How Fast Can I Turn My Cowboy 4500 Up To

[Kcinnick]

That's easy: 800 RPM at the machine.That equals about 13 stitches per second. Keep it very well oiled if you sew at that speed on a regular basis.

The same speed applies to the Cowboy 3500 and 5500, Cobra Class 3 and 4, and all other brands of 441 machines.

Due to vibration issues, I would limit the top speed to 10 stitches per second on the big stitchers, or 600 RPM at the machine.

Thanks, I keep it well oiled at any speed!

I will have to figure out what the # settings translate into RPM's! But I guess I am good to crank it up a few, I don't want to get anywhere near 13 inches per second.

[Bluesman]

The way I have always looked at it is this way. First, become effective. Whatever you are doing do it right and with as much perfection as you can. When this is accomplished go for efficiency, kick it up a notch. Effective is quality and efficiency is speed. Junk fast is still junk. Outstanding slow is still outstanding. Outstanding, fast is more money. Simple................

Jon

[Kcinnick]

The way I have always looked at it is this way. First, become effective. Whatever you are doing do it right and with as much perfection as you can. When this is accomplished go for efficiency, kick it up a notch. Effective is quality and efficiency is speed. Junk fast is still junk. Outstanding slow is still outstanding. Outstanding, fast is more money. Simple................

Jon

I look at it like USPSA shooting. I started out going for points, now I am trying to keep my points and increase my speed.

Same thing with the belts, I don't turn out junk. I make basic Hermann Oak double layer gun belts, and its pretty straight forward til you get to the tip, and thanks to the great guys here I can turn out Great Looking tips every time!

My belts are even better now.

[philippe]

I find sewing to fast will create so much friction that it causes my thread to break (or melt). When I figured that out I slowed it down and can now complete a belt faster than going full speed and breaking the thread. I too also have a cowboy 4500.

[Art]

Highlead makes a big heavier 441 for production work. I use one for blankets. It has a clutch motor and runs about 900spm. A regular 441 gets a little bouncy above 500-600spm. The big Highlead scares the women and children so I run it in a separate space, I had an schizophrenic shepherd that would run to our bedroom and hide under the bed when I ran it. It runs smooth though, doesn't jump like the 441 did.

Art

[Wizcrafts]

I should clarify that when I sew fast on a 441, it is usually into about 1/8 to 3/16 inch of medium temper chrome tanned leather. Most of the fast jobs are large production runs of rifle slings and guitar straps (two parts each). The #138 thread is pre-lubricated and the needle is a Schmetz #23 S point. It is not unusual for me to have to sew 2 to 4 dozen for delivery the same day.

On these large runs I usually have a spare bobbin loading in the bobbin winder as I sew. Downtime to reload is minimized this way.

It is not unusual to see smoke coming from the needle as I sew these straps. I have never burned or broken the lubricated thread from speed sewing. I have broken it when I don't get it to release the tension disks all the way! I hate having to pull the top thread out of the take-up lever by hand, so I balance the tensions to allow the top disks to fully separate when the floor pedal is depressed.

When I am sewing saddle bags, cases, holsters, or hand stamped straps, I slow down to about 3 or 4 stitches per second. Very thick projects are usually done at 1 or 2 stitches per second, but they aren't for production runs. If I have to do a production run into thick leather, I use my Union Lockstitch machine, flat out at 800 RPM.

Highlead makes a big heavier 441 for production work. I use one for blankets. It has a clutch motor and runs about 900spm. A regular 441 gets a little bouncy above 500-600spm. The big Highlead scares the women and children so I run it in a separate space, I had an schizophrenic shepherd that would run to our bedroom and hide under the bed when I ran it. It runs smooth though, doesn't jump like the 441 did.

Art

Art;

I'd like to learn more about that machine. Is it still in production?

[Art]

It is labeled GA2688-1. Artisan sold it as the 4000P, I have one of each, they are identical. I have the 2688 set up with blanket feed (triple feed and big presser feet.

Art

[Kcinnick]

Runs of Belts I settled on about 2 stitches per second. It is double layer Hermann Oak 7oz veg tanned leather, I hand wheel the English Point, it is faster than feathering the pedal and gives me very accurate, nice looking points. I run 12-15 at a time 2-3 times a week on belt weeks. On Holsters, I go really slow, like a stitch every 1/2 second, only because stitching is about 5% of the time I spend with a holster and is 100% of the time the step I mess one up!

I should clarify that when I sew fast on a 441, it is usually into about 1/8 to 3/16 inch of medium temper chrome tanned leather. Most of the fast jobs are large production runs of rifle slings and guitar straps (two parts each). The #138 thread is pre-lubricated and the needle is a Schmetz #23 S point. It is not unusual for me to have to sew 2 to 4 dozen for delivery the same day.

On these large runs I usually have a spare bobbin loading in the bobbin winder as I sew. Downtime to reload is minimized this way.

It is not unusual to see smoke coming from the needle as I sew these straps. I have never burned or broken the lubricated thread from speed sewing. I have broken it when I don't get it to release the tension disks all the way! I hate having to pull the top thread out of the take-up lever by hand, so I balance the tensions to allow the top disks to fully separate when the floor pedal is depressed.

When I am sewing saddle bags, cases, holsters, or hand stamped straps, I slow down to about 3 or 4 stitches per second. Very thick projects are usually done at 1 or 2 stitches per second, but they aren't for production runs. If I have to do a production run into thick leather, I use my Union Lockstitch machine, flat out at 800 RPM.

Art;

I'd like to learn more about that machine. Is it still in production?