David49

Thank you for all the helpful advice. I have now replaced the clutch motor with an R9-750E Redsun 750W servo motor. I have also made and fitted a speed reducer with a 3:1 reduction. I now have great control of the machine speed, but I'm still having some problems with thread tension. I have been using a 135x17 180/24 needle with some 3 cord nylon thread, but the needle is not a specific leather needle. The bottom thread will not pull up into the leather despite max top tension and very loose bottom tension. Stupid question - should I be using a leather needle and is 135x16 180/24 the right spec? David

Hello from England. Thanks for having me. This is my first post. I've had an old (possibly wartime) 111G156 for about the last 30 years. I bought it because it was available and was a good price. Unfortunately some things changed and it has sat in my workshop ever since. However, now retired and building a 3 wheeled kit car I decided to unearth the machine and try my hand at some basic leather upholstery and maybe a soft top for the car. Having cleaned and oiled the machine it all seems to work ok except for the motor and drive arrangement which consists of a 1/3 HP Singer clutch motor and a round section leather belt. The belt sometimes slips, the clutch may need attention and the motor wiring looks a little suspect. I have been reading on this forum that old motors can sometimes be dangerous, and together with the drive problems makes me think that a new servo motor may be in order. My problem is that I'm not sure what size of servo motor I would need. Could anyone offer any advice on whether the existing motor is likely to be original size, or whether a larger one would have been installed when new. My aim is to install a servo motor of the right size to enable the machine to perform as originally intended.