The Type Of Sewing Machine You Need To Sew Leather

[tackmantoo]

I've been reading some of the queries on stitchers/sewing machines over the past month or so and it looks to me like some of you want one machine to do it all. I've been a leather crafter for about twenty years now and the best machine in my experience to do this is the Adler 205-370 as I can sew froma 120 needle with 69/69 thread on up to a 250 needle with 415 thread. You may have to make adjustments but, it will do purses on up to-. I understand the big shops set their machines up for one type of sewing job and leave it their and they have different machines set up for different functions which we probably can't do due to the cost. Another good "first" machine in my experience is the old W111 with a speed reducer but, it doesn't have reverse-you have to turn your material around to back tack. It's good for lighter leathers but, not anything heavy. The other thing that some of the dealers have told me to keep in mind that many of these machines weren"t designed to sew leather in the first place and may have to be altered-presser foot and feed dog. Also, with the cylinder arm I can convert it to a flatbed with a small table attached on top of the arm. The next machine I want is an Adler patch machine- due to the versatility. I hope this makes sense to you guys.. Later,Tackman

[tat2]

What about the older needle feeding system where the neeedle moves ahead and pulls the leather through... Its what the Pearson 6, Junk Ruh sd 28 and the adler 205-64 uses and by far is the best sewing operation I have ever used. barely marked the leather too..

When I left off my last post in this thread, I said that I would define the various types of "walking foot" sewing machines. So, here I go!

The home and industrial strength sewing machines I wrote about yesterday all come equipped with flat, static "pressor" feet (the foot shaped steel plate that presses down on the material and applies pressure). I detailed about how a steel pressor foot drags sticky material, causing shortened stitches and showed some optional replacement feet that assist the machines in moving leather and vinyl material properly. This ended with my statement that I recommended a true walking foot machine for sewing leather, rather than a converted flat foot, straight stitch machine. A straight stitch machine does not have zig-zag capabilities and is usually equipped with a flat pressor foot and the work is driven entirely by the bottom feed dogs.

The difference between flat foot, bottom feed (feed dogs), straight stitch machines and walking foot machines is profound. A walking foot machine may have any of the following drive configurations and still fit the walking foot classification.

1. Compound/triple feed: the feed dog, needle and inside pressor foot all move together, in synchronization. BEST OVERALL SYSTEM
2. Double feed: The feed dog and outer pressor foot move together in synchronization. GOOD FOR VINYL & NON-MARKABLE LEATHER
3. Jump feed: The needle moves the work as the slotted pressor foot lifts (with or without a dull tooth or smooth feed dog). BEST FOR HARNESSES, HALTERS AND HOLSTERS
4. Pressor foot feed: Used by all shoe patchers, the pressor foot has teeth on the bottom that move the work. WILL MARK VEG-TAN AND BRIDLE LEATHER
5. Snap feed: The feed dog pulls from the bottom while the outer foot pivots on a spring loaded hinge. When the feed dog drops, the outer foot lifts and snaps forward. GOOD FOR BUFFING WHEELS, CAR WASH CLOTHS

Of these types of machine I find #1 to be the best overall machine for a variety of leather and vinyl sewing. The triple feed mechanism ensures that there is no slippage of the layers of material (the needle moves the work with the feed dog), the alternating feet will walk over seams and back down, you can apply as much top pressure as needed to keep the material from lifting and it still feeds properly and you can hold the material fairly tight and it will still feed and give the desired stitch length (unless there is too much slack in the drive system).

The double feed system, #2, is typically used in portable walking foot machines that are designed for and sold to the marine vinyl repair industry. The teeth on the bottom of the outer foot move in time with the feed dogs and provide great traction on otherwise slippery and large vinyl boat and seat covers. However, these teeth will mark veg-tan and bridle leather pretty badly.

Type 3, the jump foot, is the harness makers choice. These machines may or may not have a smooth feed dog underneath, but always have a moving needle and slotted single pressor foot. When the needle penetrates the leather the pressor foot lifts up, then the needle moves the work back according to the preset stitch length. As the needle begins to lift, the foot comes down to secure the work against unwanted movement, or lifting, from a hot needle and thick thread. A sub-category of these machines includes needle and awl machines (more on that later on).

