------------------------------------------------353 3000 rpm ----------------------------------------------------------------------529

That would be you least expensive option if you are going to pay a labor rate for someone to install it. To keep your labor cost down have the technician do the full install all at the same time. It will involve i) removing the old motor with a new servo motor ii) removal of the factory 75 mm pulley on the servo with a smaller 45mm pulley iii) installing a speed reducer and iv) installing the two new pulley belts, one belt from the 45mm pulley to the large pulley on the speed reducer and one belt from the small pulley on the speed reducer to the hand-wheel pulley on the sewing machine. This is not a difficult task but does involve removing the sewing machine from the table and tipping the sewing machine table over so the old clutch motor which is heavy probably around 25kg or so can be more easily and safety lifted off the bottom of the table top. Even the new servo is probably going to weigh around 10 kg. This would be the cheapest option by far. Waiting for the parts to arrive is probably going to take awhile due to shipping to your location. Once you have the parts you are probably looking at a couple / three hours of work to remove the old motor, install the new servo motor and speed reducer. It would be much easier and safer if you have someone to help with the heavy clumsy lifting. Once the motor and speed reducer are installed all is left is getting the right size of belts to install on the pulleys. kgg

Just add to where you can get a speed reducer try this ad from shipping Aliexpress with free shipping at least in Canada for $132 CAD or $95 USD: https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000197134740.html?spm=a2g0o.productlist.main.3.ae3c56a6cHtxUt&algo_pvid=a20d7b50-a60c-4f0a-a64b-b06e04f3efa6&algo_exp_id=a20d7b50-a60c-4f0a-a64b-b06e04f3efa6-1&pdp_npi=3%40dis!CAD!132.5!132.5!!!!!%40212279a216882265354643948d07dc!10000000748215314!sea!CA!4496536814&curPageLogUid=EJDtaB85Xh7b Yes reduction pulleys can be a real rabbit hole but that site saves a lot of time rather then having to do the math. It is a great site for those who what to build their owe speed reducer and save a few dollars. The bottom speed can vary so much depending on the supplier / manufacturer where some can do less bottom end startup while others are even higher. With the electronic controlled servo it has I believe more to do with the number of coils in the motor. For the bottom end startup I would take a 550 watt 12 coil like the Reliable SewQuiet 6000SM 12-Coil Servomotor ( https://reliablecorporation.com/products/sewquiet-6000sm-servomotor ) over a 750 watt 6 coil any day and maybe a 750 watt 9 coil. The Reliable Sewquiet is $199 CAD ( $150 USD ) which is the same as the Sailrite Workhorse at $300 CAD( $225 USD), don't know who copied who first. kgg

Yes this is another way to reduce speed. This method does have it limitations as you can only reduce the motor pulley so much and it will be dependent on the minimum bending radius of the pulley you are using. A lot of servo motors come with a 75 mm pulley on them. If I'm not mistake the pulley part of your hand-wheel wheel on your sewing machine is about 85 mm. With the servo motors speed set to 100 rpm's. 1) The speed of the hand-wheel will be approximately 88 rpm 2) Reduce the motors pulley-wheel down to 45 mm the end result with the speed of the hand-wheel will be approximately 53 rpm Another alternative is to install a larger hand-wheel say a 150mm. i) If you increase the existing hand-wheel pulley size from 85 mm to 150 mm without changing the motor pulley (75mm) the speed of the hand-wheel will be reduced to 50 rpm. ii) If you increase the existing hand-wheel to 150 mm and reduce the motor pulley to 45 mm the speed of the hand-wheel will be reduced to 30 rpm. kgg

