Sewing machine - transition from thin to thick, getting hung up

[Dave3006]

I've done hand stitching for a couple of years and wanted to move to a machine.  I ended up getting the CB-341 from @SolarLeatherMachines, which was a great experience.  So, I'm a newbie to using machines. My first project was a Dopp kit using bridle leather about 3-4 ounces.  It went together pretty well with sewing the zippers.  Then I ran into a problem sewing the ends where the leather goes from two layers of leather to the thicker four layers.  See images and the green box showing the thicker section.

The machine sews four layers without a problem - the problem is with the transition from thinner two layers to the four.  The machine would hang up at the thicker part and not step up and onto the thicker part. 

How does one successfully make the transition from the thinner, two layers, to the thicker, four layers of leather?

The image is from inside the bag, looking down and at the end. The green is there I was getting hung up.

Thanks!

 

 

[heydox]

The trick is to walk your stitch right to the edge of the thicker portion. Stop needle down and then raise the presser foot lever. Take a piece of leather, or any stiff material the same thickness as the increase of the additional leather, and place it at the rear of the needle and lower your presser foot. Continue stitching and your presser foot will walk cleanly off of the wedge onto the thicker section. 

[Bugstruck]

Well that is a bit of a test for a that machine's ability to climb. I had that problem on a flat bed walking foot that was related to the feet not being balanced for lift so check that first. Inner and outer should lift the same distance or very nearly so. If that checks good your machine (others will be more familiar) may have an adjustment on the back linkage that will modify the range of lift. Solar will know. A mockup with scrap and a video of it sewing through the problem zone may help them diagnose. Rarely, I have to slow down and hand wheel through problem transitions, even on a well calibrated machine, giving it an assist and working methodically. Not sure if you sewed right to left but climbing that folded portion as the feet drop into that one ply ditch is closing in on the zone that give some machines more challenge than they want. The assist in that condition is to manually flatten that fold as the feet approach. Sometimes you can insert something narrow temporarily just before a step up and remove it as you work slowly through a tough spot. Give the leading edge of the feet a temporary (usually just one stitch) bridge to thicker material. I could get a machine less capable than yours, and otherwise incapable, over that jump usually. Someone else here always knows something I don't too.

Good luck and expect a learning curve.

[Tejas]

Bugstruck suggests to "Give the leading edge of the feet a temporary (usually just one stitch) bridge to thicker material." Similarly:

For sewing over thickness changes, a spacer such as a jean-a-ma-jig or hump jumper can be used. Sew up to the hump, and with the needle buried raise the foot and insert the spacer behind the needle and manually sew up onto the hump. Sew across the hump. To sew off of the hump, while still on the hump raise the foot with the needle buried, insert the spacer in front of the needle and manually sew over the drop-off before removing the spacer.

Jeaan-a-ma-jigs are inexpensive and can be gotten on amazon or at Joanns.

Edited March 8, 2019 by Tejas
Attribute to Bugstruck

[jimi]

Maybe it would be a good ides to skive that transition area??

[Constabulary]

Probably increasing the operating foot lift will help

EDIT:

extract from the manual

Edited March 8, 2019 by Constabulary

[Handstitched]

From my own experience, I do what @heydox  said , but I sometimes  turn the machine fly wheel by hand . Its a bit tricky, but it works...for me anyway   

HS 

[Dave3006]

Thank you all for the suggestions.  I'll try and see which works best.