kgg

I just rechecked the ad and the now listed telephone number is for Labar Sales and Distribution. " Labar Sales has been Barrie's Premier Residential & Commercial Supply store for Para Paint, Stains, Window Coverings, and so much more for over 25 years! ". On first blush their description of their business really doesn't instill confidence for sewing machine sales /service. kgg

I figured I put it out there just in case someone was looking but did find it curious, no listing on Cowboy website, no phone number or business name mentioned and whether they were a sewing machine retailer /repair business. kgg

garypl and Pintodeluxe have both offered some good advice. The short answer is Yes put a servo motor on the machine it will give you better speed control. Clutch motors have a much steeper learning curve, are always running, more noisy, use more electricity and can be very intimidating to the first time user. What model Juki did you get and what are you planning on making? kgg

Looking good KennethM. Stitching has really improved, looks like you finally tamed the Techsew machine. kgg

The accuracy of either Imperial or Metric are equal. It only becomes a problem when trying to go from one system to another as it is near impossible. I like the Imperial system and to this day hate, hate, hate the Metric system. When Canada "seen the light" and went Metric all the construction designs were done in Imperial and then just converted to Metric. It was bad enough having to contend with US Gallon (3.8 litres) being less by about 20 percent then the Imperial Gallon (4.54litres). To this day I have to convert in my head what things are in Imperial to get a sense of size/speed/distance/weight particularly at the supermarket where say meat is priced by the pound and sold in Kilo's. Confusing, maybe just me. kgg

not really but close enough: 35/64 ths =.546875 inches while 14mm=.551181 inches

For those who are not metric 14mm is .2875 mm smaller then 9/16 inch. kgg

Looks really nice. kgg

The thread bird nesting on the underside of the leather is more than likely caused by incorrect needle tension. I would: 1. Looking at the photos I think the needle is really large for the thread by looking at the holes in the leather and how the thread really doesn't fill them. On the bottom of the thread spool there should be info as to what type and size the thread is and buy/install the correct size of needle for the thread. If the needle is to big for the thread it can and well affect the thread / stitch tension. 2. Recheck the thread path through the tension discs making sure the thread is well seated in between the discs. I would remove the top thread from the needle all the way back to the tension discs. Then lift and lock the presser foot in the up position to remove the tension on the tension discs and then hold the thread both side of the tension disc to ensure it is firmly seated between them. With the presser foot locked in the upper position the disc will be noticeably loose, not tight together this will allow the thread to be seat properly. If discs don't become loose they maybe tighten in to tight or maybe an internal release problem. While holding the thread tight on both sides of the tension discs unlock the presser foot which will cause the disc to close together on the thread. Re-thread through the needle, clean up any excess thread around bobbin and hand-wheel through to catch the thread. 3. Try hand-wheeling through a small seam while like Spark9 suggested holding the top and bottom threads for a couple of stitches. kgg

I use HDPE a fair bit and would feel reluctant in recommending it for this purpose. HDPE has a tendency to crack when exposed to temperature variations and pressure as well as buckling and twisting which then requires reheating to straighten. Your friends car reminds me of how the old Russian Lada's (basically Fiat 124) rusted which I swear were made out of recycled coke tins. The only way to prevent rust was to give them a good old fashion slop oil bath, then run them over a dusty dirt road and let drip dry for a day or so. kgg

Maybe check out Homedepot type store for some aluminum or metal flat stock and cut it to the length needed. That would be similar to what Klein uses in the tops of their canvas tool bags. kgg

I wouldn't whole your breathe on any sales in the near future of any Chinese made products with the 25% tariff which will probably affect the products new base price. I guess the amount of any dollar increase to the imported cost will be reflected in what price the distributor / dealer needs to increase the price by. I think the tariff is based on what the manufacturer sells the product for to a distributor / dealer. If an items sells for $1000 now and the price goes up by $125 at the 25 % tariff rate then you know the actual cost of the item at the point of entry is $500. If the price goes up $250 you know you are being ripped. For some products the cost increase will be small while others will be more significant, it will all depend on what the Chinese manufacturers selling price is. kgg

I should have put the link in the original post. https://www.kijiji.ca/v-hobbies-craft/barrie/cowboy-industrial-leather-sewing-machines/1439138083?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true

Nice elegant classical looking shoes. Good work. kgg

Wish we had someone with a set so maybe some manufacturer would eventually get the idea to open up in North America. I would rather pay extra for something that puts money in the pockets of North American workers. I wonder how the Chinese clones that come into Canada, relabelled and shipped to the US will be affected??? kgg

As shoepatcher said check out the dealer (W.S Bessett) and there maybe other dealers near you. I would be wary of ebay and agree buying from Alibaba could be risky as well. The difference between the clones and a Juki are significant cost wise for a new machine but for a used one it maybe closer to that of a new clone. I would still take a used Juki from a dealer over a new clone.

