kgg

I used a spray bottle of good auto de-greaser in combination with diesel fuel to get rid of the gunk in a Pfaff with good results. I used a couple of old toothbrushes to scrub those hard to reach dirty spots. Then basically gave it a good flushing / bath with regular sewing machine oil before doing a full oiling. Did most of the cleaning outside because of the diesel fuel. I have found diesel fuel when let to sit for a day to be a good fluid for freeing up seized parts. kgg

That is excellent work. kgg

Yes, I had to get another 100 yd spool of 3/4 " Polyester Twill Tape to complete the edging of some 60 - 3' x 3' puppy incontinence pads. I still don't have my edging tape machine fully up and running. Price was reasonable at about $16.00 for the spool. Their complete list of products is at http://amefird.ca/products/ . I do like the A& E stuff they put some engineering into manufacturing a quality thread but you do pay for quality. kgg

Why not call American & Efird Canada they are not far from you and discuss your needs / wants. Their products are made in Canada as well as the US and they should have a thread to meet your needs like maybe their Sunstop line. Prices are good, delivery is fast and most importantly a quality / consistent product. My V138 thread and edging arrived in under 24 hours. kgg

Thanks dikman, I actually really like the little "Tinker" and the 3d printing helps me solve problems inexpensively on all my machines as well as my other interests. kgg

To help with broken thread in seams and reduce the thread from cutting through the material I would consider the seam construction possible use of a reinforcing backing material. Maybe using a semi flat or flat seam construction. Just a thought. kgg

Some other resources would be kijiji.ca for your province (used machines). I don't know how close these would be to your location but Longview Leather in Longview, Alberta carry the Cobra lineup, Mac 1 in Calgary, Alberta carry the Juki and Reliable lineup. I guess it depends on what you want to sew (thickness), what size of thread and of course the dollars you want to spend. I do agree that adding a flatbed attachment to a cylinder bed makes it much more versatile but each type of machine has a purpose. If you are sewing mostly items that are better suited to a cylinder machine 90% of the time and only need to occasionally use the flatbed feature then buy a New cylinder machine and later a Used flatbed machine. For me it was Flatbeds (Juki 1541S, Juki1181n, Pfaff 1245) first then Cylinder machines (Consew 223, Kobe 1341) somewhere in there I a got a Chinese Patcher. Stay Safe, kgg

I forgot to add that I added a removable table top (Black thing), main mounting plate, adjustable / removable nose support, 1 lb thread spool holder, a two light swivel lighting holder, scissors holder, better stitch length adjuster knob, a needle position indicator, higher top thread guide, relocated the main tensioner, repurposed the second tensioner as a bobbin tensioner and added a edge guide. This truly is a tinkers machine. Stay Safe, kgg

This is my Chinese Cobbler be readied for strip down to add a longer drive shaft and pulley which will be connected to a motor. The pictures may give you some ideas on adding some attachments.

I sometimes wonder there seems to be no rime or reason to it when ordering stuff, I guess it depends on where you are. I ordered a small fan, weighted about an ounce, for a rebuild on a 3d printer that was in stock from a Montreal dealer and at the same time ordered a new Mosquito hotend and extruder from Bontech out of Sweden. Guess what it took 6 days to get from Sweden and 10 days from Montreal. Ordered a 1 lb spool of V138 thread and a 100 meter coil of edging from American & Efird Canada Inc. in Toronto today and will it be here tomorrow if not Thursday at the latest. I am about 3.5 hours drive from either Montreal or Toronto. Go figure. Stay Safe, kgg

I think another factor would be the type of needle being used as vinyl can be a bit sticky along with how thick the vinyl is and the type of material as a backing. kgg

Thanks MtlBiker. I am terrible with using the drawer and on the last two machines I never even bother too install them or the thread spools. My experience is the drawer has a tendency to grow stuff to over flowing and when I want something it seems to magically disappear into a black hole. So for me it came down to what I use the most and where. Work area: Snips/Scissors, Needles, little screwdriver for bobbin tension and needle replacement, bobbins always need to be at the ready and close at hand. Storage area for me is at the wheel side of the machine so I need thread for the machine and bobbin, bobbins, needles, and depending on the machine a place to store larger scissors / pinking shears. Tape folders / binders need to be kept with the binder tape spool platter while small nuts, screws etc. I keep in a wall mounted small storage tray unit. kgg

Thanks DonInReno. Each of my machines have a different main purpose so they get dolled up slightly different but with similar attachments. The main attachment that goes on all the machines is a hands free bobbin winder attachment that automatically cuts the end of the bobbin thread during the winding of the bobbin. One version is on this machine as well. It really is a simple gizmo. Notice the thread from the bobbin that is on the winder to the little sewing center on the side of the machine. kgg

