Sewing machine help needed in western washington

[AdamDavis]

@Kgg Thanks for the info. How often does one need to change a needle? When the break? Get dull? Is there a good book on the subject of machine sewing you would recommend? I was already intimidated by how much I didn’t know,  now I’m pretty sure I need formal lessons. F’it! HAND STICHING it is!!!

[kgg]

44 minutes ago, AdamDavis said:

How often does one need to change a needle? When the break? Get dull?

There is really no rule to changing your needle. I change my needles when I start a new project or after 8 hours of use in most items. But if I see / feel a problem, I change the needle. Sometimes you may get a bad new needle, mostly it depends on the number of layers and type of material being sewn. I just recently had to replaced a needle after only a 150 feet of applying edge binding. Be it the overall thickness was near the limit of the portable walking foot LSZ-1, the needle wasn't a brand name needle and there was rubber with thick poly binding as well as other layers cotton and nylon. The needle was so dull it would prick my finger.

Needles are cheap but frustration is priceless.

kgg

Edited May 30, 2022 by kgg
word missing

[MtlBiker]

17 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

You need to hold the top thread back at the start or it will get pulled and wrapped around the shuttle and/or bobbin case race and jam the hook. If possible, hold both threads back equally. But, at least keep the top thread under hand tension until you sew 2 or 3 stitches. If it is inconvenient to hold the thread back, at least capture it under the outside presser foot and make sure the take-up lever is either at the top, or just moving down before you start to sew. This gives you a fighting chance.

Thanks for catching that.  I'd meant to say to hold both top and bottom threads as you start to sew, and I really didn't realize that it's only the top thread that really needs to be held.  I've been making a real effort to hold onto both threads as I start ever since I got a bunch of birds nests and thread jammed around the shuttle.   I just did some sewing an hour ago and only held the top thread and was surprised that it worked perfectly.  That saves me a bit of worry and effort at the start.

[MtlBiker]

4 hours ago, AdamDavis said:

@Kgg Thanks for the info. How often does one need to change a needle? When the break? Get dull? Is there a good book on the subject of machine sewing you would recommend? I was already intimidated by how much I didn’t know,  now I’m pretty sure I need formal lessons. F’it! HAND STICHING it is!!!

Needles are cheap!  Buy a bunch!  If you don't know about Wawak.com, check them out.  And sign up there so that you get emails of their specials.  I always buy 20+ packs of needles at a time when they're on sale.  And as @kgg suggested, you're probably using too small a needle for the 138 thread and leather you're using.  Get some 135x16 needles (for leather) in sizes maybe 20 to 24.  And some 135x17 needles for general (non leather) sewing. 

I once took a cooking course and the chef asked everyone how often we sharpen our knives.  Someone answered about every week or two.  The chef answered, oh, so you only cook once every week or two?  I mention that because it's like how often do you change needles... I also change my needle for every project, and sometimes even several times.  The slightest question about the needle... change it!  Much cheaper to change the needle than ruin a project because of a bad needle.  It's not only the point of the needle that could be blunt, the eye could also be causing thread to fray, and of course if you hit something a little harder, the needle might even be slightly bent.

[AdamDavis]

@MtlBikerThanks I will get a bunch! I just spent the afternoon trying to adjust the thread tension. For a device designed to speed things up it certainly consumes a LOT of time!

[Flatcapper]

Hello western Washington from eastern Washington. How goes the battle with your class 26 machine? Are you getting it sorted out? I ordered mine last week and was told 3-4 weeks out which seems strange for a machine that's supposed to be in stock. However good things to those who wait. This machine is close to my New Tech gc-8b cylinder arm machine. Its just all the little things that need to be learned. Thread to needle size, upper thread to lower thread, bobbin and upper tension (probably the most important). Once you get the hang of those few basics it gets pretty easy. My Thor 1541s has dual tension knobs. Try figuring that one on for size. Give me a shout if your in need of any constructive guessing.

[AdamDavis]

@Flatcapper to be honest I’ve more or less given up on it. 

[Flatcapper]

Why would you do that? Your not going to find an easier to use machine. They do take a little tinkering, but once you get the hang of it they sew so nice. Have you called the leather machine company for help? What is your biggest issue?

[dikman]

AdamDavis, please don't give up on it, you have a very nice machine there. Although I'm mechanically inclined and like to think I can fix almost anything, for most of my life sewing machines were a mystery to me and to be honest I was slightly intimidated by them, so much so that I if I wanted something sewn I had to get my wife to do it! When I got into leatherwork a few years back it was all hand stitching until a friend gave me his old Singer post bed that he didn't want. Believe me, it was a long slow process trying to figure out how to use it (coming with a clutch motor didn't help!!). So don't give up, you have an advantage over me in that your first machine is new (nothing missing or worn out to cause problems) and is capable of doing what you want, none of mine were (I make holsters) but I didn't understand why for quite a while. 

Unless you've been fiddling with some of the screws, nuts and bolts and re-adjusted things willy-nilly it should sew leather, you've got the right needles and it's stitching, the main issue is likely to be getting the thread tension correct - and that is going to be trial and error.

[AdamDavis]

@dikman thanks for  the encouragement. I’m still looking for a class of some type to expedite that “long slow process”.