Curved needle

[dw]

Bob,

Great info. Thanks for bightening up the illustration too. That helps. the manual is icing on the cake.

Good on you Bob.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[uncle_bob]

oiling the k

[uncle_bob]

oiling the k

[Georgene McKim]

Thank you, thank you Bob for the manual and photos. Georgene

[joeyd]

1.Have a Landis 12-F, Stitching a sole on a pair.(mens)
thread gets loose when stitching...do i pull (tug) the thread while stitching??
2.Police type boots, using Vibram soles (replacements), Do i have to stitch them or glue and press only?
anyone can help please??,. Joe

(Message edited by Joeyd on June 17, 2005)

[walrus]

Hi Joe
When resoling Vibrams you only stitch the midsole to the welt .Then Glue the Vibram out sole to the midsole. Dont forget to always wire brush rubber soleing before you glue it . Rubber oxidises and must be cleaned before glueing or it wont stick as well .
Hope that helps.
Larry Waller
Walrus Shoe & Leather Co.LLC

[uncle_bob]

There's another neat little process, you hand stitch "lockstitch" about 4" around the toe with an awl and thread, pulling the thread thru the lugs about a 1/4' recessing the stitch and this helps keep the toe secured to the mid-sole. I'm think some of the manufacturers do this also. I learned this for Joe at Aberdeen shoe repair in Maryland, and he does a ton of boots!
Good Luck,
Bob

[joeyd]

Thank you very very much.

[joeyd]

HELP!!!and irritated!!
Having awful fights with my Landis 12-F
keeps breaking stitching after first run., cant get it to do what its supposed to do, i dont know if i am doing it right. Trying to do a test repair sole replacement. Did everything by the book as far as threading and distance measurements between needle and parts. I had asked you guys for the threading instructions....got that.... Got a manual (copy)....got that....i just cant get that!!!.
HELP!!! what do i do or what did i do wrong???

[al franklin]

is the thread hanging up or catching on the spool?

[joeyd]

im not sure if i am even setting the thread on the needle correctly.
The thread is not hanging up at all, have enough slack and tension on the spring.
OH!!! Happy Friday!!.

[danfreeman]

Joe
If thread is breaking, it's getting caught on something, somewhere, some of the time. You say you can easily pull the thread through when the foot is raised--really easy to pull, several yards, without a hitch? I've had thread hang up on the spool, in the thread guides, in the waxpot (cold wax) and on each and every wheel, and, one by one, cleared the problems. Built-up wax causes some trouble. I still have to pull out imperfect stitches sometimes.
Really old, worn-out machines can cause a lot of frustration. But patient work can help, and I've been stitching on a $150 machine since 1980--keeps the overhead down.

[joeyd]

Thank you, I will keep on experimenting. Im also still hand stitching as well. at least i cant screw that up.
AND TO ALL!!!.... Happy Independance day, Be Safe.

[erickgeer]

I'm trying to figure out how to change the stitch length on my stitcher - I don't see it in the manual(s).
I really like the look of a long stitch.

Thanks,
Erick

[dw]

Erick,

What machine do you have? On a Landis 12F (and most later models) there is a (chrome) handle on the right side of the machine just to the side of and a bit below the "table." Just about directly opposite of the thread tensioning wheel in Bob's diagram posted above. This handle should move back and forward in a bit of an arc and sometimes with a ratcheting action, if I recall correctly.

Moving the handle towards the back of the machine shortens the stitch, toward you makes it longer. On my "F" there was a mechanical tie-in with the table guide if memory serves...in any case, I disabled that connection and stripped off everything that was superfluous. But the basics aere as i have described them for the "F," at least.

Other makes and models may vary. And I'm going almost strictly on memory of having used "K's" and other landis 12's later than my own "F." So take this with a grain of salt. Hope it helps, however.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[erickgeer]

I have a 12K (I'm pretty sure on that). I think I know the handle your talking about, but it only moves fractionaly - is there a nut or screw that needs to be loosened to change it?

I'll start rereading the parts list on Monday to se if I gain any insights.

Thanks,
Erick

[chris trujillo]

neen a bobbin case for a L mine seems to be worn out threadwill not tighten seems to be a groove that lets thread run freely under tension spring has any one heard of this thank chris

[erickgeer]

Chris,
I don't know about the L, but on the K, you want the bobbin thread to pull freely.