Mic the size of the shaft and the size of the hole in the pulley. Could be that the shaft is metric and the pulley is english. Like your 50mm pulley is .8mm smaller then 2 " but most would consider the 50mm to be a 2 " pulley. Maybe try dremel tooling the hole in the pulley a little larger. kgg

Happen to be looking on kijiji.ca for sewing machines in Ontario and came across an add called "Cowboy Industrial Leather Sewing Machines" with this as a description " Looking for a new Industrial leather sewing machine then you need to look at a Cowboy. We are the new dealer in Ontario." located in Barrie, ON L4N 2N1. No other contact info except they have 52 vehicle adds. Just found it to be interesting. kgg

I went through the same thing that you are going through now when I was looking for a new flatbed machine. I knew what I wanted that would do most of my stuff. What to buy, clone or ? Test drove a couple of the clones, then tried the Juki and with no hesitation bought the new Juki 1541S for less money then what one of the clone dealers wanted. I would check with the brick / mortar dealers, compare the warranties, shipping costs and price for a new clone. Then do the same comparison for a Juki for both new and used. The new Juki in that class of machine I would expect the price difference to be significant however I would take a good used reconditioned Juki from a dealer over a new clone any day. When you finally narrow it down to a couple of machines take a trip to those dealers with a sample of your stuff in hand. I drove 4 hours each way to get my machine. Yes it will add to the cost but it is better and cheaper in the long run to get the right machine the first time around hopefully it is going to be a long term investment. Buy Once, Cry Once. kgg

Parott1, since your customer is being very specific about the thread being used you don't want to be responsible for future repairs or replacement of items related to thread issues. I would call the customer and ask why they are specifically asking for Coats Dabond. I like the Coats Dabond Bonded Polyester for it's resistance to consistent abuse, washing, bleaching and drying. They must have a reason related to the thread specs/performance then check with American & Efird (800-861-3256) and ask what their recommendation and equivalent thread spec / performance is. When purchasing quality thread stick with a real manufacturer, piece of mind. I would avoid purchasing just some dealers relabelled thread made by some manufacturer from somewhere in the world for a slight price difference. Maybe great thread or poor quality stuff no way of knowing. With a real manufacturer you can get the technical spec for a particular thread so you know what it was designed for. Otherwise the only thing you know for sure is the colour and size. American & Efird is a major manufacturer like Coats with similar pricing, readily available and technical specs are available. kgg

Sometimes good old fashion gasoline will remove such things from your hands/fingers. Wash well afterwards with soap and water. Remember, No Smoking. kgg

I think the problem with the above statement is that turbotexas is not familiar with older domestic Singers which have the needles installed with the long grove on the right hand side versus commercial machines having the needle installed with the long groove installed on the left. The thread always follows the long groove so the threading of the needle on the older domestic Singers is done from right to left which the video shows correctly. I find this topic interesting on how a different / modified foot can affect the thread tension. This may not be a problem on commercial sewing machines but we all should be aware of this when we change out the presser foot on any machine particularly if a problem crops up after the change out. I think your methodology is spot on: problem, base line data, modification, test, document result, result comparison and let the chips fall wherever. The data won't lie. kgg

I think first off you need to up the budget up a fair bit to at least to the $1000 mark. For holster type work a cylinder bed would probably be your best purchase. As you are a first time buyer I would recommend that you buy preferably new or good used from a real brick and mortar store for service /support/ warranty unless you able to do repairs yourself. Yes, there are sometimes good second hand deals out here but you need to know what you are looking at with regards to overall condition, availability of accessories and replacement parts. Keep in mind that all machines at some point are going to need to be repaired. Buy Once, Cry Once. kgg

A little more info would help with your problem. What size thread are you using, what size of needle are you using, what are you trying to sew and pictures of the top thread path. Some simple checks: Do you have the needle installed correctly (long groove on the needle should face the left hand side not towards the machine pulley) and thread going from the left through the needle? Are you sure that you have the thread coming off the bobbin correctly (counter clockwise), tensioned properly for the bobbin thread size and installed correctly? What things are not adding up? The machine should have a thread range up to v138 thread, 135x17 for fabric or 135x16 for leather. Once you get the problems straighten out the Singer 211G155 is a nice machine and differs from the 211G156 in that it doesn't have reverse. This machine I think will do good on upholstery weight leather but will be seriously lacking for doing knife holsters. Could be that the actual clutch needs adjustment, is seized open or worn out. kgg

If you assume the servo can turn at the 100 rpm setting under load then the 5" pulley will turn at 40 rpm, 6" pulley would turn at 33 rpm, 4" pulley would turn at 50 rpm. A more realistic servo motor setting would be at least 200 rpm which would change the numbers to: 4" pulley would turn at 100 rpm 5" pulley will turn at 80 rpm 6" pulley will turn at 66 rpm Extending the clutch engagement lever will give you better speed control, be a bit more forgiving and make feathering easier but nothing for speed reduction. For speed reduction you would need to install a speed reducer pulley between the clutch motor pulley and the sewing machine pulley. kgg