Motorizing The Leather Sewing Machine, For Under $50

In May 2019 I posted about this awesome $115 leather sewing machine I found on Amazon, since then I have been trying to think of an easy way to motorize it. With a couple parts from Amazon and a little tweaking you can get this thing running on its own.
Below are some links to tools I used in this project.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Cobbler Sewing Machine:
amzn.to/2JYQMSb
Sewing Machine Motor ($22)
amzn.to/2NU41pm
Hey Duty Sewing Machine Motor ($90)
amzn.to/2sZh0iA
4mm x 10m Round Belting ($12)
amzn.to/2RpSVKU
Husqvarna Pulley ($11):
amzn.to/2ROlxN0
Offset Light Bracket ($4)
amzn.to/2RJNLZr
Sewing Machine Oil:
amzn.to/3aEsRn9
Veg Tan Leather
amzn.to/2RlGv71
Check out the Lincoln Electric Power Mig 140MP, great for the home shop, Mig, TIG, and Stick in 1 machine!
→ bit.ly/pm140_mp...
Thank you to Pferd abrasives for supporting my shop and my channel. For links to some of the grinding discs I use most see below:
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
→ Flap disc:
amzn.to/2Myxozi
→ Inside corner disc (AMAZING):
amzn.to/2WoYM2q
→ Wire Wheel:
amzn.to/31k15rx
Thanks for watching! Be careful, know the limits of your skills and your tools! Don't try this stuff at home!
Like and Subscribe for more videos and check out our Instagram
/ makeeverythingshop
To help support Make Everything and this channel become a Patron:
/ makeeverything
For Make Everything T-shirts, hats and other products check out our website:
makeeverythings...
We teach classes in woodworking and welding here at the shop, if your interested see the current schedule here.
makeeverythings...
For PDFs of some of our project check out our profile on Instructables:
www.instructab...
Below are some links to tools I use in the shop on a daily basis.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
→ Bosch Miter Saw ( My Favorite miter saw)
amzn.to/2BeBulk
→ Sawstop Table Saw:
amzn.to/2DuAYVy
→ Wen Tabletop Metalcutting Bandsaw
amzn.to/2DrS7zf
→ Articulated Vise:
amzn.to/2FXKw9V
→ Bosch Portable Bandsaw ( 18V)
amzn.to/2mQdUq4
→ Porter Cable Restorer:
amzn.to/2BeWrfU
→ Lincoln 120V Welder ( good for a home shop)
amzn.to/2Dly6qV
→ The Camera I use:
amzn.to/2DqG325
→ The Tripod I use:
amzn.to/2rnEqfO

[@Wrenchmonkey1]

Very nice. Just a quick note, when you're turning a corner, bury the needle, and use it as a fulcrum around which to rotate the sewing material. Bury the needle, and you can then even lift the presser foot slightly to relieve tension. This will keep the stitching consistent, and you won't have to worry about having any thread tension issues, or unwanted loops or gaps in the stitching.

[@Biokemist-o3k]

Thank you so much!! Really awesome advice!! I am a chemical engineer however I need to change my image so I am going to customize my sneakers and other stuff and I found this gem....

[@joecampana3398]

I’m retired now. But I owned a shoe repair shop 38 years. I learned on a machine like that! It was known as a patching machine! It was an old singer sewing machine! The first thing you can do is learn to use the wings that are above the needle to turn the leather! When the presser foot is up and away from the leather that’s when you turn the presser foot! You keep turning the leather after you stop the machine? The 2 wings are made to make the turn without turning the leather!

[@mrgrimm1803]

That's exactly what I was looking for, I hate having to turn the leather. Thanx

[@ezekielbreedlove7698]

?

[@scotthettel949]

Very nice video! I used this for inspiration when I did my motor job and I found out that a lot of the "violence" is caused by the hand-wheel being out of balance. I used a hand held drill to drill indents in the wheel and "balanced" it so it runs much smoother. I ran it for a while and then decided to make a jack-shaft to further reduce the speed and made a table so that I had more surface area. Of course the drilling of the hand-wheel brings it out of the "no tools" upgrade but I'm very pleased with my final product. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.

