kgg

Right up front I know nothing about your particular machine. According to the spec of your machine you have a single needle domestic embroidery machine which maybe able to do some normal tailoring sewing tasks but it is geared more for doing embroidery tasks using generally thinner fabrics. Most domestic sewing machines not domestic embroidery machine can do about 1mm or so of soft leather, chrome tan. The older domestic sewing machines like the Singers could probably handle much thicker soft leather occasionally as they were case iron bodied machines with real metal gears and shafts. For leather you need a metal bodied machine with metal gears and the thicker the leather the heavier the machine you need. I wouldn't attempt to use your machine for leather or thick tough fabric like 21 oz canvas. Since there is no one machine that will do everything the key in finding a new or used sewing machine for leather is knowing what you would like to sew whether that is wallets or saddles. kgg

You never said the size of thread you want to use. I did a quick check of the Global WF 975 manual and the max needle is a #22 (140 metric) which is the bottom end for V138 ( Tkt 20 ) in softer thinner material. I couldn't find a manual for the WF 69 so I would check with the seller and see what is the max needle size these machines can handle.

As MtlBiker said call Chris at Japan Sewing. Good prices and save on shipping cost or you can pick it up. I have purchased all my new machines from him, good service. kgg

What Country / City are you located in as someone maybe able to direct you to vendor close to your location. kgg

I personally use the brush type motors similar to the one Wiz mention on my machines with no problems. I would say definitely put a new servo motor on your machine and give it a try. You could always add a speed reducer at a later date if you find that it still doesn't give you the control you need. kgg

A couple of things that maybe a play. Run speed. I run the Prusa's at 100 mm per second. Type of PLA. I use a Hybrid engineering grade PLA which requires it have a head temperature of 245 C which causes the filament to fuse yielding less individual lines in the print. Glue stick. With the type of PLA I use and at the speed I run if I don't use the glue stick I have found that I get a 5% failure rate. So to get the consistency I want I just add the glue as cheap insurance. I can see having the printer enclosed may keep the area at a more constant temp which could also affect printing. I'm going to have to think about that. kgg

This may help others that are using 3D filament dryers and is just my experience which may vary. Those that want or need filament to have a constant water content on all prints regardless of humidly are probably considering a filament dryer. I have three such dryers but I will discuss the two that are directly connected to 3D printers. One is a PrintDry "Dryer Pro", the other is a EIBOS3D CYCLOPES and both are made in China. The EIBOS3D CYCLOPES is probably sort of worth the money and the wait which is about two months as it must take a slow boat journey from China to your door. The EIBOS3D CYCLOPES out preforms the PrintDry "Dryer Pro" on the following points: i) Less expensive. ii) Gets down to sub ten percent ambient moisture in under 30min vs 70min. iii) Has a smaller footprint. iv) Can handle dual roles at once like the PrintDry but can handle one big role without the need of adapter's. v) The housing is clear so you can see how much filament is left on the roll. vi) The housing has holes in the top of the container so that it can live on your desk next to or behind your printer. vii) The PrintDry also needs to be unplugged as it never really goes 'off' and with the touch sensor on the front it is always active and easily pressed. Of all the issues with the PrintDry "Dryer Pro" the worst is the very poor filament roll off caused by poor bearings. Had a 30 hr prototype print for my burnisher jam up at hour 25 because of increased resistance from the 'roller bearings'. Needless to say I had some colorful words. kgg

This may help others that are using Prusa 3D printers and is just my experience which may vary depending on user printing needs. Prusa makes 3 different bed plate styles, original 'Smooth', 2nd gen 'Rough', 3rd gen 'Satin'. What I found was "Smooth" works well with PLA and PETG, the "Rough" works best with PLA while "Satin" works best with nothing. None give 100 percent consistency all the time of sticking PLA even after using degreaser then 99 rubbing alcohol and running at 50 to 75 bed temps. All 3 still need a thin layer of glue for optimal first layer squish with PLA. The "Rough" gives a slightly rough texture but is the most forgiving. You can squish the first layer so much that it melds into a solid base. The "Smooth" is the least forgiving but gives a glass smooth surface and if you look close you can actually see the outline of the lines of the plate in the first layer. The "Satin" is a compromise between the "Smooth" and the "Rough" plates. Not glass smooth but hard to see your lines (right at edge of almost being solid). If I was to buy again I would stick with "Rough" with maybe a "Smooth" plate as backup for oddball prints. I will avoid the "Satin" when purchasing in the future just not worth it. kgg

