Consew 226 Sewing machine

[prbush]

I have been stitching leather by hand but a consew 226 has become available at an estate sale......Being honest I know very little about sewing machines so please bear with me if I ask something stupid but I don't want to buy something that would not work for me.... I am mainly interested in sewing holsters or belts, etc....  Will this sewing machine do that?  If so what size needle and thread would I have to get.....Also is there anything else that I should look for or check out on the unit?   Any help or information would be greatly appreciated......

[dikman]

A nice machine, particularly if the price is right (and it's working, of course) but holsters? Afraid not, it won't take heavy enough thread, large enough needles or have the grunt to go through the leather (plus ideally you want a cylinder arm for holsters). Should be ok for belts, depending on the thickness, but it will be limited to #138 thread which is probably a lot thinner than you're using for hand stitching.

[Wizcrafts]

It will sew belts, guitar straps, rifle slings, chaps, vests, zippers in jackets, wallets and upholstery, with up to #138 bonded thread (22 pounds test). The maximum seam it will climb over and sew without skipping stitches is perhaps 3/8 inch. But, with #138 thread and a #23 needle, you might need to crank the pressure spring down almost all the way to keep the leather from lifting with the needle. As for holsters, I wouldn't recommend using under #207 thread in a 16 ounce pancake holster, with #277 being much stronger per stitch (44 pounds test). I think that #138 thread is just too weak to hold the leather together under the strain a gun can place on the stitch lines.

FYI: Many commercially produced holsters are sewn with #346 lubricated bonded nylon thread, or else with 6 or 7 cord Barbour's Irish linen thread run through a bees wax pot. The former requires a Cowboy, Cobra, Techsew, Weaver, or Artisan, etc 441 clone, or an actual Juki TSC-441, or an Adler 205-370, or the newer Adler 969 Eco harness stitcher. The later calls for a needle and awl harness stitcher or a shoe sole stitcher.

[prbush]

Thanks for the quick reply......May still consider it even if it would not do holsters.......What would you consider a decent price if it is working and in good shape?  Also,  I notice that the motor has 1725 rpm on it and is not 3450.  Is this a problem?    One final question,  is 138#  the heaviest thread that I would be able to use and also is #23 the largest needle that I could use with this unit?  On the unit it says to use 135x17 needles and am not sure how it relates to the numbers you are referring to....  I was wondering if it could use a #207 thread with #24 needle for belts , etc.....

[Pintodeluxe]

I have two Consew 226 machines and really quite like them.  The top loading bobbin and large reverse lever makes for an elegant design.  The G style bobbin is pretty small, and is sometimes a limiting factor for the upholstery work I do.  Overall it's a great machine.  

I concur 138 thread is about max.  135x17 is just the needle system.  If you buy leatherpoint needles they will be called 135x16 in various sizes.  I use #18 for 92 thread or a #22 for 138 thread.  I like Wizcrafts suggestion to use a #23 needle with 138 thread, I keep meaning to try that.  

As far as the motor, I have had both 1725 rpm and 3450 rpm clutch motors and they're both too fast for me.  I just swapped them for an inexpensive servo motor.

Good luck.

[prbush]

Thanks for the reply.....The reason I was asking about sizes of needles was that when I went online I found  "Organ 135x16 dpx16 leather needles" listed with sizes up to #25......  I was confused since I was getting the impression that the largest for this unit is #23.  Then I found a 135x16tri dpx16d leather needle that listed sizes up to #23.

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, prbush said:

Thanks for the reply.....The reason I was asking about sizes of needles was that when I went online I found  "Organ 135x16 dpx16 leather needles" listed with sizes up to #25......  I was confused since I was getting the impression that the largest for this unit is #23.  Then I found a 135x16tri dpx16d leather needle that listed sizes up to #23.

Different needle bars and clamps are bored for specific upper shank diameters to center the needle in the hole in the throat plate of feed dog. Different machines have different needle height settings from TDC to BDC. Tailoring machines typically use much shorter needles than upholstery walking foot machines. Holster and harness stitchers have even longer needles. A needle system defines its entire geometry.

Some sewing machines that take a system 135x16/17 needle system are physically limited to a #23 or less needle. Others have bigger holes, clearances and different types of shuttle that allow for the use of a #24 or 25 needle. If your machine was built with an upper limit of a #23 needle and you try using a #24 or 25, something is going to jam or break.

I have had #26 needles in system 135x16 or 17. But, I didn't have a machine that would actually sew with them.

[prbush]

Went ahead and bought it....was told it.has been sitting unused for a few years so will have to clean and oil it and figure out how to use it but am excited to learn as much as I can about it.....thanks for all the help and information....

[prbush]

ok,  after getting the machine,  I am wondering if there are some enhancements that I should consider ..... I went back and looked at all the different posts on this site  on the unit and I see where a lot of people are adding different pulleys, speed reducers, and servo motors.  Is this something that I should be looking at doing and can it be easily done .....also is it really helpful in sewing leather?   Don't want to spend money and time not necessary but am willing to do what is needed to ensure that I can enjoy learning and using the machine to sew leather....  

[dikman]

If you've never used an industrial sewing machine with a clutch motor it can be a fairly scary experience - they are fast! For sewing leather you really need a slow speed, in part to give you more control and to give you confidence when starting out. It is certainly possible to sew leather with a clutch motor but it needs a light touch and can take a while to learn. A servo motor will be money well spent as it will give you smooth, slow speed control and make the machine much more pleasant to use. Some also find adding a speed reducer and smaller motor pulley as well as the servo helps, but you can start with a servo first and see if that's enough by itself.

Me, I have 3 servos, all have smaller motor pulleys, two have speed reducers, one of those also has a slightly larger pulley replacing the handwheel  and the third just has a large pulley replacing the handwheel (which has the same effect as a speed reducer).

Edited May 13, 2018 by dikman