Help with a Heavy Duty Machine Sewing

[Handstitched]

G'Day from Western Australia.

After a lot of saving and research on umpteen different machines , I have finally taken the plunge and bought myself an industrial machine.This machine is called a 'Q Stitch Colt' distributed from Queensland ,Australia, very much the same as a Juki 441 , or the 'Artisan 'machines etc.(its almost identical). It's been working great , however I am still learning how use it to it's full potential ,so I do have my "L" plates hanging around my neck , ....or so to speak.

One question that I do have is, how do I avoid the marks left behind on the leather by the machines's foot and the bed. I was making a handbag on the weekend (my first one, as I normally use lace) , leaving a bit of a 'lip' or an 'edge' on the gusset to accomodate the width of the foot , the bag looked quite good for a first attempt at a 'machine made bag', but it did leave machine marks on the leather?

Can this be avoided or is this just something I'll just have get used to using a machine ?

At the moment , I'm using the standard walking foot and needles that came with the machine.The leather that I used was a 3.5-4.0 mm veg tan on the main body of the bag and 2.5-3.0 mm veg tan on the gusset. ( Sorry , I don't know the conversion into ounces).

(What a great web site!!!)

[Trevor]

Hey there Handstitch.

This is very annoying I must say. I have been sewing leather for years and this issue doesnt seem to happen to me.

Sometimes when the leather is slightly damp the machine will leave footprints in the path of the stitches. Check that first. Sew dry is the best unless it doesnt matter.

Firstly my initial thoughts were that the foot pressure is too great. The thickness that you are sewing (I assume two layers of 3.5 = about 7 or 8mm maybe) should be easy to sew on any "Leather" machine. When you get to 12 mm or more then the machine will soon tell you whether it is ok to sew that thickness.

there are a number of things that you need to check out. You need to try and figure out which of the two feet is making the mark. and make adjustments as required. You can adjust (Most machines) the pressure on the needle foot and the presser foot as well.

The needle foot adjust is usually on the top left hand side of the machine and just screws left and right. The presser foot adjuster will be at the back of the machine and it will change the height, of the presser foot, when it does its cycle and a stitch is formed.

Check and see if the feet are contacting the leather dead flat. a slight angle of either foot can cause a big mark. This would be unlikely though.

Check that the tensions are all as they should be. You should be able to pull the top thread through when you left the foot up. it should have a bit of pressure but not too loose or tight.

The bobbin thread should be constant and light to pull through at any time.

Have a good look at the finished stitch. this can often tell you what is wrong

anyway good luck in WA

Cheers

Trevor

"Way down Under"

[Handstitched]

Hey there Handstitch.

This is very annoying I must say. I have been sewing leather for years and this issue doesnt seem to happen to me.

Sometimes when the leather is slightly damp the machine will leave footprints in the path of the stitches. Check that first. Sew dry is the best unless it doesnt matter.

Firstly my initial thoughts were that the foot pressure is too great. The thickness that you are sewing (I assume two layers of 3.5 = about 7 or 8mm maybe) should be easy to sew on any "Leather" machine. When you get to 12 mm or more then the machine will soon tell you whether it is ok to sew that thickness.

there are a number of things that you need to check out. You need to try and figure out which of the two feet is making the mark. and make adjustments as required. You can adjust (Most machines) the pressure on the needle foot and the presser foot as well.

The needle foot adjust is usually on the top left hand side of the machine and just screws left and right. The presser foot adjuster will be at the back of the machine and it will change the height, of the presser foot, when it does its cycle and a stitch is formed.

Check and see if the feet are contacting the leather dead flat. a slight angle of either foot can cause a big mark. This would be unlikely though.

Check that the tensions are all as they should be. You should be able to pull the top thread through when you left the foot up. it should have a bit of pressure but not too loose or tight.

The bobbin thread should be constant and light to pull through at any time.

Have a good look at the finished stitch. this can often tell you what is wrong

anyway good luck in WA

Cheers

Trevor

"Way down Under"

G'Day again,

Thanks for the great advice.

Theres a couple of things that you mentioned that made me think, the leather was slightly damp , as I did wet the gusset part to get it into shape for sewing ,plus I was pretty eager to make my first bag , and the other thing was that I could try to adjust the pressure ,as I think it maybe too great , however I might try to adjust the pressure on both feet as the marks are from the bed , as I was sewing with the foot on the inside of the 'lip' or 'edge'

This has made me think again just while I'm here typing ,when I received the machine (in a wooden crate) there was a piece of sewn leather under the foot , it was 20mm thick , I suppose it was put there to demonstrate that it can sew the thickness as advertised as it is a 'saddle making machine', so no doubt the adjustments were for set for that thickness.So I'll go and try to adjust the feet.

As for the tensions, I seem to have that just right, ...after much practice.

I might try to find some demo dvds on sewing bags etc.

Once again thank heaps.

[Trevor]

Hello again Handstitch.

You mentioned that the marks were from the bed side of the machine. This mark is the feed-dog claws coming too high out of the bed and combined with too much foot pressure will make an ugly pattern on the underside of the item being sewn.

