Have Mercey On This Girl... New Consew 206Rb...

[Danno3]

Please let me start with "Hello", and I'm sorry for the bother....

I started this journey a year ago and found leatherworker.net when first searching online for " sewing machines that sew leather"

Since then I have purchased a SINGER 212g140 ( but only set up as a single needle ) and a SINGER 29-4( an old patcher in good working condition!) ( that I cannot get to sew a straight line so I just keep because I think its awesome:)

I sold my truck to purchase supplies and leather to start a business to help support my special needs daughter ( I am still employed, my husband is employed, and we have two other vehicles)

I knew one day I would have to stay home with her, which actually happened 5 months ago when she fractured her skull.

I am very fortunate to be able to work from home now- but it is difficult at best to leave the house with her to learn anything. My biggest adventures out of the house are trips to Tandy on Saturday mornings:)

I literally knew NOTHING about sewing or leather or my chosen craft when I started this journey.. my ultimate goal was to make supplemental income to fund special schools and therapy that I knew would be needed. ( I refuse to let others pay for my responsibility when I am capable of doing so myself, ie tax payer money....)This was what made sense to me. I wasn't going to try a pyramid scheme or selling avon if you know what I mean. It had to be working from home, so forgive me if you are wondering " why the heck would she choose this without existing skill or a source of apprenticeship?"

Any who, here I am, a room full of top quality leather, much custom ordered, when I decided that if I was going to finally take the big leap I had to purchase a top quality machine made for this purpose. A walking foot with NO ISSUES OR SERVICE NEEDED. With REVERSE.

So I bit the bullet and ordered a brand new CONSEW 206rb-5. It arrived Tuesday, smelling of oil and with its test strip of fabric underneath its feet. After setting up, I began to sew( although intimidated and Leary of injuring the beast) and to my dismay a few things...

( here I finally get to the point... but please understand I am self taught, have read every manual, searched every thread, and every available youtube video.. and am still at a loss and begging for your expertise...)

In reverse it seems to twist and loop its thread?!? and barely get into the same holes? I thought this machine could accurately pierce the same holes made when sewing forward directions???? It looks like crud! And I am far to inept to correct the issue myself:(

Now I am reduced again to twisting my work backwards to back tack, which is what I purchased this machine to avoid. Further, GOOD GRIEF the amount I have had to tighten the top tension when switching to 2-3oz leather ( doubled up to make 4-6)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And If I backtack more than once the top thread breaks!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHAT AM I DOING WRONG??? Tears flowing.......:*(

I just cannot see why I would have to adjust the bobbin tension, and certainly I do not know more that the dealer that set it up! I had to adjust the top because the bottom thread lies flat across the bottom on the thick leather.

Using 69 bonded nylon thread top and bottom, dpx17 needle, and tears to lubricate ...sigh...

thank you for any help you can offer. I know that no one wants to feel bad for someone with a brand new machine, more like I don't deserve it if I cannot operate it properly. I know its my error, but have no one to teach me.

[JLSleather]

Seems like the dealer should have adjusted all of that, and I'm not sure how it would move significantly. But, there's a little thing in there, simple to see if you're in the right place. Need a small but fairly long screw driver. Did you get a user guide with your machine?

Top right of your machine, next to the handwheel, is a cover plate (no?). Swing the plate out of the way, look down the top, Behind the oil 'wick', you'll see a slotted screw next to two "wheels". Actually, these are nothing more than locking sleeves on the shaft. You'll know the ones, you should see two marks beside each other. Manual calls 'em "marks", looks more like "dots".

Basically, these should be lined up across from each other. But, there is some adjustment. Loosen the screw a bit. Then move the left 'mark' - towards the back makes the reverse stitch longer, towards the front makes the reverse stitch shorter. Then tighten the screw back in.

Now, that's the theory, but there are no fine graduations on the adjustment, so its a "bout so much" adjustment.

[veedub3]

