Newbie questions (lot of them!)

[RaSk]

Hey!

I'm Alex from France, I've discovered a new passion for upholstery and I want to transform this hobby into a business as soon as possible.
My goal is to make upholstery for cars and motorbikes. I'm using only vinyl fabric for now but I hope someday to start using real leather! 

I have watched probably more than a dozen hours of YouTube videos (if Cechaflo is here, you're a god!), and bought the Lucky Needle course. I've also got probably 30+ hours of sewing and 30 hours of patterning experience for now.

I've got a lot of questions regarding upholstery, sewing, and sewing machine, to avoid separate topics I decided to post them all here (my biggest current pain is slow stitching).
 

1. Machine - I bought a Durkopp 239, it's a walking foot single needle. Was it a good choice? I can't really get my money back and I also don't understand the differences between all those walking foot machines.
2. Slow stitching - I have a Juki servo motor (JK-513-A) and a needle positioner. My current issue is that I can't do "less than 1 stitch point", it is binary: needle up or needle down. But I can't do an approach using my foot like Cechaflo does in a lot of his videos. Have I been tricked by the vendor who told me the servo motor was the best for my use? I tried using the M0 parameter (no synchro) but I still can't get it to work as I expect. Now he is telling me that I should buy an EFKA servo motor that is more expensive than the machine itself. I've seen Uwe's video with a thumb controller, it seems amazing, but can I do it with my current brushless motor? My first guess is that the needle positioner itself his blocking the wheel in up/down position, but the vendor seems to insist that it's not the case.
3. Presser foot lever - My foot lever behind the machine is very hard. Is there something wrong? It is a bit easier when I use my knee on the "under the table lever", but if I release it it's like a 10kg force that seems to be realeased.
4. Bobbin thread - I've read around here and seen on some videos, that it's better to use the same thread for the needle and the bobbin. I've also heard that you can use a thinner thread for the bobbin and it will make a better seam aspect. What is your experience regarding that last statement? And what are the downsides/benefits of both solutions?
5. "Reversible" sewing - As I'm borrowing the small CNC from my wife (Cameo 4 Pro), I was trying to digitize some patterns and then draw seam lines & cut on the backside of the vinyl with some nice results. Following the previous question, if I use the same thread for the bobbin, is there a world where I can sew from the backside of the vinyl? Mostly for a purely decorative seam, like drawing something on the back and stitching it from the "back" side. My understanding of lockstitch makes me think it is possible.
6. Felled seams - I don't know the correct terms for this question, but I think I do 99% of the time "felled seams". I'm doing small stitches for the "inside" seam and as long as I can in the "decorative" / strengthening seam. I have some questions: is it normal that the "decorative stitch" seems so hard? Would a bigger foot help me, a bulky one, like the one that comes with the Sailrite Ultrafeed? My current foot seems thin on the right side, and I'm probably sewing too close to the seam as I can see the "inside" seam a bit appearing. Is this the case? How can I improve my felled seam?
7. Open seams - I've seen some designs done with only "open seam" or a mix of them, basically skipping the decorative seam. They seem nice in some designs, but what are the downsides of doing that?
8. Presser foot guide - I've also bought (by recommendation of the vendor) a presser foot with an edge guide, exactly this one but 3 times more expensive, to do the decorative seam mentioned above, my issue is that it does small stitches. I've tried reducing the spring tension but still not very effective. It's probably not a good idea to use it for felled seams, is it?
9. Curves - I've been improving my curves skills but I still have a lot of difficulty with very sharp curves (like a 90° angle in 3cm / 1,2 in). I can do them "properly" (read "acceptable") maybe 1 out of 4 or 5 times, including a lot of relief notches and manual sewing (hand on the wheel, as I can't do approach, see question 2). Is this even possible? Or should I change my designs? Any tips? I've tried stapling but it's not really compatible with stress relief notches.
10. Patterning notches - I try to add as many notches as I can (maybe too much), but in general, do you recommend adding notches inside the curves and/or before/after?
11. Curves on curvature - When I do patterning, I'll have two pieces (let's say A and B ), but sometimes I end up with: A straight + B curved, A curved + B curved in the same direction, or worse A curved + B curved but in opposite direction. I guess that it comes from the curvature of the model (like concave or convex parts), but I still can't get my head around it. Am I doing something wrong?
12. Stress relief notches - Following the last question, I try to use "tension" relief notches (only small perpendicular cuts) as it's easier for me to do and foresee. I still rarely use "compression" relief notches (triangles to have less material and avoid wobbly material), should I use them more? In which case? For the "tension" relief notches, I find it easier to cut a lot of them thinly (like 2mm), it seems to help but the downside is that I can't use staples. Is there any reason I shouldn't do this (cutting thin tension relief notches)?

