kgg

Nicely done. Something to consider about the English Bulldog is their pork barrel necks. They have a tendency / ability to slip out of normal collars which work great when they are alongside or ahead of you but if they decide to sit their butt down or backup chances are they are out of the collar in a blink with a quick flick/duck of the head. kgg

This link even though it is for a Juki LS-341 it may offer some insight. https://www.manualslib.com/manual/917750/Juki-Ls-341n.html?page=11#manual kgg

No matter what 3D printer you use ABS is either messy and/or smelly. Hate the stuff. I can see some get their nickers in a bit of a twist but I am old school. When I am asked where I am from I say "Newfoundland". Funny during the Meach Lake US/ Canada talks back in the 90's we were crossing back from the US to Canada and asked by the Canadian border guards where we were from. I replied "Newfoundland". Their reply "OH, 3 Americans, have a nice day." We wondered what Canada had now done to Newfoundland. kgg

Nice to see you getting into 3D printing. As far as design software two excellent platforms are Fusion 360 and Solid Works. Besides the quality of your 3D printer and consumable materials the slicing software will make or break your 3D print. I would try some free resin slicer software and do a print quality / speed comparison to see what works best for your machine and your needs. For my filament printers and designs I have found Ultimaker Cura to be excellant where as PrusaSlicer software to be lacking in comparison even through I have Prusa and Prusa hybrid (Bear Upgrade) printers. Kept us updated on how your resin printed stamps work out. Personally I like the filament printers but that largely has to with my personal wants and needs (printed part strength, size of print, choice of available filament from low cost/quality china stuff to excellent Canadian or American made, available printer upgrade / replacement parts cost and less steps to final prototype). Just like with sewing machines, no one machine does it all. kgg

All I can say is I am shocked at the price, glad I was sat down. Your prices are really high over there on the other side of the pond for used machines. I would hate to buy a new one. That price converted into Canadian dollars is about $2600. A used Juki LS-1341 / table /servo motor in Ontario goes for about $1500 CAD or £850.00. The downfall of the 246 would be it's maximum thread of V92 versus V138 of the Juki LS -341/1341 but the upside it is setup for binding. Depends I guess on what you need/want to sew. kgg

I use minimum V92 thread in lightly stressed locations but mostly just use V138 even for binding/edging. The V69 has a breaking strength of approximately 11 pounds and V92 is approximately 15 pounds where as V138 is approximately 22 pounds. My understanding is that V69 is the upper end of most domestic sewing machines and the lower end of industrial sewing machines for fabric sewing where stress / load /abrasion aren't a real problem. If the item is going to be exposed to a lot of outdoor use (UV exposure) or subjected to bleach I use bonded polyester thread otherwise bonded nylon. kgg

What size of thread are you planning on using? If I am not mistaken the Pfaff 335 is only good for V69 (Tkt 40) thread. I would look at a class Juki LS-341 or LS-1341 good to V138 (Tkt 20) top and bobbin as parts/ accessories for the Alder are probably going to be much more expensive then a Juki or a Juki clone. kgg

Replacing the clutch motor is the important step in being able to consistently control the stitching speed of your machine. I would try just replacing the clutch motor first with a servo motor (min. 550 watt) and if you find you need more torque or even slower stitching speed then add a good quality speed reducer. The only caution I could add is if you add a needle positioner before adding a speed reducer you my find depending on how much reduction you added it may not work properly. Some people really like the needle positioner while others not so much. Guess it depends on what you are sewing. Personally I don't use one. I have never really needed such items as a needle positioner or laser stitch line guide and think of those items as just something else that could go out of alignment. kgg

That really sucks, the cost to you and having a disappointed customer on the other end. If they have no way of tracking why do they even bother giving you a tracking number let alone adding insult to injury charging for insurance that isn't worth anything. I will be using DHL or the old fashion post office in the future for my packages. kgg

Did your package ever arrive? I ordered and received a binding / bias cutting machine a little while ago from Brazil. The supplier refused to use UPS and said they had better service with DHL. The package was supposed to take 8 days to get to my door in Ontario, Canada. To say the least I was a bit sheptical that a 20 lb machine from South America would arrive so quickly. Guess what it arrived two days early in perfect condition. kgg

I am located about halfway between Ottawa and Kingston. When I buy a new machine I like to keep within a 4 hr radius which would get me to Toronto in the west and Montreal in the east. Much better prices in the GTA then Ottawa. I would recommend for a new machine Japan Sewing Machine and Supply at (905) 764-0100 ask for Chris. They don't sell used machines. I have bought two new flatbeds Juki's (1181N and 1541S) off him and a new cylinder bed clone of theirs called the Kobe LS-1341 which is a clone of the Juki 341. Obvious, I have found Chris really good to deal with, no BS and good prices. As far a used machines there are a lot of dealers who carry used machines in the GTA but I don't have any experience with any of them. Someone else maybe able to give you other recommendations. Best of luck, kgg

