What A "walking Foot" Looks Like

[Wizcrafts]

I see a lot of members asking if this or that sewing machine is a walking foot machine. That question is usually asked by people new to industrial sewing machines, who have never owned a walking foot machine before. To help clarify the confusion about what a walking foot looks like I have posted some close up photos of my own National 306N walking foot machine.

You can see that there are two pressor feet on this machine. One is an outer foot, the other is an inner foot. The inner foot has a hole through which the needle protrudes as it goes down, then back up. The inner foot and needle both move together, in time with the single feed dog, which protrudes through a slot in the throat cover plate. While the needle and inner foot are down and moving the work, the outside foot is lifted off the material, allowing it to feed effortlessly. Even multiple layers are fed without losing alignment, because the needle has penetrated all of the layers and pulls them back together, assisted by the inside foot.

Once the needle has reached its full stitch length it begins to withdraw from the material. As the needle begins its ascent the outer foot lowers onto the work, securing it, then the inner foot lifts up and moves forward with the needle, to prepare for the next stitch. This action is referred to as alternating pressor feet, or walking feet.

This type of walking foot mechanism is known as a "compound feed" or "triple feed system." This is because three pieces are involved in moving the material: the needle, the inside foot and the feed dog.

In contrast, a standard sewing machine has but one pressor foot, which remains stationary on top of the material. It always exerts pressure on the work. All of the motion is caused by the feed dog under the work. This can cause multiple layers to be dragged out of alignment, unless the top pressure is reduced to the bare minimum necessary to prevent the material from lifting as the needle withdraws. Should the material lift with the needle there will be skipped stitches.

Edited May 2, 2010 by Wizcrafts

[TrustCommunicationConsent]

I see a lot of members asking if this or that sewing machine is a walking foot machine. That question is usually asked by people new to industrial sewing machines, who have never owned a walking foot machine before. To help clarify the confusion about what a walking foot looks like I have posted some close up photos of my own National 306N walking foot machine.

You can see that there are two pressor feet on this machine. One is an outer foot, the other is an inner foot. The inner foot has a hole through which the needle protrudes as it goes down, then back up. The inner foot and needle both move together, in time with the single feed dog, which protrudes through a slot in the throat cover plate. While the needle and inner foot are down and moving the work, the outside foot is lifted off the material, allowing it to feed effortlessly. Even multiple layers are fed without losing alignment, because the needle has penetrated all of the layers and pulls them back together, assisted by the inside foot.

Once the needle has reached its full stitch length it begins to withdraw from the material. As the needle begins its ascent the outer foot lowers onto the work, securing it, then the inner foot lifts up and moves forward with the needle, to prepare for the next stitch. This action is referred to as alternating pressor feet, or walking feet.

This type of walking foot mechanism is known as a "compound feed" or "triple feed system." This is because three pieces are involved in moving the material: the needle, the inside foot and the feed dog.

In contrast, a standard sewing machine has but one pressor foot, which remains stationary on top of the material. It always exerts pressure on the work. All of the motion is caused by the feed dog under the work. This can cause multiple layers to be dragged out of alignment, unless the top pressure is reduced to the bare minimum necessary to prevent the material from lifting as the needle withdraws. Should the material lift with the needle there will be skipped stitches.

Thank you, speaking as one of the people new to sewing of any kind I found that very helpfull.

[Wizcrafts]

Thank you, speaking as one of the people new to sewing of any kind I found that very helpfull.

Perhaps this will save you the stress of working your way up to a true walking foot leather sewing machine. It took me a few years of buying the wrong machines, then dinking with them to try to get them to sew thick belting, before I found a real walking foot machine capable of sewing 3/8" together.

Note my reply in the topic about 132k6 machines. I had one and got rid of it after dinking with it for three months. Just because a machine is big does not mean it will sew a pretty, perfectly spaced stitch, with heavy nylon thread, through multiple layers of smooth top grain veg-tan leather.

You really should go to see the Cobra machines in action and see if you can buy one on layaway. You are close to their shop and they have exactly the machines you are searching for. Otherwise, I fear you will waste a lot of time and money working your way up to a proper leather sewing machine.