Sorry for the long post, here's a baguette and a glass of wine for your time: (oops can't include emoji, but the intention is there <3 )

Merci!
Alex

Edited July 5, 2022 by RaSk

[dikman]

Whew! Anyhow, welcome to the forum RaSK. The only one of your questions I feel even remotely qualified on commenting on is #2. It seems to me you would be better off without the needle positioner as then you will decide where the needle stops. There should be a setting in the servo menu to disable it. If you want really slow speed then fit a speed reducer pulley, this will let you crawl the needle if necessary, the downside will be a loss of top speed but with leather this isn't usually a problem. I doubt if a "better" servo will help as a needle positioner is designed to stop either up or down when you stop, regardless of the servo type.

I tried a positioner but didn't like it as it would sometimes put a stitch where I didn't want it (not good in leather!).

#3 I'm not familiar with your machine but it sounds like you have too much spring tension on the presser foot? Many machines have an adjustment knob/wheel/screw on top to vary the tension.

[SARK9]

2 hours ago, RaSk said:

........my issue is that it does small stitches. I've tried reducing the spring tension but still not very effective.

With many of the **import** presser feet I've purchased, the installed length of the foot assembly can be wildly variable, and your foot motions may be totally wrong in terms of the presser foot's lift timing and height, as well as the walking foot's actual usable loading of the work against the feed dogs for transport. This is usually a trivial adjustment on the Singer 111w** type machines, but I have no firsthand on the 'Adlers. There are several Adler owners that will know if that adjustment is similar to the Singer/Juki/Consew walking foot mechanisms, and if so, its well documented on member Uwe Grosses' excellent videos.

-DC

[toxo]

Welcome to the forum Alex.

I have the same machine and can do a stitch at a time simply by changing the handwheel for a bigger pulley. Very cheap to do. The needle positioner is very useful once you get used to it. I also have those presser feet with the spring guides, again useful in their place but they don't dictate the stitch size. Thats adjusted by the reverse lever.

[kgg]

14 hours ago, RaSk said:

Bobbin thread - I've read around here and seen on some videos, that it's better to use the same thread for the needle and the bobbin. I've also heard that you can use a thinner thread for the bobbin and it will make a better seam aspect. What is your experience regarding that last statement? And what are the downsides/benefits of both solutions?

I normally use the same size thread on the top and in the bobbin. Sometimes you want to highlight your top seam but don't need the additional strength that will be provided by the same size thread in the bobbin. The main thing to remember is the strength of the seam will only be as strong as that provided by the smaller thread.

 

14 hours ago, RaSk said:

Slow stitching - I have a Juki servo motor (JK-513-A) and a needle positioner. My current issue is that I can't do "less than 1 stitch point", it is binary: needle up or needle down. But I can't do an approach using my foot like Cechaflo does in a lot of his videos. Have I been tricked by the vendor who told me the servo motor was the best for my use? I tried using the M0 parameter (no synchro) but I still can't get it to work as I expect. Now he is telling me that I should buy an EFKA servo motor that is more expensive than the machine itself. I've seen Uwe's video with a thumb controller, it seems amazing, but can I do it with my current brushless motor? My first guess is that the needle positioner itself his blocking the wheel in up/down position, but the vendor seems to insist that it's not the case.