[@HWPcville]

My mother had an old Singer brand sewing machine. It was a production model that was originally a foot peddled version that had been remanufactured with a motor and a suitcase box to transport it. I remember she always had to give the belt driven pulley a small nudge with her hand when she stepped on the peddle. This was to get over the standing still start because of the low power of the motor. Once moving it did a great job. Brings back 50+ years of memories. Great job!

[@lulapacefortuneripley471]

I already have a bunch of motors with pedals from repairing old sewing machines and you literally did exactly what I was thinking with this! I also have a variable speed dial wired into the outlet I would use that would help reduce the speed even more . Good job you've made me 100% convinced I need one of the cobbler machines now!

[@JoannePulgarin]

i just purchase this maching and all the items you suggested. amazon does have all the items. total i spent under 130.00 dollas. thank you. i love to sew and a new hobby in creating and sewing leather items will be a new journey for me.

[@MakeEverything]

Enjoy!

[@SeeIsaiah6]

Thanks for posting; I started sewing on a machine very much like yours back in 1974. It was foot treadle powered and used a leather belt with a staple. We used the machine for shoe repair, but it also put a new canvas roof in our pop up camper. Sewing in any direction was always fun. By the way, the dual tension discs are for sewing with two top threads at the same time. Love your ingenuity; thanks again.

[@jeanieleonard1910]

Are there any videos on sewing with two top threads?

[@MetroGradeGoods]

NICE! Just a word of advice on the pedal. Stick some hard density foam, like a part of a Nerf ball inside the pedal and it'll give you great feedback on speed control.

[@joshsoorlin579]

U serious?

[@MetroGradeGoods]

@@joshsoorlin579 Yup.

[@mantaszmenskis5619]

i was using a cedar shingle as a wedge, thanks for the suggestion!

[@MultiFisherofmen]

Wow . I tore off a small piece of an old life preserver and stuck it under the pedal and it really made a difference. Thanks

[@mdeamicis]

Genius!

[@mikemuromoto220]

Pure genius. Best patcher motor add hack on KZbin. "Necessity is the mother of invention".

[@gman2036]

Dude, you are my hero! Not only did I get the little green Cobbler machine but I ordered all of the other thiings to make automatic. Now one thing my brother and I found out after struggling for over an hour to get the machine to sew and that was the thread it came with. The thin thread it came with would not sew. We adjusted many things and ended up with the original settings all due to the thread that came with it. Once we tried thicker thread, it worked like a champ and we ended up in the original settings. Dah, we didn't think about the thread size. Well it's running beautifully now and hope to make great leather bags, motorcycle saddle bags and leather vests. Cheers holmes!

[@MakeEverything]

It’s a great little tool I’m glad you got use out of it!

[@k9road]

I`m thinking more in the line of, replace the nut at the handwheel with an extention one, yes a long nut and then use a battery operated powerdrill... very nice demo, thank you...

[@InfiniteCraftsman]

I love that moment when you realize this random thing (light fixture thing) fits perfectly. Beautiful solution!

[@ammielrodgers9853]

Exactly what I thought! Simple yet perfect solution.

[@timhansen2577]

I ordered the sewing machine today. I threw two of the light brackets away yesterday. This is another reason I should never try to clean my shop...

[@feistycommissioner6656]

Thank you so much. This is a well made video. So many videos don't show everything or leave out small important steps. You truly know how to put it together in a way that works.

[@kjodonnell511]

Reversing the connections to the brushes or the field winding on the motor will reverse the direction of rotation.

[@JGilbertMetal]

he should've gotten a motor controller or geared it down a bit to deal with the speed rather than relying on the pedal for speed control.

