Drop Stitch

[Luke Hatley]

A single toe foot exerts less hold-down than a double toe foot. A narrow foot also exerts less pressure than a wide foot. When sewing very dense leather, try to use the widest presser foot/feet you have for your machine. If this means you have to reposition your edge guide ahead of the outer foot, do so. Spread the top pressure out over as wide a path as possible, to keep the leather from lifting with the needle.

THIS HAS TO BE THE BEST INFORMATION THAT I HAVE HEARD TODAY.THANK YOU...

[mmirob]

I am having the same problem with mine. I never adjusted anything and it just started doing that. So frustrating when sewing a belt then having to back. I notice that it misses the stitch when it lifts the leather. I am sewing two 8oz veg tanned. I need to call Steve unless he chimes in here.

[Wizcrafts]

I am having the same problem with mine. I never adjusted anything and it just started doing that. So frustrating when sewing a belt then having to back. I notice that it misses the stitch when it lifts the leather. I am sewing two 8oz veg tanned. I need to call Steve unless he chimes in here.

Dropped stitches are often caused by lifting of the leather, as you are experiencing. The solution is simple: increase the top spring pressure! If your machine is a walking foot machine, and if it has two top springs for the two feet, see if the inside foot has an adjuster for its spring and tighten it down as well.

If you adjust the foot pressure springs all the way down and the leather still lifts with the needle, your only recourse is to either use a smaller needle, or a wider presser foot (set) (or run the top thread through silicon or oil lube in a lube pot).

Edited November 25, 2011 by Wizcrafts

[mmirob]

Dropped stitches are often caused by lifting of the leather, as you are experiencing. The solution is simple: increase the top spring pressure! If your machine is a walking foot machine, and if it has two top springs for the two feet, see if the inside foot has an adjuster for its spring and tighten it down as well.

If you adjust the foot pressure springs all the way down and the leather still lifts with the needle, your only recourse is to either use a smaller needle, or a wider presser foot (set) (or run the top thread through silicon or oil lube in a lube pot).

Thanks Wiz, I always appreciate your expertise here. I have the cobra class 4. Sewing with #25 on 277 top, 207 bobbin. I do know that it does have at least one top spring pressure knob...not sure if it has two??? As mentioned by many, the operators manual on these machines are quite lacking. Leather Machine Co should do several Youtube vids addressing many of these common adjustments, timing etc I am sure it would helps Steve's phone from ringing off the hook. Tippman actually has one of the best user manuals IMHO. Will try your suggestions immediately.

Wiz, when do you know to replace needles? Could a dulling needle also be a tell tale culprit?

Best,

Rob

[MADMAX22]

Yeah the chinese manual is crap. Ryan included a kind of manual basically a bunch of pictures and a few instructions which has been very helpful when I started. The chinese manual is only decent for finding parts incase you need to order something.

[Art]

Max is right about those Chinese manuals written in Chinglish. It is a good idea when buying Chinese machines to buy one that is a good clone of something common, by a known maker. For the 441 clones, it is not hard to find a Juki manual that is written in pretty good English. For Pfaff clones, the German manuals are pretty good in about three languages, including English. Singer clones have manuals up the wazoo, and so forth and so forth. Following the above practice also provides parts availability, both OEM and aftermarket.

Art

Yeah the chinese manual is crap. Ryan included a kind of manual basically a bunch of pictures and a few instructions which has been very helpful when I started. The chinese manual is only decent for finding parts incase you need to order something.

[Scary Leatherworks]

I wanted to say thanks to all that responded here it made for a good bit of learning. I was at my wits end with my new machine trying to get it working right again. When I got it, it worked fine but I wanted to try out all the plates and feet and somehow I got it out of time, although I still don't know how. I followed the directions on the DVD from Steve to re-time but still couldn't get it to not skip stitches. I emailed Steve the other day (I had already talked with him once) and he called me as soon as he got it. We had a long chat and he went into much better detail about timing the machine. I do agree that he would decrease his phone calls if he had some in-depth videos (although he is very pleasant on the phone) the timing is very tricky if you have no idea about it. For starters I wasn't raising the needle to the exact height just guesstimating. then the shuttle has that 1/4 play in it (clock/counter-clock wise) and I wasn't sure if the hook should be at the needle all the way clockwise or counter0clockwise. (does this even make sense it's confusing and difficult to explain)

Anyway I have it fixed and Steve was great and patient with my dumbness.

also I noticed mmirob is using #25 needles and 277 thread. I'm using #24 needles and 277 thread. Does this matter?

[lws380]

I was getting a few dropped stitches on my machine too. I realized how it happened. I notice one day the needle was not centered in the slot for the strap plate. So I centered it by loosening the plate and centering it for the needle. Then it started dropping stitches, but only a few. I read the manual and it said the needle has to be close to the left of the slot in the plate. Actually it says the width of a business card, which is not much.

So I loosened the plate and moved so that the needle was within a business card from the left of the slot in the plate. That is while standing in front of the machine looking down like you are ready to sew. One I moved it back as indicated dropped stitches went away.