List Of Useable Leather Sewing Machines

[Wizcrafts]

List model numbers of the walking foot models that will do leather! or does a walking foot system automatically indicate leather? and sew thickness is very important when looking for machines! thanks!

TT;

A walking foot machine has the correct feed system for leather, but more is needed to actually sew the stuff properly.

Let's take one machine as an example. The Consew 206RB-5

This sewing machine has triple feed. The needle, inner presser foot and feed dog all move in concert, to feed the material. While the material is in motion the outer foot is lifted up. When the feed reaches the end of its stitch length, the needle begins to ascend, the feeder drops under the surface, and the outer foot lowers to secure the material. Finally, the inside foot lifts off and moves with the needle to prepare for the next stitch. The feed dog begins to raise up just as the needle and inner foot make contact with the top of the material and so it continues.

As normally setup (for upholstery), this machine sews really fast and furious. I'm talking about 3000 stitches per minute! If you sewed a leather belt at that speed it would catch on fire! So, the first thing one must do to an upholstery class machine is to slow it waaaaaaay down. This can be done by means of changing the motor pulley to one much smaller, adding a 3:1 speed reducer pulley, or swapping out the motor for a servo motor, with a small pulley.

Next, the top tension spring that ships with the machine is light weight and best suited to tensioning up to #92 bonded nylon thread. It will tension #138, but will have trouble pulling the knots up into a thick payload. So, a leather machines seller may change that spring to give you more top tension.

A stock 206RB type is expected to sew through relatively soft loads, like denim, upholstery leather, Naugahyde, cloth seat covers, etc. To sew harder tempered leather we need to change the needles to leather point needles. Larger needles are needed to poke a hole that is large enough to pull the knots well up into the hard leather. Sometimes this dense material changes the timing, so a leather sewing machine may be timed differently than the same one used for upholstery.

Then since it takes more pressure to hold down veg-tan leather between stitches, than vinyl or upholstery leather, we sometimes swap out the coil spring over the outside presser foot for one with stronger coils.

It is interesting to note that even though your machine has been altered to sew leather efficiently, it will not lose its ability to sew light weight materials. But, you will need to reduce the top tension and use smaller needles.

There are other changes that can be made to a flatbed or cylinder arm walking foot machine, to make it more friendly to veg-tan leather, but these are the basics.

[DavidMillsSaddlery]

Thank you!

TT;

A walking foot machine has the correct feed system for leather, but more is needed to actually sew the stuff properly.

Let's take one machine as an example. The Consew 206RB-5

This sewing machine has triple feed. The needle, inner presser foot and feed dog all move in concert, to feed the material. While the material is in motion the outer foot is lifted up. When the feed reaches the end of its stitch length, the needle begins to ascend, the feeder drops under the surface, and the outer foot lowers to secure the material. Finally, the inside foot lifts off and moves with the needle to prepare for the next stitch. The feed dog begins to raise up just as the needle and inner foot make contact with the top of the material and so it continues.

As normally setup (for upholstery), this machine sews really fast and furious. I'm talking about 3000 stitches per minute! If you sewed a leather belt at that speed it would catch on fire! So, the first thing one must do to an upholstery class machine is to slow it waaaaaaay down. This can be done by means of changing the motor pulley to one much smaller, adding a 3:1 speed reducer pulley, or swapping out the motor for a servo motor, with a small pulley.

Next, the top tension spring that ships with the machine is light weight and best suited to tensioning up to #92 bonded nylon thread. It will tension #138, but will have trouble pulling the knots up into a thick payload. So, a leather machines seller may change that spring to give you more top tension.

A stock 206RB type is expected to sew through relatively soft loads, like denim, upholstery leather, Naugahyde, cloth seat covers, etc. To sew harder tempered leather we need to change the needles to leather point needles. Larger needles are needed to poke a hole that is large enough to pull the knots well up into the hard leather. Sometimes this dense material changes the timing, so a leather sewing machine may be timed differently than the same one used for upholstery.

Then since it takes more pressure to hold down veg-tan leather between stitches, than vinyl or upholstery leather, we sometimes swap out the coil spring over the outside presser foot for one with stronger coils.

It is interesting to note that even though your machine has been altered to sew leather efficiently, it will not lose its ability to sew light weight materials. But, you will need to reduce the top tension and use smaller needles.

There are other changes that can be made to a flatbed or cylinder arm walking foot machine, to make it more friendly to veg-tan leather, but these are the basics.

[TwinOaks]

The jist of what I'm saying is that while yes, there are deals to be had, most people will come out ahead by ordering a suitable machine that is already set up for their needs.

Taking the consew 206-RB that Wiz mentioned as an example, I'm looking for something on the cheap-

I just looked and found a 255 for $375 buy it now + $49 shipping. ($425 total, and yes, I rounded up by a dollar)

Industrial sewing machine table: We'll go low ball on this at $99 as there are several prices listed shipping $59 (rounded again - $585)

Motor-~$115 for an electronic DC servo +$15shipping (yes, a new motor)......(that puts us at $715)

Add to this:

Cost of mechanic to check the machine and set it up...unless you happen to be a sewing machine mechanic...or you're willing to learn. If you're learning, how much time will it take and what is the value of that time?

Let's use easy math and say the trip to the mechanic or the mechanic's trip to you cost you $75 including fuel.....$790 total before figuring YOUR time. That's just over $300 from a new machine from Bob Kovar.......I think the used machines are a bit less expensive. Dare we calculate lack of production while building the machine?

In short, yes, it's possible to find good deals on used equipment- especially at auction lots, etc. But the machines are not set up to sew leather when they come from an upholstery warehouse. The average member of this forum will be faaaaaaaaar better off buying a machine from a dealer that specializes in tuning these machines to our use(s).

From the previous posts in this thread, I gather that you don't know a lot about the various machines. There's nothing wrong with that. You are asking questions and learning and I applaud you for that. But if your goal is to get a good sewing machine so you can sew leather projects, presumably for money at some point, then I ask you to ask yourself: Are you going to save more money by looking for weeks for the right deal than you would make in the same amount of time if you had the machine up and running?

I know to ask this question because I have done what you are doing. I still don't have my electric machine, but I do have a Boss, and it's exactly what I needed for the projects I'm doing. I looked around trying to find a 'fixer upper' machine for cheap, so I could save the money............. then just borrowed the money to buy the Boss. I paid back the Boss in 2.5 months, only working on the weekends. Spending the money on a good machine was the better decision because I more than tripled my output....which more than tripled my leather related INCOME.

When I get ready to purchase an electric machine (which is getting close) I'm not going to try to find something to rebuild. I'm going to call Bob or Steve, have the machine shipped, and be making things by the end of the weekend. Please don't consider JUST the 'up front' costs, but also consider the rest of them......the total economy of the purchase.

[DavidMillsSaddlery]

I am doing this as a hobby, as many others are... I had a full blown saddlery business 12 years ago, and yes if I was doing this in a retail location, as a means of supporting myself, and family then yes I would go the route you suggest...

I just recently bought a sewing machine for $160.00 that most want $450.00 for... it took me a week to find it, he had it listed at $275.00 saved $290.00 which some will go for rollers and dog feet and a spool holder...

I hope the next machine I stumble upon I can get cheap... I am still in the process of building work benches and tables! I haven't even started to pull out the tools from the boxes they have been in for 12 years...

I have a full time job, that pay's good enough that I can work part time!

[TwinOaks]

In that case....Good hunting on the deals, and many enjoyable hours in your hobby!

[eatsdeadrabbits]

This was a really interesting topic:thumbsup: until it got hijacked .