Locking Stitch On Tippmann Boss

[JeffGC]

I've had my Boss for a few weeks and I'm pleased with the appearance of my stitching, except with my locking of the stitches. I started with 277 thread and a 200 round needle, changing to a chisel needle. I typically start with two or three stitches and then turn the piece 180 degrees and start stitching. After I get started, my thread tensions seem to be fine. When I'm sewing in the lock area, the needle thread is not pulling the bobbin thread into the leather. As soon as I've moved out of the double stitch area, everything is fine. I adjust my bobbin tension so that I have slight resistance when pulling the thread through the needle plate. I set my needle tension with 1 1/2 turns on primary and 2 turns on secondary. I increased my primary but it doesn't seem to help.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Jeff

[Denster]

Jeff

That unfortunately is one of the bugaboos of machine stitching. You are locking your stitches the right way. The problem is that for the double stitches you are putting twice the amount of thread through the same hole and the upper tension is not tight enough to pull the loop into the leather. If you set it tight enough to do that when you get past the double stitches your bobbin thread will be on top of your piece. Not good. The only solution I have is what I do. After stitching I lightly case both sides of the stitchline and put the face on my granite slab and tap the backside with a cobbler's hammer this closes the holes and also generally puts those double stitch loops below the surface. For the really stubborn ones I have a needle size blunt awl that I use to poke their heads down.

[MBOGO]

I give myself about ten inches of thread from the top and bottom. I knot them togeather, and when I go to start a stitch line put one finger through the loop, then wrap it around a couple of fingers and start stitching, and that seems to make up for the lack of beginning tension.

[particle]

Have you tried loosening the bobbin tension? Mine was way too tight from the factory.

[Dwight]

I may not have your problem, because a long time ago, . . . I found out that starting out with 6 or 8 inches of thread and bobbin thread, held in my left hand for the first few stitches gets me started right. I stop at about stitch 10 or so, . . . reach back with a very sharp knife or scissors and cut both threads flush at leather level.

I then sew all the way around, . . . ending back up where I started, . . . so my locking stitches are the last stitches I make. I try to make any sewing I do, . . . end up in a circle if there is any way at all possible. It doesn't work on belts, . . . so sometimes I just start out, . . . double stitch the other side where I end up, . . . and take the 6 or 8 inches of starting thread and hand sew the lock stitches. Of course, . . . I don't cut it off as I said above, . . . because I know I'll need it later.

I also gave up a long time ago on factory settings, . . . I tightened up both top adjustments, . . . until I pulled the thread to the top, . . . tightened the bobbin until I pulled it through to the bottom, . . . tightened the top ones again until I pulled it through to the top again, . . . and then tightened up the bobbin again until it pulled it through to the bottom again. I then tightened up the top until I had a good stitch, well centered in two pieces of 7 oz leather, . . . then I locked the top adjustments in place with lock washers and nuts. It allows me to sew just about any part of my holsters I make without adjusting the machine at all, which was what I wanted. It works good for my belts also this way.

The back comes out better this way also.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Denster]

Jeff

Something came to mind as I was cleaning and checking my machne today. I noticed that my thread takeup arm bracket had slipped slightly and I had to adjust it. That can also cause somewhat of a problem with pulling the thread into the leather. The way you check for this is to hold your handle all the way upright firmly and try to push downward on the thread takeup lever. It should not budge even a little bit. If it does you need to loosen bolt SM100-17 and rotate the arm bracket CAR-11 upward untill it is in contact with the thread takeup arm and retighten bolt SM100-17. The spring has enough tension that it will usually pull the thread into the leather with normal sewing and cause you to miss that the CAR-11 is not in full contact except when extra pull is needed ie: when lock stitching. Just something to check out.