I would turn off the needle positioning then add a speed reducer pulley between your servo motor and the machines hand-wheel or change the size of the machines hand-wheel pulley. There are pulley size calculators out there that would help with sizing the hand-wheel for a given motor and pulley speed.

Are you binding the edges of the material??

14 hours ago, RaSk said:

Felled seams - I don't know the correct terms for this question, but I think I do 99% of the time "felled seams". I'm doing small stitches for the "inside" seam and as long as I can in the "decorative" / strengthening seam. I have some questions: is it normal that the "decorative stitch" seems so hard? Would a bigger foot help me, a bulky one, like the one that comes with the Sailrite Ultrafeed? My current foot seems thin on the right side, and I'm probably sewing too close to the seam as I can see the "inside" seam a bit appearing. Is this the case? How can I improve my felled seam?

If you were doing a lot of felled seams I would invest in a flat felled seam attachment.

kgg

[Wizcrafts]

16 hours ago, RaSk said:

Presser foot lever - My foot lever behind the machine is very hard. Is there something wrong? It is a bit easier when I use my knee on the "under the table lever", but if I release it it's like a 10kg force that seems to be realeased.

16 hours ago, RaSk said:

Now he is telling me that I should buy an EFKA servo motor that is more expensive than the machine itself.

You should back off the pressure screw on top of the left side of the head, over the presser bar. This screw pushes down on a coil spring that pushes on the outside foot. There may also be a second, smaller screw adjuster over the inside foot that can be backed off.

Perhaps your brushless digital motor is dependent on the needle positioner due to the way it was set up at the factory. If you want to change motors, look for an analog brush motor with a speed limiter knob, like the one on this page.

[RaSk]

Hey guys! Thanks for all the answers.
 

18 hours ago, dikman said:

It seems to me you would be better off without the needle positioner as then you will decide where the needle stops. There should be a setting in the servo menu to disable it.

I've tried disabling the needle positioner (the M0 parameter, M1 is "synchro activated") but it doesn't seem to have much effect besides stopping less accurately the needle. My guess is that the needle positioner, even disabled on the servo motor, has still a mechanical effect on the shaft/pulley, but it's a newbie guess.

17 hours ago, SARK9 said:

With many of the **import** presser feet I've purchased, the installed length of the foot assembly can be wildly variable, and your foot motions may be totally wrong in terms of the presser foot's lift timing and height, as well as the walking foot's actual usable loading of the work against the feed dogs for transport. This is usually a trivial adjustment on the Singer 111w** type machines, but I have no firsthand on the 'Adlers. There are several Adler owners that will know if that adjustment is similar to the Singer/Juki/Consew walking foot mechanisms, and if so, its well documented on member Uwe Grosses' excellent videos.

-DC

Here's a picture of the difference in stitch length: on the right max length with regular foot assembly and on the left various tries with the edge guide presser foot (reducing loading, reducing spring tension, etc.).
Now that you've pointed out, I've noticed the foot assembly is not aligned with the feed dogs for transport...... Is that it?!
Also my regular foot assembly has teeth underneath, and the edge guide presser foot has none.

 

17 hours ago, toxo said:

Welcome to the forum Alex.

I have the same machine and can do a stitch at a time simply by changing the handwheel for a bigger pulley. Very cheap to do. The needle positioner is very useful once you get used to it. I also have those presser feet with the spring guides, again useful in their place but they don't dictate the stitch size. Thats adjusted by the reverse lever.

Thanks for your reply. So you would suggest a bigger pulley and keeping the needle positioner? I've measured my current pulley I think it's between 70 and 80mm, so I'd guess 75mm.

 

5 hours ago, kgg said:

I normally use the same size thread on the top and in the bobbin. Sometimes you want to highlight your top seam but don't need the additional strength that will be provided by the same size thread in the bobbin. The main thing to remember is the strength of the seam will only be as strong as that provided by the smaller thread.

 

I would turn off the needle positioning then add a speed reducer pulley between your servo motor and the machines hand-wheel or change the size of the machines hand-wheel pulley. There are pulley size calculators out there that would help with sizing the hand-wheel for a given motor and pulley speed.

