kgg

When you stop are you keeping the needle buried in the material like if you were making a 90 degree turn or is the needle above the material with little pressor foot pressure being applied? I agree the machine needs to be dumbed down to handle V69 but preforms much better with V138 even my 1181n prefers V92. I do use polyester thread for items being regularly exposed to the outdoors UV or for items that are being exposed to a lot of bleaching as it stands up considerably better then bonded nylon. That is why I use brand name thread like A&E or Coates thread as they have a wide selection depending on what someone is planning on sewing. Yes it is more expensive but they seem to have put a bit of engineering into their products rather the one size fits all, sort of like panty hose, offered by the less expensive off shore stuff. kgg

I have some of those as they came with my Kobe LS 1341 and I will not use them. The tolerances and balance can be all over the place so I don't think they would be of any benefit. I don't think you are having as much a backlash problem rather a problem with the material. I find that to sew thin stuff particularly with ripstop it can become a real balancing act in getting the bobbin thread to properly set. I put the problem down being caused by the makeup of the ripstop. I find some things that are less then 4 to 5mm in thickness a bit of a chore with the 1541S so for those items I use the less capable 1181n. A good reference to show how the 1541 reacts with light, medium and heavy fabric take a look at youtube.com/watch?v=4JES-2I7h3o versus the less capable 1181N with the same material youtube.com/watch?v=IKJuKTrjsbw&t=300s kgg

I assume you mean bobbin. My Juki 1541S can be cranky with bobbins if I mistakenly use an after market bobbin while the Juki bobbins never give me a problem. That said if you are having problems with a backlash spring don't use it. Also I find if I use a bobbin that has been wound with thread for more then a couple of days before use it I may have problems as the thread will develop a coil spring memory and cause problems. I also found that using 8 oz spools of thread created problems both with the top thread and bobbin thread with black thread being worst. I would do as Wiz suggested and also change the spool of thread to a brand name preferably in a 16 oz spool size. Can I ask why you are using V69 thread and what you are trying to sew. If the material is to thin it may not be a backlash problem my Juki hates thin stuff. You may have better luck using V92 as a top thread and bobbin thread. A couple of photo's of your thread path would also help. kgg

What I would try in a small sample is backing off the bottom thread tension slightly first then if that didn't work increase the top thread tension slightly. I still think the #23 needle maybe creating a too small of a hole in the that particular leather. There might also be some thread related issues like thread consistency, size of thread spool (8oz vs 16 oz), brand name thread versus cheap china stuff, thread type (bonded nylon vs bonded nylon). The reason I mention thread is I am also seeing thread strand twisting and separation on some of the stitches. Which maybe a result of the distance from the top of the thread spool to the first guide in the thread spool stand being to small as it needs to be 2.5 times the height of the thread spool to help remove twisting of the thread or thread backlash or a bad spool of thread. kgg

I really pity a new person to the hobby trying to find a machine particularly when they see reviews on the web with titles like "the best leather sewing machines" and the machines are domestic fabric machines. kgg

Sadly, I haven't been able to find any independent comparison side-by-side reviews of the various industrial sewing machines whether they are brand name or clone. This is a real shame as most people really don't know the difference of one class of industrial machine from another, the difference between a domestic / domestic heavy duty from a industrial fabric or industrial leather machine, the various machines abilities or their short comings. The consumer is then left with few options of having too decipher specifications on their own and take a best guess stab at it which can be a costly, frustrating mistake or rely on less then stellar reviews. I think the more informed consumer at least asks here on this site for some guidance when wanting to purchase a machine (new or used) for their particular needs / wants. This form has a lot of individuals from around the globe that have a lifetime of hands on experience, many with different classes of machines manufactured by just about every company out here. kgg

Sorry to hear that you didn't get a good feeling particularly when you are wanting to buy an expensive machine. What are you planning on sewing? Have you thought of visiting a couple dealers in your area to see if they have something or considered whether maybe a 1341 class machine would suit your needs or even one of the one arm bandits. kgg

They dropped the price to $1750 and now the add has SOLD listed. Got a be something in the water down around Toronto. kgg

