nylonRigging

Sewing ultra fine thin, soft supple leather and using a 1541 . That was how I pretty much picked-up a good deal once on a 'very lightly' used 1541 . Was a local to me that did fine garment leather design. He bought it to add to his machines . He found that the 1541 it was just to little much machine for his taste in thin and soft materials he used . So I picked it off him, and saved and couple hundred plus+ shipping cost. .

For the most part I always buy/use bonded nylons . Buying separate L and R twist threads always dwarfed by bigger problems. My main attention to thread has always been turned to the threads, size, color, quality, and have thread that has consistent snag-free roll-off to fight tension problems when stitching . Definitely there is a lot depth in just thread knowledge that I probably will never totally grab because I get so involved with just machine mechanics, and the constant struggle sewing/turning-out a nice Item that can be proud of. I have always kept running 2 or 3 double-needle machines, and mostly all confined to same drive mechanics, and never really worried about buying separate L-R twist thread cones for them . The stitching work always turns out great, if you just put an eye-on that Left side every once in while when working . I just accepted the small problem of L-side needle thread as just one of life's universal indignities that you just live with when sewing double-needle ... LOL .

That what I did when I restored my 29-4 . for treadle base I just bead blasted the base and gloss black powder coated it . Then just went down to the Ace Hardware, and bought a gold-leaf paint pen to do the front-facing SINGER header, and both L and R sides of the singer emblems . Those paint pens make it way easy to make the job look good . - -

Exactly what ( Gump ) said . L and Right twist cones. Your suppose to do that, but ( IMHO ) most individual 'small shop' people don't . If you Don't.. you really need keep your eye on your L-side needle thread . make a habit, It easy to catch with your eye when that needle side top thread starts to look shabby . So.. ( for example ) .. I do a lot of seam binding #69 nylon, What I do is into a routine 'make habit' after every, or every other item I finish. I just 'stop and look' at L-side needles thread, when the needle is stopped in the down plunge, and you got that little bit of thread slack before the needle up-stroke. If I see it getting/looking shabby . I just release upper thread tension. Then I just peal off good yard or two of upper thread on that needle-side to normalize/balance the double-stitching, and keep on going . And It No biggie about tossing a couple yards of thread ever so often . Because that's why they sell Thread by the Pound....LOL .

I do some internal stiffing plates in panels with some of sew designs i sell using thicker than what is used in Holster construction. Holster kydex/ABS is pretty thin stuff . You going to sew threw it like butter even with using a lot smaller sew machines than the bigger class4 . The ABS plastics are more rigid and harder material as you go thicker. You will still punch threw no problem . Your Polyethylene plastic sheets are easy 'smoother' on the needle and nicer to so threw. I think the Polyethylene less abrasive on the thread than the harder ABS, and easy to tension look good. All depends on what you making/sewing and type, thickness..etc. but Always keep in mind that the weakest point for bend fatigue crack/breakage, will always be the sew line threw in the plastic, the line of 'holes you punch' . . edit add: .. I seen old singer class7 sew threw silver dollars... LOL .

what kgg said . Big Yes, on 1541S w/safety clutch. Cheap insurance if using heavier thread and catch and you get jammed. Threads heavier than the lighter #69/t70 are not so forgiving. 1541 is one of the best daily workhorse machines out there . - Mine seems to have no problem with using the lighter bonded 69 thread . -

LOL... The machine in the Pic. looks like someone Pee'd on a old Penny . .

Pretty sure the 146's are Double Needle, Needle-Feed machines . Needle Feed lays down some nice stitching .The 146 should do good on smooth upholstery leather or fabric. Do you own other sewing machines ? . Auto upholstery gets into piping and a seams where a owning a single needle is needed . I can see where a double-needle would do good for some french seams. Auto Upholstery not my discipline, & I not into the Pfaff double needles, I into the double needle needle-feed Singers 112 /212, and Juki LH3528's. They all share same needle gauge sets, and are always pretty easy find and easy on the wallet. So.. If you buy it. When you getting into Double Needle machines, always take in consideration that Gauge Sets always play into the equation. So look into the the Needle span you needing for seams, plus feed-dog, needle plate. Press-foot . .

