Smallest Cobra 3 Or 4 Thread

[WashingtonCross]

Hello everyone. I'm wondering what's the smallest thread people have used successfully with their Cobra 3 or 4 machines? I want to experiment with some different sized needles and thread, Thanks!

[Wizcrafts]

For me it was #92 bonded nylon, using a #19 Schmetz needle. I can use the same size thread on my Cowboy CB4500. Neither is much good with #69 thread, for various reasons. To be honest, I stick with a minimum of #138 on my 441 machine and leave the walking foot flat bed machine to handle smaller gauges.

[Massive]

I ran some 69 on my old walking foot machine which was a tank compared to my cobra 4, though generally similar. It would handle it really well, but the problem is that if anything goes wrong the needle is toast. You aren't, presumably, going to want to sew through 3/4" of material. I was sewing through about 1/8". What happens is that the needle still has to be long enough to go throught the thicker material, that is the machine set-up. So you are trying to apply tension through a needle that is twice as long as a needle on, say, my 135 class needle walking foot machine. Plus, the needles are hugely more expensive. When one bends, that is another 1.50 at what I pay up here. And they break over anything. Plus you may find you have to make core adjustments to get the set-up to run, so if you are a guy who never touches anything on the machine, you may be out of luck.

So my take away is that you shouldn't over hope fo what this machine can do. It does it's core stuff really well, but if you go to any factory where they are making a range of non-gunbelt and tack type stuff, Shoes, chaps, garments, wallets, etc... You will see them using a machine that looks a lot more like a home sewing machine.

Edited April 14, 2013 by Massive

[Wizcrafts]

Also, #69 thread in a 441 machine requires you to tighten down the bobbin case spring and loosen the top tension spring and secondary tension disk, along with downsizing the needle. Leather point needles are hard to find in sizes under 23. So, you will probably be using regular sharp point needles.

Because the #18 or 19 needle is so small, compared to a standard #25, it is farther away from the hook. I find that I have to turn the needle CCW a bit to reposition the loop towards the oncoming hook, when using even #92 thread. Otherwise, the loop might fold forward and the hook misses it entirely. Not all the time, but usually in reverse.

I have also had a situation happen where the bobbin tension screw head protruded high enough above the spring that the top #69 thread got hooked on it, rather than flowing past it. This leads to a bunch of top thread wrapped around the bobbin case and shuttle and a halt to the sewing. This is one of the hazards of using #69 thread in a 441 clone.

That is why I use multiple machines. My walking foot machine can sew a bit over 7/16" but not so well. It is best kept to 3/8 or under. I use #69, 92 and 138 thread in that machine and it handles all of them perfectly. Thicker work, or things requiring heavier thread go onto the Cowboy (or my friend's Cobra), which is setup for them. The 441 machines work fine with #138 thread, after you adjust the tensions properly and install a #22 or #23 needle.