I don't have any helpful information to offer about your issues, but I just wanted you to know, that you are not alone! I started this venture less than a year ago in November 2012. I hand sewed my projects for all of two minutes before I ran out and purchased a spanking brand new industrial walking foot sewing machine. I knew how to sew on a regular machine but had know experience with industrial machines and I too found myself in tears after spending money on a machine that scared the crap out of me, and regardless of what adjustments I made, it still wasn't correct. My machine did not hit the same holes when in reverse, the thread was bird nesting in the bobbin area, I broke several needles, the presser feet were leaving marks on the leather, the bottom thread was not being pulled up into the leather, it was just laying flat on the leather, and I bent the tension adjustment spring the 2nd day I had it. A week after purchasing the machine, I was using it as a catch all. The table had so much stuff piled on it you couldn't even see the machine. I had just dropped a chunk of change on a machine that was just sitting there. I cleared everything off the machine and by testing and making adjustments, I was finally able to get the machine to do exactly what it was meant to do. It took me 3 to 4 days of making adjustments before I got it correct. It was frustrating, and I had plenty of days where I cursed the machine, and cursed myself for buying the machine. I would take a break then go back to it. I am finally confident enough to use the machine with good results. I am hesitant about changing the settings for different leather thicknesses because I don't want to go through all the adjustments again, and I still for the life of me can't get the reverse to land in the the same hole so for now I just finish by hand, but I am certain that I will get that too. (From what I have read an adjustment needs to be made to the machine) Whatever you do, keep working at it and don't give up. Take some more time to get to know your machine and play with all the settings to see what they do. I took scrap pieces and sewed a straight line, making every possible adjustment on the machine until I found the correct settings. I made notes as I did this so I now know what to do and which dial to turn to correct the problem. I have been there, so I know how it feels, but just keep working at it I am sure you will get the hang of it in no time.

Good Luck with it all!

Karina

[Danno3]

Seems like the dealer should have adjusted all of that, and I'm not sure how it would move significantly. But, there's a little thing in there, simple to see if you're in the right place. Need a small but fairly long screw driver. Did you get a user guide with your machine?

Top right of your machine, next to the handwheel, is a cover plate (no?). Swing the plate out of the way, look down the top, Behind the oil 'wick', you'll see a slotted screw next to two "wheels". Actually, these are nothing more than locking sleeves on the shaft. You'll know the ones, you should see two marks beside each other. Manual calls 'em "marks", looks more like "dots".

Basically, these should be lined up across from each other. But, there is some adjustment. Loosen the screw a bit. Then move the left 'mark' - towards the back makes the reverse stitch longer, towards the front makes the reverse stitch shorter. Then tighten the screw back in.

Now, that's the theory, but there are no fine graduations on the adjustment, so its a "bout so much" adjustment.

Thank you so much for this!!! I am thinking of venturing up to my lair to make these very adjustments...so kind of you to take your time to advise!!

After further reading, apparently the position of the needle makes a difference before hitting the reverse lever.. did not consider that. I was just randomly and gleefully depressing the lever irrespective of positioning just to watch it reverse!

[Greystone]

Just a fyi I'm in Gainsville, and even a new machine has the learning curve and requires patience,

as you also need to adjust and learn what makes the thing tick

and learn what needs fine tuning for your work ,,,

Good Grief,,, Charlie Brown,,,Lucy aghhhh,,, a new machine make me crazy,,,

talk to you seller and let him help you through the tuning and happy to offer $.02 if needed David

[Danno3]

Just a fyi I'm in Gainsville, and even a new machine has the learning curve and requires patience,

as you also need to adjust and learn what makes the thing tick

and learn what needs fine tuning for your work ,,,

Good Grief,,, Charlie Brown,,,Lucy aghhhh,,, a new machine make me crazy,,,

talk to you seller and let him help you through the tuning and happy to offer $.02 if needed David

Thank you David I am from Ocala raised on a thoroughbred farm:)

Guess I need to get up there and learn my new tool...

[The Dawg Club]

When you start off your stitch...hold both threads in the back tight for a couple of stitches.

[Danno3]

When you start off your stitch...hold both threads in the back tight for a couple of stitches.

That will fix my tension problems won't it...

Thank you, really nice of you to take your time to tell me that, nice collars!!!

[undeberg]

Keep at it, when I started working with leather I got a wild hair to build a saddle, I'd never made anything out of leather. Now I'm doing wholesale work for a local store and selling all kinds of western gear from chaps and chinks to saddles. I know how frustrating a machine can be, but don't feel bad about calling your salesperson. They should be able to help you with all the adjustments.

I'm also a special olympics ski coach, I was one of the coaches for the World Winter Games Team USA that went to South Korea last winter. Sorry to hear about the fractured skull, but I admire all the parents out there that do whatever it takes for their kids. If you ever have any questions this is a great place to get them answered.

[Red Cent]

At my age I should know better but I bought a Cobra 4 from all the kudos on machine and customer service. No one said anything about that steep a....learning curve. Test and sew. Test and sew. Test...........

Don't give up.

I was about to post your reverse is adjustable. And your machine is rather limited to "low to medium weight leather".

What are your products?

