Sew #69 Thread On My Cobra 4?

[25b]

I use a Sailrite LSZ-1 for my light-duty parts of projects and a CB3200 for heavy duty use when the bottom stitches won't be able to be seen.

[Wizcrafts]

What would some examples of good choices for light dutry stitchers for a leather shop be?

Let me describe my operation and how I use different machines to sew different parts of a project.

Most members in this section of the LWN are very familiar with the concept of sewing heavy and thick leather on big stitchers with large needles and thread to match. But, not every job can be sewn on those machines, or with heavy thread. You cannot hide the lockstitch knots from #277 thread inside 6 ounces of leather or denim. Also, the big 441 and 205 type machines tend to eat thin and soft material inside the hole in the feed dog and stock throat plate.

This is were we must obtain lesser machines to sew thinner materials with thinner needles and thread. These machines can be both walking foot and straight stitch machines for general sewing. You are going to have serious trouble sewing together a satin lining of a leather skirt, or jacket, or a vest, on a walking foot machine. The material is extremely thin and requires common household sized thread and a tiny needle with a round point. A tailoring machine is best suited to this work.

I have a Singer 31-15 tailoring machine that I use for linings and cloth garment repairs. It can use the thinnest of threads, all the way up to #69 and sometimes #92. The feed dog and throat plate can be replaced with sets for light, medium and heavy materials. It can produce stitches up to 5 to the inch, or down to almost zero. Put in a #10 or #11 needle and #33 thread and a roller foot conversion and you can sew patterns onto cowboy boot uppers. Switch to a heavy feed set, a #18 needle and #69 thread and you can sew wallets. Change some springs and you can probably get it to sew chaps with #92 thread, using a #20 needle.

With all that versitality, it still has trouble sewing over seams, like on denim jeans. That is where you need to cross over to a walking foot machine. It will have higher clearance under the alternating feet and will climb over and back down seams reaching 3/8 inch in thickness. Your straight stitch machine probably cannot do that. Further, the walking foot machine has a different shuttle and bobbin system that allows it to easily sew with #138 thread. Most can be adjusted to handle up to #207 on top, usually with #138 in the bobbin. You would use this machine for everything too heavy for the straight stitcher and too light for your harness grade machine.

Big harness and holster sewing machines are not designed to be nice to thin materials. They often don't have leather point needles available in sizes under #23 (160). The feed dogs have large holes to clear huge needles and thick thread. GA1-5 type machines have a giant feed dog with serious teeth. It will eat thin material and seriously mark leather on the bottom, if the grain side is down ( as in double leather pouches, cases, belts and straps).

When it comes to sewing thick leather, you need a more powerfully and strongly built 441 and 205 type machine. They have beefed up parts and springs, needed to hold down thick leather and tow straps that are sewn with needles the diameter of porch nails. While you might be able to dumb down these machines to sew with thin thread and needles, into thin material, the time spent readjusting them back and forth may not be worht it if you have a busy shop. Besides, it's fun to watch your customers' expressions when they see a shop full of big sewing machines!

Edited December 8, 2015 by Wizcrafts

[Cobra Steve]

You are exactly right Wiz. Marie, we also have the machine that you need.

[Darren Brosowski]

Between the 15-91 and a walking foot is the pure needle feed machine. They are built on the same frame an industrial straight sewer and can pretty much handle all the work of one but they have a much more delicate touch that a walking foot machine.

In a perfect world everyone would have 10 different machines on tables but always remember than many machine heads fit in the same hole.....