[@BrianDavis-b6b]

If you turn the motor to face the other way the pulley will be going the other way , rather than crossing the belt and causing it to heat from friction

[@mike-cl7pb]

Brilliantly simple solution that could be refined with an idealer gear swapping the direction of the motor an elecronic footconrol etc Thanks for coming back with this simple solution. £67 on Amazon in the UK and we use 230v mains so more torque from a motor.

[@lorr.jones8887]

I'm so glad you figured this out and made this video! I got this machine a couple of years ago and wanted to motorized it. Most of what I saw involves way more mechanical/electrical knowhow, parts, equipment, and smart helpers than I have. So I gave up. I'm encouraged now to try!

[@cherylsims2053]

Einstein ... you have solved my problems. I bought my machine last week and thought about making my son crank it while I sewed leather. I thank you sincerely. By the way, your shop is kick ass!

[@MrErViLi]

Great mod! Twisting the belt like that runs it across itself causing friction. That'll eventually break it. You could just turn the motor around or reverse the leads in the motor. Or you could get an old drill press at a garage sale and use the motor in it which will be stronger and slower.

[@يسرييسور]

شد سعر،$

[@KenFullman]

Another alternative would be to tilt the motor support so the top of the support is slightly further back than the bottom.

[@my_dear_friend_]

I don't think that reversing the leads on the motor would do anything since it is AC powered.

[@MrErViLi]

@@my_dear_friend_ I "think" those old sewing machines had universal brushed motors. With a brushed universal motor, the direction is set by the relative polarity of the magnetic fields of the field winding and armature. If the wires are long enough, reversing the connections to the brushes will reverse the spin. If it's a single phase induction motor then you're right, reversing the leads will do nothing.

[@my_dear_friend_]

@@MrErViLi - yes, as far as I know, the old sewing machine motors are brushed. That would be a simple fix then.

[@butchhaight]

Ingenious. I like it. My dad was that way. He grew up on a farm and made so many things/tools to make his job easier and more efficient.

[@flyingcat2054]

Nice fix! Leather sewing machines with motors are a small fortune!

[@garyanderson2720]

I was just turned on to one of these machines and, by far, your video as convinced me to go ahead and get one. This is the most informative video that I have seen for this sewing machine

[@ajfreeze215]

This works way, way better than it should.......nice work!

[@gryyphyn8639]

Glad I found this. I need a leather machine but don't want to spend what I did/do on my sewing machines as I won't use it as much. File the sharp edges of the teeth on the walking foot down a bit. When you turn corners bury your needle and lift the foot. Don't try to use the foot as a pivot or you'll tear stuff up.

[@chrisfournier6144]

Clever! I’m getting into leather working but went with an industrial machine because I could. Your set up looks perfectly usable!

[@shaunhall1838]

Your videos are like hitting the baseball out of the park! Thanks for helping out so many people with your projects. Sharing your channel.

[@MakeEverything]

Thanks for watching Shaun!

[@Biokemist-o3k]

SO incredible...Truly..."MAKE EVERYTHING"!!!!

[@JohnBonJovi-v7w]

Right on Bro 😊

[@Brewmaster721]

Servo motor is what you need. Programmable, able to get motor rpm down to 100rpm, with that pulley setup, machine would crawl

[@Feal.MTinta]

Q

[@gustavzollernmakinen1516]

No, he only needs a light/fan dimmer to slow the motor. I added one to my mum's Singer machine, it works beautifully.

[@coreyhayes7692]

i used this vid to put this set up on mine and and adding another pulley for reduction did the trick.

[@shlomo_jewinstien-Doodoowitz]

@@gustavzollernmakinen1516 I'd like to hear how that works. By creating more of a current draw? I dont get what that does

[@gustavzollernmakinen1516]

@@shlomo_jewinstien-Doodoowitz Just take a fan/light dimmer, solder a lead through it; at one end a female 2-pin plug and the other end a male 2-pin plug (the dimmer being in the middle). The foot-pedal plug goes into the newly installed dimmer female plug. Tune the dimmer down to controllable limit. (Dimmer lowers the amperes, making the motor slower) It will never go mad fast on you, regardless of foot pedal input. The foot-pedal becomes very controllable.

