Holster Plate

[SooperJake]

Do any of you use the holster plate on your stitcher?

[Dwight]

Not me, . . .

May God bless,

Dwight

[Steven Kelley]

No. I have one but do not use it.

[robertmeco]

No sir never used one

[Samalan]

No.

[Ed in Tx]

My Cobra 4 came with a holster plate when I bought the package, however, I still have not used it. To be perfectly honest I am not too sure when I would need it or use it. I have made numerous holsters without it. I am sure there is probably a very good reason for the plate, I am either doing things wrong or making things harder on myself by not using it.

[SooperJake]

My Cobra 4 came with a holster plate when I bought the package, however, I still have not used it. To be perfectly honest I am not too sure when I would need it or use it. I have made numerous holsters without it. I am sure there is probably a very good reason for the plate, I am either doing things wrong or making things harder on myself by not using it.

I believe the idea is to stitch after molding, and the plate allows you to get closer to the mold line. At least that is my theory, but I can't prove it because every time I try to use it I run into all kinds of problems, namely getting the lower knots to stay burried.

[supercub]

I believe the idea is to stitch after molding, and the plate allows you to get closer to the mold line. At least that is my theory, but I can't prove it because every time I try to use it I run into all kinds of problems, namely getting the lower knots to stay burried.

I've used mine a few times with the thought that I would be able to get closer to a molded pancake (on the back). You can, but the issue with re setting tension to get a good knot is too time consuming for the benefit. Most of my current holsters are flat backed, so I don't use the plate. I could see some advantage for stitching stirups, but I don't do saddles.

[Ed in Tx]

Well at least I was not the only person that had an issue when they tried using the plate. I tried using it for a pouch I made that had a raised back but gave up because of the stitch issue. I read in the manual how to do the adjustment but figured I would end up creating more problems when I switched back to the strap plate.

[renegadelizard]

Nope..same with the strap goods plate..i tried to use it once...coudnt figure out the tension, so back in the drawer it went...someday i may tinker with it again..

[IngleGunLeather]

Pretty much the same for me, came with the class 4, tension problems, and back to regular set up. I have a hard enough time keeping tension set up anyway.

[SooperJake]

Anyone notice the reoccurring theme here? We've got these specialized attachments that no one can use successfully?

Edited June 5, 2013 by SooperJake

[art23]

I just got my class 4 last Friday and I'm barely trying to figure out the holster plate and I was wondering if you need to change or take of the bottom feed dog? Also using those different plates do I need to use the right presser foot only?

[Itch]

Anyone notice the reoccurring theme here? We've got these specialized attachments that no one can use successfully?

Count me in..bought it never used it.

[BigJake]

Count me as one who uses it 95 % of the time for holsters. I only make cowboy holsters for six guns and if you check my other posts about the feed dog and using it with the holster plate. Yes I do use the feed dog. For most applications you should use the right pressor foot because the left side on the of the plate is so narrow the pressor foot misses completely the plate. Use the right or the double foot. Using the plate reduces the thickness of material one can sew due to the height of the plate. About 1/2" is the limit. It works for me as long as my main seam is not over 1/2".

[Samalan]

I would like to see the feed dog used with the holster plate i am not sure how that would work but would like to know.

Count me as one who uses it 95 % of the time for holsters. I only make cowboy holsters for six guns and if you check my other posts about the feed dog and using it with the holster plate. Yes I do use the feed dog. For most applications you should use the right pressor foot because the left side on the of the plate is so narrow the pressor foot misses completely the plate. Use the right or the double foot. Using the plate reduces the thickness of material one can sew due to the height of the plate. About 1/2" is the limit. It works for me as long as my main seam is not over 1/2".

[SooperJake]

^{Using my Cowboy CB4500 as reference, I see no way the holster plate could be used with the lower feed dog. The holster plate is too high above the feed dog to do anything . Perhaps we are talking about two different plates?}

I ground most of the teeth off of mine and polished it, but still get mixed results . I haven't tinkered with it in a few months though.