[Geneva]

Don't apologize for needing information and help. If the lower thread is flat across the bottom of the material there is to much tension on the bobbin spring. Get a very small screwdriver and back the screw up 1/2 to 3/4's of a turn make small corrections not seven or eight turns at once. Make sure you are loading the bobbin the right direction when you put it in. Back off on the upper tension 2 or 3 turns. Test this adjustment and see how it sews. No, holding the thread at start up will not take care of the tension problem but it will stop the machine from pulling the thread out of your material. I assume you have not slowed your machine down? It will sew much better around 700 to 800 spm. Not what it was set at the factory to run. If you can spring for one you need a servo motor for your new toy. You will not believe the difference in the machine's performance. I bought mine from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines at the top of the page. Hope this helped.

Edited August 25, 2013 by Geneva

[paprhangr]

on the Consew 206rb5, should the needle be in or out of the leather when engaging reverse?

[Danno3]

Don't apologize for needing information and help. If the lower thread is flat across the bottom of the material there is to much tension on the bobbin spring. Get a very small screwdriver and back the screw up 1/2 to 3/4's of a turn make small corrections not seven or eight turns at once. Make sure you are loading the bobbin the right direction when you put it in. Back off on the upper tension 2 or 3 turns. Test this adjustment and see how it sews. No, holding the thread at start up will not take care of the tension problem but it will stop the machine from pulling the thread out of your material. I assume you have not slowed your machine down? It will sew much better around 700 to 800 spm. Not what it was set at the factory to run. If you can spring for one you need a servo motor for your new toy. You will not believe the difference in the machine's performance. I bought mine from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines at the top of the page. Hope this helped.

Thanks! I bought it ready to go with a 3/4 servo motor, its at its slowest setting so I'm all good there. I am terrified of adjusting the bobbin tension, heck, I can hardley get the thing back in after. Not accustomed to a horizontal loaded bobbin... OMG the curse words that came out of my mouth my husband was laughing! BUt, if it must be then it must be.

[Danno3]

Keep at it, when I started working with leather I got a wild hair to build a saddle, I'd never made anything out of leather. Now I'm doing wholesale work for a local store and selling all kinds of western gear from chaps and chinks to saddles. I know how frustrating a machine can be, but don't feel bad about calling your salesperson. They should be able to help you with all the adjustments.

I'm also a special olympics ski coach, I was one of the coaches for the World Winter Games Team USA that went to South Korea last winter. Sorry to hear about the fractured skull, but I admire all the parents out there that do whatever it takes for their kids. If you ever have any questions this is a great place to get them answered.

Thank you Undeberg:) NO helmet needed so it was careful attentiveness and communication where possible that helped. Its been 4 months, should be healed now but no more CAT scans to find out LOL....

Saddles... that's my guilty interest. I keep an old english one aroun din case I feel liek deconstructing one day. Also nostalgia:)

[Danno3]

At my age I should know better but I bought a Cobra 4 from all the kudos on machine and customer service. No one said anything about that steep a....learning curve. Test and sew. Test and sew. Test...........

Don't give up.

I was about to post your reverse is adjustable. And your machine is rather limited to "low to medium weight leather".

What are your products?

Well Im glad you said that... After again finding it impossible to use my 29-K, I decided to just buy a cylinder arm. But I couldn't deal with the test and sew, rinse repeat. I need something reliable and consistent.

Sewing fairly thin 2-3oz embossed and other leather. Some lamb if I ever get different feed dogs. May be I was giving it mor ethat it could chew?

[Fat Dog Leather]

Hey donno3,

As a FNGirl to this world of leather work who is learning all she can by asking questions and advice along the way; I cannot offer adjustment info. on your machine, just a few more words of encouragement ........

I too started on a 29-4 that I thought was too cool. Quickly found out why it is a patch machine and struggled to sew straight lines after working hard on projects. Recently bought a new walking foot and could not be happier. So if you can manage the old 29-4, you can handle any new machine - without a doubt!

I can throw it out there to always try a sample of any new material to see how the machine will perform prior to putting your ready to sew project under the needle. Good luck!

[Wizcrafts]

I have a few observations based on your comments Danno.

First, the thread lying flat on the bottom can be caused by the following misadjustments:

1. Bobbin case spring way too tight
   
2. Top thread spring way too loose
   
3. Top thread too springy, causing it to flip out of the center area of the tension disks (no top tension)
   
4. Needle too small to pull knots up into leather
   

Normally, the bobbin thread tension spring is set for a light, even pressure when you pull on the bobbin thread. If it is very hard to pull the thread that emits under the tension spring, something is binding as the thread leaves the bobbin. It could be a burr on the spring, or maybe the thread has unwound around the bobbin inside the case, or you left too long of a starting stub after cutting it off with your thread snippers. Also, if the bobbin case has an anti-backlash spring inside it and the bobbins are just a little on the wide side, the case and anti-backlash spring could jam the bobbin against the shuttle face, adding a lot more tension than you expect to have. Always prove the bobbin tension after pulling the thread up through the feed dog hole.