Are you binding the edges of the material??

If you were doing a lot of felled seams I would invest in a flat felled seam attachment.

kgg

Thanks, makes total sense for the bobbin suggestion! I think I'll keep it simple and use the same thread for both.

After watching some videos on pulley reducer it seems that it would do the trick.
Regarding the calculator I think this is the one: https://www.blocklayer.com/pulley-belteng.aspx
Are there standard dimensions I can/should use?

Regarding the stitching I'm doing, this is what I called a "felled seam" but I'm not sure it's the correct term.

 

4 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

You should back off the pressure screw on top of the left side of the head, over the presser bar. This screw pushes down on a coil spring that pushes on the outside foot. There may also be a second, smaller screw adjuster over the inside foot that can be backed off.

Perhaps your brushless digital motor is dependent on the needle positioner due to the way it was set up at the factory. If you want to change motors, look for an analog brush motor with a speed limiter knob, like the one on this page.

Thanks. While doing my pressure foot testing, I've almost unscrewed completely the pressure screw and it's a bit better now. 
My motor is still almost completely new so I guess I'll go for a speed reducer pulley solution for now, but thanks for the suggestion.

 

 

 

I've recorded this video of what happens. The worst part is sometimes when I'm trying to do 1 stitch, it does 3 or 4 very quickly.
I first thought it was my foot sensitivity issue, that I wasn't used to it. But I've tried manually, like adding grams of force, but still almost impossible to do 1 stitch.

 

Edited July 6, 2022 by RaSk

[toxo]

Those presser feet with the blades are meant to be used on an edge.

This is the enlarged pulley on my Durkopp Adler 69  (Similar on the 239).  It's 270mm diameter with a 40mm pulley on the servo motor. Total cost about £50 iirc. Note the needle positioner doing it's job.

 

[SARK9]

3 hours ago, RaSk said:

Here's a picture of the difference in stitch length: on the right max length with regular foot assembly and on the left various tries with the edge guide presser foot (reducing loading, reducing spring tension, etc.).
Now that you've pointed out, I've noticed the foot assembly is not aligned with the feed dogs for transport...... Is that it?!

Have a look at:   About 3:12 for a couple of things to check. At the point in the cycle where the presser foot should be holding the material down, try to wiggle it from side to side to check the hold down force. Also test when the presser foot lifts to see if the walking foot is pressing the material to the feed dog firmly,  and its moving in unison with the needle & feed dog. You may need to reset the heights & timing as is shown in the video to accommodate non-OEM feet and different materials.

-DC 

 

[dikman]

Have you tried reducing the overall speed in the servo menu? This should make it easier to control at slow speed, but to get accurate slow speed control you need to fit a speed reducer of some sort. Replacing the handwheel with a larger pulley, as toxo suggested, performs the same function as a speed reducer, I've done this on several machines. 

Your servo appears to be a fairly generic design, nothing special, but these really need some sort of mechanical speed reduction to get the control that most of us want for leatherwork. I'm surprised that the seller didn't suggest this.

[kgg]

10 hours ago, RaSk said:

Regarding the stitching I'm doing, this is what I called a "felled seam" but I'm not sure it's the correct term.

From your sketch I would say it is a British Standard 3870 class 2 lapped seam. Look at the  2.05.02 in the Coats Reference Guide to Different Seam Types under Numerical Designations of Seam Types ( www.coats.com/en/information-hub/Seam-Types ) or ( www.coats.com/-/media/Coats/Information-Hub/Seam-Types_tcm35-155172.pdf?rev=ab977c6d9977486f8312d07387f20bf3 ) for a better / clearer view of the seam types. I would suggest changing to a 2.02.01 or for more strength a 2.04.01 that way you should be able to get an attachment to do the seam in one pass. 

4 hours ago, dikman said:

Your servo appears to be a fairly generic design, nothing special, but these really need some sort of mechanical speed reduction to get the control that most of us want for leatherwork. I'm surprised that the seller didn't suggest this.

