Thread Lube

[colttrainer]

Good day all

First good sewing machine coming, should be here this week. I was woundering what is the best thread lube to use. Have not asked he dealer what they recommend figured this would be the place to come. that way not getting just what the dealer sells.

Thanks Al

[Art]

Hi Al,

The industry standard is silicone thread lube, one of the major producers is clearco and folks like Weaver and Campbell-Bosworth handle it in quart to gallon sizes. Industry wide, it usually comes in 5 gallon pails and 55 gallon drums. In the sewing industry, they dunk the whole spool in it for 5 minutes or so, of course those machines are running somewhere near the speed of light so the more the better. It is pretty much stainless.

Art

  On 3/2/2010 at 3:28 PM, colttrainer said:

Good day all

First good sewing machine coming, should be here this week. I was woundering what is the best thread lube to use. Have not asked he dealer what they recommend figured this would be the place to come. that way not getting just what the dealer sells.

Thanks Al

[colttrainer]

  On 3/2/2010 at 3:49 PM, Art said:

Hi Al,

The industry standard is silicone thread lube, one of the major producers is clearco and folks like Weaver and Campbell-Bosworth handle it in quart to gallon sizes. Industry wide, it usually comes in 5 gallon pails and 55 gallon drums. In the sewing industry, they dunk the whole spool in it for 5 minutes or so, of course those machines are running somewhere near the speed of light so the more the better. It is pretty much stainless.

Art

Thanks for that Art.

[amuckart]

I'm coming to all this from a background of hand stitching with threads waxed with hand wax, which is sticky and contributes a lot to the lock of the stitch.

If you machine sew with lubricated thread how does it affect the lock of the stitch in the long term?

Thanks.

[esantoro]

I've got some surplus from a 5-gallon pail/box of Clearco. I can sell some off at around cost at $.25 per oz in minimums of 20 ounces (the Vitamin Water and Gatorade bottles. This should be less than half the price elsewhere. I should have about a gallon to spare.

I think silicone thread lube does assist the thread running through the guides as well as the lock forming somewhere in the middle of the leather. It would be interesting to see the difference on very dry veg tan, with and without thread lube.

  On 3/8/2010 at 8:56 AM, amuckart said:

I'm coming to all this from a background of hand stitching with threads waxed with hand wax, which is sticky and contributes a lot to the lock of the stitch.

If you machine sew with lubricated thread how does it affect the lock of the stitch in the long term?

Thanks.

[Art]

Dry veg tan makes all sorts of noises when machine sewing, it sometimes sounds like there is something wrong with the machine.

Art

  On 3/8/2010 at 10:58 PM, esantoro said:

I've got some surplus from a 5-gallon pail/box of Clearco. I can sell some off at around cost at $.25 per oz in minimums of 20 ounces (the Vitamin Water and Gatorade bottles. This should be less than half the price elsewhere. I should have about a gallon to spare.

I think silicone thread lube does assist the thread running through the guides as well as the lock forming somewhere in the middle of the leather. It would be interesting to see the difference on very dry veg tan, with and without thread lube.

[ryano]

  On 3/8/2010 at 8:56 AM, amuckart said:

I'm coming to all this from a background of hand stitching with threads waxed with hand wax, which is sticky and contributes a lot to the lock of the stitch.

If you machine sew with lubricated thread how does it affect the lock of the stitch in the long term?

Thanks.

If you are wanting to lock the thread, then do not use a silicone lube. I would use Frankel stitching wax or Selari's stitching wax. Frankel is made by Fiebings. I, myself, do not like using silicone lube in anything made for a horse because I like to lock the thread.