kgg

I just figured the same thing. Also to show what to expect to pay for a second hand Juki LU-341 in Ontario, Canada. A new LU-1341 I think replaced the LU-341 is in the $5000 US ($6500) range A new LU- 1560n which is a double needle machine is in the $4000 US ($5000 CA) kgg

For someone in the market for a cylinder machine as there have been some recent discussion on this type of machine. There are two Juki LS- 341N listed in the western Ontario area for $1200 Canadian or approximately $900 US https://www.kijiji.ca/v-other-business-industrial/hamilton/juki-industrial-sewing-machines-for-sale/1452090961?enableSearchNavigationFlag=true kgg

I would think the bag that you linked to probably is constructed with more then one type of machine, flatbed for certain sections and patcher / cylinder bed for other sections. The Juki LU-2212n-7 you mentioned is a production type machine that is for sure. I am not a lover of any sewing machine that is computer controlled for the hobbyist like most of us. They are in my opinion meant for factory type production with regular maintenance and repairs being done by qualified people. The more the bells and whistles the more costly up front as well as repairs. The main problem as how I see it is going to be a question of the availability of replacement computer controllers, etc down the road let alone their cost. kgg

Since you are using sunbrella and canvas have to tried to make your own straps out of those materials? You have all the necessary strap connections and probably scrap / leftover material. kgg

It is nice to know and offer suggestions to your employer about correcting the machine but it is the employers decision to have the necessary repairs done or let the machine fall apart. There is business model where you run machinery til it fails and then replace it. He may have made the decision to replace the machine(s) and figures why put any money into them until failure. So if your employer doesn't mine having equipment not preforming properly and it's related costs in additional labour or reduced quality of product being produced then I wouldn't worry about it. His business model / decision not yours. Definitely wouldn't put my money into any machine owned by an employer unless I was going to get reimbursed for the out of pocket expense. kgg

Kids generally tend too be tough on stuff. When I have seen fraying that results in shedding like that either the nylon is being constantly rubbed / nicked against something, the nylon is less then good quality or to many stitches per inch in the stitch used to attach the material. I would suggest reducing your number of stitches per inch and or using a different type nylon that would be stiffer but more abrasive resistant. If the stitches are to close together the stitch will basically cut the fibres of the material. kgg

The issue was discussed in a topic called " Juki lu 563 knee lifter spring setup / tension " back in January by Eastelite. This also has a video in one of the posts that my be helpful in comparing your setup. kgg

Why not go to one of your local industrial sewing machine dealers. The shipping cost and delivery time frame are must be going to be expensive and long. The support maybe a bit difficult as well. kgg

I think the Janome HD 3000 is really a nice garment weight machine and not going to be well suited. To help narrow down a machine it would be helpful in knowing what your price range is, what you planning on making and thread size. The more info the better the better the suggestions on a machine may be best for your needs. kgg

I would not be pleased with that stitch and no it is not normal for any Juki. I have seen that stitch happen when the thread was seated properly between the main tension discs. A suggestion would be to check that the main tension discs are working properly and the thread is seated deep within. As a note I always thread through the discs with the tension on the discs released. To release the tension on the discs by raising the presser feet by using either the level on the back of the machine or the knee lift. For ease while checking the tension discs and re-threading lock the presser feet by using the rear on the rear. First remove the thread from the needle or you are going to have a real thread mess. First you should be able to separate the discs away from each other. If you can great, the thread may have not been seated properly. Then hand wheel the machine through a cycle or two, you should see that the discs tighten against each other and then relax the tension. If not you may have over tighten the main tension on the knob or there is a problem with the main tensioner / operating assembly. My understanding of the Mercury sewing machines is that they were clones back in the 60's, 70's before the Chinese made an art out of cloning. kgg

Sorry, but until you drop down in your absolute must thread size and dedicate some space for a industrial sewing machine and table there are not going to be very many options in your price range of $500. The portable walking foot sewing machines some can handle V138 with most topping out at V92 and the patcher machines like the Singer 29k top out at V92. kgg