I agree but not surprised at what the seller is suggesting. Speed reducer either by replacing the hand-wheel or an intermediate speeder reducer between the motor and the existing hand-wheel probably costs less then $200 or put an EFKA servo motor on for $1000 plus. I agree with Wiz that a good start would be to replace the existing servo motor with a good old fashion analog brush motor with the speed rheostat for about $150.

My opinion is follow the KISS way, analog servo motor, drive belt, sewing machine. Once you put electronic controls in for the drive motor and needle positioning there are more things to go wrong. I don't use speed reducers, needle positioner's or electronically controlled servo motors on any of my machines. If I needed to lower the sewing speed I would seriously consider installing an intermediate speeder reducer but if I needed to add a speed reducer to get extra punching torque I would say I am using the wrong machine for the job.

kgg

[Constabulary]

Too many different questions fro just 1 thread I think.

I run 2 750W JACK servos (same as yours but with more power), on both I have a 40 / 50mm pulley installed and also a 1:3 speed reducer. I guess yours still has the original 75mm pulley so I would replace the pulley with a smaller one (easy task usually). You find them on Ebay quite cheap (come from China) - BUT - these pulleys have a 15mm bore some JACK servos come with a 13mm and some with a 15mm bore. If yours has a 13mm shaft so can use a piece of 15mm tube with 1mm wall to adapt it. You can also make adjustment on the starting speed. 500rpm is the lowest you can set BUT the motor will actually start at 200rpm (shown in the display) - at least my 2 JACK servos do.

cheap small pulleys:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323356609027

Motor speed adjustment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi09g49JksA

Speed reducers can be DIY made from some simple parts or you can also buy them from certain dealers. Not sure what sources you have in France but in Germany you can get them from SIECK. They sell internationally and they speak English.

https://www.sieck.de/en/machines/sewing/shoe-upper-sewing-machines/diverse-machines/?produkt=9237

But as mentioned before with a speed reducer installed the needle position will not work any more however the machine can be run very slow then and you don´t really need a needle petitioner. But depends on your preferences. I don´t need the NP.

Find more info about all kind of speed reducers here:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=speed+reducer+site%3Aleatherworker.net%2Fforum

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=speed+reducer+site%3Aleatherworker.net%2Fforum

Other than a speed reducer you can do what TOXO did (see above).  Also a question of preferences but both speed reducer or larger hand wheel work well.

The foot pressure on the 239 will be adjusted with a knurled screw in the center of the top of the machines - same as on Singer 111. The 239 Dürkopp has a lot in common with the Singer 111 but certain things are different.

If you need a manual for your machine you can use the Singer 111G156 manual partially (as I said it has a lot in common but is not the same) - other than that I can send you a Dürkopp 239 manual in German language if that helps.

 

Quote

Bobbin thread - I've read around here and seen on some videos, that it's better to use the same thread for the needle and the bobbin. I've also heard that you can use a thinner thread for the bobbin and it will make a better seam aspect. What is your experience regarding that last statement? And what are the downsides/benefits of both solutions?

Depends on your project. Usually a smaller bottom thread is used when you have problems with centering the thread knot in the center of the material but IMO thats a very rare occasion and mainly is when you sew thicker or dense (or both) materials but it depends. In lets say 90% of the cases I use the same thread size top and bottom. I rather go up with the needle size than using a smaller bottom thread. It just depends...

 

Quote

"Reversible" sewing - As I'm borrowing the small CNC from my wife (Cameo 4 Pro), I was trying to digitize some patterns and then draw seam lines & cut on the backside of the vinyl with some nice results. Following the previous question, if I use the same thread for the bobbin, is there a world where I can sew from the backside of the vinyl? Mostly for a purely decorative seam, like drawing something on the back and stitching it from the "back" side. My understanding of lockstitch makes me think it is possible.

Usually the needle entry hole (on the top side) looks better / cleaner than the needle exit hole (on the bottom side) so it may depend on your project. But I would generally sew from the side where the seam is visible on the finished product.