This video if it is similar to the Atlas AT2628 will help with you do the conversion with a couple of nice closeups. www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MZjEKvDuQY I think a lot of us have made a mistake or two over the years. kgg

You have not mentioned what you are sewing. The machine does look in good overall shape and maybe missing some parts. I would ask from what dealer they bought the machine from as getting those parts may prove to be difficult. The main question I would ask is it suitable to properly sew your items in the thread size and thickness that you need/want. kgg

Unless he is up front with why he needs a dozen wallets without logo's tell him that with the logo it's "X" dollars per wallet and "3X or +" dollars per wallet without the logo as well as suggesting he approach say Gucci. kgg

You can't be the only one in N. I. needing leather and related supplies. Have you tried contacting cobblers / upholstery shops / leather guilds etc. to see who they are getting their supplies from? Is it that they will not ship to Ireland whether it is Ireland or Northern Ireland? The reason I ask that is a lot of us in Ontario that live close to the US border before the pandemic had UPS boxes on the US side to save on shipping, get around the " we don't ship to Canada " or " you have to contact our Canadian distributor" usually at twice or more the price plus the cost of shipping. kgg

That is great as this is a real game changer for the 441 class machines. Great job. kgg

When I have restored a machine that has really seized parts, I have used diesel fuel with parts cleaning brushes with metal or plastic bristles but it has do be done with caution and outdoors. For most I either flush or soak using my own formula of full synthetic motor and transmission oils. There is a lot less odor and quickly breaks through buildup as well as lubricating. I still use parts cleaning brushes with metal or plastic bristles but have been known to use old tooth brushes and a lot of rags / paper towels to soak up any mess. kgg

Basically for me the question really is whether this motor is an AC servo motor or a DC servo motor as that really will determine the effect of putting half the input voltage on the motors controller board. kgg

Looks great. kgg

You could try Wawak. In Canada, www.wawak.ca or USA, www.wawak.com kgg

This comment you receive from Artisan is confusing to me. Trying to sew a patch on a pants leg particularly around the knee area using a cylinder bed is going to be a real chore. I think, a better choice of machine for sewing patches whether on pants or hats, which they didn't directly address, would be a patcher like a Singer 29K or a similar clone. I think your primary of requirements of hat patches and patching pants is more suited to a patcher machine where you can change the direction of the stitch simply by turning the direction of the the pressor foot. So doing a stitch around a patch is much simpler to do. You didn't mention which Sailrite machine you have. Investing in a cylinder machine may not be the overall best / correct machine for your stuff. I still would recommend visiting a dealer with samples of what you want to sew and try a patcher, a cylinder bed and a flatbed machine to see what works best for the majority of your stuff. As the investment is substantial, you and your pocket book would really hate it if you got the wrong machine for your needs. I took the information from a previous reply from Cowboy Bob in the topic called "Opinions on Cowboy CB6900" I probably misinterpreted his comment " Uwe,to confuse you more,we call it 1341 here in the US ....".

I think Cowboy renamed it in the US as the CB 341 ( https://www.tolindsewmach.com/cb341.html ) clone of the Juki LS-341 for $2395 US. The clone model numbering system can get confusing at times. kgg I think Cowboy renamed it in the US as the CB 341 ( https://www.tolindsewmach.com/cb341.html ) clone of the Juki LS-341 for $2395 US. The clone model numbering system can get confusing at times. kgg