Issue #2 can be fixed by adding more spring tension to the top disks. Screw in the adjuster nut to add more pressure from the beehive shaped spring. Improvements are usually noticed right away, unless issue #3 exists.

Issue number 3 is trickier. This happened to me last year, as I was sewing. It is a known secret among professional leather sewers that a lot of times a spool of black thread will unwind like a coil spring. These windings tend to form twists and even knots along the path to the needle. One day, as I was happily sewing long strap on my walking foot machine, the top thread started bunching up under the leather and motion ground to a halt. There was zero top tension! When I followed the thread back from the needle to the top tensioner, I found that the thread was literally sitting on top of the disks, rather than down inside them. It was black #138 bonded nylon thread and it unwound like a clock spring. First, I tried looping the thread around a post on top of the machine, which added back tension, which helped pull the thread down into the business area of the disks. But, due to its springiness the thread formed another loop around the post and jammed the machine to a halt, filigreeing the leather.

When this kind of trouble happens and you have no other suitable thread to change out to, you find unusual solutions. My unusual solution, which I am still using, is to feed the top thread under the little 1/16" diameter steel pin that keeps the top tension disks in alignment. The disks have a little semi-round cut-out that flits over the little spring-pin. My thread feeds straight through the top post, winds around the three hole guide over the right side of the tension disk assembly, goes under the little spring-pin, then a sharp turn up to the left and around the tension disks, then down to the check spring assembly and on to the take-up and feed down guides. With this configuration my top thread has never again twisted itself out of the top tension disks. The sharp turn up from the pin adds more tension, so I no longer feed through two holes on the top post. It simply isn't required any more.

I explained in the last paragraph that some thread is more springy than other threads. This is especially true of bonded black nylon, which is often redyed from a dark blue to black. I now keep different brands and batches of black thread on hand, purchased at different times. Some is springy, some is less so, some not at all. Bonded polyester tends to be much softer and less springy in all colors I have on hand.

As for the needle sizes, #69 (T70) thread is usually sewn with a #16 or #18 needle and usually produces a great stitch in thin materials, like Naugahyde and garment leather and motorcycle patches on vests. However, if the tensions are decent, top and bottom (no jammed threads), but the knots lie under the leather, and the machine is properly threaded and the top thread has not lifted out of the top disks, increase by one needle size for a larger hole. If necessary, you can even try sewing with a #20 needle.

Matching your reverse stitches can also be fine tuned by changing the timing of the alternating presser feet on the back of the machine head. In my photo below, the big six sided bolt locks down the timing of the feet, while the nut-secured sliding piece, that moves in the curved slot, controls the amount of lift the raised feet have. By loosening the big bolt, and rotating the shaft connected to it, you can adjust the moment when the inside foot makes contact with the feed dog to happen just after the tip of the needle passes the top and begins to enter the hole. Do this while the needle and inside foot are on the down stroke, without material under the foot. You will probably have to adjust it a few times before you zero in the stitch length to match in forward and reverse.

Edited August 29, 2013 by Wizcrafts

[paprhangr]

thanks Wiz, Is there a beginner's video guide "How to " adjust/ sew with your Consew 206 RB-5.

[stanly]

Thanks! I bought it ready to go with a 3/4 servo motor, its at its slowest setting so I'm all good there. I am terrified of adjusting the bobbin tension, heck, I can hardley get the thing back in after. Not accustomed to a horizontal loaded bobbin... OMG the curse words that came out of my mouth my husband was laughing! BUt, if it must be then it must be.

everyone seems to experience this at first = feed dog needs to be moved up (rotate machine), the first couple times I crawled under table to see what the heck... I'll admit to some jealousy about servo, I cheaped out and went Monster wheel route.

Well Im glad you said that... After again finding it impossible to use my 29-K, I decided to just buy a cylinder arm. But I couldn't deal with the test and sew, rinse repeat. I need something reliable and consistent.

Sewing fairly thin 2-3oz embossed and other leather. Some lamb if I ever get different feed dogs. May be I was giving it mor ethat it could chew?

u can put layers of masking tape on dogs to smooth them some, U prob. got a selection so already know there are different walking feet that have no teeth (or could file down for permanent fix of you're fav feet). Flat bed is cheaper, but can be challenge to to sew inside some things. With a table on arm the cylinder can do every thing a flat can. Edited August 31, 2013 by stanly