ElFishbone

Thanks Shoepatcher, Do you know if that is the same as the 1508N? Any tension problems that you need the second tensioner? What size thread do you use?

I have, what I believe to be a very early 1508 that is missing the needle bar thread guide. The one with the small hole at the base of the needle bar. I ordered a Juki one and it does not fit. I wonder if the first early 1508’s had a smaller needle bar? Could someone measure the diameter of their bar and let me know what it is. My machine does not have the double top tension adjusters either. Juki has not responded to a couple of emails asking questions about it. Thanks

Thank you for the replies! And sorry for the late reply. The machine is in very good condition and the price was even better. The only indication of wear is on the reverse bar, where someone probably rested a finger. KGG; Where do you find the coil information? I have looked at a number of servos and don’t find coil specs. Regarding the top thread guide, are you referring to the angle of the thread that goes up to the thread tree? I just put it back together and I probably placed the thread holder too high. There is also a post on top of the machine that I didn’t use. Wiz, Thanks for the reply, I will give Bob a call after TG. Quade; the tensioner next to the adjustment knob is pictured in the same orientation as the link picture you sent. The manual doesn’t show the single tensioner option. I sent a email to Juki, but I have never gotten very good response from them on technical questions.

I recently bought a Juki 1508. That is what the tag says, no additional letters(N,H,NH). It is a white model but it has a single top tension knob like the 1541. Did the early models come out like that or was that a P.O. or dealer added.? I know from research this machine was a replacement for the 562 and 563 models which also had single top tension adjusters. It is also set up with a clutch motor which needs to be changed or updated with gear reduction or servo. I don’t do a lot of heavy leather, occasionally 2 layers of 6 oz. Can I get by with just a servo replacement motor? What size 550 or 750W? Thanks

Thanks for you insights. And sorry for the barrage of questions. I think I will share your dislike for the pneumatic lift. The reason I put it on was, the machine was missing most of the parts for the knee lift. The paddle was stationary with a on/off pedal attached to activate the solenoid for the ram. Most of the items I make only require a straight line and no turns, so making turns using the hand lift is not unreasonable. Time will tell. Today is a slow one so I’ll get to spend more time tuning as you suggest. Have a great day! Fishbone

Thanks for the info. I didn’t get a chance to try different thread or stretch the spring as Bob suggested, hopefully today. What type of material are you usually sewing in your machine? What about threading? On the top pin do you use one hole or both? On the “L pin with 3 holes” do use all 3 holes? I have tried all the combos and it didn’t make a difference. My machine is also a green one serial # 114292, probably a very early one. It is in very excellent shape and shows only slight wear on the leading edge in front. It is setup with a Brother 803 servo and positioning system but the sensors are missing. It also had a pneumatic foot lift that I am still adjusting and waiting for a ac/dc converter card to get the 24v to run it. It runs very smooth and quiet and can be controlled to do 1 stitch at a time. I did not target the 146 it was aquired as an opportunity purchase, just like the other number of machines I have owned in my quest for that perfect machine. I think I have gleaned every article and tube on the net regarding the 146 and found the lack of info speaks to its short comings as far as leather goes. The basis for running 135 thread was on the description Consew and it’s retailers list in ads. For stitching such products as boat and truck covers, tents, awnings, sails, parachutes, tarpaulins and similar products Used on such materials as canvas, nylon, vinyl, leather, synthetics and similar materials My expectations were that if it handled heavy material as described it would also handle heavy thread that those materials typically require for strength. iiwii! I think the needle plate is an ongoing issues that many users end up having to replace and when I was testing I turned the ZZ knob all the way to 10, (That’s as far as it would go) It stitched fine. When I locked the retaining knob top and bottom and hand turned the wheel the needle was deflected by the foot and may have struck the needle plate if I pushed it. At the least it would have bent the needle and struck the needle plate on the next stitch. Does your machine max out on 10 on the ZZ or will it turn to 12? Today I will try new material and thread and verify the machines limits. Thanks Fishbone

MTLBiker Because the top tension was so extreme I went slightly beyond the drop test on the bobbin tension, ended up being about a Pound of pull. I did change the needle like Wiz suggested and it made no difference. As far as the thread, the reason I used the 135 was because the thread that was on the machine was old and unraveled but looked like 135. The thread I have is a new quality nylon. Your suggestions are appreciated. I always try to go to the basics as you suggest and have good results. Most of the time that I have had tension problems like this, it has been operator error. Improper threading, bad or wrong needle etc. Bob, After I got this machine I read the description for it and it described its use as medium to heavy material. So I made the ass umption leather was in the heavy class. Oops! I will go out to the shop and try your idea of stretching the spring. I did trade it out for one from my Tippmann Boss and from my old heavy Singer 96, but neither of those are any different than the original. I also tried different bobbins and holder. I will try a different material and see what happens. There must not be a lot of this model machine out there because information is outdated and not a lot of it, or the machine is not that great. If stretching the spring works I'll get with you about the heavier spring and some other things. Thanks all to the excellent info and responses. Regards Fishbone

