Seeking Singer 111W103 information

[Claire]

Hello,

There is a Singer 111W103 for sale locally for $175. The owner claims it can sew leather but has never used it himself. He making some other claims I find doubtful, too. My search of the internet as turned up a parts list but no other useful infomation. Does anyone knows something about this machine?

Claire

Edited November 20, 2009 by Claire

[CowboyBob]

Claire,

It's a good machine for chaps & thinner leather,we pretty much have all the parts in stock for it.

It does have a walking foot& needle feed & is well worth $175.00 but like a car give it a test sew & make sure it sews ok,they are alittle tricky to time & etc.

[Cobra Steve]

Claire,

It's a good machine for chaps & thinner leather,we pretty much have all the parts in stock for it.

It does have a walking foot& needle feed & is well worth $175.00 but like a car give it a test sew & make sure it sews ok,they are alittle tricky to time & etc.

Hi Claire, like Bob says ...it is worth $175.00 but you may want to consider a speed reducer to get the best results. Steve

[Claire]

Thanks, Bob and Steve. I will contact the seller and arrange for a test.

Claire

[mmoser]

To reduce this kind of machines speed down, could I put a 10" dia, 3/4" bore , v- belt pulley directly on the Motor?

Im making haul bags for rock climbing the material is real heavy and when the machine gets going that's when the stitching gets nasty.

Thanks

Myles

[Wizcrafts]

To reduce this kind of machines speed down, could I put a 10" dia, 3/4" bore , v- belt pulley directly on the Motor?

Thanks

Myles

HUH? I thought you wanted to slow down the machine, not speed it up!

A standard pulley on industrial walking foot machines ranges from 2 to 4 inches in diameter. I doubt that there is enough clearance under the table to mount a 10 pulley on the motor, but, if you did, you would double or triple the existing speed!

What you should do is install a 2 inch pulley on the motor, with a shorter v-belt to keep the motor adjuster in its mid-range. If the original pulley was 4 inches, this will cut the speed in half, at all floor pedal positions.

Alternately, you could just replace the clutch motor with a small servo motor, like the SewPro 500GR, which has a full range of speeds from deathly slow to medium fast. This motor is sold at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines.

[mmoser]

HUH? I thought you wanted to slow down the machine, not speed it up!

A standard pulley on industrial walking foot machines ranges from 2 to 4 inches in diameter. I doubt that there is enough clearance under the table to mount a 10 pulley on the motor, but, if you did, you would double or triple the existing speed!

What you should do is install a 2 inch pulley on the motor, with a shorter v-belt to keep the motor adjuster in its mid-range. If the original pulley was 4 inches, this will cut the speed in half, at all floor pedal positions.

Alternately, you could just replace the clutch motor with a small servo motor, like the SewPro 500GR, which has a full range of speeds from deathly slow to medium fast. This motor is sold at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines.

ooh don't want to do that. I'll check the motor out. what about servicing the machine its from 1961 Ive done all I can but somethings I just don't know why it happens. Could you recommend anyone or advice?

thanks

myles

[mmoser]

wizcrafts. What I'm making is Climbing haul bags they are made 0ut of 22oz vinyl coated polyester with a foam backer and other material such as seat belt webbing . The machine I have, this singer 111w103 seems to be plenty tough just a little out of control when I want to make a small stitch length. this is my first time using a clutch machine let alone industrial but wowsers that thing is fast. The needle seams to be shredding my thread any reason why?

Also all the climbing equipment has to be good thread for load bearing applications. could you recommend a proper thread for this? As well as my needles work (135x17) but should I have to adjust it up and down in its socket for it work ?

Thanks for your help,

Myles

[Wizcrafts]

wizcrafts. What I'm making is Climbing haul bags they are made 0ut of 22oz vinyl coated polyester with a foam backer and other material such as seat belt webbing . The machine I have, this singer 111w103 seems to be plenty tough just a little out of control when I want to make a small stitch length. this is my first time using a clutch machine let alone industrial but wowsers that thing is fast. The needle seams to be shredding my thread any reason why?