[@sparkyprojects]

Personally i would add a layshaft with a small and large pulley on either end, turn the motor round to face backwards, a belt from motor to large pulley, through the shaft to the small pulley and onto the machne. This would mean a greater reduction in speed, more control range, and because the motor is the other way round, no need for crossed belts ;)

[@charlesmckinley29]

Your idea also gives room for a step pulley to experiment with the speed range to see what works best.

[@philsullivan3679]

Please help me figure out what you are explaining. I am inexperienced with this stuff, but very close to installing a Juki motor on a machine identical to his. Contact me or just send me some kind of diagram please! [e-mail].

[@j.c.cannon2112]

​@@philsullivan3679 No idea what he means, but I wouldn't use a motor. A machine like this was never meant to go that fast, it operates at a low speed with a lot of friction. the best way to make it a bit more automated while keeping the speed low and control high would be to add a manual foot treddle attached to the handle on the guidewheel. (look at old manual grindstones to see how it works.) it would be fewer modifications, and could possibly be made with nothing but scrap lying around.

[@blkcc1]

@@j.c.cannon2112 basically, because the motor "turns" the wrong way, turn the motor around so belt isn't crossed. The belt would then be attached to a large pully on a shaft (with bearings), that shaft would have another small pulley on it with a belt from the small pulley to the bigger pulley on the sewing machine. This should slow the needle speed down enough to make sewing easy due to the slower speed of the needle going up and down and feeding the material into the machine for sewing. Hope it helps.

[@RebelYell95]

I was thinking the same, and one wouldn't have to worry about electricity. Low tech is go tech :)

[@craigmonteforte1478]

Awesome modifications installing the motor on this machine ! I love how you found easy to get parts and didn’t need to do major modifications to the original components of the machine, as a retired Woodworker ive always thought it would be a great channel or Website doing similar modifications to all the Chinese knockoff or Clones that so many people over the years have purchased from Harbor Freights or the Internet like smaller shop tools such as stationary sanders and similar items but doing it in a similar fashion that you have done on the sewing machine as many of those Clone machines have inferior motors or internal parts like plastic bearings etc and similar items to Get manufacturing costs lower which is why i suspect nobody manufactures that sewing machine with a motor ? At least to my knowledge I haven’t seen one for sale on the internet as all the ones ive seen just have the hand crank ! BTW sewing is actually one of my hobbies as i began doing it to make Custom cushions and Canvas covers for my Boating habits and new interiors for Vintage Automobiles because i wanted a coat savings and more quality control over hiring others to do it for me i used to get funny looks from older ladies in Fabric stores whenever i would ask staff about tips or products because I didn’t look like a typical Seamstress LOL i usually told the old ladies yes i sew but i sew Manly things like heavy Vinyls and Canvas , my sewing machine will stitch Canvas onto a wooden Yard Stick if i wanted to do so ! I have Stiched Vinyl onto a 1/8” piece of plywood for a cars door painal and other interior parts Because i wanted decorative stitching to show on kick panels In the passenger compartment and trunk areas of a car i did sometimes people use heavy Cardboard as well but i had the thin plywood left over from another project in my shop ?

[@terryrosenthal5990]

I wish I hag one of these 7 yrs ago when I doing my 77 dodge pu.. U redid the doors with rivets & glue.. this would have been the cats ass..!! lol

[@viscache1]

I thought mine really needed a DC Techsew servo control motor that can be foot controlled from 3 stitches per minutes to 2200 spm. You can turn a larger flywheel out of stress free steel or cast it from cast iron. I used a leather stitched belt and gave it a classy old ‘factory floor’ look. These are great machines for the compulsive tinkerer!

[@TangoCharlieAlpha]

Easiest way to fix it: Pull the cover off of the foot pedal and unscrew the potentiometer about 1/4 turn. This will eliminate that fast and immediate ramp-up you get. Easier than making pulleys, adding bolts, etc. Small screwdriver and 1 minute of time.

