Advice, please on modifying Consew 199RB-3A

[CharlesC 0]

Full disclosure: I'm sewing canvas and catamaran sails, not parachutes, HOWEVER I did get me an awesome Consew 199RB-3A from a larger-than-life smoke jumper, turned manufacturer of drone chutes.  I need to modify it to sew through thicker material with control with about V-92/V-138 and Tenara thread. The original owner is now out of business/retired and enjoying the fruits of his labor now with great stories.  He did me a HUGE solid by near gifting me the machine with the price he gave me.  It sat unused for a while, but in great shape; just had to scrape all the black, molten nylon thread deposit off the machine and give it a good oiling, timing, etc.  Easy (ish); AWESOME machine, BTW (Japanese version before manufacturing was sent to China).  This is my 3rd, "real machine" ("Singer" 93U; really a Zoje and Pfaff 238 were the others).

My issue: there is near to nothing out there about these machines, except for what I found here.  I'm seeing a lot of expertise with modifying industrial machines and REALLY appreciate the inventiveness.  So far, I've upgraded to a servo motor and slapped on a smaller pulley to slow it down/make it more controllable and give me more torque. 

Now I'm interested in modifications referenced here about getting more than 6mm under the foot and feeding it evenly through the machine.  Likely the even feed will be handled through basting tape, but what about used seam pullers?  How did you modify the needle bar?  Actually need to be replaced as referenced?  I did recognize the change to a 135x17 needle elsewhere, though that's what I have and use now - so...??  My results so far are really good; I can easily get 8 layers of Sunbrella under the foot and it doesn't break a sweat.  I need to get some nylon strapping and some 7 or 8 layers of Dacron under the foot as a reference.  Advice?  I can do some minor machining in my garage, am very comfortable with these things etc.

p.s. - sorry for the length of the post, but I wanted to give you my background/level of expertise up-front and appreciate any tips I can get.

[JerryBaumchen 1,048]

3 hours ago, CharlesC said:

Full disclosure: I'm sewing canvas and catamaran sails, not parachutes, HOWEVER I did get me an awesome Consew 199RB-3A from a larger-than-life smoke jumper, turned manufacturer of drone chutes.  I need to modify it to sew through thicker material with control with about V-92/V-138 and Tenara thread. The original owner is now out of business/retired and enjoying the fruits of his labor now with great stories.  He did me a HUGE solid by near gifting me the machine with the price he gave me.  It sat unused for a while, but in great shape; just had to scrape all the black, molten nylon thread deposit off the machine and give it a good oiling, timing, etc.  Easy (ish); AWESOME machine, BTW (Japanese version before manufacturing was sent to China).  This is my 3rd, "real machine" ("Singer" 93U; really a Zoje and Pfaff 238 were the others).

My issue: there is near to nothing out there about these machines, except for what I found here.  I'm seeing a lot of expertise with modifying industrial machines and REALLY appreciate the inventiveness.  So far, I've upgraded to a servo motor and slapped on a smaller pulley to slow it down/make it more controllable and give me more torque. 

Now I'm interested in modifications referenced here about getting more than 6mm under the foot and feeding it evenly through the machine.  Likely the even feed will be handled through basting tape, but what about used seam pullers?  How did you modify the needle bar?  Actually need to be replaced as referenced?  I did recognize the change to a 135x17 needle elsewhere, though that's what I have and use now - so...??  My results so far are really good; I can easily get 8 layers of Sunbrella under the foot and it doesn't break a sweat.  I need to get some nylon strapping and some 7 or 8 layers of Dacron under the foot as a reference.  Advice?  I can do some minor machining in my garage, am very comfortable with these things etc.

p.s. - sorry for the length of the post, but I wanted to give you my background/level of expertise up-front and appreciate any tips I can get.

Hi Charles,

Try this guy:

Doug Glenn

917-816-0204

[email protected]

He gave a seminar on Consew machines at a Symposium a few years back.

Jerry Baumchen

[CharlesC 0]

Awesome!  Thanks a ton.

 

[RayLosli 11]

Nice .. good solid machine to say the least,  a good find on the old Jap Consew RB, and that (3-A ) designation , is a model I never seen/used . . Seiko was producing the old line Consew's way back then .

The same body style RB as yours . I still have one of the last built Japan/'Seiko' ( 146 RB-1A ) That I bought (new old stock)  way over 20 years back . my RB-1A is straight stitch , zigzag , walk foot, and it is a solid workhorse that I still get behind everyday .
Me... Living the dream would be getting a old Seiko/Consew RB-1A  'Long-Arm' .....LOL

( I kind of half/ass guessing here ? ) . . So your model designation ( RB 3A ) ??? , So is that is a 'bottom feed' drop feed . and it is built factory Cam-disked in a 3-Step ZigZag ???
Your top choice of modification to add . probably good to search-out getting a ( Puller System ) if it a bottom-feed and you doing some long runs for seam work, for canvas, sail work ..etc.  A puller will get you feeding better with way less presser foot pressure, less fiction/distortion and laying down Nice stitches, and also letting your machine moving at top speed on the longs runs .

Also..  your Consew Zig-Zag . probable will span at least 10mm . or bigger .
and .. So your Needle Bar length is set for using 135x17  needle length ?

so THIS  -->  on my RB-1A and when used to tune-up for stitching proper on it's 'widest' zigzag . I never could get it perfect factory spec. and the Hook would always be tapping both ends of the Scarf, and Short of it's factory Max zigzag adjustment .
I finally figured out that the length of Scarf's on all needles are not the same. even though they are listed and sold being same size .
For the most part I really like buying the Groz-Beckert needles for all the machines and they top quality . but years back on a whim I bought a box of the Organ Brand , and then I quickly seen there factory Organ Scarf was cut much longer and I tore into it and re-tuned.. instantly the machine fell into Max width/span zigzag.

Here old Pic. I took, you can see the Scarf difference, and Groz-bec. on top, and Organ on the bottom . both needles are 135x17 ( 21 )  .. (imho)  Groz-beckert better quality, but your Consew needs a Long cut Scarf on the zigzag .
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Edited January 28, 2021 by RayLosli