Thread choices, new to sewing leather,

[ValJ]

Has anyone used Bonded Nylon Thread, Fil-Tec BNT69? And how does it stack up against Gutermann Tera Polyester Multifilament Thread - Tex 75 - ?  Or is there a thread that you absolutely love and use all the time?
I have a somewhat recently acquired Juki LU563 and will be doing canvas work, but I am also a beginner, leather sewing person and I’m trying to get needles and thread in for starting to practicing.  I had the good fortune of traveling near Tandy Leather in Grand Rapids Michigan and purchased some leather to get started on. 

[kgg]

52 minutes ago, ValJ said:

Has anyone used Bonded Nylon Thread, Fil-Tec BNT69? And how does it stack up against Gutermann Tera Polyester Multifilament Thread - Tex 75 - ?  Or is there a thread that you absolutely love and use all the time?
I have a somewhat recently acquired Juki LU563 and will be doing canvas work, but I am also a beginner, leather sewing person and I’m trying to get needles and thread in for starting to practicing.  I had the good fortune of traveling near Tandy Leather in Grand Rapids Michigan and purchased some leather to get started on. 

I am not familiar with the bonded thread but BNT69 indicates it is Bonded Nylon Thread in size V69 thread which is the same as Tex 70. The polyester thread size has do with how much weight there is in  1000 meters and in this case 75 grams.

Some things to remember:

i) Buy good quality thread made in North America like A&E thread (made in Canada and USA) but stay away from Chinese made non name thread particularly the 8 oz spools.

ii) Items that are going to be exposed to the outdoors or to bleach Bonded Polyester Thread will stand up better then Bonded Nylon thread.

iii) The V69 (Tex 70) thread is the "strong thread" is the thickest thread that the domestic sewing machines can handle and is really the bottom end size / strength wise used in industrial sewing machines. Some industrial sewing machines  really don't like trying to use V69. Your machines is rated to V69 to V138 thread and probably would prefer V92 as the smallest size of thread.

iv) The strength of V69 is 11 lb, V92 is 14.5 lb, V138 is 22 lb

v) When sewing leather with your machine use 135 X 16 with the correct size of needle for the size of thread you are using (leather needles cut through the fibers of leather) and 135 X 17 for fabric with the correct size of needle for the size of thread you are using (fabric needles push apart the fibers of fabric).

vi) A good reference chart for thread size to needle size can be found at: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

vii) Your machine should be able to sew close to 3/8" of material under the presser foot depending on the toughness of the material.

viii) If your machine came with a clutch motor change it out with a servo motor to get greatly improved sewing speed control.

kgg

 

[Handstitched]

I have a similar machine that I use for horse rugs, some canvas work  small upholstery jobs etc.  I use a 40 thread, looks like a domestic thread but strong as.  Its also a  Poly UV rated thread.  I also use the same thread on an old  Pfaff 60  that I use for wallets and thin leather jobs etc .  I used to use a gutermann upholstery thread when I first started leather work, but was  hard to find in bulk. 

HS

Edited October 3, 2023 by Handstitched

[ValJ]

12 hours ago, kgg said:

I am not familiar with the bonded thread but BNT69 indicates it is Bonded Nylon Thread in size V69 thread which is the same as Tex 70. The polyester thread size has do with how much weight there is in  1000 meters and in this case 75 grams.

Some things to remember:

i) Buy good quality thread made in North America like A&E thread (made in Canada and USA) but stay away from Chinese made non name thread particularly the 8 oz spools.

ii) Items that are going to be exposed to the outdoors or to bleach Bonded Polyester Thread will stand up better then Bonded Nylon thread.

iii) The V69 (Tex 70) thread is the "strong thread" is the thickest thread that the domestic sewing machines can handle and is really the bottom end size / strength wise used in industrial sewing machines. Some industrial sewing machines  really don't like trying to use V69. Your machines is rated to V69 to V138 thread and probably would prefer V92 as the smallest size of thread.

iv) The strength of V69 is 11 lb, V92 is 14.5 lb, V138 is 22 lb

v) When sewing leather with your machine use 135 X 16 with the correct size of needle for the size of thread you are using (leather needles cut through the fibers of leather) and 135 X 17 for fabric with the correct size of needle for the size of thread you are using (fabric needles push apart the fibers of fabric).

vi) A good reference chart for thread size to needle size can be found at: https://www.tolindsewmach.com/thread-chart.html

vii) Your machine should be able to sew close to 3/8" of material under the presser foot depending on the toughness of the material.

viii) If your machine came with a clutch motor change it out with a servo motor to get greatly improved sewing speed control.

kgg

 

Thank you for your very organized and well informed answer to my questions!  In planning to purchase leather Needles I find many different cutting points and have read of their uses. In looking for the 135X16 leather Needles I find a few less options but nonetheless multiple options for the cutting point, TRI, DIAMOND, PERPENDICULAR, TWISTED. Are there specific cutting points that you would recommend using that are best overall or a couple of choices to narrow the options for me to start with?  
your time is greatly appreciated!

[ValJ]

5 hours ago, Handstitched said:

I have a similar machine that I use for horse rugs, some canvas work  small upholstery jobs etc.  I use a 40 thread, looks like a domestic thread but strong as.  Its also a  Poly UV rated thread.  I also use the same thread on an old  Pfaff 60  that I use for wallets and thin leather jobs etc .  I used to use a gutermann upholstery thread when I first started leather work, but was  hard to find in bulk. 