[@calebhand1180]

Is this in reference to slowing it down? I was just going to ask about that. I did exactly as he showed in the video and man is it fast. I want to have the machine go slowly consistently if I can instead of tapping the foot pedal over and over again.

[@pressuredprepper4232]

@@calebhand1180 Addd a switch and a diode to the pedal only. when u turn it off its on half speed when u turn it on its on full speed.. See this video.... kzbin.info/www/bejne/onmXiJKaabKjaMU

[@aprilenchanted]

I just got one of these machines, unused, off of craigslist for $40. I just ordered all the parts in your video. The prices have gone up a bit since you made this video in 2020, but it cost me a total of $100 and some change. I already have wood and paint lying around and this project is going to happen this week. Thank you so much! I'll be using this machine to sew on patches. Also, that part that moves the foot around is that way intentionally. It's a multidirectional machine so you can move the direction of the stitching without moving the piece you are working on. So don't tighten it up!

[@007380]

For your information, there is a glue for gluing the rubber cord together. It's used to glue O-Rings together in hydraulics. The name is Weicon, part# 12204030. It dries extremely fast and it's strong. BTW, a servo motor would be a better choice for this machine.

[@tristan9189]

I just use any ca glue for o-rings...

[@pressuredprepper4232]

There is one on Ebay for 40 bucks couldnt get much cheaper.. I paid allot more than that for the one on my Sailrite LSV1 sewing machine.. But love it..

[@scor440]

Servo motor he is cheap that is not a solution

[@grumpus27]

Welding is the correct method to join PU drive belting.

[@Brewmaster721]

Servo motor all the way!

[@mikeguidry49]

Great video and info, thanks for sharing. Seriously thinking about getting the machine and doing the mods you did. Thanks

[@svrs]

maybe I'm a little late to the party, but I came across these on amazon yesterday and just ordered it. i;ve been building up my kit for hand stitching leather and doing leather book covers. some time ago I bought a cheap-o entry-level singer for some small thin stuff and funny thing, they sent the singer and it was junk upon arrival. I told the vendor and they said to keep it and we'll just send another one and they did. So, my point is, your project here inspires me to pull the trigger on the manual machine like yours, knowing that I already have a parts machine here that I can use to mod this manual one. parts like the motor and foot pedal and maybe the lights too. excited about it all! thanks for sharing your content!

[@loyaleon]

Enduro Sewing Machine Motor - 550 Watt Electric Servo Motor this is what I got, you can really slow it down!!! Great tutorial!

[@thomasdsmith7678]

Thanks for the vid. I glued rubber mat to the bottom of mine to stop "creep" (cheap mat that goes under throw rugs). For threader wire, I have one out of stainless steel safety wire (motorcycle stuff), one made out of guitar string and one made out of .030 MIG wire from my hobby welder.

[@93556108]

You can easily connect up a module 2000W AC Motor Speed Adjustable Motor Speed Controller Voltage Regulator which cost less than USD10.00 and this device can be found in the more expensive servo motor model.

[@thomasdsmith7678]

Clever and elegant modification! Many thanks.

[@dianablanke2543]

It reminds me of my White Rotary Sewing Machine. Thanks for sharing this, now I know how to fix my machine.

[@Zt3v3]

Awesome that you figured this out for everyone. Kudos man.

[@Cindyriggs7]

You are a Complete Genius!!!! Thank you SOOOO much for sharing!!!! God Bless YOU!!!!!

[@petermoritz2452]

Use a wheelchair motor. You do need a different controller and a 12v power supply but you get a ton of tork at any speed. You could go like snail if you like!

[@MrTypepatrick]

That sounds brilliant, can you add any more details of how you might go about that?

[@JuarezDerrick]

Or a treadmill motor.

[@GenderSkins]

Actually all you need for the motor, is a Singer treadle motor like what is used on the 1926 Singer Treadle sewing machine electric conversion. That will give you an electric motor, that will be about the right speed. Your other option is to just find an antique singer treadle base, to make the sewing machine peddle powered. Speed would be much lower with a treadle base, and thus easier to control.