Thanks dikman, don't like to be to far from a bobbin or needle. All my attachments I do 3D print them as it is a great poor mans format for prototyping. As we speak one of the printers is doing a new anti- vibration adjuster for the little table to prevent any possible vibration being transferred back into the machine. The front support on the table is really a waste and not necessary but just in case I put more then twenty pounds downward pressure. Next week I am planning on starting two new projects. One is for a full size table similar to the little one but quicker to install and the top will be made out of HDPE with the support structure being 3d printed. I know I'm impatient, the goal with the new version is to cut the install time down. The other one is going to be a left foot operated reverse gizmo. kgg

I went down the rabbit hole with making life a little easier / more convenient by adding a few attachments to my machines, Juki 1541S, Juki 1181n, Chinese patcher, Consew 223, Pfaff 1245 and my most recent machine, a Kobe 1341. Went to buy a Juki 1341 but had a little bit of a hard time justifying the price so I said I'd give the Kobe a shot and if I didn't like it I would sell the thing. I came home with a Kobe 1341 which really is an old Juki 341 casing. So far it seems to do a decent job. The machine came with a table, servo motor, thread stand, knee lift and foot lift. The way I have them listed is how I rate my machines and at present the Kobe is next in line after the Juki 1181N but time will tell. Like most cylinder bed machines it needed some additions to make life easier. So me being me and my time is free I designed / built / tested a few attachments. Since I am always misplacing / knocking off the table scissors and losing stuff in the black hole or more commonly known as the sewing machine drawer I had to add a few items. I added: i) an angle adjustable scissors holder / needle holder/ screw driver / bobbin holder attachment to the top of the machine, photo K3. Holds two bobbins, a screwdriver, one flat of needles and scissors. ii) a two bobbin holder closer to the cylinder arm, Photo K9. iii) a small accessory center to the wheel side of the machine photo K5. It holds 9 bobbins, a screwdriver and 6 flats of needles. iv) what I think is a better three thread spool holder, photo K19. v) a 8 " x 8 " table top that installs in under two minutes that is custom fitted to the head and attaches with three screws to the machine. This allows me to use the tape folders from my other machines, photo K18. I will add the photos in additional posting. Stay safe, kgg vi) The table top lead me to designing a almost zero resistant binder tape holder with self centering guides that can be utilized as well for cording. The tape holder can accept easily 12 inch coils of 2 inch binding, photo K7, K8. To keep the resistance to a minimum and constant the spool of tape and or cording actually spins on a ball bearing race base rather then the machine dragging the tape around a stationary platform. The main goal in all the attachments was "No" holes to be drilled in the machine or table top and be quick release. Any and all comments are welcomed.

Yes, the 1341 machine should be all dolled up in the next few days with a 8" x8" mini nose table attachment as well as the other machine / table mounted accessories in place. look forward to hearing what you decide. kgg

I agree with Wiz, go to the dealer and ask to use a 2750 with and without a needle positioner, some people fine them good others not so much. Being able to go to the dealer has great advantages both in the initial purchasing of the machine and having local support to quickly resolve any issues should any arise down the road. Also you can then decide if you really need or just would like the upgrades over the basic 2750 which I think would be about an extra $500 plus tax. If you decide to go with a speed reducer later on keep in mind that it can affect the proper operation of the needle positioner. Ask the dealer if adding one would possibly create a problem. I would also bring a sample of what you want to sew as well.

Simply gorgeous!!!! kgg

It appears it depends on what country you live in. If you are in Australia seems you get a defined warranty - 1yr parts and labour but in North America seems to be a bit different. More of a limited warranty with a no charge warranty service from the retailer. kgg

After much investigating, reading technical specs and my own testing I have mostly converted to 1lb cones of Coats Dubond Bonded Polyseter and for Bonded Nylon I use A&E thread. The cheap Chinese stuff, particularly black bonded nylon in 8 oz cones, doesn't hold a candle too either. It is a little more expensive but much, much better quality. kgg

Save yourself the hassle, buy the brand name that the clones are aspiring to copy. Either the Juki 1541S or better the Juki 1508. You will not be disappointed. kgg

I have not heard that the tariffs on the machines from China have been lifted in the US. Be interesting to see how much the price drops once they are lifted. kgg

You haven't said what you are planning on making mostly, thickness, thread size. Without knowing what you want to make it is hard to say what machine would be best, suiting your needs. It maybe that a flatbed would be better suited to your sewing needs. kgg

Nicely done. kgg