AlZilla

Simple, minimalist design and skillfully executed. This is at least your 3rd post showing the importance of practice with minimal tools and skill building over a shop full of the latest big name tooling. Every beginner should read these few posts before they start filling that Amazon cart. Thank you for posting these.

I'd take the tensioner apart and see if there's a burr or something else going on. Funny it would rear it's head right at a bobbin change, but it's worth a look. Another thought, make sure it's tight starting at the tensioner and not further along the thread path. Be sure where the problem starts.

Nice find @ChibiMethos! I don't see a copyright notice so I grabbed it and added it back to the original post. Thanks for your help.

@Stonehouse Leather Works I moved you over to The Marketplace under Business and Estate Sales. Nothing else seemed quite right, it looks like you're selling a business or part of one. Good luck with the sale.

So far, so good. We still need your asking price. See rule 5 below. https://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/70-announcements/ @PiggyPete

Those are called "hollow ground" in case anyone didn't know. Makes a huge difference when paired with the right size screw.

@PiggyPete Forum rules require shipping info (your willingness and cost) and an asking price. You can just add that in a reply. Thanks

Thanks. The seller site is a little thin on info. I'd have believed you without the movie ... On a related note, @Johanna, this is a 7 meg upload. We've seen a couple of large uploads lately. Has the file size limit been raised?

Maybe a dumb question, but does the feed dog(s) go up and down? Because "binding machines" we've seen here have feed dogs that go back and forth, but flat. Both the videos for that machine show it binding. Amazing you did this during the giant tariff kerfuffle and seem to have been unscathed. I wonder what all the fuss was about ... I've been reluctant to order anything very expensive from overseas even before the big kerfuffle, not wanting to get hit with some kind of import duty surprise.

Good call to stay away from the Heavy Duty. I'll let others chime in on the 29. Maybe you could mention what size thread you'd use and the max thickness you might want to sew. That'll have an impact.

Here's a link to a parts list: https://consew.com/Files/112347/PartsBooks/2457R-1A.pdf It shows optional cams for funky stitches, so if doubt it's heavy enough for the kind of leather we sew around these parts.

@dikman, I hear you. On my 151 and 153, they'll punch through whatever fits under the presser foot with a half horse servo and a speed reducer. Without the reducer it starts to get dicey at about 10 ounces of veg tan. She's got the servo,so we'll know pretty quick.

That looks like a nice machine. And it has REVERSE! I have the similar Singer 111W153 and 111W151 but neither has reverse. Looking back through this thread I don't see that anyone mentioned a speed reducer to go with that servo. You should read up on them in case you still find it a bit fast. Maybe with hand bags there won't be any need to dead slow sewing. Have fun!

Saddle stitching, 2 needles, like most people. I have a speedy stitcher and it can make a decent stitch, too (it's a lock stitch, by the way). I prepunch my holes for saddle stitch and have not tried punching on the fly with an awl. With the caveat that I'm only at this a couple of years, I just find stitching ponys fussy and inconvenient. Clamp the pony to the bench and the work into the pony and half the time, one of those things is going to move. Then you only get so many stitches before you have to shift the work. Projects like hats and holsters don't fit in them very well. I'm sure they do for somebody, but not for me. Knife sheaths, wallets, small stuff fits ok, but still fiddly. I find it easier to hold whatever I'm working on in my hands either on a workbench or just in my lap. Just my rookie outlook on stitching ponys. That said, a stitching pony is probably a good investment for most people who intend to saddle stitch. On the subject of not overbuying, I'd refer you to a couple of recent threads by an experienced crafter, making nice pieces using a small set of beginner tools. There are so many tools and methods out there, it's just hard to know what to buy when you first start out. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/125186-leather-projects-using-50-dollars-of-amazon-tools/ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/122892-back-at-tooling/ Practice - it's free except for the leather. Maybe grab a bag of scraps and practice sewing. There's a "Getting Started" forum. It might be worth poking around over there and maybe ask for advice on a beginner tool set.

@Rhoda - I split you out into a new topic. I assume you were inquiring about a Durokop Adler 268, since that's the title of the thread you tagged into. Please let us know if that's not correct. Also, I bet the sewing machine experts are going to want pictures, location and other info. Pictures are easily added via the "Add Files" button. 1.4 megs max size. If too large, reducing them to 800 pixels in the longest dimension will get the job done.

@Cumberland Highpower I can get to the site but it has a Cloudflare challenge. Not sure what you're seeing but all 4 of those downloads are 404. The poster hasn't been here in 4 years. Maybe we should consider deleting the post.

Welcome aboard! Both machines should be fun. Pretty satisfying, un-seizing those great old Singers and making them run again. Most of the time they don't take much. Good luck with it and feel free to share your work.

Can you sew your small items without a stitching pony? I don't care for them.

Yeah, I worried about 2/3 as well but I've done 2 now, including the one in the profile pic and they're plenty stiff after wetting and drying. The problem I've had with that one is the brim kind of potato chipping. It needs a binding. But, that one I cut from the belly. You're going to get a lot of compliments on that hat when you wear it around town.

All part of the service. Appreciate you updating the price.

So close, we just need a price. Also, slipped you to the Machinery/Sewing category. That machine is going to make someone happy.

Nice job. Have you used 5 or 6 ounce leather before for a hat? I've used both 2/3 and 5/6 and, for me, 5/6 is just too heavy. That's definitely my style of hat. Did you do anything inside? Sweat band, liner?

@LoriC - I moved you over to the Leather Sewing Machine area. I'd be surprised if someone here can't get you going.

If it's that super critical, I'd want it on a chest rig in some kind of spring retention holster. It looks like a person could grab it with their index finger and pull it loose. Maybe up on my left shoulder to grab with my right hand. The drawback would be an accidental discharge would be pretty bad that close to someone's face. It took me a while to figure out you meant running as in exercise, not fleeing from a bear and trying to spray over your shoulder.

Wow. If it's complete and in good condition, you stole it! Nice score.