simianforce Report post Posted June 20 Can anyone comment on the range of the stitch lengths the Adler 30-1 can do? I have a line on one for about $500, wondering if it will suit my needs for shoemaking. I realize it's not as nice as a post bed or cheaper industrial, but it's the right size/"footprint" for the space i have available. Photos of the unit in question below, if you're interested! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uwe Report post Posted June 21 (edited) That machine looks like it’s in super nice condition! The only thing missing I can see are the thread tension discs on the front, not essential and easy to fix.The front mounted hand wheel is a nice touch. Hooks and bobbins are readily available and cheap. In general, patchers are not well suited for making shoes from scratch. They may be perfect for particular steps in the shoe making process, but they’re general not used to make entire shoes from scratch. They’re great for repairing shoes, bags, backpacks, etc. But then again, it depends on the type of shoe you’re trying to make. A friend if mine loves her patcher for making very specialized shoes/boots for her cirque du soleil type trapeze act, from scratch.Those boots are combination of soft ballet shoes and lace-up burlesque boots. The main issue with these type of machines is that the feet have very aggressive teeth to move the material and they are VERY likely to leave marks on the leather. That’s not a problem if you’re dangling from a trapeze fifty feet away, but it is a problem if you inspect the boots up close. It’s also not a problem if you’re sewing fabric or webbing straps. As for stitch length, I’m guessing it maxes out around 3-4mm, depending on material and traction. I put an Adler 30-1 at my maker space and can make some test stitches later today to verify. Edited June 21 by Uwe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted June 21 My Adler 30-7 can get close to 4 to the inch in 4-5 ounces of low density, sliick-bottom leather. This drops as the thickness increases, or the leather gets tougher or stickier and harder to pull through. It can be easier to pull longer stitches if you engage the thread slack controller mechanism to give more slack during the take-up cycle. This is something I learned on previous Singer patchers. If the stitch length driving cam is worn, you can push from the front or pull from the back to help the leather feed at longer stitch lengths (up to its effective maximum). If your machine also has a T-bar darning attachment on top, you can use it to cheat and pull the leather as far as you want per stitch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simianforce Report post Posted June 21 Appreciate you folks taking the time to reply! I’ve read that some folks will put heat shrink tubing on the walking food to prevent marking the leather, that was my plan. Not ideal but the price and size are right. If I determine it’s not for me, anyone know if $500 would be easy/hard to recoup in resale? No idea what they go for… Regarding stitch length, wonder what the smallest length would be on, say, two four-ounce pieces. Another question — does this machine accept various needle widths or is it pretty uniform? Thanks again, friends! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted June 22 8 hours ago, simianforce said: I’ve read that some folks will put heat shrink tubing on the walking food to prevent marking the leather, that was my plan. If you do that on a regular basis, see about getting a spare throat plate chrome plated and polished to a mirror finish. This will reduce drag and lessen the force needed on the foot. You may still need to help feed the material with your hands. Alternately, spray silicon or teflon lube on the flesh side of the leather (and clean it off later). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uwe Report post Posted June 22 I checked my Adler 30-1 and got about 3.5mm max per stitch. There are different size needles available for this machine. CAD$500 is a reasonable price for an original Adler. You can probably get that money back when it comes time to sell it, making the machine essentially free for the time you use it - gently. You can add a servo motor, but you don’t have to - it’s fully functional using all-manual mode. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
shoepatcher Report post Posted June 24 the 30-1 stitch length is a max. of 5mm. As time goes on the lobes in the bell crank wear reducing the stitch length to under 5mm. Your black machine was made before 1950. Adler started building them in 1900. Copied the Singer 29K. I have some parts. glenn Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
simianforce Report post Posted June 28 @Uwe, thank you for the reference photo! I'm happy to stay in manual mode, I like to take it slow. A couple more questions for you — is it possible to adjust stitch length on the 30-1? Also, I noticed some marks on your piece from the walking foot. Have you ever tried to adjust the walking foot (whether that’s smoothing it a bit or adding heat shrink or tape) to prevent marks? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uwe Report post Posted July 3 (edited) Yes, you can adjust the stitch length by sliding the little rectangular collar above the presser foot up or down. It provides the longest stitch length when the bracket is at the bottom. As for leaving marks, the presser foot top feed is the only thing that’s moving the material, so it’s needs to have grip either by means of the teeth, or some other, smooth-ish friction. A bit of heat shrink typing might do the trick. A totally smooth, slick foot will not leave marks, but it also won’t transport the material. Some people have experimented with filling the teeth with baking soda + super glue, and dipping the foot in some type of grit, essentially giving a sandpaper type surface. This, in theory, would provide good traction without leaving visible marks. Scraping some grit off coarse sandpaper would probably work just as well. The feet are relatively cheap, just buy some and experiment. When making custom belts from polyurethane belt stock by melting the tips on a hot box cutter blade, I noticed that the melted stuff sticks really well to the box cutter blade. I’d be tempted to try melting a small piece of PU belt in a tiny metal cup with a torch lighter and then dipping the foot into it. Might give a nice, soft-ish, sticky coating. Maybe dip the still-melty material in some grit. Eight years ago somebody described having figured how to attach diamond grit to a smooth presser foot, similar to making diamond coated cutting blades. It’s an electroplating process that’s perhaps not accessible to the average at-home tinkerer. I bought some of that special diamond grit years ago, but never got around to trying it out. Edited July 3 by Uwe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
