Holster Thread size(s)

[mliebs8]

I don't have the exact thread count on mine but the top tension is about flush (no threads showing) and the next one probably has about 4-5 threads showing in the nut.

[esantoro]

Thanks for the replies regarding tension settings. For those of you who to run 277/277 or 346/346, how would you describe the ease with which you can pull out your bobbin thread by hand up and out of the needle plate. I would say that prior to a month or so ago I had had my bobbin tension rather tight, tight enough to where if I had to pull out lengths all day I'd probably have abrasions on my hand. Now I have the tension set about as loose as it can possibly be. Any looser and the bobbin thread would start slipping out from in between the forked tongue of the bobbin tension clip/spring. Also the tension is set such that the thread can be pulled out with ease. I would say the bobbin tension is set as low as it can possibly go.

Ed

[Luke Hatley]

ED............imho. i have been told that the 346 thread on top or bobbin is designed

to be used in a Needle & Awl machine. i have tried it in my Sewmo and it pushes it to the limit

with veg tanned leather thicker than 9 oz.

I will use 277 & 207 have no problems...

then again i have no problem with sewing Latigo or thick chrome tanned leather with 346 thread.

[esantoro]

ED............imho. i have been told that the 346 thread on top or bobbin is designed to be used in a Needle & Awl machine. i have tried it in my Sewmo and it pushes it to the limitwith veg tanned leather thicker than 9 oz.I will use 277 & 207 have no problems...then again i have no problem with sewing Latigo or thick chrome tanned leather with 346 thread.

Thanks luke. I'll probably stick to 277/207and 346/277. Just always curious to understand further what exactly these machines can and cannot do.

I would love to be able to be a fly on the wall and see just how everyone operates their heavy stitchers.

Ed

Edited February 19, 2008 by esantoro

[Srigs]

I'm planning to use 346/277 route with my new Toro 3000. Boomstick great idea on the wetting the back side.

[bcurrier]

ED............imho. i have been told that the 346 thread on top or bobbin is designed

to be used in a Needle & Awl machine. i have tried it in my Sewmo and it pushes it to the limit

with veg tanned leather thicker than 9 oz.

I will use 277 & 207 have no problems...

then again i have no problem with sewing Latigo or thick chrome tanned leather with 346 thread.

Far heavier threads than 346 are used widely in needle machines in far heavier material weights than veg tanned leather. It's common in cheap marine sewing, for example, to stitch with heavy thread right through both material and plywood when making seats. Technical textiles, like safety equipment and cargo slings, are sewn on needle machines, too. While it's true that the super-duty machines have to be beefed up to take the stress, 346 isn't a stretch for a machine that's designed to handle 277, at least in the top thread. It may be too much for the bobbin in your machine without some adjustments, though.

Given your description, if you're having trouble with 346, it's more likely the thread, needle and leather weight combination than the machine itself, or thread per se. Piercing the leather isn't the issue, as I assume you have no problem stitching with lighter threads in veg tanned leather well over 9oz.

The dimensions of the needle scarf and groove determine how the thread is pulled and tensioned for a given thread and material weight. Most people think about sewing tension as only a balance between top and bobbin tensions. The reality is that the material itself and the needle play critical roles, one reason that bobbin tension is so forgiving.

Describing it another way, if you use the right needle and thread combination for a given weight, varying the top tension over any reasonable range will move the stitch lock a bit, but you'll sew successfully. Use the wrong needle and thread combination for the material, and you'll get a mess that looks like a tension problem, but isn't. It will feel like pushing the machine, particularly with too small a needle, as the thread won't sit properly in the groove and will jam and pull. The fact that you can sew latigo but not veg tanned leather in the same weights points all the more to the needle, as the latigo will be more forgiving of the groove sizing.

Chances are pretty high that you're using the wrong needle in the veg tanned leather, or at the outside, have 346 thread that is unusually thick. You could try 346 in the top with 207 or 277 in the bobbin, using a larger needle. You could also try another needle brand and, of course, different thread. Good luck. Sometimes it takes some figuring out.

Bill