ELeBlanc Report post Posted February 8, 2012 It came from an out of business Harness Shop. I can't provide any other info. Thanks in Advance. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted February 8, 2012 It appears to be a Frobana or Gritzner manually cranked shoe sole stitcher. They sew along the outer perimeter, in one direction, using heavy waxed linen thread. The machine uses a very large curved needle to pierce the holes and form the lock-stitches. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ELeBlanc Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Ok - thanks. The standard questions: are parts available? Hugely expensive? Can you tell from the lousy pictures if anything is missing. Are they still useable or more for curiosity pieces. I won't be in front of the machine until Sunday. Also I' m the proud daddy of a 29-4, 29k58, 29k172 and Juki LU-563. Would it offer me anything that my babies don't do already. Oh - I should say that I still have more experience in BUYING sewing machines than in USING them. It appears to be a Frobana or Gritzner manually cranked shoe sole stitcher. They sew along the outer perimeter, in one direction, using heavy waxed linen thread. The machine uses a very large curved needle to pierce the holes and form the lock-stitches. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Ok - thanks. The standard questions: are parts available? Hugely expensive? Can you tell from the lousy pictures if anything is missing. Are they still useable or more for curiosity pieces. I won't be in front of the machine until Sunday. Also I' m the proud daddy of a 29-4, 29k58, 29k172 and Juki LU-563. Would it offer me anything that my babies don't do already. Oh - I should say that I still have more experience in BUYING sewing machines than in USING them. Henry Veenhoven, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, is the only known source of parts for these ancient machines, in North America. Last known number is: 416-231-1870. I understand that finding new curved needles for these sole stitchers is like finding needles in haystacks. The only thing that you can sew with that machine, assuming it works and has a needle in it, are the soles of shoes, or the perimeter of a knife sheath, or other case, at least a quarter inch thick. It may even be a Junker and Ruh machine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted February 9, 2012 Just as a side step, Junker and Ruh needles have been showing up on ebay for the last couple weeks. If this maching uses the same needle there is at least for now a source. Aaron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amuckart Report post Posted February 9, 2012 It's an old Frobana/Gritzner. It looks filthy, but complete as far as I can tell from the pictures. I have a manual for it, PM me your email address and I'll send you a copy. It won't sew anything under about 1/4"/6mm thick. It's designed for outsoling shoes and boots, and that's all it's really good for. It's really good for that though, if you don't mind the two-cranks-per-stitch action of the machine, which gets real old real fast until you motorise it. Needles for it can be had, but they're about 8euro each. Google and you'll find the crowd in Europe that sells them. The needles are enormous and don't break easy and can be sharpened so you only need a handful. One down side of the needle size is that they cut a pretty big hole relative to the thread they'll pass, but in the aesthetic of their designed task (outsoling shoes) that isn't necessarily a problem the way it is for other leatherwork. It uses different needles to the Junker & Ruh SD.28. I have a slightly newer one that came to me filthy out the back of an orthotics shop. I degreased and cleaned it up well, and the foot lift release was still so siezed I didn't realise it moved until months later. I like them, they're built like swiss watches and work very nicely for their designed task in a package that's far more compact than a curved needle & awl machine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ELeBlanc Report post Posted February 12, 2012 Well I am now the proud owner of a new (dirty) Frobana. It doesn't have any needles but everything seems to work. Just this morning I put a piece of cardboard in it and the machine grabbed it and moved it along as it should. I've heard people say it creates a grove in the sole as it moves the leather along but on the cardboard all it did is make two very small indents kind of like a dull thonging chisel. EY Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted February 12, 2012 Congrats! Now all you have to do is find some needles for it. Try Henry Veenhoven, at the number I posted earlier in this thread. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
amuckart Report post Posted February 12, 2012 1329064329[/url]' post='233936']Well I am now the proud owner of a new (dirty) Frobana. It doesn't have any needles but everything seems to work. Just this morning I put a piece of cardboard in it and the machine grabbed it and moved it along as it should. I've heard people say it creates a grove in the sole as it moves the leather along but on the cardboard all it did is make two very small indents kind of like a dull thonging chisel. You have the feed dog for crepe soles, it's a different unit to the channel knife. I have the same on my one. Somewhere that sells needles should also be able to sell you a channel knife. I believe the channel knife also acts somewhat like an awl, there is a protruding bit on the left of the knife that aligns with the needle during the feed stroke, which makes a lot of sense in the context of hard outsole leather. This post at the Crispin Colloquy shows pictures of the channel knife. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Michael Meijer Report post Posted March 19, 2014 Hello, maybe I can help you with some needles! I have got eleven of nr. 4 needles and can get more of them if anyone is interested!! I am living in Holland and will ship outside europe. So feel free to ask. The Junker and Ruh needle is indeed less curved and for my work too curved! I own and work with the early J&R model 22 and have made some adjustments. I made another presser foot because it left marks in the leather and another under slide because the original was not stable enough. I think now I am posting this I will make a Topic of these adjustments. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