HS

Thank you for your reply to my question. I appreciate that you took the time to share your experience with me.  I also have done Sewing for horses in the past when I had them. 

[kgg]

3 hours ago, ValJ said:

In looking for the 135X16 leather Needles I find a few less options but nonetheless multiple options for the cutting point, TRI, DIAMOND, PERPENDICULAR, TWISTED.

A good source for needles and thread I find would be Wawak.com and I prefer the Schmetz Needles whether for fabric or leather. A good article with a photo's of some of the various needle points and what your stitching will look like can be found at https://www.sailrite.com/leather-sewing-machine-needle-types

I would recommend changing your needle frequently. Needles and thread are least expensive part of a project. I change my needle after 8 hours of use, when I think it is getting dull, having a stitching problem, been a while since I used the machine last, before starting a new project which ever comes first.

kgg

 

[TomE]

9 hours ago, ValJ said:

In planning to purchase leather Needles I find many different cutting points and have read of their uses. In looking for the 135X16 leather Needles I find a few less options but nonetheless multiple options for the cutting point, TRI, DIAMOND, PERPENDICULAR, TWISTED. Are there specific cutting points that you would recommend using that are best overall or a couple of choices to narrow the options for me to start with?  
your time is greatly appreciated!

I like the appearance of the S point needle stitching and use it mostly for 15-30 oz bridle leather.  The TRI needle creates a more noticeable hole but is good for hard leather with little tension adjustment.  The Schmetz website is my go-to for needle information.  https://www.schmetz.com/en/industrial-needles/needle-compass/cutting-points/

[ValJ]

On 10/3/2023 at 7:18 AM, kgg said:

A good source for needles and thread I find would be Wawak.com and I prefer the Schmetz Needles whether for fabric or leather. A good article with a photo's of some of the various needle points and what your stitching will look like can be found at https://www.sailrite.com/leather-sewing-machine-needle-types

I would recommend changing your needle frequently. Needles and thread are least expensive part of a project. I change my needle after 8 hours of use, when I think it is getting dull, having a stitching problem, been a while since I used the machine last, before starting a new project which ever comes first.

kgg

 

That’s very helpful, thank you for taking the time to respond to my questions. I will be consulting the Sailrite information.

[ValJ]

20 hours ago, TomE said:

I like the appearance of the S point needle stitching and use it mostly for 15-30 oz bridle leather.  The TRI needle creates a more noticeable hole but is good for hard leather with little tension adjustment.  The Schmetz website is my go-to for needle information.  https://www.schmetz.com/en/industrial-needles/needle-compass/cutting-points/

Thank you for sharing your experience with me and taking your time to respond! I have used Schmetz needles in the past for Fabric. Sounds like a good plan to go with them. I will refer to the Schmetz link that you gave. 

[Northmount]

@ValJ Moved to leather sewing machines.

[Wizcrafts]

On 10/3/2023 at 1:31 PM, TomE said:

I like the appearance of the S point needle stitching and use it mostly for 15-30 oz bridle leather.

The Schmetz S point is NOT available in System 135x16, which is the designated needle system for the Juki LU-563. However, Schmetz DOES make the S points in System 134-35, in sizes 80 through 200. These needles are about 1mm shorter than the standard walking foot needles and were made for certain Pfaff machines.

In order to use the S points in a Juki 563, or equivalent, one must lower the needle bar 1mm, then check the timing of the hook. Some people, myself included, have been able to use the Schmetz S point needles, without any adjustments, in Singer walking foot machines that only sew forward, not reverse. The Juki LU-563 is often used with reverse to lock the stitches at the beginning and end. Sewing in reverse requires precise timing of the hook and needle. This could be a problem with the shorter needle, unless the timing and check spring were tweaked to the Tees. I would simply lower the needle bar to place the hook above the eye, as per the machine's specfs, and leave it there, only using S points, or other System 134-35 needles. The maximum sewing thickness would be reduced by 1mm.

[ValJ]

On 10/2/2023 at 2:29 PM, kgg said:

I am not familiar with the bonded thread but BNT69 indicates it is Bonded Nylon Thread in size V69 thread which is the same as Tex 70. The polyester thread size has do with how much weight there is in  1000 meters and in this case 75 grams.

Some things to remember:

i) Buy good quality thread made in North America like A&E thread (made in Canada and USA) but stay away from Chinese made non name thread particularly the 8 oz spools.

ii) Items that are going to be exposed to the outdoors or to bleach Bonded Polyester Thread will stand up better then Bonded Nylon thread.

iii) The V69 (Tex 70) thread is the "strong thread" is the thickest thread that the domestic sewing machines can handle and is really the bottom end size / strength wise used in industrial sewing machines. Some industrial sewing machines  really don't like trying to use V69. Your machines is rated to V69 to V138 thread and probably would prefer V92 as the smallest size of thread.

iv) The strength of V69 is 11 lb, V92 is 14.5 lb, V138 is 22 lb

v) When sewing leather with your machine use 135 X 16 with the correct size of needle for the size of thread you are using (leather needles cut through the fibers of leather) and 135 X 17 for fabric with the correct size of needle for the size of thread you are using (fabric needles push apart the fibers of fabric

kgg

 

Just in case, I didn’t see it before this information was so very helpful, and I continue to refer back to it, thank you, thank you, thank you!