[@joshuadelisle]

Cheap, quick, effective. 👍👌😎

[@Robert-xp4ii]

You're a smart lad. I'm always looking around for things I can use when I decide to make tools I don't have or parts I need to fabricate.

[@petercleary1310]

I've been machine sewing for 50 years, in that time I've used many domestic and industrial machines to sew fabric, paper, plastic sheeting, leather and even metal. You said something in the video about the motor over time wearing out the machine... that's never going to happen with a well maintained machine. The motor on the other hand is much easier to burnout. Also several people have already commented on adjusting belt tension, pulleys and mounting of the motor so that you wouldn't need to give the flywheel a little "push" to get it going. I'm sure many of those ideas would be very helpful and most likely you've made adjustments to your original design helping to solve belt slippage while still having easy control of the speed that said, you will find that if you put your material onto the machine start sewing by turning the flywheel manually to create one complete stitch and as the next stitch is being made leave to needle in the material at its lowest point the motor will have an easier time with less slippage almost eliminating the need for the "push".

[@claystone7729]

Putting a Rheostat will allow you to control the speed of your Motor. Good Build and worth having.

[@VegasGuy89183]

Great solution using off the shelf parts! When your first sewing machine video came out the price for that machine quickly shot up to $190. I checked today on eBay and now one can be bought for $89 with free shipping.

[@GottliebGoltz]

Thank You Guy.

[@pressuredprepper4232]

Not anymore.. I bought one for 140 in amazon and the next day they were 180... The game is when they arent selling they drop the price and soon as they sell on or two they go back up..

[@dant4786]

Mine is out for delivery right now. Got it for $105 on amazon. Pretty excited.

[@edgarnoice7523]

I coated the foot of my machine in several layers of plasti-dip. Really helped prevent it from chewing up the leather

[@gergemall]

Excellent. I ordered one should arrive Monday .

[@martinezlopez4699]

Even though I do NOT sew or even been into Leather-crafting, I did enjoy and like watching the video, since I REALLY like seen people figuring out til they find a solution!! √√

[@henrysmith3786]

If you turn the motor just a little bit you will have a much smoother start. The belt is rubbing together with is causing it to drag with it first start. Amazing idea

[@williamfitch1137]

I built a little table for my stitcher and i love it! I plan to motorize it Thanks!

[@kennkid9912]

Looks like a natural for a treadle setup.

[@rossentownsend4936]

Really cool I'm glad you did this I'm sure a reverse polarity switch is pretty cheap and could make it run forwards and backwards .

[@alialrashidi1764]

I love that you gave it a try, nice job !!!

[@TheRealSpek]

This is a beautiful diy. Servo motor/variable voltage controller to keep it slow & some red or blue locktight

[@MrKubbler]

I spent 16 years working as a cobbler, I always preferred a tredlel foot peddle over electric motor for control. The patcher sewing machine that this sewing machine had a optional table top that encased the bobbin arm. Table might be a neat project for you. That belts neat, I'm use to a leather belt with a hog ring. Also on the singer on the back side of the head had a thumb screw that locked the direction of the foot direction. Might be able to drill and tap a screw. Any more Sportster videos planned?

[@kennkid9912]

i thought a treadle might be a better solution since you are the speed control.

[@michaelwood5519]

Very creative. Loved the trick on flipping the belt to reverse the direction. I had no idea that it could be done with just twisting the belt. Cool Beans!

[@porksboy]

use nail clippers to trim the extra where you fused the ends of the belt together

[@pmdoit]

Excellent idea I hadn't thought of

[@USNERDOC]

Nicely done! I really appreciate your thoughtfulness and ingenuity.

[@westrulsen]

You do a great job for tutorial demo, also talk about the different treads that can be used.

[@landwand]

You're awesome! Thanks for making this video and leaving the knowledge available to us!