Nice and compact. Do you know what the reduction is? kgg

Silverd I looked at your photo showing your thread path and have a couple of observations that differ from my setup: The thread from your spool to the double hole pin: You are entering in the bottom hole first the existing through the top hole before going to the first multi hole bracket. You should enter your thread through the top hole first then exist from the bottom before going to the first multi hole bracket. What I found worked best for me with both V46 and V138 is to just use the top hole and not snake around into/ out of the bottom hole in the pin. It just added to much tension on the top thread for those thread sizes. Thread size V69 and V92 I can snake the top thread through those holes with no noticeable thread tension problems. The multi hole thread bracket (4 holes) I usually use three holes for V69 and V92. Top thread down through the first hole closest to the thread spool then down through the third hole and up through the fourth hole before going to the 2 hole bracket on the tensioner. Using V46 and V138 I used just the first and fourth hole in that tension bracket. As a note the more holes your top thread snakes through the more tension will be placed on the top thread through added tension may cause problems that your main thread tensioner may not be able to compensate for. Another note is that I did see a youtube video on winding the bobbin thread a while back for the Juki 1541S that was totally wrong. If you are following that video for bobbin winding you will probably going to have poor bobbin thread tension and thread fraying of your bobbin thread. The correct way to thread the bobbin is to poke your thread through one or two holes of the double hole pin then thread it through the hole in bobbin tensioner bracket that is just above the tension discs. the bobbin tensioner is located on the top right of your machine. Then make a loop around the bobbin tensioner discs making sure the thread is seated between the two discs and back out the same hole that your thread entered. Then thread the bobbin and place on the winding mechanism. That funny shaped piece of metal that is mounted on the side of the machine is not a guide. It is a thread cutter that you can use to cut the thread once the bobbin is full which is usually set so the bobbin is loaded to about 80% maximum capacity. The tension of the thread for the bobbin can be adjusted by tightening the two discs together or apart by turning the white knob clockwise or vise visa on the bobbin tensioner. The above is just a starting point and may vary for your machine depending on the thread size (V46 to V138), type (bonded polyester vs bonded nylon), thread colour (white vs black), thread manufacturer (Chinese vs North American), thread spool size (8oz vs 1lb) and material being sewn. Your thread spool support frame, it wasn't really clear in the photo but it appears that the thread guide bracket that the thread exits before going to the double hole pin on the machine seems a little low. I think the typical way is to have your spool platform mounted fairly close to the table top and the thread bracket mounted at least twice the height of the thread spool above the spool platform. If your thread spool is 8" tall the thread bracket would be mounted about 24 " above the spool platform so the thread can unwind better from the top of the thread spool. There has been also been a fair bit of discussion on 8 oz thread spool problems and spool platforms that help. I think I saw a needle positioner on your machine. I don't have that feature so someone else can discuss the pros / cons / setup. kgg

Glad you got your money back too put towards another machine. What a cautionary tale for everyone. I bet dollars to donuts it well be on his website soon enough for the next unsuspecting buyer. kgg

Looking at your photo's I noticed the the thread bracket tensioner just before the main tensioner (the one with the white knob): Your photo shows the metal top of that bracket level with the top of main tensioner black body. I would loosen the screw in the left corner and move that bracket so it is at the 2 o'clock position. I think you have thread the thread through the square hole of the thread guide that is just before the needle. I found it better to not thread through that square hole. I would check two things with your bobbin: With the bobbin case out of your machine and laid in the palm of your left hand with the bobbin facing you. As you pull the end of the thread that is on the outside of the bobbin under the bobbin tension spring the bobbin in the bobbin case holder should rotate counter clockwise. A starting point for bobbin tension is to hold the end of the thread and see if you can lift the bobbin off the palm of your hand so the hold works can hang there with some slight spinning of the bobbin. If the bobbin spins freely and you can't lift it off your palm then add tension by screwing the tension screw for the spring in but only in 1/8 increments. No movement decrease bobbin spring tension. Every time you change thread spools (new or different colour), thread size, manufacturer or type (nylon vs polyester) check your bobbin tension. Bobbin tension will need to be changed when you make large changes in what you are sewing as well as the presser foot tension. If you could post a couple pictures of the thread from your spool to the first thread tensioner maybe helpful to spot any other potential problems. Do you mean 135 x 17 which is for fabric or do mean you need 135 x 16 for leather or the you have a 135 x 17 in size 17 needle? kgg

