Just bought a Juku LU-1508

[David916]

Hi everyone,

My name is Dave and this is my first post on the forum.  I am from Sacramento, CA and work as a new product developer and fabricator but have been sewing all my life and have wanted to get into leather work for many years now .  I finally took the leap and just purchased a walking foot sewing machine and it sews great.  I just wish I could upgrade it to do an automatic tac and possibly thread cutting.  Would anyone out there on this great forum know if I could pair a CP-18 control panel with my Juku LU-1508?  And if so, what servo motor control box would work with the CP-18?  My machine came with a clutch motor so I would need to buy a new servo and control box anyhow.   Also, is the thread cutter upgrade doable or is it too complex for this machine?

Any advice would be appreciated and I would certainly owe you one.

Cheers,

Dave

[Wizcrafts]

All I can tell you is that whatever motor you buy, it should be a digital motor (with LED readout and push buttons), not an analog servo (with a speed limiting knob or switch). Someone else will know more about this than I know.

[David916]

I appreciate you starting the path!

[Uwe]

The short answer unfortunately is “No, you can’t get there from here.”

You probably mean the Juki CP-180 control panel.

The CP-180 control panel only works with specific Juki OEM motor controllers on machines equipped with full-function features. The external control panels are just a convenient user-interface to change motor controller setting (essentially an external keyboard and bigger display.) The control panel itself does not add any functions to the machine, it just make it easier to control existing functions. For example, installing a control panel that has back-tack buttons would not add that feature to the machine. In general, everything you can do on the external control panel, you can also do directly using the buttons and display directly on the motor controller. Conversely, if the motors and control can’t already do it, adding the external control panel does not help.

So, unless your machine already is a full-function machine with pneumatic or solenoid-driven actuators and the OEM Juki motor controller (your LU-1508 is NOT one of those machines) then looking to add the CP-180 control panel makes no sense.

This Juki Series 1500 product sheet shows which models are available with full-function options (Juki usually uses the -7 extension in the model number): 

https://www.juki.co.jp/industrial_e/admin/pdata/filedata/333/lu1500n.pdf

Adding automatic thread cutting capability to a basic machine is also not a practical option because the feature requires several other automation options to be present as well. You can have automatic back-tack without a thread cutter, but you cannot have a thread cutter without automatic back-tack. 

If you need these automation functions, your only practical option is buying a full-function machine that already has all that (e.g. Juki  LU-1510N-7.) Attempting to add full-function features to a basic sewing machine is not a practical undertaking (there are some rare exceptions for machines that are “prepped” to add automation features with upgrade kits after the machine leaves the factory - the Durkopp Adler M-Type 867 comes to mind.)

One  “easy” automation feature you can add to a basic machine by means of a servo motor is needle positioning.

Edited March 30, 2021 by Uwe

[kgg]

If you go the digital servo motor route get a get a good one. They are not all equal. The most important thing to remember is the more coils it has the better like the Reliable Sewquiet 6000sm 12 coil or the Sailrite 12 coil version. The main caution is if you plan on adding a speed reducer and a needle positioner to the mix make sure the digital servo motor you planning on purchasing will work properly with those items. Not all do when coupled with a speed reducer.

Personally, l like to keep my setups as simple as possible, servo motor, belt, machine. The more electronic controls you add into the setup the more stuff can go wrong.

My rule of thumb is if I need better speed control, I may think about adding a speed reducer but if I need the addition torque that a speed reducer will provide then I need a bigger/ better/ different class of sewing machine.

Just my thoughts,

kgg

 

[David916]

Thank you Uwe and Kgg for the in-depth responses!  Definitely clears things up!

So here's what I'm thinking, since the LU-1510 requires an air compressor and is very pricey, I may just go with an electric version, in particular, the 2206RB-14-7-DD from Consew.  Anyone know if this would be a suitable all-electric alternative or is there something else out there that's better?

Thanks,

Dave

[Uwe]

The Consew 2206RB-14-7-DD looks like an interesting, fully integrated machine. I’d never even heard of it before today. It certainly looks impressively big and makes a nice stitch in the various YouTube video demos. 

The only downside I can extract from the spec sheets is that it’s Top+Bottom feed only, no Needle feed. Not a show stopper in itself, just something to be aware of before pressing that buy-it-now button.

[kgg]

The cost of a the Juki Lu-1510 is going to run about $6000 and the Consew 2206RB-14-7-DD is about $2100. My concern is what have they done to shave $4000. Unless you are going to really make use all the extra features they are just going to be a source for problems down the road and finding replacement parts maybe even more difficult. If you need the those extra features for what you are doing buy quality first, longevity second and resale value for when you want to replace it. That to me means buying a brand name (Juki, Alder). Buy Once, Cry Once.