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Constabulary

[Constabulary]

Quote

Presser foot guide - I've also bought (by recommendation of the vendor) a presser foot with an edge guide, exactly this one but 3 times more expensive, to do the decorative seam mentioned above, my issue is that it does small stitches. I've tried reducing the spring tension but still not very effective. It's probably not a good idea to use it for felled seams, is it?

 

Not sure what you mean with small stitches in regard to the edge guide...

However it maybe be better to use a drop down guide which you can adjust sideways and in height.

Like this one here:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/143603133045

it mounts to the backside of your machine and you may need an adapter for mounting it (requires drilling and taping t

 

Edited July 7, 2022 by Constabulary

[dikman]

3 hours ago, kgg said:

My opinion is follow the KISS way, analog servo motor, drive belt, sewing machine. Once you put electronic controls in for the drive motor and needle positioning there are more things to go wrong. 

kgg

I agree, simplicity in electronics is always nice, particularly for people who aren't well-versed in the subject. I wonder, though, if being in France he will have the same problem I had - availability. Those analog speed control servos don't appear to be too difficult to get in the US but here in Australia they are not common and are expensive - if you can find one.

[RaSk]

13 hours ago, toxo said:

Those presser feet with the blades are meant to be used on an edge.

This is the enlarged pulley on my Durkopp Adler 69  (Similar on the 239).  It's 270mm diameter with a 40mm pulley on the servo motor. Total cost about £50 iirc. Note the needle positioner doing it's job.

What do you mean by edge? These were the only feet provided with the machine.
Regarding changing the handwheel pulley, I've read on this forum that it was not the most recommended solutions for several reasons. What are the pros & cons? Or why did you choose this over other options?

12 hours ago, SARK9 said:

Have a look at:   About 3:12 for a couple of things to check. At the point in the cycle where the presser foot should be holding the material down, try to wiggle it from side to side to check the hold down force. Also test when the presser foot lifts to see if the walking foot is pressing the material to the feed dog firmly,  and its moving in unison with the needle & feed dog. You may need to reset the heights & timing as is shown in the video to accommodate non-OEM feet and different materials.

-DC 

I've checked it is firmly held down at almost every moment of the cycle. There is a very slight position where the material can slip (pulling it with a lot of force), it is just before the needle penetrates the material when it switches between foot.
Overall it seems to be holding very firmly. Should I care/try to tune it because of this very slight position? I can do a video if you want.

(Fun fact: Your nickname is almost like mine, my favorite number is 9 and I have a Malinois -that stays at my parent's house-. )
 

10 hours ago, dikman said:

Have you tried reducing the overall speed in the servo menu? This should make it easier to control at slow speed, but to get accurate slow speed control you need to fit a speed reducer of some sort. Replacing the handwheel with a larger pulley, as toxo suggested, performs the same function as a speed reducer, I've done this on several machines. 

Your servo appears to be a fairly generic design, nothing special, but these really need some sort of mechanical speed reduction to get the control that most of us want for leatherwork. I'm surprised that the seller didn't suggest this.

I've tried tweaking every parameter of the servo motor using this manual
The V setting for max speed just limit the max speed/RPM, no effect on low speed. I've already chosen the lowest settings: 5.
The M setting for synchronizer mode as said previously has only a small effect on the final needle position (when stopping)
Z/L settings seem to be only a technician setting that impacts the V setting, so also no effect on low speed
C setting for torque, I haven't noticed any significant change
N low-speed setting (positioning speed according to manual) also has no significant effect

I've read here on the forum that it's common that sellers don't understand the need for speed reduction as 99% of the market wants speed. I asked for speed reduction, he got me speed limiting, not exactly what I needed.

5 hours ago, kgg said:

I agree but not surprised at what the seller is suggesting. Speed reducer either by replacing the hand-wheel or an intermediate speeder reducer between the motor and the existing hand-wheel probably costs less then $200 or put an EFKA servo motor on for $1000 plus. I agree with Wiz that a good start would be to replace the existing servo motor with a good old fashion analog brush motor with the speed rheostat for about $150.