Your Maine Thread Company measures it's thread diameter in inches. So a .035 inch diameter waxed poly thread would be larger then the V554 thread listed in the Toledo chart with a breaking strength of 83 lbs. Need some serious iron to sew V554 thread. From the info I have, your .035" thread is approximately .889 mm and for poly it would have about 28 kg (approximately 61 lbs.) breaking strength. So working backwards you would need to use V415 having a breaking strength of 72 lbs. Once again some serious heavy iron. So for a start it really comes down to what breaking strength your thread and seam strength needs to be so your stuff functions properly. What strength do you really need for your seams which will then determine the thread size and from that you can determine what type of sewing machine is capable of handling that size of thread and do the job. Once you figure that out then you can select the best class of machine in your dollar range. There are other factors that need to be taken into account besides just thread strength such as UV resistance, chemical resistance, abrasion resistance and seam elasticity to name a few. kgg

I think maybe you could / should start a new topic related to your machine. Add detailed photos of your thread path from the spool to the needle, what the stitching looks like and list what needle (type and size) you are using. That way those of us with a Juki 1541S maybe able to guide you through setting the machine up so it sews properly. Who knows what was done before you got your hands on it. To answer your question the Juki 1541S will sew a very nice consistent stitch forwards as well as backwards in the same holes. My experience with bird nesting is that it has more to do with bobbin thread tension issues then top thread tension as long as all the tensioner parts are there. A lot of times it is as simple as the bobbin was been place in the bobbin holder incorrectly so the bobbin thread is unwinding in the wrong direction. Done that more then once when I was in a rush or not paying attention. The needle size should be a 135x 16 for leather or 135x17 for fabric and according to the Toledo Sewing Chart ( https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html ) you should be using a size 22 / 140 needle for V138 thread. kgg

Good for you, we all need time to do other things whether it's just chillin or working hard at a hobby. After I retired from the engineering gig I open up something that has always been my passion. I have set hours and don't dare darken my driveway before or after those hours or expect to be invited to leave. Have had people show up on Christmas day during the main meal. What a lot of people don't realize or care about particularly this age of order today here tomorrow is small business owners are not Walmart or Amazon and have / need a life too. kgg

I agree. Laws are different and can be applied differently from one country to another. Like in Canada you can record your own conversations with others without them knowing as long as you give yourself consent to recording it but it is illegal to record conversations between other people where you are not part of the conversation. Fine lines and how a court would apply could be quite different. Hope this gets resolved fairly and quickly. kgg

As machinehead noted and directed the search towards. What I found was it is probably a The Ross, Moyer Manufacturing Co. machine from the 1870's that came in three sizes A,B,C for light Vamping (Shoe work) to Harnesses, Collars, Trunk Handles https://books.google.ca/books?id=Y_c-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA183&lpg=PA183&dq=new+england+wax+thread+machine?&source=bl&ots=R6UtQCmDj1&sig=ACfU3U3lfXc7S29kw7341zNuDd9wooouvQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwig37iWvODjAhWum-AKHZ1BAMsQ6AEwDnoECGMQAQ#v=onepage&q=new england wax thread machine%3F&f=false Chances are that the one you have is for the heavier work from the 1870's. Notice the predecessor to the patcher machines on the bottom of the page called " Alligator or Arm machine". That's the era they made heavy iron. kgg

The OP wanted and bought what she thought was a genuine PFAFF. Otherwise she would probably have bought a Clone for probably less money. I hope this comes a good resolution. Makes us all aware of what to look for in general when purchasing a machine, new or used. The Clone casing is a pretty good exterior representation of the original machine which is probably made for several different Clone suppliers under different badges. kgg

I guess that would leave just the one arm bandits like the Tippmann Boss and Cowboy Outlaw. Still will need a good size bench or table to bolt them too. In working condition for that price is going to be a task in it's self. What are you trying to sew that will require the strength of V207? For what you have listed V138 should be good enough. If you can drop down to V138 need to keep your machine footprint small maybe look at the portable walking foot machines like the Reliable Barracude 200ZW ($500 US at Home depot). The spec can be found at https://reliablecorporation.ca/products/barracuda-200zw-portable-walking-foot-zig-zag-sewing-machine .This one can handle V138 not sure about the Techsew 611 or the Sailrite LS. kgg

That is what I would do and bring some of what you want to sew along. They may have other machines (new /used) that may serve your present / future needs better once you test sew on them. Buy Once, Cry Once. kgg

Thanks koreric75. kgg

From what I read online PFAFF are now owned by SVP Worldwide, a Kohlberg Holding company with their machines now being made in Asian countries. Quality will depend I guess on the actual manufacturer, only time will tell. However the cost between a PFFAF badged and others I would suspect to be fairly substantial (machine/parts/accessories). kgg