You may find that the dog height can be adjusted a little to ease the amount of how much comes up out of the bed. This will have to be done from inside the bobbin hole.

Maybe contact the guys that you got it off and see if they know how to do it. If not any good sewing machine mechanic should be able to do it for you.

Just check also that the top plate is all screwed down properly too.

Good luck

Trevor

"Way Down Under"

[secondcrk]

As long as you have a serrated feed dog you are probobly going to have this problem! I have ground and polished them down to lessen this problem. Also if you can adjust the dog to come up the least amount you can get by with will also help some. If your machine has needle feed you can reduce top pressure on your presser foot, but if you do a lot of heavey sewing this is generally not a god idea, as the needle will lift your work from the plate. Good Luck1

[Handstitched]

After having a good close look , the marks are being left behind from the 'teeth' or 'grooves' on the standard plate not the feed dog as it is smooth. I did adjust the feet pressure and it has helped to some extent.

I have contacted Q Stitch in Queensland for some info on different plates as well as info on a 'blanket set' for canvas/ webbing etc. as I did buy the machine with intention of making it multi purpose, for both leather goods and horse rug repairs etc., instead of buying different machines for different applications . But for me to do that, I am just going to have to really knuckle down and teach myself almost everything about this machine, get all the correct bits and pieces for different applications, so I can get the full potential out of the machine( as well as earn its keep).... and no doubt become a machine mechanic at the same time.

But I do really appreciate the advice that I've received and theres a good chance I'll be back for more.

All the best and thanks,

HS

[Handstitched]

G'Day, I'm back ...with some more (possibly silly) questions.

I am slowly learning bits and pieces about my machine, so last night I decided to fit the 'blanket set ' to my Q Stitch Colt, (I was given a small canvas job to do). I fitted the twin foot with teeth , and the standard plate, feed dog with teeth and adjusted it to suit (the Qstitch colt machine comes standard with a smooth feed dog).The next thing I did was adjust the needle foot, that was fine, it gripped the canvas, however no matter what I did , the twin presser foot (with teeth) didn't quite press the canvas down the way I thought it would have , even at it's lowest point , there was an approx. 2mm gap between the presser foot and the bed.I just couldn't get it down any further.As a result , and because the material wasn't feeding through properly, the thread was 'bunching up' underneath.Is that as far as the foot will go ? Maybe this machine just isn't designed for thinner materials? Or is there another adjustment I can make?

I am going to try the standard needle foot and (twin toe) presser foot but with feed dog with teeth, and see what happens.

Otherwise the machine hasn't missed a single beat and has been working perfectly.

[tonyc1]

G'Day, I'm back ...with some more (possibly silly) questions.

I am slowly learning bits and pieces about my machine, so last night I decided to fit the 'blanket set ' to my Q Stitch Colt, (I was given a small canvas job to do). I fitted the twin foot with teeth , and the standard plate, feed dog with teeth and adjusted it to suit (the Qstitch colt machine comes standard with a smooth feed dog).The next thing I did was adjust the needle foot, that was fine, it gripped the canvas, however no matter what I did , the twin presser foot (with teeth) didn't quite press the canvas down the way I thought it would have , even at it's lowest point , there was an approx. 2mm gap between the presser foot and the bed.I just couldn't get it down any further.As a result , and because the material wasn't feeding through properly, the thread was 'bunching up' underneath.Is that as far as the foot will go ? Maybe this machine just isn't designed for thinner materials? Or is there another adjustment I can make?

I am going to try the standard needle foot and (twin toe) presser foot but with feed dog with teeth, and see what happens.

Otherwise the machine hasn't missed a single beat and has been working perfectly.

Can you tighten the foot up on the shaft with the holding screw before it reaches the top?

[esantoro]

These machines were not designed for thin material, but I think there are some work arounds.

One thing you can try is to come up with some kind of spacer, maybe just washers, to raise the needle plate a tad. You can also try to fashion some kind of washer to lower the center foot on its post. There is a screw adjustment that will allow for the lowering of the outer foot.

There is another way to lower the inner foot couple millimeters , but it requires the removal of what appears to be a governing screw, which I'm not sure may be a good idea in the long run. One definite drawback to this adjustment is that there will be one rocker are inside the machine head that will rub against the face plate. One could experiment and grind out the necessary space. It doesn't require that much grinding.

I actually think using washers on the inner foot post is the best idea to lower the inner foot. This also may require readjusting the up/down waling foot distance.

I started a post on these types of adjustments. It would be great if someone from Artisan or elsewhere can post a demo video on these adjustments.

Ed

[Handstitched]

Thank you for your responses.

I might try some of the ideas mentioned here, but if I can't get it to work on canvas , then I'll just have to accept the fact that these machines are just not designed for thin materials like you said, which is a shame , because I was hoping that I wouldn't have to buy a separate machine to do horse rug repairs.

I'll have to be a bit careful when trying some of these ideas as the machine is still under warranty.

'Where there is a will there is a way' ( theres more than on way to skin a cat !! )

Anyway, thanks heaps once again .