The pressor foot drive in the shoe patchers is meant for patching shoes, boots, zippers, holes in garments and handles on bags. The teeth under the foot are fairly aggressive and will create deep marks in veg-tan and bridle leather. Despite this, a lot of leathercrafters use shoe patchers for a lot of their projects. The real problem with patchers is the typically tiny bobbin they have, although certain models have a larger, double capacity bobbin.

Finally, the snap feed system is not much use when sewing any slick or waxy leather surface. This feed system was stock on the Singer 132K6 machines. I had one early in my sewing history and thought it was the cat's meow. That is, until I tried to sew the edges of a hand stamped and carnauba creamed veg-tan belt. The snapping top foot let the belt slide forward between stitches as it slipped forward prematurely, causing the stitches to vary in length all over the place. It did a good job feeding soft or roughed up leather and buffing wheels, but had a hard time feeding smooth grain leather. I don't recommend these machines for sewing most leather projects.

Interestingly, the snap feed system in the Singer 132k6 is the same principle used in the even feed attachments for the so-called "industrial strength" home sewing machines.

Aside from the snap foot system, which has trouble feeding slick top grain leather, all of the other walking foot systems provide a solid feeding system, with adequate top pressure to allow the operator to control the work as it enters the needle area. If you are stitching a large leather seat cover, a walking foot, compound feed machine will provide the best control and drive to pull the material through the work area, even if it is long and folded over the front of the table, or hangs around nose of a cylinder arm machine. All you need to do is make sure the material feeds the correct distance in from the edge and doesn't fall off the left side of the arm, or needle area. An edge guide really helps to stitch a defined distance in from the edge. You just need to hold or clamp the layers together and press them against the right side edge guide. The walking feet and moving needle do the rest!

If you intend to sew harness, halters, bridles, sheathes and holsters, a narrow slotted jump foot machine is the best for these jobs. Some machines offer optional feet that only have one left or right "toe" - rather than the slotted double toe. With a right toe jump foot you can sew right up to the raised edge of a molded case, or holster, from the top side. Also, since these machines either have no feed dog, or a totally smooth bottom feeder, they do no create tooth marks on the back side of the leather. This is especially important if you want to produce show harness and commercial holsters and Police gear.

In my next installment I will provide some pictures of these different types of walking foot machines.

Note, that I have not addressed the amount of clearance under the pressor feet yet. This is because that figure varies with various brands and the way they have been equipped by the seller. Most walking foot flat table machines will sew up to 3/8" of leather. Some machines are capable of sewing 1/2" and others, 3/4" and more.

Time to go to work. Lee Ya Sater folks!

[Wizcrafts]

What about the older needle feeding system where the neeedle moves ahead and pulls the leather through... Its what the Pearson 6, Junk Ruh sd 28 and the adler 205-64 uses and by far is the best sewing operation I have ever used. barely marked the leather too..

A needle feed - jump foot machine is preferable to a walking foot mechanism, as long as the material is taped, stapled, tacked or glued together. A standard top-pivoting pendulum needlebar doesn't provide the same timing at 3/4" up as it does for the bottom layer. It is the physics of the pendulum that causes bigger stitches to occur on thinner leather than really thick work.

On the other hand, a Union Lockstitch machine has a jump foot and true square drive needle feed. All layers move together at the same rate, whether 1/8 inch or 3/4 inch. Their brother-line, Campbell-Randall, are awl-feed machines, where the awl penetrates the layers, then pulls them back together (squarely). The needle only rises and falls on this type of machine. Either machine can lay a tighter stitch than any standard closed-eye needle machine. Both can sew with linen thread run through liquid wax. Their maximum thread handling capacity is 10 cords, left twist. That's like what is used on the soles of leather boots!

On most needle feed machines there is still a lot of top pressure required to hold down the leather as the needle (or awl) begins to ascend. But, the pressure is applied to the sides of the needle hole, not directly over it. That's why there is less puckering on the bottom of a needle feed- jump foot machine. By matching a narrow slotted throat plate to smaller needles, one minimizes the bottom puckering on needle feed machines. In some cases the owner will have to have these plates custom made. Other times, the manufacturer may offer narrow slotted plates as an option. Union Lockstitch is one that has such plates as an option. I'm fairly confident that the Campbell-Randall machines also have a narrow slotted cover plate available.