Pic. of your machine to get look at your feet . I not positive ? , looks/resembles the Consew Feet like a ( 205 RB ) but you might start your search for compatible Foot-Sets on Ebay . Low Price-$ sets to see if the Feet shanks are good to go for a match.to your feed . .

Looks like machine head been sitting around for several years, needs good cleaning and oiling maybe ? it looks neglected but not that rough. Appears to be a Drop-feed Walk. nothing wrong with that feed, as you said Leather not your primary need. you are just limited to less selection of foot options with that feed . For your said.. ' home hobbyist needs ' like, vinyl, cordura, webbing.. etc. it do pretty good . . should handle #69 E/t-70 and #92 F/t-92, and lighter weight threads . .

Rolfini has been around for long time . also down South your way in Salem. There is another guy I have used over the years . Name ' Bricio ' , he also pretty good, and i have called him a few times when I been in a Jam with something I can't get a handle on . .

HEY brand me the optimist .. ( my opinion ) Buy It .. It runs and looks like complete,clean machine . It is well worth picking up @ only 155-$, if you got the space to keep it for use. It WILL come in handy for something I am sure. They were design for fabric and higher speeds .There are many Models of those DB's . There are many machines better sewing to own than a Old Mitsu. DB Bottom Feed to sew leather, and heavy fabric with . I Don't have a DB-179 . But I got a old 1980's Mitsu. ( DB-170 ) . It handle text70/#69 nylon thread pretty great with the Tension, but it wont do heavier thread weight . I just changed out the feed dog and throat plate with heavier courser feed dog. Slow it down with a Servo, and It can sew threw several layers of 1000 Denier pretty easy with nice stitches . Also you can get a Roller Foot and feed Dog/ and needle plate, and it will sew great also . Negative -- It is just a Bottom Feed machine . Bobbins are smaller size . Can't do heavier than #69 nylon/poly . It won't stretch out the stitches. the Max I can get is ( 6 stitch per inch ) . - OK.. here you go . With text70 nylon thread and 'Leather' . Also. here is the old DB Bottom Feed doing 8 layers of 1000 den. US mill nylon . Bottom and Top stitches look exactly the same on both these Pic's. Used round point needle, and I didn't change adjust anything. I just moved from sewing the leather right into sewing the Nylon Cordura. - -

Mitsu. DY337 .

AHhh, i see what saying now . I just looked at Artisan Website . I have not paid much attention to their machine sales for last few years . Looks like they did do a change with their 3200 Drive going in a different design direction. Rather than traditional under table drive w/gear reduction . I would be curious to actually see with my own eyes the drive system they chose, and what kind of control and torque it has. The drive motors they choose to use on different models I have seen and sewn on seem to be good runners. I seen a lot Artisan branded machines being here on US. West coast . 3 out of the 10 machines I have set-up and sewing on are Artisan branded. I think their Brand saturation higher in this area of W. USA. as they import straight into Bay area California, and sales based there. The Interstate Hwy. I-5 corridor on shipping is convenient into CA. OR. and Washington States . .

Here Also...KH is the 1st place I check to look for feet and other options, and they got quick delivery across the pond with their speed-pack shipping . Good machining and well thought out designs. .

I put a lot of hours on one of them over last few years, I got one of the Artisan 3200 sitting in back of sew room, and it just kept setup seam binding 1" type ll nylon on heavy bags for it's life. The Artisan 3200 is basically shorter arm 441 clone . work area of ( 12.5 long x 8" high ) . It has a large 12" hand-wheel w/ 10" pulley . Has under table speed reduction, and also a pretty decent servo drive. Artisan 3200, It would be great machine for smaller goods like holsters, small bag/wallets. but for bigger items, 16" arm would make your jobs easier with lot less folding or rolling up items you are trying to turn . here a crappy quick pic. - -

