Ah! Feed Dogs On Industrial Singer Scratching Leather!

[oliverv]

Realising this is an old topic, but somewhere down the line bound to be someone looking for any solution somewhere here.

For that tank tracks looking mark that the feeds dogs produce on the 132K6, I glued small pieces of foam cut a drawer liner on top of the feed dogs.

I only uses contact bond applied single sided.. I applied it generously hoping that it will 'bite' into the crevices of the tooth  I might want to take it off at some point when sewing canvas or webbing.

After a 30cm stitching, the foam started to give in (squashed). Don't know how long it will last, but so good so far

 

 

[Gymnast]

I am not that expierienced in leather Work. But here is what I think.

The other replies regarding more gentle feed dogs are important factors, and I hope, it can help you.

You write "scratching" - and not press marks. If the feed dog is scratching, it seems to me, that they have a hard time moving the leather and dont get sufficient traction. So if the feed dog scratch, then you may have to increase the forces on the presser foot to prevent that to happen. But you may then get press marks instead.

You need a high traction, if you have a high thread tension. The traction needs to overcome the thread tension while stiching. So if you can achieve lower thread tension, you will need lower traction. Lower thread tension can be achieved by reducing the bobbin tension, thinner thread or thicker needle. However it may reduce the quality and appearance of your stitches. So it is a compromice.

If you make long stiches, then a different presser foot like a big wheel pressure foot may help. The stich is formed when the thread take up is at maximum in the cycle and you get the actual tension in thread. With a wheel this is done with the thread going more upwards from the leather, and it gives less vertical tension in the leather. With a normal presser foot the tread will be pulled vertical from below the presser foot and up to the needle, and it also require a higher thread tension to overcome the more (compared to the wheel foot) thread friction near the leather.