Walking Foot Marks

[spurdude101]

I read on here some time back, but can't find it. some one figured a way to prevent the walking foot tracks on a finished piece. I like to finish up a piece by dying and stitching last to have nice clean white stitches. but then of course we have the foot marks. I have tried to line with electrical tape both sides of my stitch groove, and this works, but is expensive and time consuming. any ideas?

[dirtclod]

I think they said to back the nut off of the pressure foot on top and buff / polish your foot / feet.

[Wizcrafts]

Use a combination of tactics, including backing off the outer foot pressure, coupled with moving down one needle size with the same thread, or two sizes with the next thread size down. You may need to run the top thread through a lube pot to get it to feed properly in an undersized needle. Next, replace the throat plate with a narrow slotted plate, if possible. If you have a wide toe pressor foot set, change to it. This distributes the pressure more evenly than narrow toe feet.

If the machine is not walking foot, use a Teflon foot to reduce marks on top.

Aslo, a couple layers of masking tape under the foot track will absorb the foot marks, which allowing the leather to feed, if it is a walking foot, triple feed, or needle feed machine.

[spurdude101]

Use a combination of tactics, including backing off the outer foot pressure, coupled with moving down one needle size with the same thread, or two sizes with the next thread size down. You may need to run the top thread through a lube pot to get it to feed properly in an undersized needle. Next, replace the throat plate with a narrow slotted plate, if possible. If you have a wide toe pressor foot set, change to it. This distributes the pressure more evenly than narrow toe feet.

If the machine is not walking foot, use a Teflon foot to reduce marks on top.

Aslo, a couple layers of masking tape under the foot track will absorb the foot marks, which allowing the leather to feed, if it is a walking foot, triple feed, or needle feed machine.

Thanks for the reply's. help me understand; why would changing needle size and thread help with the track marks?

[Wizcrafts]

Thanks for the reply's. help me understand; why would changing needle size and thread help with the track marks?

A narrower needle requires less top pressure to keep the leather from lifting as the needle ascends. If you were using a #22 needle and #138 thread top and bottom, changing to a #21 needle, with #138 on top and #92 in the bobbin will give a good tight stitch, with knots well into the leather. But, the pressure required to hold down the leather is reduced. Therefore, you can back off the top pressure spring, or springs if you have two, reducing the visibility of any foot marks.

A side benefit to a smaller needle is a smaller exit hole on the bottom.

[Art]

That AND reducing presser foot pressure.

Veg tan differs and most of it marks in some way or another. You can smooth out those marks and close up the stitch holes with any good slicker, usually bone or polished steel. A fitters hammer (flounder) works great for this, but any polished piece of steel or wood or bone will do.

Art

Thanks for the reply's. help me understand; why would changing needle size and thread help with the track marks?

[Wizcrafts]

I have one set of pressor feet that I use a lot on rifle slings. They are left toe only. The original outside foot was leaving a really visible harsh line in the raised portion of the foam padded area and I got complaints. So I took the outer foot to my sander/buffer and radiused the the outside bottom edge, then buffed it to a high polish. This foot now leaves almost invisible, but smooth tracks that can be rubbed out easily. I also polished the inside bottom edge.