One other thing popped into my head this morning about your stripped thread problem . ( If Possible ? ) My 3rd suggestion is simple and direct fix . if the clearance is there on underside of the stripped-out screw hole ? , I saying if area bottom-side of the hole is clear of interference with any other mechanics of operation. This may sound like true garage macgiver'ing .. but sometimes the simplest direct method may not be the one of proper aesthetics, beauty and craftsmanship . But sometimes .." You got to do, What you got to Do". . the old machine keeps sewing, and you keep using it for some more years. And that would be just simply doing a nice straight clean pass-threw cut with a bit, just to clean cut-out the fouled threads, and then using a small machine bolt with keeping nut on the bottom side . maybe with use a trim small button-head/Allen drive machine bolt or...? .

Screw that holds the saddle stripped ? man that sucks, probably need to drill and tap new thread for machine Screw just slightly larger in size. The threads are stripped-out, so that leads me to believe ?..that the metal area is not that hard of temper in the Cast . So tapping new threads should be doable . I have drilled and taped some screws in Head and Beds of machines, and I find that most cast heads when tapping thread. The cuttings from Tap cuttings are kind of loose dust because Cast is soft . also.. you might have to just hand File the slot Diam. just a little if the it needs to be slightly wider to make slide movement with new size, but that would be easy to do. - Or.. you might drill and Tap for a machine thread size Heli-coil thread insert . Then use a ' similar ' Diam.Size screw, as the factory size . I have heli-coil threads on other metal repairs, and they are pretty good hold strength. - -

I wonder if you could get by using a Roll-Pin ?, they strong, pretty common and easy find . selection of Roll-Pin punches are cheep purchase also . Only thing is you will have to remove the item, to lay flat on a backing, and tap in the roll pin . . -

Basting Tape not sticking very well, or loose bonding to Webbing Poly's, Urethane's, Nylon . Thinner Synthetic fabrics it does well and strong till it stitched, but on the heavier weight weave of webbing's it does Not hold very long for waiting around to get sewn. The Basting Tape after pealing off the backing is 'ultra-thin' so it really only meant for thin light materials seam fold . ( Me ) , This----> if I got a layers of any 'heavy materials' that need to be held firm and strong for critical placement. I will sometimes use a dab of Silicon Stick, Hot Glue Gun, it holds firm, the Silicon stick is soft, Needles and thread easy go threw the Silicon for stitching after cooling . Heavy wraps/folds/layers hot glue gun works great, been doing it for many years. .

All I know, is that having that particular tension plate assembly ( double knob ) is great because when swapping off from t-70 to #138 . All I have to do is just run thread routing off to the 2nd tension knob for that is already pre set . change needle, and I am sewing. I am betting that any recent production 1541s cast head with the single-knob . Can be easy swapped off to the other double knob assembly plate . If you look at the OP's pic. of his machine . You can even see the recessed indent in the casting above the assembly plate, for the small 'manual tension release lever' to fit into . .

- also, work on accumulating some assortment of different presser feet, and pick-up a couple the factory center and outer foot sets, to cut and trim to your liking. I keep an extra bobbin case in the drawer also. it is pre set on the tension, to #138 . So it easier to just swap off bobbin thread going from t-70 to 138 . 1541s is a great everyday workhorse machine and versatile, never a day regret adding it to my stable. Your machine tension setup on yours, looks different from one I have . my setup looks like this one in this Juki 1541S cut/paste pic. - - .

Advertiser made a Typo with his fat fingers on keyboard , punching #6 instead of #5 ... as it does look like a factory w151 in the Pic. I cant see the prefix of the blurry serial #, in your Pic. .. but Have you checked singer serial # database ? .. for a w161 model and year . .

Or... ? you hit the button sequence to, ' run Reverse direction' in your Servo Drive . What Cylinder bed machine model, are you talking about ? . I not familiar with that model .. Is your Reverse lever in the UP position ? .

Is not the 1508 a Vertical 'top-load' . and the 1541 a Horizontal 'under table' side-load ? .. One is a LU/#model juki.. other is a DU/# model juki . The question you asked, sounds like you asking if you can convert the 1508 that you own. To a 1541's bobbin assembly ??? .