The same machines that can sew 10 cord linen thread into armor or hiking/combat boots can also be setup to sew 4 cord linen thread into show harness. I learned to do just that on a Randall stitcher, at Freedman Harness, years ago. At 10 stitches to the inch, using a #11/2 needle and 2 awl, the stitches were tight and beautiful, top and bottom. Walter Mitty would have loved to operate a Randall machine. All day long they go tapocketa, tapocketa!

Anybody wanting more information about the Union Lockstitch and Campbell Randall needle and awl machines can contact Campbell Randall, in Yoakum, Texas.

[Caffy]

Hello Wiz,

I need help! I am making holsters and now need a machine to sew them with. I have been doing them by hand, but business is picking up and so...... I am looking at a Consew 255RB-5 and and Adler 269-273. Also a Consew 227R Cylinder Walking foot. I have no idea if these will sew the holsters or not. I am new at these type of machines. Don't want to get the wrong thing. Do the cylinder type machines have an advantage to sewing thicker leather, other that the obvious one of getting into small spaces? I put a call in to Bob Kovar, but have not received a call back as of yet. I use 7-9oz leather, doubled. Thanks for your help.

This article is now being Tweeted on Twitter. Thanks all!

BTW: I am @Wizcrafts on Twitter. My tweets are mostly about computer and website security, malware threats and spam analysis, but I do make the occasional Tweet about my leather and sewing work.

Today is my birthday, so I probably won't be posting anything new today. I'll get back to this article later, or tomorrow. I know I have a contract sewing job to do sometime tomorrow. Maybe I'll shoot a couple of pix of my walking foot machine earning me some money. It may help someone who wants to sew similar leather projects.

I have shot a few movies of my machines, with my digital camera, but haven't figured out how to convert them from Apple .MOV files into WM .AVI files. I may see if YouTube has a converter and upload them there, for the world to see (in Flash format).

[Wizcrafts]

Hello Wiz,

I need help! I am making holsters and now need a machine to sew them with. I have been doing them by hand, but business is picking up and so...... I am looking at a Consew 255RB-5 and and Adler 269-273. Also a Consew 227R Cylinder Walking foot. I have no idea if these will sew the holsters or not. I am new at these type of machines. Don't want to get the wrong thing. Do the cylinder type machines have an advantage to sewing thicker leather, other that the obvious one of getting into small spaces? I put a call in to Bob Kovar, but have not received a call back as of yet. I use 7-9oz leather, doubled. Thanks for your help.

Caffy;

If your holsters are only going to be two layers of 9 oz veg-tan leather, a 227 type machine will do fine. But, it will be limited to using #138 thread. Most holsters are sewn with #277 thread, or thicker. To use heavier thread you will need to move up to a more capable sewing machine.

Some of the heavy weight sewing machines currently in use by our members are sold by Cobra, Cowboy, Artisan, Ferdo, Techsew, Adler, Campbell-Randall and Juki. Most of these companies have stitchers capable of sewing to and beyond 3/4 inch of hard leather. There are some that are fed by feed dogs on the bottom; some that have triple feed and some that have a needle and awl and jumping foot.

Since you are a beginner to industrial sewing machines, I would recommend that you use a simple to operate machine, like the ones we refer to as 441 clones. Based on the Juki 441 type, these machines come with cylinder arms in lengths of 9" up to 25". You might do fine with a 9" model, such as the Cowboy CB3500, Cobra Class 3, or equivalent in other brands. These 9 inch stitchers can be bought for about $1,800, plus shipping (some are more, some are less).

If you think ahead you'll anticipate that someone will ask you to build something too large to be sewn on a 9" arm machine. Fore-planning suggests a 16.5" arm machine, like the Cowboy CB4500, or Cobra Class 4, etc. These machines all use very thick thread, huge needles and have very large bobbins. All are sold with easy to control servo motors and speed reducers. These machines sew over 3/4 inch and sell for $2500, plus or minus, plus shipping.

The reason for the plus or minus in the pricing is that most dealers offer accessory packages that are optional. Also, prices may be going up due to money market factors.

[Caffy]

Thank you so much, that helps tremendously!

I called Ron at Raphael Sewing, he is setting me up with a GA5-1R I think. Its in my price range and takes the heaver thread and needles.