Also all the climbing equipment has to be good thread for load bearing applications. could you recommend a proper thread for this? As well as my needles work (135x17) but should I have to adjust it up and down in its socket for it work ?

Thanks for your help,

Myles

The shredding of the thread might be from heat from friction. Slow the machine down! Get a 2 to 2.5 inch motor pulley and a shorter v-belt to match the difference in diameter from the original pulley. Or, replace the motor with a servo motor, like the one I recommended in my first reply. I use that motor and am able to easily control the speed, from way under 1 stitch per second to about 10 or 12 stitches per second.

Shredding is also caused by using too small of a needle for the thread and work being sewn. Try moving up a size.

Perhaps a leather point needle will penetrate the package with less friction.

Or, it could be caused by the timing being slightly off.

You should not move the needle down in its housing, unless you are checking for timing problems. If the timing is out and lowering the needle fixes the skipped stitches, then the needle bar needs to be lowered that amount. Or, the position of the pick-up point on the hook needs to be changed to place it inside the cutout - above the eye, as it begins to ascend and form a loop.

Perhaps you will get better results with pre-lubricated thread. Use #138 bonded nylon, as that is the largest size your machine can efficiently sew with. You should use a #23 needle with #138 thread on top and in the bobbin.

You might be able to sew with #207 on top and #138 on the bottom, with a #25 needle, but you already are experiencing heat related needle and thread problems.

The only benefit of smoking hot needles is that the nylon thread lockstitch knots will tend to fuse together.

I'm sure you can find an industrial sewing machine dealer somewhere within driving distance.Otherwise, check with our member dealers, like Bob at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines, or Steve at Leather Machine Company (Cobra), which is in Highland, California. They both have banner ads on top of these pages, with toll free phone numbers.

Edited December 21, 2011 by Wizcrafts

[Art]

Something is backwards, a 3/4 shaft on the motor equates to about 5 HP or there abouts. The ten inch pulley sounds like you need to invest in a fabric puller and a clutch from a 1948 Lincoln.

You need a 2" pulley for your motor to replace the three inch it probably has now. Small on the motor, big on the machine head.

Art

To reduce this kind of machines speed down, could I put a 10" dia, 3/4" bore , v- belt pulley directly on the Motor?

Im making haul bags for rock climbing the material is real heavy and when the machine gets going that's when the stitching gets nasty.

Thanks

Myles

[mmoser]

Thanks Guys for all the advice. Wizcraft I'm going to place an order trough Toledo for the thread #138 and Needle #23. As well as for some worn out part and a 2" pulley if they carry them.

Thanks for not letting me hook up that ten incher oh man would I have been in trouble.

Also I'm Looking into a repair manual through Ron Kerbes Industrial sewing Machine repair In Los Angeles, Ca. to work on my timing issue. Anyone ever used Him before?

[mmoser]

How tight should the safety clutch be against the locking plate with two set screws?

Had to take off the drive gear- to tight the spring container for the clutch action. It was Falling Out.

Worked Out Nice!

Just How Close should the drive Gear me to the Plat, so the clutch mechanism will function?

Thank you.

[DavidMillsSaddlery]

Pictures? They make a size 25 needle for this machine, and I successfully sewed 346 thread with this machine for years in leather! Only drawback was the small bobbin!

[Rafter3]

On 12/26/2011 at 3:56 PM, turbotexas said:

Pictures? They make a size 25 needle for this machine, and I successfully sewed 346 thread with this machine for years in leather! Only drawback was the small bobbin!

could it handle thick veg tan? There is a 111w103 for sale locally for $500. I think I am going to get it if I can be certain it can sew through 12-14oz of veg tan.

 

[chrisash]

You would be pushing a very old machine to its extreme's, not really designed for that size leather

[DavidMillsSaddlery]

On 8/5/2021 at 12:56 AM, Rafter3 said:

could it handle thick veg tan? There is a 111w103 for sale locally for $500. I think I am going to get it if I can be certain it can sew through 12-14oz of veg tan.

 

It can do up to 1/4 inch maybe 5/16 of an inch… But as stated earlier, that would be pushing it! But for $500 go get it… I called mind my money maker! Because it is used more than any of my other 10 sewing machines…