Wiz, Thanks for the info. I’m new to the forum and tried to send you a reply but it ended up in web space? Still finding my way around. I Tried all your recommendations and no change. Will try Cowboy Bob today for the spring. Also will try different thread just to eliminate that variable. The thread in the machine when I got it appeared to be 135 top and bottom but was unraveled from age and hard to tell. No info to be found on thread range for this machine, any idea what capacity might be? Fishbone

My manual is the same as yours. I have checked all the settings and my timing matches the highlighted as shown. I have tried all the recommendations Wiz detailed and there is no difference. The item #4 is the line that has me wondering if the thickness might be the problem. Like the rest of the manual it is not real clear what that means. I have timed or checked timing on single needle industrials and a double needle Judi 512(?) in my quest to find the right machine and never have had an issue like this. Material thickness never was a consideration until now. If the machine was set up for maximum thickness material or spongy material would that make a difference when trying to sew thinner, softer material. I haven’t tried a different leather or thread. Doing a search on thread range for this machine it doesn’t yield any clear results. I saw some of your replies to another owner so I think you own one and maybe have an idea of the thread range this machine will handle, if not maybe someone else will join in. I also think I saw you are a Camano man. A lot of my early days I fished and clammed the head and crabbed the west side before there were thousands of houses. Still have a couple of friends living there. Great memories. Thanks for your interest. Fishbone

I recently fell into a Consew 146RB-1A-1 Single Needle Zig Zag, Unison Feed, Walking foot machine. I saw a garage sale ad that had a picture of a patio with items for sale. In the background was an old green industrial sewing machine. So I showed up early only to find out it was a shared stoop and the machine belonged to the neighbor. So I did what any picker would do. Banged on the door and asked about the machine. The rest is history, I drug it home. It has been cleaned and polished and oiled. I replaced the warped table top with butcher block, stripped and painted the legs and fitted a pneumatic cylinder to the lift. It was finally time to run the test stitching. I had some scrap furniture leather that 2 layers were about a 1/4” thick and loaded up some T 135 nylon thread and a new 20 leather needle The straight stitch is very nice but the top thread shows on the bottom. So I went through the checklist, needle, threading, bobbin tension adjustment, bobbin area cleaning, and top tension tightened as fas as it will go. No change. So I did it all again after reading all I could find on the forum. I removed the tension release pin as Uwe recommended on another post. I was able to get another 3/4 turn on the tension spring and it made a very slight difference, but the spring bottomed out. And it’s still not right. I also made some different length pins to eliminate wrong size pin issue I added another layer of leather and tried. The top thread pulled in and looks good but is still not in the middle and I can see the nubs of the top thread. I have sewn 6 test patches and not missed a single stitch and did not suspect a timing issue, but I’m now thinking it is a needle position or a timing issue. The zig zag stitch looks about the same as the straight stitch. I know this is a long post but the more info I provide I feel will yield the best info back. I have a copy of the manual and as all other owners have complained about the Consew manual being old and outdated is an understatement. I would think a company selling a $4k machine would make information transparent for owners. I would appreciate any help if someone could please share direction for my next step. Frustrated is putting it mildly, my Tippmann Boss was way easier to tune. I have stitched a couple of knife sheaths and a playing card pouch on it and very happy with results, thanks to info found on this forum (Dwight, Uwe, Wiz) and great support from Tippmann. Thanks in advance. Fishbone

Thank you Dwight! That is what I was looking for. I pulled the thread until the tension bar stopped, but didn't put the extra oomph into like you do. I was worried I would break or bend something because of how tight the thread was. I have been cruising the forum for quite awhile and that is why I figured you would know the answer. Best to you.

Thanks Jcuk, I think you are talking about the slack in the tension lever. Does that leave a hard to grab short tail for starting the next stitching? Fishbone

Thanks Quade, you are correct about the design. Do you use a Boss? If so how do you remove your item after stitching?

Thanks Wiz, and thank you for all the informative replies you have provided over the years. When I said sponged I meant that I soaked up information as in. You provided responses that I have used on a number of machines that I have owned over the years and to get the machines I have today. Pulling from the take up seems to be the best solution, but it causes a tension loop in the first stitches of the next item no matter how tight I pull the thread tails at the start. I have gone through the owners manual part by part and cant find anything weird or missing. I think the design of the Boss does not allow a release like a flat bed. That said it might be part of the struggle to get tension settings just right. I'm hoping some of the people who use a Boss everyday will chime in and give me their take on it.

I have been sponging info off leatherworker for years. From that info I have acquired the machines (Consew 146rb-1 and a Tippmann Boss) that work for my interests. I thank you all for the experience you freely share. Now I ask one of my first questions that I have searched the net looking for and can’t find. I recently started a love hate bond with a Tippmann Boss. I have been through the usual frustration of tensioning and test sewing, I have that dialed in pretty well, but still working on adjusting stitch length. My question to you owner/users is this. When I have completed stitching and lock stitched an item, how do I get slack in the thread to remove the item and trim the ends? I have tried just pulling it, I have tried pulling slack after the primary tension but it seems to cause slack that screws up the first stitch of the next item even though I hold the threads tight when beginning to stitch. i have tried lifting the presser in combo with pulling the thread, nothing seems to work. When using a normal machine the tension discs release when the presser is lifted, but not the case for a Boss. Any help will be appreciated.