[@davekimbler2308]

My conversion cost $60 but i got a metal mounting plate thats for my machine and my pulley has a groove already in it for a flat belt also if you mount the motor in front of drive wheel ( no need to cross the belt ) its not so prone to lifting the front and not as violent plus the motor i bought is only 3200 rpm so mine goes much slower then yours .

[@VinnieFree2Ride]

Nice Job, I watched your video on when you purchased your machine and I bought one. My first thought was to put a motor on it. I have watched a couple videos and yours is by far the easiest way I have seen and I'm a professional Machinist I have been machining for 28 ➕ years I even have my own Lathe & Mill at home. I think I will try your setup first. Thanks for the videos.

[@wilsonmiller1903]

Noice👌 I like when people find random things to make stuff work, as in the snow blower belt wheel, that’s plain cool. Keep up the great work. God Bless.

[@snatermans]

The belt rubbing against itself is a real nogo in my opinion. I think your first step comming from the motor is a small gear with some reduction. (So a small gear on the motor and a second axle with a big gear, and a small pully.) Then you'll fix your rotation problem and have a little bit more control over the speed (with extra torque)

[@derlukec.8533]

just turn the motor around. would be a lot easier

[@tissuepaper9962]

It takes all of ten seconds to put the belt back together if it breaks. Good enough is good enough.

[@tissuepaper9962]

@@derlukec.8533 yeah but then it hangs off the board akwardly. He could also just mount it at 45° to the flywheel so that the crossed belt doesn't rub.

[@TheBigdawg0614]

I have a manual wire stripper, and after a hand full of blisters, I bought a $1 bolt long enough to to pass through the feed cylinder. Then I attached an electric drill to the bolt with a $12 powered foot pedal. Easy assembly and disassembly $13 bucks and I can use the drill and pedal together or separate for any number of other projects

[@RobertWardJones]

I would sugest rewiring the motor so it runs the correct direction or mount the motor vertically or at least angle it slightly so the belt doesn't rub against itself. Very very cool how you engineered that solution from common parts. Well done!

[@mdeamicis]

Thanks for doing all the mental gymnastics to source this out. I am buyin a machine with your link and maybe later I will do the motor mod. You convinced me to buy this machine after writing it off as some junky little gamic.

[@EvilWhiteColonialist]

Adjusting a little nut. ... that's what I am going to start calling correcting my son LOL. He takes after his dad.... Great video btw, very well done and answered the immediate idea I had when I just watched your first video

[@stevieg.4816]

An adapted larger pully on the motor would drop the rpm's so you wouldn't need that screw on the foot pedal. I used a sewing machine motor to power a fishing rod threader an it was the same principal. Works great for me, I can even control it's rate slow enough to turn the rod when epoxying the thread so it's even all the way around without drips while curing.

[@GailDaily]

A larger pulley on the motor would make the machine run faster, not slower.

[@aaronfreeman1479]

Quick tip: standard nail clippers (with rounded jaws) are awesome for this sort of belt trimming. 👌

[@zachofalltrades1111]

I built a belt sander I need to upload the video of it but to have auto tension on your belt use a eye bolt and spring on the back end of motor and it will keep the perfect tension also can use several eye bolts in different locations to adjust motor tension.

[@denisbrandonmee-lee2587]

I'd love to see one of these hooked up to a treadle for hand's-free human power.

[@demastust.2277]

That sounds like a great idea.

[@primitivebob8781]

Such a great job bro, from simplicity to functionality... A pleasure to watch, just before I flatter you with a nice copy! OOh Rah~

[@mikereid8498]

Good job! Have used the urethane belting material for years. To remove weld flashing the easiest way is to use a bench grinder or stationary belt sander.

[@micro4329]

A old vacuum cleaner belt might would work but you probably got the cheaper idea .great video like your thinking

[@josearnaldopinheirodossant7712]

I put an old Singer, a motor of that type, on the drive pedal, put a diode 1N4007 and with that, I got a very sensitive operation and very easy to control the speed.

