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Hi all. Back again with the Juki 1541 with its issues. When I rotate the hand wheel it is fine and smooth up until the needle gets to its lowest point. It then becomes very stiff and I have to use a significant amount more force to continue the rotation. I have felt the belt and although it does feel tighter at this point in the rotation it still moves if poked. Here's a video showing the point where it becomes very stiff. https://i.imgur.com/SVInN6b.mp4 Is this normal? My previous thread about the hook not stopping in the same place I believe is caused by this. If I set my needle positioner to stop at the point shown in the video, sometimes it will continue the rotation and kinda bounce back. I thought this was due to backlash in the gears however I now wonder if its due to the stiffness. It seems to need more force to get past the "stiff" point and then this is too much and it carries on the rotation when it should have stopped. Any ideas?

I've had a Juki 1541s for a couple years now that I use to sew canvas. It's a wonderful machine, but up until now I've not used it for leather. I was wondering if its ok to use this machine to sew one piece of 10/12 oz bridle leather to one piece of 18oz canvas? I tried it and the machine seemed to sew through it no problem, but I was using a regular needed rather than a leather needle to avoid cutting and weakening the canvas. Would sewing this on a regular basis, like for a couple hours once a week, ruin the machine? Is that pushing it beyond its intended usage? I can always just use rivets instead, but the stitching is lighter and more flexible. Also, is v92 thread appropriate for this, or would v138 thread be better? I'm completely new to sewing leather with a machine. Thanks in advance!

Hi there, This is my first post. I have read various threads over the last 3 month in preparation for making up my mind on what machine to buy and I finally settled on a used Juki 1541S. She is something like four years old, was used less than 50 hours for making cushions and seems generally to be in a good shape as far as I can say and here my problems start as this is my very first industrial machine and I do not really know anything about it. The first problem I have now is that after oiling the machine (I do not think that I put too much oil on the machine) I find oil on the backside of my sewing and is look like the bobbin thread is a bit oily too. Any idea on how to troubleshoot this? Thanks a lot Martin

Hey all, I own a Juki 1541s that I have used for years doing wallets and purses. I am wanting to branch out into horse tack - specifically breast collars and headstalls. The largest thread I've been able to use comfortably is #138 with a 23 needle. I am wondering if this is suitable for such things as breastcollars or do I need a more heavy duty machine? As long as my machine is well oiled I'm able to sew through 2 layers of saddle skirting but it is at the upper limits of it's ability it seems. Ideally I would like to continue with my Juki maybe make some modifications if possible but do not want to make tack that wont hold up! I have searched for an answer but haven't found a clear answer on this specific machine. Thanks for your input!

Hey everyone, I've been stumped with an issue with the tension on my Juki 1541-S for a while now. I was hoping one of the experts here would be able to help me. For context, I'm sewing mostly 15 oz waxed canvas, anywhere from 2-6 layers, using v-92 thread. Basically, the knots from each stitch are visible on the bottom of the seam. From everything I understand, this means I either need to tighten the top tension or loosen the bobbin tension, or both. The problem is that when I loosen the bobbin tension to the point that the knots are no longer visible there becomes visible loops on the bottom of the seam. If I keep the bobbin thread just tight enough that there's no loops and just tighten the top tension until the knots are no longer visible, I have to tighten it so much that the fabric actually bends as I'm sewing, as it gets pulled by the top tension being so much higher than the bottom. I'm sure there's a stupid mistake that I'm making, but I'm not sure what. any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance!

I just ran across new Consew machine p1206RB it seams to have the same capability as 206RB-5 with the same type of feet but for $950 vs. $1250 for 206RB-5 with the table and servo motor, I like that it has built in bobbin winder. Anybody tried them? Are they OK to work with leather? I found in my area they are sold by Vasey upholstery: http://vupholstery.com/wa/p1206rb.asp , anybody have experience with this guys? Is there anybody else selling these machines in Seattle area? Thanks.

I have recently started to work with a Juki 1541. After overhauling the timing and sewing successfully for a few days, the machine broke down mid-stitch. At first, I thought I'd have to reset a safety catch like on my Juki 1541S, but there is no such creature on this machine (the same button is there, but it is just a filler on the chassis - it doesn't connect to anything). Digging around underneath, I found that this little tine with a bump on it is catching in the hook assembly. I can't find anything about this part in the manual, figure out its name, or catch on to its purpose in normal operation yet. Here is a picture: Note: this is not an actual picture of my machine, just one I found online and marked up. Anything you can tell me about this part's name or function will be helpful to me. Also, if the problem sounds familliar and you know how to troubleshoot it, that'd be great. Thanks for the help, Brian

so, I have been lurking on here for about 5 years and became a member about 3 years ago. I have never posted, but I have read so much on what kind of machine to buy, I feel like I know you all so well, especially Wizcrafts, Bob from Cowboy, and Ron from techsew, and all of the leatherworkers, especially other bag makers. I currently make fabric bags on my Juki F600, which is their top of the line home machine. It's mainly for quilting and apparel sewing, but I have pushed it to the limits with my thick wallets, thick seams, and many layers in my bags and messengers. I even made a leather purse a few years ago, which worked out, but I knew I should wait for a proper leather machine before attempting again. With my current bags, I sometimes get skipped stitches at the seams where the straps connect and must hammer down any thick areas to help my poor machine through them. She really tries to work hard for me, but I know I am pushing her way beyond her capabilities. It has also limited how many layers I can put in my bags and how I construct them. I recently won a grant for Native women Entrepreneurs to invest back into my business and I obviously knew that an industrial machine was how I wanted to use this money. I was really leaning towards the JUKI dnu-1541s, but I knew that a cylinder arm was something that would be better for me. The JUKI cylinder arms are waaaay out of my $3000 price limit and so I decided on the Techsew 2700 pro. I ordered it yesterday after talking with Ron on the phone and hope I've made the right decision. If the JUKI 1541 had even a little bit better (smaller) freearm, I might have decided on that, but it is even wider than my current home machine and I want to make things easier for me, not harder. anyway, I just hope this machine is perfect for me and can really help with my current canvas bags, wallets, and clutches and move me into leather bags and wallets, which is where I want to branch into. I cannot wait to glide through thick seams and not worry about skipped stitches and breaking threads. thanks for letting me lurk for so many years and providing everyone who is leather-curious with some amazing information; I honestly felt no need to post before this because the information given on picking a machine was so thorough. again, wish me luck and I am sure I will be posting more often with newbie industrial questions.