Hoping for help with my new patcher (Adler 30-1)

[Wizcrafts]

13 hours ago, Vinito said:

I got the #138 thread and #19 needles and now the stitch is tight on the bottom again with top tension set as tight as it will go.

Number 19 needles are for T90 or v92 bonded thread. Your #138 thread is 50% bigger and needs a larger needle. As the thread diameter increases, the lockstitch knots become even larger and require a much bigger hole to be pulled up without extraordinary force. The denser the material, the bigger the needle hole needs to be for any given thread combination. That is why I mentioned that I prefer a #23 (160) needle when sewing with #138 thread, top and bottom, into leather. When sewing textiles a #22 needle is fine. But, leather is tougher inside and presents more resistance to the lockstitch knots as they try to move up with the take-up lever.

[mikesc]

Quote

I think we were just talking past each other.

If that means we are "cool"..we are cool

Persevere with this machine..Adlers are very well made*..Here Singer "patchers" in Good condition can be found around €500.00 and upwards depending on the model ( I paid less for mine )..Adlers here begin around €800.00 and are usually a thousand or more..I missed a pair of them ( really close by too ) for a really silly low price on our equivalent to Craig's List..I keep a browser window open all the time on another computer just in case another one or two come up for that kind of money again ( less than €150.00 each, with a singer 29k in there too )..Shoe repair guy died, family had no idea what they had, "just wanted the old junk machines gone", a dealer saw their ad about 30 minutes before I did....and they were gone

*they hold their value well, and new are not cheap at all..they are viewed as kind of like "the Swiss Army Knife of sewing machines"

[Vinito]

Well wonder of wonders, the thing appears to be working now. So far just done a couple pretty short tests (a few inches of stitch) but it does a reasonable quality stitch with #23 needle + #138 thread and #18 needle + #69 thread. Woo-freakin'-hoo!

I have a couple parts on the way for possible future improvements or at least experimentation. One thing I'm looking forward to is a new presser foot which has most of the jagged tooth ground/filed away and coated instead with some flexible epoxy for a "rubbery" coating or at least something smooth and yet high friction to maybe imprint VT leather less as it feeds. I dunno if it will work at all, but I think it's a worthy experiment. I've seen some folks use tool dip or something like FlexSeal or something, but a closeup photo always looks like it's on the verge of peeling off if it hasn't halfway done that already. An epoxy should be more durable - that's my hypothesis.

Well thanks for the help folks. Good luck to Mikesc in catching that next incredible deal.

[mikesc]

You might try expoxying* a tiny strip off ( along the axis of the foot that runs away from you , front to back of the foot ) , a diamond file or even a diamond nail file ( medium grade, say around 1000 grit to 2000 grit ) to the bottom of a spare presser foot, it with give you friction , but not mark much, if at all.

* not a word..but should be.

[Wizcrafts]

You can find presser feet online or on the phone that have less (finer pitch) aggressive teeth (old Singer 29 feet will usually fit the Adler 30). The trade off is that you may have to manually help feed the leather, especially if you fill in the gaps with tool handle coating. This really depends on how slippery the bottom layer is. If it is slick enough, less foot pressure will be needed to hold down and move the leather. However, grabby leather needs the teeth to sink in to drag it as you sew.

I would like to remind you that "patchers" were built for shoe and boot repairs and were marketed to shoe repair shops. I use mine for sewing/darning shoe uppers, fixing purse straps, sewing patches over pockets on vests and onto jacket sleeves and sewing tubular projects too small to go around my cylinder arm machines. Tooth marks in veg-tan can be smoothed out somewhat. Reducing the foot pressure to the minimum needed to hold down the leather and move it will leave less visible marks.

[Vinito]

Quote

I would like to remind you that "patchers" were built for shoe and boot repairs

That's all well and good, but in my case, as of today anyway, this is the only machine I've got so I've gotta make-do... if I can... for whatever stitching requirements might come up.

I do grok that there is a right tool for the right job, and this machine is most certainly not it for a lot. Let's face it, it definitely less than versatile compared to the modern, better designed machines. But you dance with the one who brung ya, and today she's a bit homely and awkward. If I take to this working leather thing enough to make it worth it, I don't have a problem investing in machine(s) which will make the process a joy to do as opposed to a wrestling match.

I guess the more I struggle with this Adler, the more I'll appreciate the newfangled sweetness should I decide to step it up in the future.

[Ashlena02]

I just bought a 30-1 Adler sewing machine. Wondering what the best needle and thread is for sewing leather between 1-9 oz veg tan leather. Anything that I should know about or to look for in this machine?