[BigJake]

The holster p[late that came with my C4 has no teeth on it and the feed dog I'm using has teeth on it and is sopposed to be used when sewing canvas and such according to the instruction manual. I'm using this feed dog because it has a round hole for the needle to pass as opposed to an oblong hole with the other feed dogs. As I have said previously in several other posts, this is to correct or minimize a characteristic of heavy stitching of 1/4" or more of leather thickness.

I have a Consew 206RB5 and it will sew 207 thread Ok, not perfect but OK in 3/16" of veg tan leather. Some have said on this forum that the cure for the "short stitch" and failure to reverse into the same hole, is to use 207 thread on the bobbin and 277 for the top thread. This defeats my purpose of owning a 441 clone which is to be able to use 277 thread for top and bottom. Those of you who sew cowboy holsters know that certain parts of the holster that are visable from the front, is actually the bottom or bobbin stitch thread along with the protruding leather due to the needle holes. I need a thread which is of sufficent size/diameter that matches the thickness of the leather for the appearance. Strength is not an issue but for appearance only so 207 thread is not an option. If I wanted to use 207 thread I would have spent my money on a smaller machine.

There may be other solutions to this problem which I haven't discovered yet, but for now it the holster plate, feed dog with the teeth and round hole. Some may say that there is something wrong with my machine causing the short stitches and the failure to back up in the same hole without tweeking the stitch length for the back-up. I have checked the timing and all adjustments described in the user manual and the Juki 441 manual and all are within spec. The C4 will perform perfectly with out any thread in the needle and back up in the same hole. It's when you put thread into the equasion, that the problem arises. I have purchased needles from the three major producers of the 441 clone machine and these are the ones that "everyone's using" I'm told. They all exibit the same problem and as I have said 207 thread in the bobbin is not an option for me. Thread tension from almost nothing to heavy tension, pressor foot adjusted for the maximum pressure (screwed all the way down) didn't solve the problem. I have owned four walking foot machine over a period of 20 years, a Juki don't remember the model, a Singer 211G, a Consew 206Rb5 and now the C4. I'm not exactly a newby on sewing machines but this issue is still a work in progress.

Sorry if my explanation is not clear, but with my two fingers of typing, I need to condense the text as small as possible and hopefully get the point across.

Edited November 9, 2013 by BigJake

[BigJake]

^{Using my Cowboy CB4500 as reference, I see no way the holster plate could be used with the lower feed dog. The holster plate is too high above the feed dog to do anything . Perhaps we are talking about two different plates?}

I ground most of the teeth off of mine and polished it, but still get mixed results . I haven't tinkered with it in a few months though.

Sooper Jake

My holster plate looks like your except the top is smooth with no teeth. The only purpose for the feed dog, since it does not contact the material being stitched, is to force the thread from the needle to be puuled straight down. Without the feed dog the slot is too big and allows the hook to pull the needle, thread and leather forward even with the heaviest pressor foot tension. The C4 machine has the front of the walking foot/needle pressor foot with a slot. According to Steve this is to allow users to see the next stitch. The original 441 and other clones do not have this cut-out. On my machine when sewing 1/4" or more veg tan leather, without the feed dog, the needle still burried in the leather will be pulled forward flexing the needle to the point that it's pulled into the slot cut in the walking foot/needle foot. This is because the rotation of the hook pulling the thread forward as it makes the loop, pulls the material and flexes the needle.

I have not tried a lube pot but I am using lubricated nylon thread which would serve the same purpose. I have never experienced this before with any other machines I've owned, but I will admit I'm stitching heavier leather now than before. It seems in reading other post about cranking up the stitch length to get 6 SPI and not backing up in the same hole indicates they are experiencing the same problem and just haven't noticed the needle flex as the problem.

[JeffGC]

I bought a holster plate and only use it for very specific situations. When creating a folded belt loop, it is sometimes not possible to lay the piece flat against the standard needle plate; i.e., the additional thickness of leather places the work piece at an angle. With the holster plate, the additional height of the center allows the piece to be positioned flat, in relation to the machine and perpendicular to the needle.

Jeff C.

[longtooth]

The only time I use it is when I'm sewing harness like gig saddles or doing stirrups.