Have New Machine, Now What?

[Kulafarmer]

http://www.schmetzneedles.com/learning/pdf/leather-needles.pdf

Thats a great needle chart,

THANK YOU!

Have been looking for a chart that compares and lists threads

ie. The various numbers and corresponding decimal and metric sizes

Googled my brain into a melt down and freeze up trying to find that.

[Kulafarmer]

this is crazy, how a conversation evolves:) its something to think about! I love a good saddle stitch, but I worry now that I have this awesome machine, ill get lazy and start using it in place of hand stitching. I do feel that a saddle stitch is a more durable stitch, but do I need it for every sewing project, or when is it good practice to swap between the two? I've seen videos of people using both for the same type of projects, but is it a good thing or a bad, lazy thing? how do you know when to alternate? or if that's even wise? I bought this to save my fingers, but its hard to break away from hand stitching, with the worry that my product might fall apart.

Am I crazy to think this?

Please know that I understand (why buy if you don't need it?) , but I purchased this because I had the money. I didn't want to have to buy one down the road if I didn't have the money...

Im in the same boat as you, had some $ handed to me and rather than stuffing it away to lose its value weather sitting in the gun safe or being used by some banker i invested it in tools. So have a new class 4 showing up in a few days, i dont look at it as getting lazy, i look at it as increasing my potential.

[dirtclod]

There's Tanner's Bond, Master's, Barge.....and my personal preference (since I can buy it at a local hardware store) Weldwood. They are all very good contact cements, which are chemically different from "white glue"....which is often times just a variant of PVA (Poly-Vinyl-Alcohol). As Jeff said, you won't pull it apart - but you CAN tear the leather fibers if you try hard enough.

I mix machine stitching and saddle stitching - I don't like the doubled up threads in a lock stitch (because of the angle of my needles), so I leave a tail and saddle stitch my thread locks. That also gives me the option to add a half-stitch, which leaves both threads on the same side of the leather.

I hear people say that the leather will tear before the glue gives up almost as much as a lockstitch machine stitch will unravel. I've been doing leather work full time for 30 years and used just about every brand of glue made and had to take my share of things apart after they were glued and i NEVER had the leather tear before the glue gave out/ gave up. Somebody put a picture up where the leather tore i want to see it ! Till then i'm calling BS on the leather tearing ! Make me a beliver.

[silverwingit]

I too was a total newbie to sewing machines until I purchased a Cobra 4 several years ago. It was an intimidating beast at first but as I practiced it became easier and easier. Once you understand tensions -- how to recognize a problem and what to do about it -- you're off to the races. And, though it may not look like it, a race car it is! I am regularly astounded at how quickly I can stitch up a prototype or final project, greatly increasing my efficiency.

Someone said that Cobra 4's are not friendly to thinner leathers. I heartily disagree! I put Steve's feet to the fire about this before my purchase because I stitch a range of thicknesses from two thin layers of garment leather to several layers of 8-9 oz. vegtan. Steve was insistent that the Cobra 4 was up to that challenge and based on his word and reputation I went ahead with the purchase.

Now I am delighted because my machine stitches two layers of 1.5-2 oz. soft garment leather pouches and then a holster with 5-6 layers of 8-9 oz. vegtan -- without adjusting the tensions! In fact, I can't recall of hand the last time I had to change tensions. I don't think I've eer had to change bobbin tension.

The only problem I ever had was once when I first bought the machine I didn't grip the threads hard enough and it ripped them from my fingers, knocking the Cobra's timing out. I was devastated but Steve talked me through resetting the timing over the phone and I was back up and running in a half hour or so. It turned out to be a great exercise as it allayed my fears that I could hurt the machine and I also learned volumes about the Cobra 4 innards and workings. So ever since I've put a "death grip" on those threads when I first start a run and it's been totally smooth sailing. It's wonderful machine!

I can't say enough about Al Bane's videos. In fact, I refer to his long, detailed how-to video so often that I made an index so I could easily find specific topics. I'll post it next here so that people can find it later.

Good luck and Keep On Stitchin'!

Michelle

Index to Al Bane's 35-minute Cobra Class 4 Leather Sewing Machine Instructional Video

Time Topic

0:00 Machine Description

1:25 Loading Thread Stand

1:35 Winding Bobbin

3:11 Threading The Needle Side

5:20 Loading Bobbin

6:49 Replacing Needle

7:40 Preparing To Sew

8:19 Compound Feed Explained

8:47 Stitching A Straight Line With The Roller Guide

9:33 Stitching On A Curve

10:22 Stitching A Right Angle

11:19 Backtacking

12:09 Removing Textiles

12:47 Changing Presser Feet

14:38 Switching Out The Feed Dog

20:33 Installing Roller Edge Guide

22:24 Lubricating - Inside Front Of Machine

23:30 Lubrication - Lower Right Cover Plate

23:55 Lubrication – Back Of Machine

24:10 Lubrication - Oiling The Hook

24:31 Lubrication – Oil Points Marked In Red

25:00 Bobbin Winder Friction Disc Adjustment

26:10 Adjusting Drive Belt Tension

26:44 Adjusting Servo Motor Speed

27:44 Presser Foot Slide Adjustment

28:40 Adjusting Hook-Needle Timing

29:46 Removing Work Platform

30:25 Installing Work Platform

31:25 Presser Foot Pedal

32:10 Adjusting Stitch Length

32:54 Troubleshooting Thread Tension Problems – Loops On Top

33:44 Troubleshooting Thread Tension Problems – Loops On Bottom

34:20 Troublehooting Tip – Can't Remove Workpiece

35:05 Troublehooting Tip – Can't Remove Workpiece 2

35:40 Troublehooting Tip – Machine Won't Move Textile

Edited November 28, 2015 by silverwingit