My opinion is follow the KISS way, analog servo motor, drive belt, sewing machine. Once you put electronic controls in for the drive motor and needle positioning there are more things to go wrong. I don't use speed reducers, needle positioner's or electronically controlled servo motors on any of my machines. If I needed to lower the sewing speed I would seriously consider installing an intermediate speeder reducer but if I needed to add a speed reducer to get extra punching torque I would say I am using the wrong machine for the job.

kgg

As I said previously, I'd rather not change the whole motor for now. Buying an EFKA at 800$ for a machine that cost me 600$ (with a new servo motor) doesn't make a lot of sense to me and I do have not a budget for it yet.
 

3 hours ago, Constabulary said:

Too many different questions fro just 1 thread I think.

I run 2 750W JACK servos (same as yours but with more power), on both I have a 40 / 50mm pulley installed and also a 1:3 speed reducer. I guess yours still has the original 75mm pulley so I would replace the pulley with a smaller one (easy task usually). You find them on Ebay quite cheap (come from China) - BUT - these pulleys have a 15mm bore some JACK servos come with a 13mm and some with a 15mm bore. If yours has a 13mm shaft so can use a piece of 15mm tube with 1mm wall to adapt it. You can also make adjustment on the starting speed. 500rpm is the lowest you can set BUT the motor will actually start at 200rpm (shown in the display) - at least my 2 JACK servos do.

cheap small pulleys:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/323356609027

Motor speed adjustment:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi09g49JksA

Speed reducers can be DIY made from some simple parts or you can also buy them from certain dealers. Not sure what sources you have in France but in Germany you can get them from SIECK. They sell internationally and they speak English.

https://www.sieck.de/en/machines/sewing/shoe-upper-sewing-machines/diverse-machines/?produkt=9237

But as mentioned before with a speed reducer installed the needle position will not work any more however the machine can be run very slow then and you don´t really need a needle petitioner. But depends on your preferences. I don´t need the NP.

Find more info about all kind of speed reducers here:

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=speed+reducer+site%3Aleatherworker.net%2Fforum

https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=speed+reducer+site%3Aleatherworker.net%2Fforum

Other than a speed reducer you can do what TOXO did (see above).  Also a question of preferences but both speed reducer or larger hand wheel work well.

The foot pressure on the 239 will be adjusted with a knurled screw in the center of the top of the machines - same as on Singer 111. The 239 Dürkopp has a lot in common with the Singer 111 but certain things are different.

If you need a manual for your machine you can use the Singer 111G156 manual partially (as I said it has a lot in common but is not the same) - other than that I can send you a Dürkopp 239 manual in German language if that helps.

 

Thanks for joining in! I was reading some of your posts yesterday before bed time, glad to see you here :D 
Yep I thought it was maybe too many questions. As we've focused on machine, I'll probably do another thread in another section for the patterning/sewing questions.

You're correct, I just checked it is a 75mm pulley and it starts with "02" on the display so I guess it means 200 RPM.

I've tried unscrewing the pulley on the servo motor to check the shaft, but the pulley turns... Sorry I'm a real newbie on those topics 
Should I turn on the motor?

Thanks for the SIECK suggestion, it seems like a good option.

Reading a lot from this forum, I've found 3 solutions regarding pulleys:
- hand wheel pulley for a larger one
- servo motor pulley for a smaller one (I've seen even some 3D printed ones!)
- speed reducer 
I've also checked it's a 13mm shaft for the JACK motor.

I guess with those conditions DIY speed reducer or 3D printed servo motor pulley are the easiest/cheapest options?
I haven't seen long-term feedback regarding 3D printed pulleys, are they good?

Edited July 7, 2022 by RaSk

[RaSk]

1 hour ago, Constabulary said:

Not sure what you mean with small stitches in regard to the edge guide...

However it maybe be better to use a drop down guide which you can adjust sideways and in height.