[@howardmandel7930]

Thanks for the video. I am in the process of converting my patcher to this modification. The light bracket link is different than the bracket you demonstrated and required considerable bending to make it fit between the flywheel and the pulley and for the threaded holes to line up with the pulley. In the end it worked well but it did take some tinkering. Anyone who buys these patcher machines has to be a tinkerer by nature, so it will be fine. I also decided to buy a servo motor on EBay, which just arrived yesterday. It cost me $85 and was identical to the one you linked to on Amazon. Watch the prices because it does fluctuate significantly from day to day. The servo motors can run clockwise and counterclockwise so it eliminates the need to cross the belt. I also found 4mmx10m pu belt on Amazon for about $4.57. I really like the patcher as a sewing machine, but, truthfully, I am enjoying the tinkering just as much.

[@tylerselenius953]

I bought the servo motor linked and it doesn't come with a pedal. How do I find a pedal that plugs into it?

[@howardmandel7930]

Tyler Selenius did your unit come with three pieces, the motor, the control box, and a third piece that looks like a box with a lever and it is attached by bracket to the motor bracket?

[@chektay888]

The description for the motor indicates that the shaft turns counterclockwise. However, your video shows that it is turning clockwise.

[@chriswilliams5699]

Great video. They delivered my machine the other day. Considering using a plus sized stepper motor or a spindle to see if it’s more controllable. Genius design man.

[@charlesmckinley29]

You have enough room you could do a double reduction pulley set up to give you more speed control.

[@andrewswift7428]

I wondered about simple way to get more control from the pedal. Thanks

[@ricogonzales2989]

I'm looking for something like this for sewing leather patches on to beanies and hats. Even with manually using the hand wheel it wouldn't be too bad. Great video!

[@muhsinali4268]

Shoe workers here in Iraq use it alot, but all of them are manual.

[@daddydiesel76]

Can you take a video and share it here Id love to see how you guys are using them on an industrial level. :)

[@premasiriwickramasinghe7104]

can i see in japan this machine ?

[@joshsoorlin579]

Can u do a vid??

[@wetdedstuocm]

Well thought out. I like when people think outside the box. I tried to think outside the box and got a headache.. LOL.. Peace

[@SuperGokuSon]

That is Awsom and i think i would probably still take off the egsisting fly wheel and get it machined that woiuled coust about 75 bux a lil bit more but really clean looking and a larger for more down downsteming the rpm. This is a nice and inexpensive brought to take thou cudos for this inovation.

[@BGDonH]

Good job! Thanks! A couple of thoughts: 1. Add a rheostat to limit the power to the motor for a slower speed. 2. Use a bigger pulley on the machine itself.

[@robertmccully2792]

yep,, now your talking

[@bernym4047]

Excellent, simple conversion. Thank you. Subscribed.

[@dannymarkgraf34]

this is an awesome video. i am definitely going to look into doing this to mine. thank you for a great idea and a great video

[@dianemakes]

Great tutoria!! Thank you! I just ordered the machine and will arrive on Dec 30th! Now I will order the parts to make it motorized. Love it!

[@wilsonm59]

Great ideas. Thank you for all the research. Looking forward to reports on future changes to this setup.

[@bombdiggitydave3881]

Great video. Thanks for sharing your skill set. Knowledge = power to be and do your best in work and play. Make it a great day.

[@The68buick]

The foot turns so you don't need to turn a large piece of work. Like if you want to back stich to "lock the thread" just loosen the wing nuts, turn the foot 180 and retighten the nuts, and run the machine a few stiches.

[@GibClark]

That's gotta be the simplest way I've seen 👍👍👍👍 supposedly heat shrink or tool dip works great on the foot

[@bradchase6831]

Very good thinking. Lots of food for thought.

[@mikeransom1168]

To reduce the "violence" of the motor and reverse the rotation simultaneously, reverse the mounting of the motor. (Put the pulley toward the back.) and drive a counter shaft with a large pulley driven by the motor and a small pulley driving the large pulley on the sewing machine. This will give you greater range of speed control of the motor and greater torque driving the sewing machine.