Problem With My Juki Pro 2000

[CowboyBob]

Now that I'm fully awake,I'll explain it better.When it makes that noise it can lift the foot (with the leather) up on the upstroke of the needle & when that happens it won't make a good loop for the shuttle to catch & that will cause the skipping & frayed threads just like the timing being off will.

Bob

[Dogface]

Bob,

You seem to really have nailed the problem. I know my leather is old but still looks good. When I remove the thread from the needle and just punch holes it makes no such sound...it's only when there's thread in the needle and I know my needle/thread combo is correct. Trouble is that I have a lot of older leather left over that needs to be used. Yes, the thread goes thru a lube gizmo but guess it's not enough. I guess I'll have to just get some newer leather to test it.

Thanks for your input...

Mark

[Wizcrafts]

Mark;

Do you have any pre-lubricated thread on hand? It helps me sew into dry leather. I now get mine from Bob Kovar. He has most sizes and colors in stock and the price is nice.

The only color that gives me trouble, in any brand, is black, #138 up. It appears that some thread companies redye other colored spools into black (double-dying), making them springy and harder to the pull knots into the leather. Are you using springy black thread?

[Dogface]

Do you have a link for Bob Kovar... I guess I could google him. My thread is now old too and from Weaver. My leather stock is at least 5 years old and laying in my barn for that time. I'm betting that is my problem... It still looks good but likely very dry.

Edit: Found Bob Kovar and his web page...

Edited October 30, 2012 by Dogface

[Trox]

Sewing thread is "fresh food" it need to be kept like it too. I store my thread with plastic bags over the cones. If it becomes old and dry anyway, I use some Fibings liquid saddle soap on it. I soak the spool with soap foam and work it in to the thread. Old thread are nearly as good as new after this treatment. Bob knows the 441 machine very well, did the noice dissapere when you increased your foot pressure?

Hi Wiz,

so thats why the black threads act different than other colors. I been wondering why the black thread always needed a differnt tension setting. Hard to see what you are doing when you use the black thread too, it steals all the light. I do not like to use the black color much. You are using bonded nylon, do you know if they also recoloring the black polyester thread? I use Coats gral and Amman Serafil. They both are good threads, however Serafil stops at size tiket No. 8 Nm, (tex # 400). Coats make Gral in every sizes up to tex # 1400, 12 ply, however I have no good source for Coats thread here. I would like to try some American heavy bonded nylon, What sizes do your Cowboy 441 manage (with the original shuttle shim). What the biggest needle you have used on yours? It is a bit of topic, but I still would like to know.

Thank you.

Trox

[Dogface]

Trox,

Thanks for the post. I didn't realize that thread can age too. I've always just bought big spools from Weaver and never stored them any special way. As for using the soap foam on these big 1# spools, how do you get it all the way down in the whole spool ? Does it ever really dry and does that decay the thread eventually . I think the foot pressure adjuster on my Juki is broken or the threads stripped at least.

I did just re-thread the machine again yesterday and have the thread coming off the top/inside of the cone. That seemed to help a bunch...duhh.

[Trox]

It is the top layer of threads that dry out first, and it also collect dust that ruin the thread. When the thread is dry it frying easier, unvind and making stitching errors. I only spray the top layer of the spools. You can buy an new Juki presserfoot spring screw from Bob Kowar or one of the other klone dealers. I do not think it is expensive. Good luck with your machine.

Thanks

Trox

[Dogface]

Trox,

Actually I looked at my pressor foot tensioner and it's fine. Thanks for the advice on treating the thread. I'll try it today. My thread is at least as old as my leather. I can afford to buy new thread if I have to but I gotta make use of the hides I still have.

[Ken Nelson]

Trox,

Actually I looked at my pressor foot tensioner and it's fine. Thanks for the advice on treating the thread. I'll try it today. My thread is at least as old as my leather. I can afford to buy new thread if I have to but I gotta make use of the hides I still have.

Sometimes on really dry leather, I will put a little moisture in it and sew it just barely damp. A little oil will help with some of that older harder leather sometimes. I repair a lot of older tack and some of it is very dry and old. It does help to bampen it. A couple of my friends mix lexol leather conditioner and water for dry hard leather. HTH Ken

[Wizcrafts]

Hi Trox!

Right now, I use #277 in my Cowboy CB4500, using either a #24/180 or 25/200 type 794 Schmetz needle. Sometimes I have to crank the pressure spring all the way down to sew hard leather 3/8 inch (10mm) or thicker.

When I need to sew really thick or tough material, with #346 or larger thread, I use my Union Lockstitch machine. The pressure spring on top of it resembles the old front fork spring used on Schwinn bicycles in the 1950s. I built a chopper out of a Triumph Terrier, using a Schwinn springer fork, when I was in my early teens. The spring on the ULS is very similar and can hold down the thickest leather and even plywood.

I have some #346 bonded polyester thread, I bought from Campbell-Bosworth. It has a softer hand than any bonded nylon in similar sizes. I don't know if it has less tensile strength also. I just sewed a double 14-15 ounce weight lifter's belt on the ULS, using this Campbell thread and had no problems whatsoever. I used a #3 needle and #3.5 awl (tight fit; no slack). The knots were easily pulled well up into the layers. I used black on top and natural on the bottom. There was no springiness in the black polyester thread. I am thinking about trying some black in size 277.