Hope this helps,

Erick

[chris trujillo]

yes but there is no tension at all even when i tighten the tention spring there has to be some kind off tension thank you chris

[paul]

Chris,
Maybe you could try a drop of solder in the groove and polish it smooth.
PK

[chris trujillo]

I will most likely have to buy a new one 160.00 was what I price one for didnt want to spend that much guess i have to any way its nice to be able to talk to other shoe repair men Ihave repaired for about 15 year thank chris

[dw]

Chris,

I don't know who you've called or where you've looked but you might give Pilgrim Shoe a call. [(800) 343-2202] They carry parts for a lot of the older machines. Seems to me that a bobbin case spring ought to be available without buying the whole bobbin case.

If they don't have it, try Melanie Machine. [(323) 586-2090] I've gotton some hellishly weird stuff from Arnold Kay--including a left leaning burnishing wheel (which I love). Melanie Machine is the archtypal vast warehouse of old, neat, one-of-a-kind, hard-to-find, I-absolutely-have-to-have-it, machinery, that we all see in our dreams at night. (or maybe they're nightmares) But I dreamed of this place for years...always woke up disappointed and frustrated...til the day I walked into Melanie Machine. I recognized the place right away. Trouble is, for some of the more esoteric stuff, you have to go there and walk the aisles--they don't even know what they have. But for something as common and simple as a bobbin case spring they ought to be able to find one quite handily.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--Member HCC

[chris trujillo]

I DONT NO IF ITS THE BOBBIN CASE THAT HAS A GROOVE OR THE SPRING KIND OF HARD TO TELL SMALL AREA TO WORK WITH OR SEE HAS ANY ONE EVER REPLACED A TENSION SPRING. BUT I HAVE E MAILED PILGRAM NO RESPONCE YET THANKS TIGHT STICHES.IT WOOD BE NICE IF I HAD A WAY TO LAY SOME SOLDER IN GROOVE KIND OF HARD SMALL SPACE. THANKS PK.WAS WONDERING WHAT KIND OF GLUE DO ANY OF YOU THINK WILL WORK ON RED WING SOLES . THANKS CHRIS

[dw]

Chris,

I trust you won't mind if I put on my "moderator's cap" and tell you that posting a message in all capital letters is generally considered shouting on the internet. I'm sure you don't mean to do that.

Ok, that's taken care of...back to being me--it might be best to call Pilgrim or Melanie. Sometimes companies like that don't respond to email real readily. If you want answers, the best way is to talk face to face with folks who might have them, barring that a telephone call is more personal by far.

I don't know how many folks on this forum do shoe repair. Some, certainly...it sort of goes hand in hand with shoe or bootmaking. But I can't help you with the glue, I haven't done repair for a few years except on boots I've made for customers. And I never use, **or offer**, rubber soles on my boots.

Anyway...not much help today but I hope it helps some...

[paul]

Chris,

Barge Contact cement is always good. Actually, I'm sure that most contact cements for shoe repair will work with proper preparation. Cemented on unit soles, such as Red Wings often have, generally require two coats.

I grind off the dust before I stitch, and then afterward, wipe both the soles and the midsoles with Acetone to prepare the surface for the glue. The first coat of glue is best to be thinned, allowed to dry real well, and then the second used full strength. No puddles. In fact, I like to say, put it on real generously, then wipe it all off with your brush. What's left is usually perfect.

A neumatic press is best if you have the right size last, but aside from that, care in setting and hammering is important as well.

Lay the toe first. Put your left forefinger, (assuming you're right handed), at the toe of the sole in the center. Touch the center of the toe of the boot with that same finger, and carefully and gently lay the sole down the center of the boot. With the heel of your hands, set the shank area. Then push the boot forward on your lasting jack to get the last uder your work, and hammer the heel on, starting in the center, up to the breast area, and out to the sides.

Now move the boot back on your last and strap the shank, with a lasting strap. (I use a 1 1/2" strap that's just long enough for me to step into and apply force to the shank area.) Now pull the boot vamp down on your last with your left hand, being sure you're centered, and hammer the sole on. It helps to visualize the convex shape of the sole area as you do so. Now pull the boot back and hammer the toe well. What you're doing is putting the sole on the boot, rather than a boot on the sole, if you get my drift. Care taken to lay the sole this way will eliminate air bubbles that can cause the sole to come unglued, as well as maintain the original lines of the sole.

Roll it on your welt roller to seal the edge, and set it aside, allowing the glue to cure before grinding. I like to leave the sole on overnight, rather than start grinding the edge right away before the glue sets up. After all, the glue is heat activated and the grinder creats friction heat. You don't want grinding dust to get in your bond, of course. So, patience.

Forgive me if you aleady know all this, just had some extra time, and thought I'd share how I do it.

PK