Leather sewing machine — Singer 18-3

Do not open the foot controller. Asbestos washers were reported in it (March 2026). It must be assessed by a specialist before any internal work.

Single-needle cylinder-bed leather sewing machine with roller presser and wheel feed — originally for shoe uppers. The narrow cylinder handles tubes and curved work.



Location

Textile room

Access

Free use, first come first served, no logging. Ask for a demo if you haven't used a cylinder-bed machine.

Materials

Light and medium leather

Needle

16 × 2

Help / faults

Slack #textilrummet

Good to know

  • Straight stitch only. No reverse — plan how to lock seam ends.

  • Normal rotation: top of the handwheel moves away from you (opposite of most domestic machines).

  • Dense stacks, stiff corners and bulky seam crossings may be too much — test first.

  • Max speed 1,400 stitches/min (Singer's original figure) — go slow.

Safety

  • Fingers clear of needle, roller, belt and handwheel. Secure hair, sleeves, jewellery.

  • Power off before changing needle or shuttle, cleaning or reaching in.

  • Foot off the pedal when reaching into the work area.

  • No pins, metal hardware, grit or wet glue under the needle.

  • Never force the handwheel or pull the leather.

Needle and threading

Power off first.

  1. Needle: needle bar at its highest. Insert fully, long groove facing left (towards the arm), tighten.

  2. Upper thread: top guide → tension discs → guide → take-up spring → take-up lever (front to back) → head hole → needle-bar guide → needle eye left to right. Leave ~50 mm tail. Use the single-needle diagram (manual Fig. 3, p. 6), not the two-needle one.

  3. Bobbin and shuttle: see manual pp. 8–10. Bobbin thread comes over the top left to right. Refit the shuttle with the needle at its lowest, bottom first. Don't force the cap.

How to use

  1. Check needle, belt, guards and cable. Clear the pedal area.

  2. Power off: fit needle and bobbin, thread, close the shuttle cap. Oil the points marked "Oil" (Fig. 2).

  3. Turn the handwheel one full cycle (away from you) to check clearance.

  4. Hold the needle thread loosely and turn one cycle to pick up the bobbin thread. Both tails behind the roller.

  5. Scrap under the roller, lower it, sew slowly. Guide — don't pull.

  6. Adjust stitch length and tension on scrap, then sew the project.

  7. Finish with the needle fully up. Power off, raise the roller, pull the work back, cut the threads leaving tails.

  8. Clean lint, return accessories, switch off.

Adjustments

  • Stitch length: screw C in the slot at front left of the arm — up = longer, down = shorter.

  • Tension: adjust upper tension in small steps. Leave the shuttle tension alone.

  • Presser pressure: just enough for even feed.

Troubleshooting

Problem

Action

Skipped stitches

Check needle (type, condition, orientation), rethread, test scrap.

Thread breaks or loops

Check every guide, take-up spring and shuttle threading before touching tension.

Uneven feed, marks on leather

Check pressure and stitch length. Don't force the feed.

Jammed shuttle, stiff handwheel

Power off, remove loose thread. Still stuck → get help.

Needle hits metal or breaks

Power off, find all fragments, check shuttle and plate.

Won't stop reliably

Switch off, mark out of service, report.

Maintenance

  • Power off, brush out lint.

  • Sewing machine oil at the Fig. 2 points and holes marked "Oil"; wipe excess, sew scrap. (Singer: twice daily under continuous use.)

  • No penetrating sprays or grease.

  • Timing, feed and needle-bar adjustments: maintainers only.

  • Maintenance and repairs log — including the controller report with photos.

Specifications



Model

Singer 18-3

Type

Single-needle cylinder-bed lockstitch

Feed

Roller presser + wheel feed

Needle system

16 × 2

Cylinder

Ø 64 mm (2½"), 267 mm (10½") needle to arm base

Max speed

1,400 stitches/min

Drive

Motor with foot controller

Documents and links