All the best

HS

[tonyc1]

Thank you for your responses.

I might try some of the ideas mentioned here, but if I can't get it to work on canvas , then I'll just have to accept the fact that these machines are just not designed for thin materials like you said, which is a shame , because I was hoping that I wouldn't have to buy a separate machine to do horse rug repairs.

I'll have to be a bit careful when trying some of these ideas as the machine is still under warranty.

'Where there is a will there is a way' ( theres more than on way to skin a cat !! )

Anyway, thanks heaps once again .

All the best

HS

You need a good old K6 for your rug repairs, they just go and go!!

[esantoro]

Thank you for your responses.

I might try some of the ideas mentioned here, but if I can't get it to work on canvas , then I'll just have to accept the fact that these machines are just not designed for thin materials like you said, which is a shame , because I was hoping that I wouldn't have to buy a separate machine to do horse rug repairs.

I'll have to be a bit careful when trying some of these ideas as the machine is still under warranty.

'Where there is a will there is a way' ( theres more than on way to skin a cat !! )

Anyway, thanks heaps once again .

All the best

HS

Don't give uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuup. I just love fiddling with stuff. It's got to be possible.

Try the washers on center foot bar. One or two will do it.

I reread your original post. It seems that you need to lower the post that the outer feet screw into. This is a very easy adjustment.

Unscrew the face plate. Loosed the two bolts that lock that bar into position. Then slowly wiggle the outer feet left and right to lower the bar a tad. Once you have it in the correct position, make sure the feet are centered, and tighten those two bolts. Be sure not to overtighten anything, and use a long-handled screw driver that has good torque and a good flathead. You don't want to strip anything.

Ed

Edited October 22, 2008 by esantoro

[esantoro]

I just now got the bright idea to cut two 4 oz (1.6mm) leather shims for the flat slotted needle plate. Cut out ample holes for the plate screws and cut the shims so there is no overhang into the needle guide/ ground-down feed dog. Works great.

By the way, what are you trying to do with the canvas? How many layers need to be stitched? I'd like to run the same through my machine just for kicks. I'll use a 23 needle and 138 thread.

Ed

[jimsaddler]

I just now got the bright idea to cut two 4 oz (1.6mm) leather shims for the flat slotted needle plate. Cut out ample holes for the plate screws and cut the shims so there is no overhang into the needle guide/ ground-down feed dog. Works great.

By the way, what are you trying to do with the canvas? How many layers need to be stitched? I'd like to run the same through my machine just for kicks. I'll use a 23 needle and 138 thread.

Ed

No need to shim the plate. The Machine has had the feet lifted to make it appear to sew heavier Leather than it was made for, just drop the feet to where they should be and it should sew Canvas OK.

Kindest Regards.

Jim.

[Art]

Hi HS,

I use a big Highlead to sew fabric all the time. There is not a problem with the blanket foot/needle plate setup. The machine is perfectly capable of being adjusted to do that work. Call your supplier and work through it with him on the phone, you will learn a lot and be able to make the adjustments yourself.

Art

G'Day, I'm back ...with some more (possibly silly) questions.

I am slowly learning bits and pieces about my machine, so last night I decided to fit the 'blanket set ' to my Q Stitch Colt, (I was given a small canvas job to do). I fitted the twin foot with teeth , and the standard plate, feed dog with teeth and adjusted it to suit (the Qstitch colt machine comes standard with a smooth feed dog).The next thing I did was adjust the needle foot, that was fine, it gripped the canvas, however no matter what I did , the twin presser foot (with teeth) didn't quite press the canvas down the way I thought it would have , even at it's lowest point , there was an approx. 2mm gap between the presser foot and the bed.I just couldn't get it down any further.As a result , and because the material wasn't feeding through properly, the thread was 'bunching up' underneath.Is that as far as the foot will go ? Maybe this machine just isn't designed for thinner materials? Or is there another adjustment I can make?

I am going to try the standard needle foot and (twin toe) presser foot but with feed dog with teeth, and see what happens.

Otherwise the machine hasn't missed a single beat and has been working perfectly.

[Handstitched]

G'Day again,

WOW, thanks for the help everyone, but I think I have it sussed out.

I decided to think logically rather than techincally.

I have an old Pfaff 60 which sews thin leather up to a 2.5 mm leather , now that has nothing special to make that work, just standard everything, so I set the big machine up the same as the Pfaff, the feed dog with teeth and standard (twin toe) foot and standard needle foot.........and it worked!! I tried it on a scrap of old canvas.

Now I'll try to show you a pic, my photographic skills are not that good and might not be all that clear.

Thanks heaps once again. I'll certainly keep all your ideas in mind for the future.

[barra]

It maybe the Pic but the tension looks like it needs adjusting.

Barra.

[Handstitched]

yeah, you're right , the tension will need adjusting, but now that I am able to sew canvas, the adjusting is the easy bit, but I will look at the ideas that have been mentioned here, because I would like to set the machine up so the 'change over' from leather to canvas (or vice versa) is smooth and simple, which will be a lot easier now.

All the best

HS