Glove sewing machine advice

[Angiemarie]

Hi

I sew 0.3mm kangaroo skin gloves. I use a home sewing machine which has plenty of punching power but would love a walking foot machine. The issue I have is the underside / inside of the leather hide sticking on both the presser foot and bed. I have tried Teflon and roller feet, magic tape on the bed, talc on the flat side of the leather or to try and resist drag.

I have also purchased a vintage Singer 66k sewing machine and added an industrial roller wheel foot which works well for the drag issue. The issue now is the motor can’t sew very slowly - it humms and stalls at slow speed so I press the pedal harder then the machine takes off too fast - no good for sewing around tight small curves such as the top of the fingers. I have tried adjusting the belt tension, servicing motor etc.

Can anyone recommend a good machine that is capable of slow speed, good feeding and doesn’t use thick heavy duty thread please? I sew with a Schmetz 90 leather needle. thanks

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, Angiemarie said:

Hi

I sew 0.3mm kangaroo skin gloves. 

Can anyone recommend a good machine that is capable of slow speed, good feeding and doesn’t use thick heavy duty thread please? I sew with a Schmetz 90 leather needle. thanks

Are you aware of glove sewing machines? These are specialty post bed machines that are mounted onto industrial sewing machine tables that can have a servo for precise control. They have a tiny top profile that gets inside the fingers of the gloves.

Aside from dedicated glove machines, you could find a used post bed machine that already has a small roller foot and possibly a roller feed dog. These are used to sew hats and caps, or arm holes in shirts and vests.

[Wizcrafts]

Here is a YouTube video showing a glove sewing machine in operation: 

 

[Angiemarie]

33 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

Are you aware of glove sewing machines? These are specialty post bed machines that are mounted onto industrial sewing machine tables that can have a servo for precise control. They have a tiny top profile that gets inside the fingers of the gloves.

Aside from dedicated glove machines, you could find a used post bed machine that already has a small roller foot and possibly a roller feed dog. These are used to sew hats and caps, or arm holes in shirts and vests.

Thanks for your reply, I really anppreciate it annd for the video link - they are interesting machines…

I am aware of glove sewing machines but know of no one who has one or have not been able to locate one here in Australia unfortunately so I am unsure whether they would be suitable for such thin leather?  I do know some also use a Bonis type sewing machine but again cannot locate one (eg Singer 172) . The fur sewing machines are plentiful here but they don’t do a lock stitch so that’s why I have been experimenting with an older flat bed. Historical pics I have found show both the post type and flatbed machines in old factories.  I wish I also knew someone who made fine leather gloves….

 

[Wizcrafts]

1 hour ago, Angiemarie said:

I am aware of glove sewing machines but know of no one who has one or have not been able to locate one here in Australia unfortunately so I am unsure whether they would be suitable for such thin leather?  I do know some also use a Bonis type sewing machine but again cannot locate one (eg Singer 172) . The fur sewing machines are plentiful here but they don’t do a lock stitch so that’s why I have been experimenting with an older flat bed. Historical pics I have found show both the post type and flatbed machines in old factories.

I think you might have a good shot at it with a post bed machine that has a roller foot and a roller feed dog.

[dikman]

It sounds like your machine has a clutch motor - big, heavy and fast! It takes a lot to learn to feather the clutch on these to go slow (I couldn't do it!). If so what you need is a servo motor, possibly in conjunction with a pulley speed reducer. This will enable you to sew slow without worrying about it accidentally taking off like a runaway freight train.

[friquant]

4 hours ago, Angiemarie said:

I have also purchased a vintage Singer 66k sewing machine and added an industrial roller wheel foot which works well for the drag issue. The issue now is the motor can’t sew very slowly - it humms and stalls at slow speed so I press the pedal harder then the machine takes off too fast - no good for sewing around tight small curves such as the top of the fingers.

You may be able to gear down your Singer 66k. I did this by screwing a 245mm machine pulley to the existing handwheel of my Singer 31-15. Here is my post about it, with video showing slow-ish stitching. You would probably need to reposition your motor to make room for the oversize pulley.

[Angiemarie]

19 hours ago, friquant said:

You may be able to gear down your Singer 66k. I did this by screwing a 245mm machine pulley to the existing handwheel of my Singer 31-15. Here is my post about it, with video showing slow-ish stitching. You would probably need to reposition your motor to make room for the oversize pulley.

Thanks for your reply and linking to your post. I am thinking this may be my next approach whilst I see what other suitable machines are available over here. I love how you have solved your issue without it being too difficult to manufacture or source parts. I’m thinking I may try a 3d print a larger wheel to suit 😊

[AlZilla]

Speed reducing that 66 was my first thought but I wanted to see what others offered. Here's a pic of a speed reducer for an industrial. A little big but it illustrates the concept. You can also homebrew a unit with a couple of pillow blocks, 2 pulleys and some bar stock. 

Reducing the speed also increases the torque. I've got an industrial that I can run as low as 11 stitches per minute. Way too slow but very controllable as it increases in speed.

If that 66 can be controlled enough to work for you, it lets you work while you decide on and fund a genuine glove machine.

 

You could go here https://www.blocklayer.com/pulley-belteng and play with the potential speed reduction. I guessed at a 1/2" motor pulley, driving a 4" pulley that in turn drives a 1" pulley and then a hypothetical 3" hand wheel pulley. Driving the motor at 300 rpms gets 13 stitches per minute. Obviously, you can change any of that. It's the 3rd calculator down on the page.

If you do something like this, I'd make sure the foot controller is 100%. Those things can cause a lot of problems.

Edited 7 hours ago by AlZilla
Caused a rift in time. Fixed.