PeterinID

I just bought this machine for $500 from a guy who didn't really know how to use it. When I picked it up he had 277 thread incorrectly threaded through the machine and was using a size 23 needle. The bobbin thread was very loosely wound and his top tension was extremely loose. He said the machine was always tangling up, the reverse never worked and he didn't have time to tinker around with it. He was using thick saddle and tack leather. He had bought it used from a seller who tried using it to sew emblems on baseball caps. I had time to tinker around with it, got it threaded correctly, switched to 207 thread top and bottom with a 24 needle and got it timed and sewing properly - in forward but not reverse. In the process of getting this done I learned there were a few variants of the 289RB-1 which had differences in lubrication and stitch length adjustment. The manual I downloaded from Consew did not provide this information, I found it in a different manual I located and then subsequently lost the url for. The variation I have has a oil reservoir for lubrication as well as lubrication points marked with red paint. This model adjusts stitch length by removing a set screw, depressing a button on the baseplate and rotating the flywheel until the button drops and then rotating the flywheel forward or reverse to change length. This is trial and error, no visible numbers or other length calibration markers are present. All in all I am satisfied with what I got for the money. There are a couple of question that I am seeking advise on. First, should I be using both the oil reservoir and marked oil points for lubrication? Second, What should I try to get reverse to work properly? Right now it either does not reverse at all or the reverse stitch length is a fraction of the forward length.

I have a chamber vac, it's gauge reads MPa and I've found .08 MPa forms well while still letting me mold & model the leather. I think that is about 11mmHg. When I tried a little more (.1 MPa) there was no room to shape the leather further. The bag was sealed too tight and small wrinkles in the bag made impressions in the leather.