How Do I Prevent Walking Foot Tracks?

[barbiesdude]

I am getting walking foot tracks with my cb4500. I have turned down the pressure knob quite a bit and still there. One guy suggested fileing/beveling the toes? Any suggedtions appreciated.

[Ferg]

Wiz has filled the grooves in the toe/foot with the material you get to cover/insulate pliers etc.

You can also file/grind part of the teeth off the foot, don't remove all. It will need some traction.

ferg

[barbiesdude]

The foot is smooth underneath, I guess you could call it a toe impression.

[Wizcrafts]

I had to radius and polish the bottom edges of one presser foot set to reduce the visibility of the tracks on top. Another solution is to buy a very wide presser foot set and have the outer feet distribute the hold-down pressure across a wider foot print.

[barbiesdude]

Thanks Wiz, Just file to get the bulk then finer stone ,etc. then polish?

[Wizcrafts]

Thanks Wiz, Just file to get the bulk then finer stone ,etc. then polish?

Yeppers

[steveh]

Take a hard wood burnishing stick, or some polished plexiglass,lightly moisten the tracks with water,and rub them out with stick.

[pcox]

I use a stainless steel tea spoon to rub out marks.

[Massive]

I have state of the art Cobra feet and they leave tracks also. One thing is to be sure your leather is dry and firm. Depending on what you are doing there can be many wettings of the leather befor eyou get to the sewing, and the leather dries quickly at the surface, then you will get exagerated marks from your feet if the leather is still wet below the surface.

I have several machines with very sharp serated feet, and they do leave marks on the leather, but weeks later, the leather heals. I found a sample tonight from a very heavy Techsew walking foot I sold to clear way for the Cobra, and I did a double take, because the stitch was flawless and the leather wiithout mark. Way better than my Cobra the moment it sews, though of course it has a very small imprint at that time compared to a waking foot.

[barbiesdude]

Thanks guys, It isn't as noticeable on skirting leather, but something with a sheen like bridle or latigo, it really sticks out. Harder to rub'em out on those leathers to. Done some fileing to bevel, will post results.

[Wizcrafts]

Our harness feet are too narrow and the force of the spring pushes them into the surface. Someone with a metal working shop might be able to cut a new outer presser foot that is wider on the left, to spread the pressure over a wider swath. I think that 1/4 inch width for the left toe, with a smoothed radius, might do the trick. Also, it would help to have steel behind the inside foot, as is the case with all normal walking foot sets. Another 3/16 to 1/4 inch of steel behind the inner foot would assist with holding down the leather.

[Samalan]

I just did my cobra feet and now no marks at all. box sealing tape over the hook hole and oil holes near by then dykem btm of feet lower them down with very light pres on to fine sand paper give a light pull then give a look, you know the rest.

[Trox]

I use my saddler hammer and sponge of water, you have to do it right away before the the marks fixate. You got to close the seam anyway.

Its basic mathematic; pressure divided at square millimeters; a bigger foot needs more pressure to hold the work. You could try to reduce the foot pressure a bit, reduce it until it starts skipping stitches and find the minimum pressure needed to avoid stitch problems.

You can also help holding your work piece steady as the thread loop is made, then you do not need much foot pressure at all. I used that technique with my old bottom feed jump foot Adler cl. 5. I managed to reduce the markings from the feed dog to a minimum.

Now I use a 441 with smooth harness foot and feed dog. It do not make any marks on the top side, only a small punch out mark from the needle on the backside.

Reduce your foot pressure, it should allow sewing with a minimum of pressure otherwise your timing might be off.

Good luck

Tor