Like this one here:

https://www.ebay.de/itm/143603133045

it mounts to the backside of your machine and you may need an adapter for mounting it (requires drilling and taping t

 

I've sent some pictures yesterday.
With the longest stitch setting, I cannot succeed to do stitches longer than 3 or 4 mm with the "edge guide presser foot" (it's not an edge guide like you sent, it's a presser foot with a guide in it).

I have a similar drop-down guide, not with a wheel but still a similar idea. The issue is for the type of seam I'm doing I'm not sure it's the ideal tool as it will have to lay on the material as well. I'll probably have to take a picture so you can see what I'm talking about.

[Handstitched]

Its a lot to read . I'm not an upholsterer, but   I used both ' felled seams & french seams '  when doing any upholstery . And while  you can't pin leather or vinyl like you would with fabric, canvas etc. to hold seams in place,  I use a basting tape when doing large jobs. . Thin double sided tape with a strong adhesive on both sides. Ideally  for thin leather or vinyl.   I tap/fold  the seams down with a flat hammer . 

HS

[dikman]

Those feet are edge-guide feet, they come in different widths designed to act as an edge guide to give a stitch line that is a fixed distance from the edge. In your first picture you can see drag marks next to the stitch line, caused by the guide part of the foot. It is spring-loaded so it can ride higher if the material is thinner than the depth of the guide.

As for pulley reducers, if you're handy you can make your own (I've made several different types). There have been quite a few posts about it on here, basically a shaft, a couple of pulleys and a couple of bearings. On one of my machines I replaced the handwheel with a large pulley, made a speed reducer too and could crawl the needle at one stitch every 2 1/2 seconds (servo was a generic type, similar to yours). Incidentally, I've found with my servos that although the speed setting does reduce the top speed it also has the effect of reducing the "sensitivity" somewhat as the movement of the actuating arm now covers a reduced speed range - if that makes sense.

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, Handstitched said:

I use a basting tape when doing large jobs. . Thin double sided tape with a strong adhesive on both sides.

I too use Leather Tape to hold seams and patches in place. Know that if you sew through the tape itself, titanium coated needles work better than plain steel at resisting gumming up. I also keep a dauber handy and dip it into a 4 ounce jar of Goof Off to clean adhesive off the eye of the needle when it gums up.

[Handstitched]

21 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

I also keep a dauber handy and dip it into a 4 ounce jar of Goof Off to clean adhesive off the eye of the needle when it gums up.

'Goof Off' . I had to google that . So far, I haven't had the needle gum up, yet. But  I do keep a good supply of acetone and a lot of Q tips ( ear buds)  , but thats a good idea. Thanks   

HS

Edited July 8, 2022 by Handstitched

[Wizcrafts]

5 hours ago, Handstitched said:

'Goof Off' . I had to google that . So far, I haven't had the needle gum up, yet. But  I do keep a good supply of acetone and a lot of Q tips ( ear buds)  , but thats a good idea. Thanks   

HS

Goof Off is the same thing, but different! ;-)

[RaSk]

 

Thanks all of you for your answers! I have already a lot to work on and digesting all the information.
I was already wondering on this forum when I started this new passion and searching on Google. Very glad to see it's so active and people are so kind!

I think I'll do a separate topic regarding the edge-guide feet as it's also linked to a "clone machine" question.

 

[suzelle]

Hello Rask,

Welcome from me too! Yep you got questions! LOL 

Wow, you sound pretty serious about the work of Auto Interiors. I just got into it fully myself, I'm not quite full time and working for a friend right now. Lots of vinyl, a little tiny bit of leather now but I'm going to move into some more leather after some time. I've been collecting machines for many years, but now focusing on the machines that are specifically for vinyl and leather. Yesterday, I bought all the roll ends of vinyl my friend does not have room for, so I have lots of practice materials now. What have I done? I have to unload my car. LOL!

I've posted some of my work but really should post more, as I'm turning out several Customer's jobs each week. I take the "before" shots and forget to do the "after" shots of my work. I must be better at that! Anyhow, when I have more time this weekend, I'll read the entire thread and all of your posts. Looking forward to whatever you write. Wishing you lots of success!