Singer 29k71

[outlawclayton]

Hello everone!!!
My name is Clayton, I live in Brazil and I just bought a Singer 29k71 
I already work with leather, and hand sew small pieces.
I've never had a sewing machine before, doing some research, I found the forum here, very good by the way
I've been a maintenance mechanic since school. The machine had been in the shoe store for over 40 years with a single family since new, but the electric motor was adapted. I managed to buy a pedalboard for it and it looked like it left the factory. Your stitching is perfect, your noise is sounding good. But I know very little, I've been studying.
I would like to know its main settings and fine adjustments so that I can keep my Singer always singing in tune... lol 
What needles should I use to sew leather?
What are the smallest and largest needle sizes I can use?
In these needle sizes, what is the thinnest and thickest thread that the machine works with?
If anyone can help me, I would greatly appreciate it.
Thanks for now 
Clayton Quintini 
Vinhedo SP Brazil

[Northmount]

3 hours ago, outlawclayton said:

I just bought a Singer 29k71

Moved your post to leather sewing machines.

[shoepatcher]

#46 thread is smallest, #138 is largest.  Needles  #16-#23.

glenn

[Wizcrafts]

Needle  "system" 135x16 (leather point) or 135x17 (round/sharp point for cloth or synthetics)

I use #69 (T70) bonded nylon thread to sew patches onto vests. If the leather is very thick, like a leather jacket, I'll move up to #92 (T90) thread.

I almost never run #138 thread in a Singer patcher. It will wear out the feed mechanism, causing ever shorter stitches, and the little spring inside the needle bar, and possibly also the hole in the take up lever. Furthermore, the tiny bobbins can't hold much #138 thread.

[Constabulary]

well, it depends - the OEM Singer medium-coarse needle plate is for needles up to #23 (22-23 is stamped on the OEM Singer 82234 needle plate). As Wiz  said, the tiny spools do not hold much of the thick thread. I´m using mine for #22 needles with 138 thread but to any thicker. Keep in mind this is a repair machine and not really a machine for producing leather goods.

[shoepatcher]

so true C!

glenn