I would download manual for the Highlead GC0618. I have included the three for the Juki DU-1181n and see which manual seems to be the one for your machine. No such thing as a stupid question. Maybe it's just me but I don't really see the need of installing a needle positioner on any of my machines for my needs. My new machine that will arrive shortly is coming with a brushless servo motor and needle positioner. The needle positioner will not be installed and will remain in the box. A speed reducer will then be installed as I would rather have better stitch by stitch control. Beside that for my stuff I don't like the idea of the machine telling me where the needle is supposed to be when I release the go pedal, that would just frustrate me to no end. At present I use brush servo motors on all my machines and only time will tell if I keep the brushless servo installed on the new machine. The more electronics the greater the potential for more problems. The difference between a clutch motor and either a brush or brushless servo motor is like night and day. The servo motors only run when give hit the go pedal where as the clutch motors roar to life the moment you turn the power switch on. The clutch motors are inherently noisy while the servo motors are almost silent. kgg Juki_1181n_instruction_7K.pdf DU-1181 eng manual.pdf Juki 1181N parts.pdf

Here is a good reference chart for needle size to thread size. https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html Note sometimes you have to move up a needle size in thick / tough / sticky material. The M20 thread size is equal to V138 (Tex 135). I would recommend using at least a #22 needle and if you find you are having stitch problems particularly in the multi layers you may have to move up a size or two. If the hole that needle makes isn't large enough the loop that the hook needs to catch will not be properly formed material so you get skipped stitches or stitches that are not constant. Depending on the faux leather you may have to use a leather needle to cut through rather then a fabric needle that punches through and separates the fibers of the material. I am going to assume you are using the 135 x 17 (DP17) needle system for fabric so a leather needle would be 135 x 16 (DP16). I would ask your neighbor if they know what brand the machine is or if they have still have the manual I would have like to see more coils but 9 coils is a good middle of the road servo motor. As for installing this style of servo motor, brushless, getting the synchronizer to work with a speed reduced is probably not going to work. In a lot of cases you can get either i) really slow sewing speeds with stitch by stitch ability and extra torque for punching power by using a speed reducer OR ii) slower sewing speed with less torque and needle synchronizing for the needle up or down positioning. I am going to assume your machine has very similar sewing abilities as my Juki DU 1181n which is a light weight walking foot and the only reason I would consider adding a speed reducer is to get better low speed control. My rough rule of thumb is adding a speed reducer for more slow speed, stitch by stitch, control is a good idea but, but to add a speed reducer just to get more punching power, no. I figure I'm using the wrong class of machine for the work and something is going to twist or break under full load and torque. As far as the needle positioning it is a I think a personal preference based on the what works best for them, some people love it and others not so much. The cost to me seems really steep. 350 EUR would be ~ $500 CAD or $380 USD. kgg

Another alternative would be a foot lift rather then a knee lift. This would ensure you are not pressing down on the " go faster " pedal while at the same time lifting the presser foot up with your knee. Use a heavy gauge wire / rod to connect to the hole in the end of the lifting mechanism on the rear of the machine and extending below the the table / pan. At that end of the wire/rod make a loop in the wire / rod and connect a chain or wire. The other of the chain / wire then would be connected to a pedal alongside the existing pedal. kgg

Not really, the sewing speed is going to depend the motor controller (analog vs electronic), whether it is coupled with a speed reducer and of course the operator. If you purchase a electronic controlled motor it is mainly going to depend on how many coils the motor was constructed with where the more coils gives better speed control and torque. A lot of the cheaper electronic controlled servo's have 6 coils while the better ones have 12 coils which is usually reflected in the cost also some of the cheaper ones have a minimum start speed so they maybe a be jerky. If you want / need that stitch by stitch ability you really need to invest in a speed reducer like @chrisash suggested. For the machine in the photo's a 550 watt will work just fine but if the cost difference between a 550 and 750 watt is minimal and like @chrisash suggested get the 750 watt. From the looks of the machine in the photo it doesn't look like a Highlead GC0618 even through it has a tag that says GC0618. The whole from end is closer to that of a Juki DU 1181N rather then the Highlead GC0618. Base on the tension assembly I would consider the one in the photo to be a lighter duty machine with lesser sewing needle size availability, thickness capabilities thread size selection and probably a walking foot rather then a compound feed where the needle just moves up and down with no front to rear movement. What are you planning on sewing and with what size of needle and thread? kgg

Shock'n pretty. kgg