The manual the OP listed indicates in it's bill of materials their are two different circuit boards, one for 120v input voltage and one for 240v input voltage. I suspect the 240v board using 120v will provide 25 percent max power and will never get to rated motor speed. It's a matter of Ohm's Law, Power in watts = Voltage X Current or Power in watts = Voltage squared divided by resistance in ohms. Example: 550 watt motor at 220v will require 2.5 amps if you half the voltage then you either got to either draw more current actually double it or loss power. Since the resistance will remain the same in the motor and circuit (220 v x 220v) / 550 watts the circuit has 88 ohms of resistance which should remain the same. Then if you half the voltage to 110 volts and the resistance remains the same (88 ohms) then the available power in watts would be (110 volts x 110 volts) divided by 88 ohms giving 137.5 watts. So in a nut shell you take a 550 watt motor and turn it into a 137.5 watt motor which is a 75 percent drop in available power. The main problem isn't whether it will run, at what speed or available torque it could provide but potentially a safety and or insurance issue. In North America electrical equipment has to be safety certified (voltage, current, etc) by either ULC or CSA. If an appliance has a fault that causes a problem like God forbid a fire or electrocution or something else and your insurance determine or claim it was the fault of incorrectly running the motor at a lower voltage or you installing the plug outside what it was rated for or recommended by the manufacturer and certified for, guess what could happen. Probably, No insurance and you could be on the hook for the situation. Believe me, I am all for saving a buck but for me the potential risks out weights any cost saving benefit when it comes to electrical items being used outside their certification limits. Maybe just me. kgg

That my friend is definitely a game changer. Excellent work. kgg

It wouldn't be my first choice as the 441 class shine above the 3/8" to 3/4" or so and their sweet spot would probably be the 1/2" + mark with V346 or larger thread. I have my machines pretty well dialed in for a certain sewing range / function. It will come down to whether the item can be done better / faster / easier on a flatbed or cylinder bed. For thin flat items I would probably try a sample first using my Juki DU-1181n, if it struggles I would move to the a Juki DNU 1541S then the Juki LS-1341 clone with or without a flatbed attachment. Thin stuff I the Juki DU -1181n excels and depending on the material can handle V138 but it is only rated for V92 and is just a walking foot. My Juki DU-1181N is my first choice for sewing 21 oz (#6) cotton canvas which measures approximately 1mm thick and has sewn 6 layers many times. The Juki DNU-1541S hates thin stuff (~4mm or so) and will tear up fabric unless dumbed down. If the item was a patch my choice would be the old Singer 29k-71 which can take a #24 needle but has a tiny bobbin. All those machines use 135 x 17 or 16 needles which is convenient. I hope that helps, kgg

The Juki LS-1341 takes a #24 technically good for V207 but the machine is rated V138 top thread and bobbin thread running at 2000 spm. I figure this is to allow you to sew V138 even in tough leather. The 246VA max needle size is #23 needle which will take V138 but in tough or thick stuff may not create a large enough hole to properly form a stitch or cause skipped stitches. The website when you click on the specs it shows 246VA but the nameplate on the machine in the photo is a 335, maybe the 246VA is being replaced by the 335. I couldn't find a max speed probably 1800 spm like the 2618-1B but would need to be checked with them. I think this machine is more geared towards edge binding like the PFAFF 335 rather then a Juki LS-1341. The 2618-1B can take a #24 needle but max speed is 1800 spm. I think a much closer machine to the Juki LS-1341. To sew constantly above the 3/8" mark you need to move into the 441 class of machines. The Juki TSC-441 is just way to expensive for most people so the clone 441 class machines are a much more reasonably priced option however they do not lend to sewing thin stuff very well unless they are dumbed down and typically use system 794 needles. Remember No one machine is going to cover all your needs/wants. kgg

Garyak posted in a topic "Cobra 29-18" that he just received his new Cobra. He maybe able to answer your questions. kgg

Since you are planning on spending between $1000 to $3500 why not visit a couple of industrial sewing machine dealers and test drive a couple of machines with a sample of your stuff. My suggestion would be for either a new or used Juki LS-1341 or used Juki LS-341. Another option that maybe worth while investigating are the used Singer 29K's and newer 29K clones. They would work for sewing hat patches on, patching pants and may do for modifying/prototyping bags. kgg