I have to correct my leather thickness calculations: 15 oz leather would be approximately 0.25 inches (6.4 mm) not 0.6 inches (15.24mm) thick. Therefore any machine in 1541 class would work. Sorry my error, kgg

I went by the Seiko website information which I would assume to be the most up to date information available on their machines. With wanting to sew 15 ounces of combined thickness of leather which is going to be approximately 0.25 inches (6.4mm) thick. To do that constantly without damaging your machine you need to look at much heavy machines in the 441 class which would be cylinder machines. Your Juki 1541/ 1508 as well as their clones will sew approximately 0.38 inches (9.5 mm) thick stuff while the cylinder bed machines like the Juki 341 / 1341 as well as their clones will sew approximately 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) thick, still below what you would like. Clone machines in the next class up (441 class) are expensive and the Juki machines are really expensive. Finding a used 441 class machine is probably going to be difficult, I think I have seen two maybe three in the last couple of years. The alternative would be to have two machines one for the lighter stuff, probably in the Juki 1541 class and eventually a cylinder bed for the heavier needs. There are two versions of the 1508 hook assembly the one for the 1508 NS and the 1508 NH. The "NH" is the version assembly you'd need to get the V207 capacity. Will it fit in a Consew??? You would need to ask a dealer / repair shop knowledgeable with doing that kind of upgrade. Which part of Ontario are you in? kgg

The first thing I would do is figure out what you are going to sew 90 percent of the time. That will determine what type of machine that would probably suite your need best, flatbed or cylinder bed. If it is going to be bags then go for a cylinder bed machine, if it is going to be mostly wallets get a flatbed. If it is going to be a 50/50 mix go with either two machines (a flatbed and a cylinder bed) or get a cylinder bed with a flatbed attachment to start. I would personally try to purchase a machine as current as possible to help reduce repairs (Juki 562's are getting a little long in the tooth). The thickness of the item being sewn will also play a major part in your decision. For flatbeds, the Juki 1541 likes heavy thick items and needs to be dumbed down for lighter thinner items where as a Juki 1181n likes lighter thinner items. A Juki 1508 is even more suited for heavier items then a Juki 1541. For cylinder bed machines, the class 335 's machines are suited more for lighter thinner items, the class 341's are more for heavier thicker items (Juki 341 or Juki 1341) and of course the class 441 are made for the really heavy thick stuff (Juki 441). As far as clones there are a wide variety to choose from in all the classes some are really good some not so much. Buy once, Cry once kgg

I would personally pass on both the used Juki and the new Seiko STH 8bld-3. The Juki was used in a commercial environment and is an old machine probably beat to death. Who knows how many times it was previously rebuild and by who. If it was used by a hobbyist and showed little signs of use (paint not worn off the bed, deep thread tracks in thread guides, etc) I may consider it if it was priced in the $600 to $800 CA price range. The Seiko STH 8bld-3 will max out on a #22 needle which is the bottom end of V138 (fabric use) and the one needle size up needed to sew V92 in thick /tough materials. I got that information from the Seiko website ( http://www.seiko-sewing.co.jp/en/products/sth-8bld-3/ ). If you want to use V207 top and V138 bobbin you need to look at machines in the Juki 1541 class. kgg

Why not just purchase the standard flatbed binding attachments that are readily available and inexpensive (around $15.00 or less). Also they will help in reducing the drag which I figure is also contributing your binding material being stretched. Any time something makes a 90 degree bend you increase the pull/stress required. On a sewing machine this puts additional stresses on the pressor foot/ needle feed / feed dog mechanisms. Also adding a horizontal binding spool arrangement with bearings, as Wiz suggested, will drastically reduce those stresses and provide a more even dispensing of the binding material off the spool. All my machines (flatbed or cylinder) use the horizontal bearing spool arrangement. The only difference is I use the standard el cheapo binding attachments made for the flatbeds on my cylinder machine. That way I don't have to have one style of attachments dedicated for the flatbeds and one style dedicated for the cylinder machines. Something to consider, kgg

Are you trying to attach this to a flatbed or cylinder bed machine? kgg

My do the job, with a few mods. kgg

My favourite tool would be my 3D printers. If I need something to make things more convenient or easier I design it and print it: Some of my design are: i) Always hated having to hold on the end of the bobbin thread to get started, particularly the front mounted Juki 1541S. I hated having to babysit the end of the thread or it would flop all over the place and then having to cut the extra thread flush with the bobbin. I so designed on for the front side mounted and the pulley driven winder. ii) Needed my scissors and or snips, loaded bobbins, needles, and screwdriver where I needed them, at the front of the machine. iii) Needed a better 3 spool rank for my top thread that prevents thread from uncoiling under the spools particularly when I occasionally use cheap no name thread. iv) Wanted to be able to use my inexpensive binders made for flatbeds on my cylinder bed so I wouldn't have to change the feed dog and housing every time I needed to bind the edge of something. v) Wanted a close to zero pull platter for all my machines for that would self centre spools of up to 13 inches in diameter and 2" wide binding as well as spools of cording. vi) Wanted a better way of doing small runs (up to 40') of binding and that I could use the existing bobbin thread winder to wind it on a large bobbin which is mounted on the front of the machine table for my flatbeds. vii) Needed a small flat attachment for the cylinder bed machine that slips over the nose of the cylinder and attaches with three bolts. kgg

