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

[prbush]

What size and brands of servo motors are you using?  In looking I am seeing several different sizes and brands....550, 750, 1000, different horse powers , etc....  want to make sure I am looking for one that would give me plenty of power and reliability but at the same time do not want to go way overboard and get the largest just because it is large.....

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, prbush said:

What size and brands of servo motors are you using?  In looking I am seeing several different sizes and brands....550, 750, 1000, different horse powers , etc....  want to make sure I am looking for one that would give me plenty of power and reliability but at the same time do not want to go way overboard and get the largest just because it is large.....

I have 2 Family Sew FS-550 servo motors in service at this time. One feeds a 3:1 speed reducer (on a CB4500). The other is direct drive to the machine. I can set the speed limiter to minimum and still punch through leather without the motor bogging down. Both are equipped with a small 50mm pulley that adds torque. The standard pulley is much bigger and would run too fast and lose power when you try to sew slowly. The pulley size matters on leather sewing machines.

[prbush]

Thanks for the reply.......so would the 550 be all that I would need on the consew226?  would the larger 750 or 1000 just be overkill....also,  if I understand you correctly you changed the 2" pulley to a 50mm pulley?  would this be the pulley size I should try to start with?   would I need a speed reducer or is it only for the heavier machines like your cb4500?    Would I be ok leaving the existing pulley on the main machine or does it have to be changed out too....  Thanks for bearing with all my questions,  I want to get it set up correctly but not change out something that makes no improvement   so that I do not get too frustrated trying to learn the machine......

[Northmount]

2" equals 50mm (actually 50.8mm) so is considered the same size.

With your Consew, you are not sewing 3/4" of leather, so don't need the higher wattage/horsepower.  Depending how slow you want to go, you still might want a speed reducer pulley set.  But why not test the setup with your servo first and see how it behaves before spending the extra on the speed reducer?

Tom

[dikman]

550w (= 3/4 hp) would work fine on your machine, 750w (=1 hp) would obviously give a bit more available power but unless the price was good I wouldn't worry about it. Most servos appear to come with 75mm (3") pulleys as standard, you should fit the smallest you can get, in my case the supplier (in China) sent 45mm. You're in the States, so I would suggest you take Wiz's advice and get a Family Sew as he has been happy with them (plus I reckon the price is good). You can buy cheaper from China (which is pretty well where they all come from anyway) but buying "locally" should give you peace-of-mind in the unlikely event you have any problems with it.

As has been said, just start with the servo and smaller pulley first.Keep it simple.

Edited May 13, 2018 by dikman

[leecopp]

Both Toledo Industrial and Keystone Sewing sell the the 550 size servo with the 50mm pulley as the default or an option. As mentioned above this is a great place to start. I had an eagle brand servo come with a machine and had no luck fitting a smaller pulley (odd shaft size, I was unwilling to throw any more money at it).

[Wizcrafts]

@prbush

The shaft on the Family Sew motors is not a standard diameter (as pulley mounting holes go). The 50mm pulley is custom fitted by the dealer. If you buy one from an online seller who is not a specialist in leather sewing machines, it will probably have the 75mm pulley installed (standard for high speed upholstery and garment sewing). This will not be a good size for slow sewing. The machine could start up like a jack rabbit.

As for your question about the machine pulley, measure the diameter of the pulley across the top. If it is at least 4 inches, keep it. That way a 2" motor pulley will yield a 2:1 speed reduction/torque multiplication.

[prbush]

Thanks for everyone replying.....I really appreciate it..... I think I have some good information and direction to go with.....I will look at the 550 and make sure it has a 50 mm pulley.....will check the pulley on the machine itself and will wait on the reducer until I see how it reacts......

[Colt W Knight]

I used a size 25 needle in my consew 206 with #138 thread when I was sewing biothane/brahma webbing for GPS tracking collars and padding material. The smaller needles just wont do it. I now have a Cowboy 441 clone, so I don't do it anylonger

 

[Wizcrafts]

12 hours ago, prbush said:

Thanks for everyone replying.....I really appreciate it..... I think I have some good information and direction to go with.....I will look at the 550 and make sure it has a 50 mm pulley.....will check the pulley on the machine itself and will wait on the reducer until I see how it reacts......

This dealer sells the Family Sew FS-550 with a 50mm pulley attached. He also has type 3L v-belts. You are going to need a shorter belt after you replace the clutch motor (with its bigger pulley).