Tips for #69 & 96 thread in a class 4 machine

[Kcstott]

Please share your tips. 

and yes Wiz I did see and read more than once your Dumbing down of the cowboy or class 4 machine. Very good info

 

please find below my tips that work on my machine. I’m brand new to this so please feel free to hint, suggest, nudge, critique, or straight up call BS. 
what I have found for better range of tension adjustment is to use the eye on the top tension only coming in to the tension disks. Then lace as usual. This works well with 138 on two or more layers of 4 oz oil tanned and i'm sure it will work fine for 96 or i could try my 69 thread set up.

What I have found to work for 69 poly thread (it’s all I had) is the same as above except I only go around the second tension wheel once. 
 

Both of these allowed me to get more range on the top tension with the bottom tension almost at zero. 
I used a #23 needle for the 138, & a #18 round point for the #69 thread. I tested both on the same piece of leather, two layers of oil tanned. 
I made no adjustments to the bobbin tension. Which may be needed again this was a short test run and produced predictable results with very linear adjustment. 
 

so what have you found to work?
 

 

Edited February 24, 2020 by Kcstott