MtlBiker

Welcome Herbie! Never too late to start leatherworking, or sewing in general. I'm older than you are and only started sewing ANYTHING during the first forced Covid lockdown we had. Now I've got a fleet of machines, and am making everything from men's dress shirts and cargo pants to tote bags, purses, leather pouches and bags, etc. New found hobby that I never in my life ever thought I'd be doing. Cheers!

Some people will do it anywhere! Happy Holidays!

But what if you want to take or place a call? Happy Holidays!

@Attackrabbit - Just wanted to add my two cents (Canadian!)... Needles are cheap and should be changed quite often, at least once per project and sometimes even more often than that. From the sounds of it, I'm guessing you don't have much of a stock of needles. Needles are so cheap that you really should have several packs (of 10) on hand and also different sizes. And as well, a selection of regular and leather needles. There are times you will want to size up (even sometimes down) from what is usually recommended for your thread. I get my needles from Wawak.com who usually have the best prices, especially when they have a sale. The other thing I wanted to mention is that when all else is properly adjusted... bobbin tension, proper threading and upper tension, if your upper thread is fraying there's a good chance it's a bad/worn out needle. On one of my machines when the top thread starts fraying it's always been the needle. Install a new needle and all is well. Good luck!

What kinds of things does he want to sew? Being able to "handle leather" doesn't tell us much. What's important is how thick the leather is, how many layers, etc. Holsters for example, would need a completely different type of machine than thin wallets. Bags again have requirements... thickness, number of layers and what the bag opening would be like. Would a cylinder arm machine be more useful than a flatbed? Maybe if you tell us your budget and the space you/he has it would help. Does he need a machine that can be put away in a closet when not needed or can it take up a permanent spot in the room? Knowing all this would help us help you.

I'm not @kgg but I'll try to answer your question about the bobbin drop test... Hold the bobbin in one hand and the thread coming out of it in the other. Let the bobbin go while holding onto the thread. The bobbin shouldn't drop. If you "gently" bounce the bobbin the thread should come out of the bobbin. It shouldn't be too hard to get the thread out but neither should it be too easy. This takes a bit of practice. Once the bobbin tension is set correctly, the balance of thread tension adjustment should be on the top thread. By the way, if you want someone to be notified that you've left a reply for them (as you did above), you need to type the "@" symbol and then start typing the person's name. Pick the right name from the list that comes up. Unless you do that the person will not be notified there is a reply for them and will only see it if they happen to visit the thread again.

@idyllwildpatrick - Can't help with your question about where to buy, but wanted to second @kgg 's suggestion above, that you also consider a cylinder arm machine. My first industrial machine was a flatbed Consew (similar to the Juki with safety clutch you were considering) and I love it dearly. But I added a cylinder arm machine because I also do quite a few bags and the cylinder arm is a tremendous help for that. I added an after market aluminum flatbed table attachment that goes on and off in about a minute and that really gives me the best of both worlds. If I'd didn't already have the flatbed machine I probably would have been very happy with just the cylinder arm with flatbed attachment and I wouldn't have had to buy a second machine.

@ChristinaC - I'll leave the experts here to advise you about the chances of using v138 thread and 9-10 oz leather, but I highly doubt if you'll be able to do that. I am jumping in though to help you with your comment about not knowing how to "replay" to each person... You simply type the at sign @ and start typing the name of the person you want to reply to and pick it from the list that comes up. That way they will be notified there is a reply for them, otherwise they won't know unless they happen to visit the thread again. Good luck!

I've also got a Consew 206RB-5 and I changed the motor pulley to a 45mm dia one and I love the result. With the servo motor set to the lowest speed I can sew as slowly as I want/need and I'm very happy. And on the rare times I might want slower, well, it's easy to turn the wheel by hand. But really, it sews plenty slow. Watch out though about the quality of the smaller pulley. I got one (from the actual Consew dealer I'd bought the machine from) and installed it and then found I had an annoying sound coming from the motor (I thought). After lots of testing I was convinced it was the motor and that maybe there was a bad bearing. I ordered a new motor and before installing it on the machine, I put the 45mm pulley on it. And ran the motor on the floor like that. I was shocked that the sound/vibration was still there! Good thing I didn't go through the trouble of installing the motor on the machine. The Consew dealer I got the pulley from had never heard of someone changing the motor pulley (quite surprising) but he did get me the correct longer belt and supplied the pulley. I don't know where he got the pulley from but it wasn't perfectly balanced. I talked to the other (more knowledgeable) dealer I bought the new servo motor from and he knew right away what the problem was... and had what he said were perfect pulleys. He'd run into that issue before. I got the new pulley from him, installed it and it was perfect. So before you go through much trouble, install the smaller pulley onto the motor and without the belt connected, run the motor. See if there's any sound or vibration. If so, get a better pulley. BEFORE thinking the motor is bad. Hope this is of help.

There are links to those products in the reply above from Wizcrafts. And do make sure you get an aluminum flatbed attachment as those can generally be installed and removed in about a minute... the original flatbed attachment I got with my Techsew 2750 Pro was a PITA to install/remove so it ended up getting tossed. I bought an aluminum after-market one and it's great!

As a Techsew 2750 Pro owner in Canada and a regular user here, my suggestion to you is that the Cowboy is a better choice for you. Cowboy has an excellent quality reputation and the service/support is outstanding. Yes you can dumb down those machines but remember there is no one machine that will do everything, which is why many of us have more than one.

You mean your servo motor only has an on/off switch and no way to select different speeds? I guess I only have limited experience but my 3 machines with servos can all adjust the speed. You really should have come here for advice before buying that motor. And as far as the jerkiness you report, is there any chance that the pulleys are not aligned? And I think you mentioned having installed a smaller motor pulley... it's also possible that your pulley isn't perfectly round/balanced... I experienced that myself and even thought the problem was my motor so bought a new one, only to find the problem was my pulley. I bought a better quality one and problem solved.

