Seiko Walking Foot Machine Marks Leather, Any Ideas?

[paradoxbox]

So I bought my machine, a Seiko HC-2B and I really like it. Right now I'm using it without a motor which is a bit slow but it's still much much faster than hand sewing.

Unfortunately the machine's walking foot and feed dogs have very aggressive pressure settings and are putting deep marks in the leather. There is a screw knob on the top of the machine where most machines have a pressure adjustment, but I tried turning it to no avail, there didn't seem to be any change. But I know that sometimes there's a specific way changes need to be made on seiko machines so maybe I did it wrong..!

The machine itself seems to be somewhat rare and I can't find a user manual for it either in English nor Japanese, but I have heard that most Seiko machines are copies of Singers so maybe someone can point me in the right direction.

Does anyone know how I can reduce the pressure foot and feed dog pressure?

Here's a picture of the machine:

[CowboyBob]

Your turning the wrong screw,the correct one is located behind were the spool of thread is in the pic,it takes a screw to go the the hole to loosen it.

Bob

[paradoxbox]

Hi Bob, thanks for the advice.

About the hole, I'm not sure what you mean as there are a bunch of small holes on the top of the machine but after checking with an LED flashlight I couldn't see any kind of adjustment screw inside them.

Anyway I tried turning the big brass screw that's on the top of the machine on the same axis as the needle, a bit more to the left (almost all the way) and tried sewing a different piece of slightly thinner leather and it seemed OK on the top, no more deep presser foot line in the leather. I guess the test pieces I was using before were pushing the limits of the machine a bit too much.

Unfortunately the feed dogs are still marking the leather a bit though.

Is there any way to back off the pressure of the feed dogs?

Also while I'm in here, can a roller wheel be installed on this machine?

Edited November 3, 2012 by paradoxbox

[CowboyBob]

Less foot pressure will make less feed dog marking.If your feed dogs have teeth on them you can polish off the sharpness will reduce the marking too.

Can you post a better pic were I can see the top lefthand corner of the machine,it's cropped off on this one.

No,a roller foot cannot be put on a walking foot machine.

Bob

[Trox]

This machine look incomplete to me, where is the thread takeup spring? Its sure not threaded right, nevertheless it will not affect your hand wheeling.

[paradoxbox]

Thanks for the responses.

I don't believe that this is an incomplete machine, everything is there and functioning as it should except for a motor and table. The thread takeup spring doesn't look like the typical hoop on other machines, but it's there. I use another Seiko machine (PW-6) elsewhere and the threading system is really different from this machine but they both stitch perfectly.

Here's a photo of the top of the machine. Adjusting the very large screw on the top left seems to have relieved the pressure of the presser foot somewhat and has made it OK for all but soft leathers like suede. I guess I'll do suede projects on a domestic machine.

But the feed dogs are still digging into the bottom side of my projects. I tried duct tape as one member here mentioned in another thread but the tape gets pulled off quite quickly.. Maybe some kind of putty or similar product would do the trick..? Or if there's a way to reduce the pressure..!

Edited November 7, 2012 by paradoxbox

[Leather Guru]

Your right Trox , the machine is not threaded correctly ; The black tension screw is for the bobine winder & there are some other issues with the thread path .

[Trox]

Leather Guru is right, the first black tension screw is for the bobbins. Then there is no take up spring there, I guess its missing. You will have no problem having the machine to work when you hand wheeling it. However, when you get some speed on it and more thread tension it will start missing stitches. The takeup spring are there for the reason, together with the thread take up arm it will allow slack in the thread so the hook cathes the thread loop. Then it will pull the stitch tight. Do you have a part list on it? check it out. The picture do not show if its a needle feed on it or just a bottom and top feed. If it is a triple feed (bottom, top and needle feed) you can lower the feed dog in level with the plate, this way you will eliminate those marks. Then you also can grind of the feed dog and feets smooth, the needle feed will take care of your feeding. On the backside of the head it should be an adjustment for the alternating height of the feets. On the shaft it should be a slide and a nut to adjust the feets alternating height. Lets have a look on the backside too.

[Wizcrafts]

Right from the get-go I can see that not only is the top tensioner being doubled up un-necessarily, but the thread coming off the thread check spring is not going under the J-shaped thread-check bar, before going up to the take-up lever. This means that there is no slack in the top thread, which is going to cause skipped stitches and other tensioning problems.

[Trox]

Is it the take up spring or a thread guide I see on lower disk? If that hook is a take up spring (and it moves down wards if you try to move it, yes I think that is the take-up spring. I did not see it before, it did not work either because of your threading mistake) you only have to do as Wiz wrote. Thread it true the top disk (top front) down in to the square guide, around the lower disk and over the spring hook (where the thread are going in the pic). Down and under the J-shaped thread-check bar, up true the square guide and in to the hole in the take up arm. Then your threading will be correct.

The only missing part will be the hook cover, you have to watch your fingers as you sew.