Poor review. kgg

Christmas madness in the greater Toronto area is here for sure. The perfect little stocking stuffer, a cute little traditional black Singer Featherweight 222 for sale for a Xmas price of $1950.00. www.kijiji.ca/v-hobbies-craft/city-of-toronto/singer-featherweight-222-sewing-machine/1597434189 kgg

Greases are better for leakage control and provide better seals against contaminants. Grease can remain in equipment longer and tolerate a variety of conditions. ... Oil is also better for extending the life of bearings, as oiled bearings can last twice as long as greased ones. Personally I wouldn't and don't use grease in any of my machines. Grease does a great job of sealing out contaminants from the teeth of the gears but doesn't provide the slick factor that synthetic oils provide. You could windup with pockets where the grease has been forced out and leaving the teeth of the gears dry but encapsulated in a bubble of grease. But then again I don't use sewing machine oil in any of my machines not even on the China Patcher. My experience is that my blend of synthetic oils makes gears run smoother as it creates a film between mating gear teeth which in effect reduces the load on gear teeth and hopefully increases their life. kgg

The things to consider before buying the Alder is the cost of the machine, cost of the replacement timing belt which I think is going to be closer to $100, cost to have it installed and the machine re-timed, cost to put a 120v servo motor on it so you can use it at a controllable speed verses getting a good used refurnished machine from a dealer. kgg

Your industrial upholstery class machines like the Juki 1541S can handle up to 3/8" thick or 9.5 mm. To regularly go beyond that you will need to move up into the 441 class machine. The price of a Juki TSC 441 in North America is north of $9000 cad. So a more reasonable cost option for the a 441 class machine are the clones like Cowboy or Cobra to name a couple in the $2500 cad to $3500 cad range. Another option may also be the one arm bandits like Cowboy Outlaw or the Tippmann Boss both around the $1500 US price range. To help with machine suggestions, what do you want to sew and with what size thread? Remember no one machine will do everything. Buy Once, Cry Once kgg

The Tinkers delight is delegated to the basement as I have a couple of more things I want to try before it makes it's out-the-door journey. What are you planning on sewing and what is your budget. I'm sure someone could offer suggestions as what maybe a good match for your needs/wants. kgg

What did you find out about the machine? kgg

Have you checked the top tension discs for wear? kgg

Looking at Lial website (en.lial.biz/thread-polyart-20-1500m) in their specs it lists the thread as #20 but lists it as Tex 154 which would be closer to a #15 (V207)thread rather then a #20 (V138) which may have to do with it being a looser polyester thread. kgg

My plan of attack is to use a metal lathe that way I can use either wood or metal for the burnisher. My main shaft on my burnisher / polisher is 3/4" that tappers down to a 5/8"-11 threaded section. So far me thoughts are: For a aluminum: Drilling a 17/32" hole almost to the end then drilling a 13/16 " hole so far down and then tapping the 17/32" section for a 5/8" - 11 bolt thread. Once that is done cut the grooves in the surface, drill and tap a grub screw in the 13/16" end. For wood: Round and mill the grooves into the wood to the correct diameters, drill a 11/16" hole completely from end to the other then drill a 1 5/8" hole so far down to accommodate a 5/8"nut and on the other end drill a 1 3/8" flat washer to butt up against the 3/4" shaft.

I couldn't find a email address or whether the burnisher was aluminum or steel. So me being me I called him, a really nice guy. He confirmed he made it out of aluminum as steel will turn the leather blue. kgg

Thank you, I haven't been accused of that before. HaHa kgg

The Alder is not a post bed, it is a cylinder bed machine. Do you know what model it is, do they have the manual? The machine looks in pretty good shape. kgg

Did you check the nameplate of the motor too see what voltage the motor on the machine is rated for? kgg

What size of thread are you using? If you are using V69 you should be able to get a pretty good selection of colors in the domestic sewing machine size spools at most sewing supply shops. kgg

Maybe I'm just cheap but I love to tinker and for the most part I have the time. I approach things where if I need / want something simple I'll usually give it a go first. Sort of jack of all trades, master of none approach. If I fail well then I'll buy a tailor made. kgg

Your dryer receptacle is normally a four prong 220v, 30 amp so first check the voltage and amp rating of the motor. Typically the 50 amp 3 prong plugs are meant for 220v where you have two hots and a ground. I would suspect the motor on the Alder is 120 v. kgg