horseshoer Report post Posted January 11, 2019 I have a new to me, juki 563 . Machine is in good shape and seems like it is a sure enough good machine although I know nothing about sewing machines. It came with some 69 thread and I forget what size needles and was setup to do auto upholstery. It sewed great. I have now converted to a servo motor and a smaller motor pulley. I also got some 135x16 leather point needles in a size 22/140 and #138 t135 bonded nylon thread. Sewing 8 or 9 oz veg tan, the knot is showing up on the bottom of the leather instead of inside the leather. I read in two different places that if the knot shows up on the bottom then the top thread needs more tension. I tightened the top thread tension but it did not change the location of the knot. I can crank down that top thread tension to where I can barely pull the thread , or back it all the way off and the knot still remains on the bottom. The bobbin thread pulls fairly easy but I didn't want to play with that tension without first getting some advice. Did I get bad information on this being a problem with top thread tension being too loose? what should I try next? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted January 12, 2019 2 hours ago, horseshoer said: SNIP I tightened the top thread tension but it did not change the location of the knot. I can crank down that top thread tension to where I can barely pull the thread , or back it all the way off and the knot still remains on the bottom. The bobbin thread pulls fairly easy SNIP what should I try next? Assuming the machine is really threaded correctly, the needle may be a size too small for this particular leather. Get yourself some #23/160 needles and the holes should be large enough to get pulled into the leather. Note that some thread is stiffer than usual making it harder to pull the knots up. Veg-tan leather takes a lot more tension to pull the knots up if the hole clearance is marginal. Some leather points work better than others in dense leather. Try some DI or TRI points. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
horseshoer Report post Posted January 12, 2019 Thank you Wizcrafts. I will order some 23/160 needles and give that a try. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted January 12, 2019 14 minutes ago, horseshoer said: Thank you Wizcrafts. I will order some 23/160 needles and give that a try. Try to buy a pack each of diamond and triangle points. They make a different type of hole than the slanted wedge points. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
horseshoer Report post Posted January 12, 2019 (edited) The ones I have are tri point, but I will order the bigger size in both tri and diamond. What you said makes sense to me..... No matter the tension, the thread cannot pull up into the leather, if the hole isn't big enough. The machine came with some 135/17 needles but I read on this site that 135/16 would be better in leather? Edited January 12, 2019 by horseshoer Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted January 12, 2019 4 hours ago, horseshoer said: The ones I have are tri point, but I will order the bigger size in both tri and diamond. What you said makes sense to me..... No matter the tension, the thread cannot pull up into the leather, if the hole isn't big enough. The machine came with some 135/17 needles but I read on this site that 135/16 would be better in leather? 135x17 are round points meant to penetrate cloth. They tend to heat up and stick inside veg-tan leather and squeak until that happens. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
