anybody here use the holster needle plate for an Artisan or Juki?

[Regis]

Does anybody here use the holster needle plate for an Artisan or Juki? If you do, where/how does it help?

Thanks,

Regis

[Art]

Hi Regis,

It comes in handy when sewing up close to something that bulges. Like if you want to outline up close to the gun on a holster. Also good to have a right side outer foot to go with it. Basically, you use it when you have something that won't lay flat on the standard needle plate. Remember that you will lose some thickness capability using one of these, which is one of the reasons to have a LARGE machine for holster work. If you have over an inch of lift and can sew 7/8 to 1" thick, losing 3/8 inch to a holster plate isn't usually a big bother. Sometimes you will have to make presser foot adjustments to compensate, but it is not a big deal. Sometimes you have to take a file to it and make it a little smaller, here again no big deal. Needle plates are a little pricey so don't buy it to let it lay around in the drawer.

Art

Does anybody here use the holster needle plate for an Artisan or Juki? If you do, where/how does it help?

Thanks,

Regis

[esantoro]

Are there any special tweaks to increase the presser foot lift on the juki 441 clones? I'm also about to get a stirrup/corner plate and was thinking I'd use the narrow harness maker's foot with it.

ed

[bruce johnson]

Regis,

I use mine several times a week. In fact I think I spend as much time changing feet and plates as as I do sewing. Another reason to keep the second 2000 and set them each up differently. I use the holster plate whenever I am sewing gussets into firm leather, like on saddles bags and purses or zippered gussets into dayplanners. It allows the work to be up and provides an area for the gusset to stand up and and sew tight. Anyone who has ever NOT sewn across a wrinkle on a gusset corner can leave now. Since we are all still here, that is what I use it for.

I also use the stirrup plate for this too. The holster plate is flat across the top and both sides of the slot are the same width. The flat top makes it more stable for long runs with no sewing into a bend. The stirrup plate is rounded across the top and will make a sharper corner. It will reduce the turning radius and let me sew tighter corners in 3/4 gusseted things like purses, shaving kits, and briefcases. It also has a narrower lip to the left of the slot. That lets me get closer to the wood on sewn stirrups, and sharper gussets also.

[TimberWolf]

Art, Bruce,...would you recommend it for tack work? What is the best needle plate/presser foot for getting in close to halter 'D's and breast collar rings? Right now, I only have the plate and foot that came on my 3000. Thanks,

Tim

[bruce johnson]

Tim,

You just asked me about the one foot setup I got with the "saddler's package" and have not used. I have the harness maker's presser foot and have never hooked it on. It is supposed to be for sewing close to buckles and hardware. I put full or tapered fillers in my breast collars, bronc halters, and other straps that are about the same thickness as the ring. There is no lump from the ring and I can sew as close to the end of the filler as I need to. I just use my double toe and normal middle foot, or a single toe and foot setup. I use the normal flat slotted plate. Even doing a repair on something with no filler, I can get close enough backing up. There is enough lift on the walking feet and presser foot to get close enough. If I need to get closer in to a #5705 type buckle I use the holster plate. That raises up the work enough I can tip the buckle back more out of the way.

If you are anticipating doing different sewing applications, it might pay to look into getting the package of feet, plates, and guides. If they can price out the package well enough might be cheaper than buying a couple sets of feet individually. I never thought I would use the blanket feet (I have) and would have thought I probably should have played with the harness foot before now I guess. I use both the single and double roller edge guides a fair amount too. One thing about getting the attachments, the 441 clones show no signs of going away. You never know what your next machine will be, and all these should pretty well fit most of them. If not, there is someone out there who wants the foot you don't. After the Christmas orders, I will play with the harness foot and see what it does.

Ed,

With my stirrup plate I use the right toe toe foot and the narrow center presser foot. On my newer 2000, the double toe foot uses a wider center foot than the R/L feet. I don't know how universal that is from one seller to the next. If I use the double toe and the wide center foot, the walking feet are just barely on the right edge of the plate, and not on the left at all. They can push down, walk off, and twist the work and I sew crooked. The narrow center foot and the R foot will walk on the right lip. On the used Juki 2000 (from Ferdco originally too), the stirrup plate has a little wider ridge on the left than the new one, and not sure how it compares on the right.

[TimberWolf]

Bruce, Thanks for the reply! I will try a filler strip on my next breast collar. Guess I should go ahead and get some other presser feet too.

Tim

Edited December 15, 2007 by TimberWolf

[esantoro]

Regis,

I use mine several times a week. In fact I think I spend as much time changing feet and plates as as I do sewing. Another reason to keep the second 2000 and set them each up differently. I use the holster plate whenever I am sewing gussets into firm leather, like on saddles bags and purses or zippered gussets into dayplanners. It allows the work to be up and provides an area for the gusset to stand up and and sew tight. Anyone who has ever NOT sewn across a wrinkle on a gusset corner can leave now. Since we are all still here, that is what I use it for.

I also use the stirrup plate for this too. The holster plate is flat across the top and both sides of the slot are the same width. The flat top makes it more stable for long runs with no sewing into a bend. The stirrup plate is rounded across the top and will make a sharper corner. It will reduce the turning radius and let me sew tighter corners in 3/4 gusseted things like purses, shaving kits, and briefcases. It also has a narrower lip to the left of the slot. That lets me get closer to the wood on sewn stirrups, and sharper gussets also.

Hi Bruce,

I just got my needle plates in today: stirrup, holster, and flat slotted.