Googledave, buying anything used can be risky at the best of times. Before you buy you need to know what is the max thread you want to use, what you want to sew (wallets or saddles) as well as the max thickness you want / need to sew. The class 341 machines, brand name or clone, maybe either undersized or oversized for 90 percent of your needs / wants. It also comes down to other factors like the price of the used Juki machine. If the used Juki machine is in good clean running condition, does what you need / want it to sew and priced at about 40 percent of the cost of the a new Juki, I would buy the Juki. That said, I recently purchased a new cylinder arm machine to replace an old Consew. I actually went with the intention of buying a new Juki LS-1341 but the price was a little hard to justify. I ended up buying a new clone, Kobe LS-1341(really a 341clone). Much better machine then the Consew for my needs and the cost was less then half that of the new Juki LS-1341. So I said I'll give it try and see how I liked it for six months. If I don't like it, I'll sell the thing and get the Juki. The jury is still out but so far it is holding up pretty good, no issues whatsoever. With used sewing machines regardless of manufacturer you really need to look at some things like. i) Inspect the machine yourself to see if there is obvious sign of heavy use like thread tracks in the thread guides, tension guides, and areas rubbed smooth. ii) How the machine runs at slow and full rated speed. Does it sound like a bucket of bolts banging around? iii) Was it used by a hobbyist or in a commercial environment and beat to death? iv) Was it bought at auction and being sold as a flipper or for sale off a site like e bay? v) If it was rebuilt, who did the rebuild and do you trust their work? What was done to the machine? vi) Does it sew a nice stitch at it's max rated thread. I am sure there are other things to check but those are just starting points. kgg

Something to check with Artisan. The information in the "Instruction Manual and Parts Catalogue" says the machine can handle needles from size 18 to 23. That means it can handle threads from V69 to V138. You may be able to get V207 on the top but would be more then likely limited to V138 in the bobbin. Sometimes you may have to go up a needle size for a given thread size depending on what you are sewing. From the information I see if you are sewing though tough thick leather you may be limited not to V138 but V92 as a #24 needle may not fit and to get the necessary thread space you would have to go down to V92. Example: Juki 1541 rated for V138 top and bobbin but it is rated to take a #24 needle which could take V207 in light materials but still limit the bobbin to V138. For tough thick leather the #24 needle would give V138 thread the extra thread space needed. kgg

The first question I would ask is what size of thread you are planning on using and how thick the thickness part of the bag you are planning on sewing. The Pfaff 335 I think will max out with V69 thread with a 134 needle while the Seiko tops out at V138 thread with a 135 needle. Replacement parts should also be a consideration. Here the Pfaff parts / accessories are expensive. If I'm not mistaken Sieko makes or use to make Consew machines so parts / accessories should be less, something to check. I use the same binder attachments made for my flatbeds (Juki 1541S, Juki 1181N, Pfaff 1245 ) on my cylinder arm (Kobe LS-1341 which is a Juki 341 clone). The binding results are the same and none of my machines are synchronized. The main difference is the cost of the binder attachments. Flatbed attachments are inexpensive ($20 CA or less) each versus $180 CA each for the cylinder machine. I like being able to buy one attachment and use it on all my machines regardless whether it is a flatbed or a cylinder. A lot of cylinder require you make changes to the needle plate, feed dog or cylinder cover plate to use a binder attachment. kgg

Try this link: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/consew-206rb.html kgg

In your photo showing the bobbin. A couple of things I would check: When the needle picks up the thread through the bobbin cover. Can you pull the bobbin thread from the bobbin easily? Looking at the photo it appears the top thread has been stressed to the breaking point. I suspect the bobbin isn't threaded correctly. Thin thread (V69) should be threaded so it exits through the hole closest to the hook. Make sure the bobbin thread path through the hook assembly is correct. Goes through the bottom hole closest to the hook, under the tension spring and out the top hole closest to the hook. The thread has to enter one hole and exit the corresponding top hole. kgg

My rule of thumb for a clean used clone machine is between 40 - 50 percent of the list price of the same new clone machine. Doing a quick check it appears the cost from a dealer for a new Consew 206RB5 would run about $1450 + applicable taxes + shipping with table and servo motor. I would consider paying up to $700 if it was privately owned and not used in a commercial setting. Before you buy have you asked yourself: what you are want / need to sew, would a flatbed machine be the best option or would a cylinder bed be better suited to your needs, max thickness you want /need to punch through, size of thread you want / need for the top and bobbin thread (some machines can take V207 top but are limited to V138 in the bobbin) kgg