Landis Regular Lock Stitch Wax Thread Sewing Machine

[Bruce Evans]

Here is a picture of top and bottom of what I am getting for my stitching,please somebody,what knobs do I need to adjust to correct the stitch..

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

What size needle and thread combination are you using? On the Landis 1's I normally use a size smaller on the bottom. With the modern needle numbering system, I typically use a #230 needle with a 346 top, 277 bottom. A #200 needle and 277 top and 207 bottom IF your bobbin will hold tension on that light of a thread. Which takes us to the next step: make SURE you have enough tension on your bobbin thread. You should need to use a pretty firm pull to pull thread from tension off the bobbin. You should barely, if at all, be able to pull any thread from tension with just your hand with the shuttle all the way to one side or the other. Oftentimes, there will be a groove worn in the tension spring on the shuttle, which is why I said above "IF your bobbin will hold tension on that light of a thread." If you don't have enough tension on the bottom, you will never get a nice tight stitch. So, assuming you've got the bottom tight, set your cam on your takeup lever right about in the center for normal work, up to about 3/8". For lighter stuff, move the cam to the left, for heavier, move it to the right. Make sure when the locking lever comes down on the tension plates, that you can't pull ANY thread through them. If there are grooves worn in the top tension plates, you will not get a nice stitch. Make sure you lifting dog isn't slipping on the presser foot bar, and make sure your presser foot is holding your work down. The machine will not feed evenly if it is not tight. Make sure the presser foot is lifting when it's supposed to, otherwise, it'll force your work back ahead (if that makes sense) as it feeds through. I periodically spray a little contact cleaner on the presser foot bar where the lifting dog grabs on it to get rid of oil that will cause it to slip. I've seen the bar worn so badly that the dog won't grab, making it necessary to rebuild the bar. There are lots of other spots to wear that will affect how the machine sews, but compared to other machines, this one will tolerate a lot more wear and poor adjustment and still sew than most others. What has earned this machine a bad rap with some people, as being a crude machine that does poor looking work, is that these people have been sewing on machines that are totally worn out, with wrong thread and needle combinations, and the machine still sews. The attached photo will prove all those naysayers wrong. This harness, and countless others, was sewn completely on a Landis 1, 9 to the inch, with original old stock #5 or 6 needles. They will sew as well as any made if set up correctly.

Another very important thing: the needle guide bushing must fit the needle very snugly in order to do nice work. If it's too loose, it allows too much deflection in the needle, which as you know is quite long at over 3" long. Original old stock needles and bushings allows for a much nicer job than the modern needles available to us. But they are difficult to impossible to find. There are a bunch more little tricks and tips, but see if this doesn't get you headed in the right direction. Good luck!

[Bruce Evans]

Thanks,lots to check...I have #200 needles as for the size thread I will have to check tomorrow,I got the thread at the same time I got the shuttle and bobbin and new foot from Elli,in fact he spun the bobbin and set it in the shuttle for me.I think allot of my problem stems from the fact the machine was locked up when I rescued it,and I didnt know what I was messing with and proceeded to take all the parts off and cleaned and painted them,so nothing got put back in the same place it was as for adjustments and I am trying to go by the book on how to set it up but I dont understand some of the terminology....please be patient with me,i am learning....Thanks to you and Mr.Cox for all the help...I will check on the things you suggested.

[Bruce Evans]

oh yea,awesome stitching on the harness,hope i can get mine to sew close to that for my knife sheaths.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

I often "cheat" on lighter stuff, say 3/8" or less, that will receive heavy use by using a 346 with a #200 needle. A smaller needle hole always looks better, so if you can get by with it, go ahead and do it. If you're making knife sheaths, I would think it would be no problem. On heavier stuff, the modern needles will bind the thread where it goes through the needle bushing guide and snap it off. Take a dremel with a cut-off disc and extend the groove in the needle another 1/4" or so up the needle. If you have old stock needles, compare them to the modern ones. You'll see what I mean. One warning on these Landis 1's: don't try to get too much under the foot in one bite. These machines will sew close to an inch of leather, but if you have the presser foot spring tightened down and try to get that inch under the foot in one lift, you're likely to break the flat spring that holds the presser foot bar. Instead, get some pieces of scrap, and "step up" to the height you want to sew, letting the lifting dog grab a new spot on the bar each time. I broke a flat spring last summer for the first time ever, after sewing on a Landis 1 for 25 years! I hope this isn't all too overwhelming, but it's mostly stuff I've learned by experience, and very little advice given by anyone who knew these machines. A lot of it is mentioned in the book, but until I actually sewed and saw for myself, I couldn't visualize what the book was talking about.

[silverbullet]

Haven't been on for awhile and you have done an amazing job restoring your machine. Man I wish I could get around and ck some of the junk yards around here. I sure bet theres more of these just sitting somewhere . But they're getting harder to find for sure and when they do get found in a barn or other outbuilding the people think they're gold. And I guess in a way they are right . All said and done you have done a really great job , be proud of it and good luck with her. I copied the picture and saved it , I liked it so much thanks , Gary

[Bruce Evans]

The thread I got from Ellie is #277 nylon..Thanks for the compliment Silverbullet,i hope to use and enjoy her for a long time.

[Hansons Carriage]

Big Sioux, do you have any close up pictures of the needle guides? I've been trying different designs to get the needle to settle down, but haven't really come up with anything that works consistently. I have nothing to go on though... If I can see it, I can probably build it. Right now, I'm getting by with an aluminum aircraft rivet that I've bored out to fit the needle.

Thanks!

John

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

John, I will try to get some pics today. I have had bushings made by machine shops and I think they've used "drill jig bushings"?? You want them to fit as tightly as possible while still allowing the needle to move through up and down. Any side to side wiggle is too much, but unfortunately, the modern needle/bushing combinations leave something to be desired. I've had some made that I had to put the needle in a vise and tap the bushing on, and once it's on, it won't come off, but still moves freely on the needle. That is as good a fit as one can hope for until someone comes up with better needles.

[hyttogpine]

Bruce Evans, what a craftsmanship you performance.

I actually can nothing to sewing machines, but would like to send you this picture. Maybe this can be a to inspirere the skills you manage.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

John, here are a few pictures. I had a time getting the camera to focus well enough to get a good picture. The main thing is like I said earlier, as tight a fit on the needle as possible while still allowing it to slide freely. The smaller the needle diameter, the more important this is, because they will deflect, bend and break easier than the larger diameter needles. I've used some original size 6 needles and bushings on this machine, sewing 9 to the inch. The rest of the machine has to be pretty tight to do that. I think the size 4 needles were the most common size used, probably equivalent to the #200 now, or possible the #230. It's REALLY hard to find any size 4 original needles. The larger sizes show up fairly often.

[Hansons Carriage]

Thanks, I can figure out something I bet! I've had very limited luck with the aluminum rivet...I'll try to get a pic of it sometime. I had a heck of a time getting the thread not to rub on the inside of it and cut.... just gotta get that radius on the ends.