Union lockstitch in action

[sheldonesh]

 

[Wizcrafts]

That Union Lockstitch is music to my ears. I've owned two so far and sold both of them off. I wouldn't be surprised if I end up with one more.

[dikman]

Most interesting. No measurements, he just eye-balled everything. That leather sounded pretty hard when he was bevelling the edges!!

[JLSleather]

Kid looks like he dun that before   Still not gittin' the whole "play some unrelated music and pan past a  bunch of unrelated tools" thing, but I do like the way that old gal lays a stitch!

 

[Matt S]

3 hours ago, dikman said:

Most interesting. No measurements, he just eye-balled everything. That leather sounded pretty hard when he was bevelling the edges!!

Sounded like he needed to strop his edger to me ;-)

[Wizcrafts]

5 hours ago, JLSleather said:

Kid looks like he dun that before   Still not gittin' the whole "play some unrelated music and pan past a  bunch of unrelated tools" thing, but I do like the way that old gal lays a stitch!

 

Unbeknownst to many used to modern sewing machines, the Union Lockstitch machines can be adjusted to lay down the tightest stitches in the World, followed by Campbell-Randall Lockstitch machines. The take-up mechanism is capable of locking the top thread 100% near the top of the upstroke. It is usually also set to a certain amount of lift to position the knots in the dead center of the layers.

[ethvan316]

Nice Video, I’m kinda curious on how the sewing machine is powered sounds like it’s pneumatic the machine had air hoses with air/water separator filters and a small motor it’s different never seen anything like it before.

[LederMaschinist]

That appears to be something like a Gast air motor.  Lots of power and torque in a small package.  Similar to this one:

http://vactech.com.my/product/vacuum-pumps/4am-gast/

I happened to just be looking at these yesterday with the idea of using one backwards as a belt driven compressor powered by the clutch motor to charge a small airtank that could be used for a pneumatic presser lift.

Edited December 10, 2018 by LederMaschinist

[sheldonesh]

On 12/5/2018 at 5:02 PM, sheldonesh said:

 

Yes, its a gast air motor. I think there is more control in comparison to electric motors

[Wizcrafts]

I never had trouble controlling my Union Lockstitch machines that were using continuous run motors. The tapered clutch on the back of the machine is very easy to feather. I was able to stop with either the needle up and foot lifted, or the needle under the throat plate and foot down. It stopped on a dime and gave me change when I heeled down on the go pedal.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

The owners of Smuckers Harness were Amish and many of them use air motors on their machines.  I've see  Amish shops that have a gas or diesel powered compressor outside or in a different area of the building, and run air lines to all the machines in the shop   Even though this young man may not be Amish, judging from his clothing, if the machine came from the family's harness shop, that would explain why it has an air motor on it.  Not so much a matter of power or torque as it is their beliefs.  

Edited December 15, 2018 by Big Sioux Saddlery

[sheldonesh]

The guy in the video is the son of Moses Smucker, he owns smuckers harness now.

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

Exactly, I guess I never actually said that.  Lol.  Although the amount of harness work the shop is doing now is a fraction of what they once did 

Edited December 16, 2018 by Big Sioux Saddlery

[sheldonesh]

I worked for smuckers harness 1997-1999, and we were incredibly busy. It was good times!

[Big Sioux Saddlery]

10 hours ago, sheldonesh said:

I worked for smuckers harness 1997-1999, and we were incredibly busy. It was good times!

Yep, the harness business is quite a bit different today than in the 1990's, and not for the better!