AlZilla

A local industrial sewing machine guy is a valuable asset. The 280-L appears to be one of the many machines like the 111W series and it should have reverse. Most of us equip a machine like that with a servo motor and a speed reducer. But that's a rabbit hole you can burrow into of you decide to pursue it.

It's a good question and I'll be interested in what the mad geniuses here have to say. Does it happen before or after you refrigerate it? Or does it matter?

@Zonker1972 For future reference, either reply 'sold' or you could use the "Report" function in the upper right corner. We lock them and move them to Old/Sold. Like I'm about to do here ...

Yeah, a lot of us learn that the hard way. Partly because a lot of semi-scrupulous sellers market them as leather machines. You could put a bigger motor under the table and a torque increasing speed reducer. But you're still limited by the needle and thread size. But ... Let's talk about these Pfaff's! I haven't found one yet because they usually bring a premium price. You have multiples! I believe Singer bought the rights to make a machine based on the 130. If you look at Singer 306's you can see the similarity. A friend of mine recently found a Singer 206, of which I am most envious. It's a pint sized version of the 306. You have a great machine and I suggest you look into making some denim bags. I made a bunch from thrift store jeans and people loved them. The skills you learn will mostly translate to to a bigger machine, once you find one. Then just start keeping an eye out. I started my industrial adventure with a Singer 111W153, commonly called an "industrial walking foot" machine which is a good range to land in. It's a good all around general purpose machine. Many other kinds serve equally well, maybe better in some cases. Have you looked at Wiz's treatise on leather sewing machines? https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/25239-the-type-of-sewing-machine-you-need-to-sew-leather/

l didn't notice that. Probably telepathic.

At 5:30 of this video, the lady is sewing those welted fingers with which you're struggling. I hate posting a yt video that might disappear, but it is what it is.

Interesting project. I see the difference in the 2 lengths, 219 vs 215.72. I wonder if that difference could be in how the old gloves stretched over the years. I've had similar problems trying to use an old hat I took apart as a template. Pieces just don't seem to like up as if expect.

From the lace at the top to the binding on the bottom, the first finger measures 5 3/4" long, all the way across. I can't see inside to see the details. It sounds like you're making a new glove?

What are you making that the three pieces wouldn't be the same length? 4 ounce leather really doesn't have any stretch that would lend itself to easing unequal lengths, at least as I understand easing from doing it with fabric. I'm going to move this to the Leather Sewing Machine sub forum.

I'm going to move you over to the Leather Sewing Machine sub forum. I'll be surprised if those parts aren't available.

I've got a scad of these old domestics, but no Pfaffs I'll agree with Friquant that the old Pfaff really should start slow and smooth and ramp up evenly. Foot controllers are often a culprit, The motor itself can be a factor. Most of them can be disassembled, cleaned, the commutator surface refreshed and new brushes installed. Plenty of youtube videos. Find one shows how to test the windings for opens and shorts. A multimeter can test the foot controller. I don't have any exact values to give you but the resistance should start off high and drop to zero or close enough with the pedal fully engaged and do it smoothly. Let us know how its going.

That cabinet manual might be interesting to important for Singer collectors. Cabinet information for antique machines is sketchy. Ismacs.net has a number listed but it's far from a complete list.

I wouldn't deliver a flawed product in this case.

Looks like about $140 US. If I'm going to part with one that I've gone through and made good as new, it takes at least $100 US to pry it away. Most people would rather go the Walmart and drop that same money on a less capable, low end plastic machine. The difference is a couple years of service vs a couple of lifetimes. Here's hoping this works out for you. I've made a lot of denim bags on 237's and similar Kenmores.

Depends. If it's a personal item and I can't fix it, I might live with it. If it's a sale item and I can't fix it, I'd start over.