Before investing in any machine invest in a road trip to a dealer and test drive it using your stuff.

kgg

[chrisash]

It's funny how we consider resale value on some  items yet never consider it for some of our most expensive purchases like Cars that loose 20% or more of buying price when you drive out from the garage you brought it from

[Constabulary]

21 minutes ago, chrisash said:

It's funny how we consider resale value on some  items yet never consider it for some of our most expensive purchases like Cars that loose 20% or more of buying price when you drive out from the garage you brought it from

I Never bought a new car - guess why? Same with sewing machines. Advantage of sewing machines is that at least some models remain "a certain value" no matter their age. It does not matter if your Singer 111w or Pfaff 545 is 30, 40 or 50 years old as long as they are looking "good", are functional and well setup. In best case in 10+ years you can get back what you paid for your used machine. But that's a different story.

 

14 hours ago, kgg said:

Personally, l like to keep my setups as simple as possible, servo motor, belt, machine. The more electronic controls you add into the setup the more stuff can go wrong.

I absolutely agree with that!

[kgg]

3 hours ago, chrisash said:

It's funny how we consider resale value on some  items yet never consider it for some of our most expensive purchases like Cars that loose 20% or more of buying price when you drive out from the garage you brought it from

Vehicles are for the most the dumbest purchase we tend to make. Most people I know usually only keep a vehicle for 4 to 5 years. I usually buy new and keep them up to date on servicing for their warranty period. Unlike my sewing machines which I am always oiling and checking, once a vehicle is off warranty I only do repairs, no preventative type maintenance, no oil changes etc. If it breaks, I repair it until the the body is gone. Usually I get 10 plus years.

kgg

 

[chrisash]

If you are professional in the UK maybe the same in the states, when you buy a new toy like a sewing machine, you can depreciate it on the accounts for normally 5 years, so you don't have to worry about resale value until you sell it say after 5 years and make a taxable profit

The only thing i believe is positive resale value is used light aircraft where if you keep one for a few years it may well have a increased resale price, but to be fair you have probably spent a fortune on its upkeep anyway

[David916]

Thanks everyone for the input. 

I've decided to go with quality.  Just ordered a servo with needle positioner for my LU-1508 and will work up to a LU-1510.  

Time to start looking for leather fabric for sofas.  I will definitely look through the forums but since we're here, any leads?

Dave

 

 

[DonInReno]

There is no substitute for seeing and feeling leather.  The selection of upholstery leather seems to vary tremendously from local supply shops, but it’s sure worth it to find one you like.   

...or are you looking for online suppliers?  

[David916]

My computer's IO board went bad and I had to wait for a replacement and just got my computer up and running and was able to log in.  

I guess I just wanted to know where I could find similar leather that companies like Restoration Hardware would use.  Sacramento is a small town and there isn't much fabric here and I though that maybe buying online may be the best option. 

[Uwe]

Check out the  Leather Hide Store. They have lots of upholstery type leather:

https://www.leatherhidestore.com/leather-for-upholstery

I’ve ordered from Maverick Leather before. They often have interesting  leather in their clearance section, in case you’re just looking for one-off projects.

https://maverickleathercompany.com

But this leather supply discussion really belongs in a different forum.

 

Edited April 8, 2021 by Uwe

[RemingtonSteel]

8 hours ago, David916 said:

Sacramento is a small town and there isn't much fabric here and I though that maybe buying online may be the best option. 

David,

Welcome to the world of Leather.  I live in the Sacramento area as well, so I know what you mean, but don't despair.  You have probably already discovered that there is a Tandy Leather in Sacramento on Northgate just off of Hwy 80.  They do have some upholstery leather, but not a great selection. 

My recommendation to you would be The Hide & Leather House out of Napa CA, which is the only business left of Sawyer of Napa and the Sawyer Tannery. The Sawyer Tannery was the largest tannery west of the Mississippi in its heyday, and was the last tannery in the west to close down. In fact the term "Nappa Leather" and the quality associated with it, was directly tied to the quality of leather and garments coming out of this tannery.  The Hide House claims that they stock over 3,000 types of leather, if you ever visit their facility, you will believe it.  It's about 1hr and 40mins from Sac, and well worth the drive, however they sell online as well.  If you get a CA resellers license (which is not difficult), you can set up a Wholesale Account with them for discounted purchases. I get my Hermann Oak veg tan from them.

Website: The Hide & Leather House, Inc. (hidehouse.com)

Tour: 

 

2 hours ago, Uwe said:

But this leather supply discussion really belongs in a different forum.

I agree with Uwe, but I couldn't resist the opportunity of sharing this information with a fellow leather craftsman in the Sacramento area.

I hope this helps, and maybe we can meet up for a beer sometime.  Best of Luck!

Steve

Edited April 8, 2021 by RemingtonSteel
added content

[David916]

 Thank you Uwe for the great resources and your right, I'll end the thread here.

Hey Steve, I see that you are in Roseville -I'm in Orangevale, just off Hazel and Oak Ave.   Would definitely be up for grabbing a beer sometime and talk about leather.  I currently engineer and build industrial machinery but am very serious about getting into furniture and it would be great to meet someone who knows more about leather than I do.  Had a mini-factory in Honolulu a decade ago and did private label apparel manufacturing but never sewed leather, so I have quite a bit to learn.

Dave