What is Special About a Leather Sewing Machine?
Its interesting, fact the leather sewing machine is not just a super powered version of the machine your grandma sewed on a Singer. It is a professional work horse, which means that it is designed to give the crunch and kick of bulky hides. Remind yourself of how difficult it was the last time you attempted to push regular thread and needle into leather? Like making pricks in a brick wall with a tooth-pick, eh?
Then, what is the real deal here? To begin with, the motor. The motor of a leather sewing machine is much stronger. It is a torque-heavy machine that can muscle through belts to hard saddles to heavy-duty belt. The standard consumer appliances, however, might jump stitches, and even conflagrate after doing a couple of passes with thicker fabrics.
The second is the presser foot and feed. Leather sticks–at times stubborn as you can possibly imagine. Special feet such as those made of teflon or roller operated make the leather move without scuffing or dragging. The surface may just be marked up or even torn by a regular presser foot and this is a tragedy to that expensive hide.
Remember not to forget needles and thread. Leather machines have special needles called wedge point which possesses the ability to pierce instead of tearing. Ordinary all-purpose needles lack those muscles and form. It is also necessary to have sturdy thread, and it can be coated with wax or it might contain bonded threads of nylon or polyester. Ordinary cotton thread is not going to do the trick.
Finally, there is stitch pattern and length. Leather also requires longer stiches or it reduces the strength of the material. He/she has too many holes together? You have actually made the leather a hole waiting to be ripped. Leather sewing machines are able to adapt to stitch lengths which even the godparents dream do not borders on the old sewing machines.
Important Features and Hardware: Put to Work
Increased Frame weight and internal Guts
At first sight a leather sewing machine and one more ordinary, may deceive you. The situation is different under the skin. Machines that use leather are heavy. At times even more than 50 pounds. All-metal where it counts. Why? Stability. You do not need your machine jumping all about in the middle of your project and falling over all over the place like a drunken dog.
On the inside, all the moving components are made to combat stress and excessive friction. Gear trains are all steel and drive shafts are fatter and even the bobbins are usually bigger on those chunky threads. Consider the good old Singer Model 111 or Juki 1541, their weight is not an error.
Types of Motor: servo vs. clutch
Ever heard the good buzz-saw (or bellow) of an actual industrial bootmaking machine? That is normally a clutch or servo motor. The clutch motor can provide brute force and always is running and a servo you can feather the pedal and have greater control when travelling at low speeds. This is essential. In leather a fastened down pace is the difference between a well-seam and a row of useless holes.
Feed Mechanism: Walking Foot the Best One:
Basic feed dogs under the needle are the regular machines. Wonderful in lace cotton. No good to obstinate hides. A common characteristic of leather sewing machines is the so-called walking foot where feed dogs and presser foot work together causing the leather to be gripped, lifted as caught, but unable to slip. Imagine a small group of dancers, who are all in synch. This gives even, smooth stitches- not missing parts or overlapping tracks.
Tips to keeping your leather sewing machine in good shape
Oiling and cleaning
A machine, no matter how hard working it is, likes the attention your leather sewing machine needs. The more you use oil the better, once or even twice a day, especially when it runs more than a few hours. Never use oil which is not recommended. Not enough lubrication and one might get an audible pounding as the gears grind against each other or metal-on-metal failures. Deposition of bits and dust of leather? Clean up every project. Your new best friend is the compressed air. However, do not use it on electronics, no one wants a burnt circuit board.
Needles and Thread: Don t Cheap Out
Amazingly, the needle is forgotten in maintenance. Rotate needles. A dull needle will not pierce but will punch leaving ragged openings and missed stitches. The contrast is as much night/day with thick or plated leather. Follow thread, as well. On changing colors or types of threads, always clear the old threads tracks so that they do not twist around.
Tension Matters
The gremlin is the wrong tension that spoils projects. Leather requires very close control of both bobbin and the top. Always do test runs on scraps prior to a new run. Tension-making is a science and partly art. Too slack and you will get loops, or nestling. Too snug and you will either crinkle the leather or tear it.
Align Moving Parts and Check Moving Parts
Allot one day every month to an in-depth examination. Check the screws are loose, the feed is not even or the feet are not straight. Issues that are minor and that are overlooked end up as deal-burners as the project is going on. When something is simply not right, that new vibration, that louder noise than normal, stop and check up on it. Sometimes is only wants a fine touch, sometimes the finger of a pro.
Storage and usage: prolong the life of your machine
Sew it, Pad It
The foe is moisture and dust. Never put off a cover when not in use. Leather pieces are funny like confetti they are good when the party is going on, but when the party is over you have to clean up. Clean your working place and machine. Do not keep anywhere close to a heater, in the direct sunlight or a steamy basement because metal will eventually corrode.
When it is complete, make it a brief low-speed run with no fabric to throw out debris in hard to reach areas. It can be likened to a cool down lap in the horse after a difficult ride.