Do you have to change the constant height of the presser foot when changing from a raised needle plate to a flat plate, or have you found a happy medium? HAve you also been able to use the roller guide with the raised plates? I think I've already asked you this and you said that you don't use a guide but just go slowly and follow your stitch line. I'm thinking of getting some spacers and longer screws to raise the roller guide 1/8" to 1/4" if needed.

By the way, do you know of a good source for screws for the needle plates and the roller guide?

Rather than post a new topic, I'll give a run down of all my questions and concerns regarding these plates :

1. They are made of stainless steel, instead of the steel (attracted to a magnet) used in the nylon plate that came standard with the machine.

2. It seems that these plates are all made from similar molds (and made in China?), but is there a reason that everyone seems to be leaving out the lube hole on the stirrup plate?

3. The flat/low profile feed dog/needle guide necessary for these needle plates just barely skims the underside of the flat slotted plate and the stirrup plate. Should I ignore this, or should I start getting more familiar with my Dremel?

4. It seems that a bit of grinding might be necessary on the far right side of the flat slotted plate, so that it can be positioned in a way that the needle will enter the slot as much as possible in the center of the slot and not more towards the right edge. There's no real worry of screwing anything up because the screw holes allow for some repositioning of the plate.

5. Though not of tremendous importance, I'd like to pick up some bolts that fit more flushly in the screw holes in these plates.

Ryan Neel and Neel's Saddlery in Ohio has always been very helpful. I bought these plates from him for $100 apiece.

Ed

[bruce johnson]

Ed,

I have never had to change the presser foot height on mine when I change plates. Your setup with the Neel machine is pretty different than mine, so you might need to. My edge guide is also way different than yours. The Ferdco guides are not a low profile guide, but I usually am sewing with a right foot with the stirrup plate, and that does limit the effectiveness of the edge guide. I am usually sewing closer than the the foot width. Your feed dog system on the Neel and mine on the Ferdco are way different. Mine is smooth and has a diamond-shaped hole to bring the needle into line as it passes the hook. It does not skim the throat plate. My slots line up on all the plates the way they came, so I never had to mess with them either. The screws for my plates are pretty thin headed. If you can't find them at a decent hardware store, the sewing machine folks can ship them to you. Surprising how many screws and bolts can be bought at the local hardware store.

Regarding your question in another thread about your feed dog coming up through the slot in the throat plate, that is very reminiscent of my Adler 205-64. I think you will have to change settings to go with a new setup. FWIW, I liked my Adler a lot. I am happier with two 2000s sitting here than one 2000 and the Adler. I would set it up with the smooth plates and leave it. The one thing we have in common is that my raised plates don't have that center oil hole either - never noticed until you brought it up.

Your current setup is so different than mine, and I think talking to Ryan and seeing what he says about heights and grinding would be prudent. As an aside, my 2000 is pretty similar to the way Artisan sets them up. You can download the manuals off Artisan's website.

Happy Holidays,

[esantoro]

Ed,

I have never had to change the presser foot height on mine when I change plates. Your setup with the Neel machine is pretty different than mine, so you might need to. My edge guide is also way different than yours. The Ferdco guides are not a low profile guide, but I usually am sewing with a right foot with the stirrup plate, and that does limit the effectiveness of the edge guide. I am usually sewing closer than the the foot width. Your feed dog system on the Neel and mine on the Ferdco are way different. Mine is smooth and has a diamond-shaped hole to bring the needle into line as it passes the hook. It does not skim the throat plate. My slots line up on all the plates the way they came, so I never had to mess with them either. The screws for my plates are pretty thin headed. If you can't find them at a decent hardware store, the sewing machine folks can ship them to you. Surprising how many screws and bolts can be bought at the local hardware store.

Regarding your question in another thread about your feed dog coming up through the slot in the throat plate, that is very reminiscent of my Adler 205-64. I think you will have to change settings to go with a new setup. FWIW, I liked my Adler a lot. I am happier with two 2000s sitting here than one 2000 and the Adler. I would set it up with the smooth plates and leave it. The one thing we have in common is that my raised plates don't have that center oil hole either - never noticed until you brought it up.

Your current setup is so different than mine, and I think talking to Ryan and seeing what he says about heights and grinding would be prudent. As an aside, my 2000 is pretty similar to the way Artisan sets them up. You can download the manuals off Artisan's website.

Happy Holidays,

I don't think our two setups are that different. Mine came with a needle plate and feed dog that Ferdco calls a Nylon needle plate and feed dog (feed dog protrudes through needle plate and touches the leather, leaving light tracks). That is the needle plate and feed dog I changed today. I now have the flat slotted plate, which I think comes standard on Ferdco's machine, the stirrup plate , and the holster plate.

A hair sliver of grinding may be necessary on a couple of spots. As it is, the new feed dog ever so slightly grazes the bottom of the stirrup plate and flat slotted plate. If it's a problem I'll take the dremel to the underside of the plates.

What seems strange is that using the new set up seems to require less bobbin thread tension....more experimentation.

It's not a problem to drill a lube hole in the stirrup plate. It's just funny that everyone copies the same plate without noticing the hole is missing.

I've seen Ferdco's feed dog for this set up, but don't understand how the diamond shaped slot in it can guide the needle anywhere unless it actually touches the needle at some point. The new feed dog I have has an oval slot maybe a tad bigger than the slot in the nylon feed dog.

I may not need to change the presser foot height. There is 1.105" of clearance with the flat slotted plate. With the holster plate, there is .597" of clearance. If I need more, I will have to change the constant height of the presser foot. The clearance with the holster plate is .778". I think I'm good.

Thanks,

Ed