How old is your Consew? Does it have a servo motor or older clutch motor? I have a 206RB-5 with servo and I installed a 45mm pulley on the motor shaft and it's plenty slow and easy to control. I have no need for a speed reducer or larger handwheel. Nor do I notice any jerkiness when starting. If I ever feel the need for slower sewing than the really quite slow already speed, I just crank the handwheel by hand. Of course it also takes a bit of practice and experience to be gentle enough with the foot pedal and in the beginning (my first industrial machine) I thought it was way too fast. Now I usually keep the servo speed several clicks up from the slowest and rarely need slower. No offense but are you new to an industrial machine? And could your machine have a clutch motor instead of a servo?

I just checked my Consew 206RB-5 by turning the handwheel... I don't feel any more resistance at any point of the turn. My servo motor was attached, but not engaged. I do not feel it tighten when the inner foot presses down on the needle plate. (BTW, I'm the guy who replied to you on Reddit a couple of days ago about the safety clutch.) Cheers!

I haven't heard the term "stepper foot machine" before. That particular Consew (I have one too) has a compound/triple feed walking foot. What exactly is a stepper foot machine?

I don't believe that you'd only be sewing through two layers of leather. Sure you may have an outer leather and a lining, but you're not going to leave raw edges (with exceptions) and you'll be folding the edges inwards to make them nicely finished. That's four layers already. Likewise if you're making leather straps, fold to the middle once, and then fold again... four layers. I've had as many as six layers. Now you could always also buy a bell skiver and thin down the edges, but that's another expense and if I do say so myself, also quite a learning curve. I do a lot of bags, purses, totes, etc. Leather and Cordura and webbings. Small items I often sew by hand, depending on the item. My suggestion to you would be a good cylinder arm machine with compound (triple) feed, as well as an aluminum flatbed table attachment for it. I think that would give you the most versatility. A flatbed table attachment came with my Techsew 2750 Pro, but it was so awkward and time-consuming to install and remove it, that I quickly stopped using it. Then I bought an after-market aluminum flatbed table attachment and it attaches with ONE screw and can be done in under a minute. If I'd have had that as my first industrial, very likely I would have never bought my flatbed Consew 206RB-5. I see you're in Canada... check out the Kobe brand which is a really good machine. I would have bought one if it didn't mean either a long drive to pick it up or costly shipping. I bought my Techsew because they're right here in Montreal and I was able to pick it up myself. Juki is another (although expensive) option but it's one of the best and is often copied by the clone makers. Sometimes you can be lucky and find a good condition used one. Good luck!

A simple Google search (Where to buy Togo Leather) turned up several sources. I was curious as I'd never heard of it before.

I'm in Canada so can't help you with personal experience, but a quick search shows that A&E (American & Efrid) has a presence in many European countries. They produce and distribute many different high quality thread for sewing machines. I personally use their Sunstop bonded polyester threads just about exclusively, in v69, v92 and v138 sizes. Here's one option they list: Spain BURIFILS.L. C/44, No. 25. Pol. Ind. El Bony 46470 Catarroja Valencia Spain Phone: 34-961042512 Mobile: 34-615430554 Fax: 34-9612777070 Hope this is of help.

You might try our @RockyAussie who makes incredibly beautiful bags and is in Australia. If he can't directly help you, I'm sure he could steer you in the right direction. My tagging his name in this reply is surely going to get his attention.

You folks talking about "trolleys"... to me, a trolley is a street car. A transportation device. Are you talking about what we here call a "shopping cart"?

I've bought a lot of stuff from Kamsnaps... presses, dies, snaps, jean buttons, rivets, etc. I have two of their top metal presses as well as one for their plastic snaps. Service has always been outstanding! (Really, one of my favorite suppliers to deal with.) But I don't know if they ship to European countries. They do ship to me in Canada, so I wouldn't be surprised if they can ship to you.

@sojourner999 - No, the Sailrite foot will NOT work with your machines. (I have that foot for my Sailrite LSZ-1 and I also have a 206RB-5 as well as other machines.) You can get a smooth presser foot for your 206RB (I also have that) but I haven't looked for a smooth feed dog. I haven't felt the need, as if any marks are left on the leather they're on the under side and rarely visible.

@YinTx - I know you're in Texas and this supplier is in Canada, but I've been buying from them for many years now and their service, prices and quality are great. You might try JT's Outdoor Fabrics. And don't forget your US Dollar goes a lot further when converted to Canadian! The Pull the Dot dome is $0.78 (Canadian!!!) and the stud with post is $0.30. Making it $1.08 Canadian, or $0.79 US... a LOT cheaper than the $2.50 you mention in your post.

Might help if you let us know what kind of information you're looking for. Since you say you've already bought the machine, obviously you're not asking whether or not to buy one. By the way, a quick search here turns up quite a few threads about "Ferdco 440".

Just a shot in the dark, but have you tried running the motor without the pulley attached to the shaft? It's not unusual for a pulley to be out of round (not perfectly balanced) and that can cause quite a noise. I ran into that myself about a year ago and became so convinced it was the motor that I ordered a new one. Once I had it installed I was shocked to find the same noise was there. And only by luck I found it was actually the out of round pulley. I'd changed to a smaller motor pulley in order to slow the machine down and the one I got online wasn't perfect. I ordered a replacement pulley from a dealer who knew about this issue and the new pulley was perfect... no more noise. And I've now got a spare servo motor just waiting until I find a nice used machine with clutch motor.