Thanks again and have a great day.

Caffy;

If your holsters are only going to be two layers of 9 oz veg-tan leather, a 227 type machine will do fine. But, it will be limited to using #138 thread. Most holsters are sewn with #277 thread, or thicker. To use heavier thread you will need to move up to a more capable sewing machine.

Some of the heavy weight sewing machines currently in use by our members are sold by Cobra, Cowboy, Artisan, Ferdo, Techsew, Adler, Campbell-Randall and Juki. Most of these companies have stitchers capable of sewing to and beyond 3/4 inch of hard leather. There are some that are fed by feed dogs on the bottom; some that have triple feed and some that have a needle and awl and jumping foot.

Since you are a beginner to industrial sewing machines, I would recommend that you use a simple to operate machine, like the ones we refer to as 441 clones. Based on the Juki 441 type, these machines come with cylinder arms in lengths of 9" up to 25". You might do fine with a 9" model, such as the Cowboy CB3500, Cobra Class 3, or equivalent in other brands. These 9 inch stitchers can be bought for about $1,800, plus shipping (some are more, some are less).

If you think ahead you'll anticipate that someone will ask you to build something too large to be sewn on a 9" arm machine. Fore-planning suggests a 16.5" arm machine, like the Cowboy CB4500, or Cobra Class 4, etc. These machines all use very thick thread, huge needles and have very large bobbins. All are sold with easy to control servo motors and speed reducers. These machines sew over 3/4 inch and sell for $2500, plus or minus, plus shipping.

The reason for the plus or minus in the pricing is that most dealers offer accessory packages that are optional. Also, prices may be going up due to money market factors.

[Caffy]

Hi all,

Just an additional note. I heard the GA5 can leave some marks on the leather when sewing, so was glad to know that before purchasing. I ordered a Cowboy 3500 instead. Really looks like a nice machine and I am looking forward to learning how to use this big thing. I am used to home machines so it will be a real change. Can't wait!

Happy leathering all.

Thank you so much, that helps tremendously!

I called Ron at Raphael Sewing, he is setting me up with a GA5-1R I think. Its in my price range and takes the heaver thread and needles.

Thanks again and have a great day.

[withsilverbells]

Thank you so much for your informative posts! I am new to this site and to the world of leather crafting, just beginning to shop for a leather-working machine. The information you've shared here is invaluable! Thank you for sharing your time and wisdom.

- Mary

[Wizcrafts]

Thank you so much for your informative posts! I am new to this site and to the world of leather crafting, just beginning to shop for a leather-working machine. The information you've shared here is invaluable! Thank you for sharing your time and wisdom.

- Mary

Yer welcome Mary! I hope it helps you pick the right machine from the get-go.

[Wizcrafts]

No matter what the brand name is on your big stitchers, or who sold them to you, keep the suckers oiled! Don't overlook the holes feeding oil to the hook area, or the walking foot parts. Also, unbeknown to some owners, there are tiny oil holes on the cranks inside the front faceplate. Remove the plate occasionally and use a precision oiler to place a drop or two inside each of these little holes.

Your well oiled machines are going to drip for a while, so keep an absorbent rag on and under the pressor feet and open front-bottom of the arm. Use pure clear Lilly oil to avoid severely discoloring your leather or cloth projects. Oil once a week for light use, or more often after big runs.

The faster you spin the machine, the more oil it will lose. If most of your work is done at very slow speeds, you can go longer between oiling sessions. But, do not neglect the hook area!

It is a good idea to initially operate at slow speeds, until the machine has had time to break in a bit. After a week or so, and a good oiling, you should be able to attain high speed operation without overheating the moving parts.

Lilly Oil is extremely thin and even though it coats the bearings and shafts, it is easily flung off by high RPMs and heat.

If you are not sewing very thick, dense leather, back off the top pressure housing screw (turn ccw - raising it up). Less pressure on the feet makes for less pounding of the moving parts and less wear overall. Too little pressure will allow the leather to lift with the needle, causing skipped stitches. So, reduce it carefully, testing as you go. Use only the minimum size needle that passes the top thread and forms a well positioned knot in the leather. The larger the needle, the harder the machine works to punch the leather.

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers reading this!