Singer 281-3 needle size for leather?

Yes, the Singer 9410 can sew some leather: suede and lined kidskin leather. Use a 2032 needle with either 50 mercerized cotton or synthetic thread silk. See the needle and thread chart on page 44 of the manual. The manual is available from Singer's support page, https://www.singer.com/support . The current link to the manual is https://www.singer.com/sites/default/files/outdated_product/SINGER%207029_7033_%207035%20and%209410%20Sewing%20Machine.pdf .

I hope this helps.

Cindy Wells

Hope it is light weight leather. It should not be used on heavy leather.

Use a brand new heavy needle (leather). Avoid using upholstery or thicker thread as that sometimes does not feed well through the needle eye. Set it for a longer stitch. And you might want to adjust the presser foot pressure to accommodate the thicker fabric under the presser foot. Also, a leather foot, roller foot, or walking foot may be helpful--if if not available, try using parchment paper (or something similar) on the surface of the leather to help it slide under the presser foot..

According to this manual, it takes Singer needles which are probably 130/705 type:

http://homeappliance.manualsonline.com/manuals/mfg/singer/5838.html

Singer enthusiasts generally recommend using Singer needles, however, other sewists will use other brands as long as they are the same type. As for the needle size and the point, that depends on the fabric you are stitching.

All About Needles SCHMETZ Needles

Consult your owner's manual for the size needles your machine takes. Usually, it is 130/705 needles.

If so, you can purchase this size from most any fabric, sewing repair shops, or online vendors. There are many manufacturers who make needles, ie Schmetz, Organ, Klasse, as well as Singer. Schmetz is readily available most places in the US. (IMHO, Singer needles are made more specifically for Singer sewing machines and may not work as well on a non-Singer machine. Most Singer machine manuals recommend using only Singer needles and some sewists have experienced problems when using a different brand.) You may have to experiment with brands if you have any problems with a specific manufacturer brand.

However, there is much more to choosing needles for your machine than the size and brand. The most important choices are to choose needles that suit the thread & fabric you will be sewing. Be sure to read up on the needle types (from smallest 65/9 to heavier 110/18) and the design/shape that will work best for you, ie sharps (for woven fabric) or ball-point (for knits), quilting, topstitch, embroidery, microtex, stretch, denim, universal, leather, etc.
"The European metric sizing system for sewing machine needles is numbered from 60 to 110. The American sizing system is numbered from 8 to 18. For both sizing systems, the lower the number the finer the needle and the higher the number the larger the needle. Most needle companies show both sizes on the package." (quote from Singer)

In addition, if your machine is capable, you may also be able to use twin, triple needles, wing, wedge point needles. The following will be helpful when you make your purchasing choices:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjhzOqwyKzMAhVisoMKHUO2CR0QFggjMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.schmetzneedles.com%2Flearning%2Fpdf%2Fschmetz-needle-chart.pdf&usg=AFQjCNHTR52AmqwzvyCjbXmD5Ch52Va5_Q

All About Needles

FREE Printable PDF Guide to Schmetz Sewing Machine Needles

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&ved=0ahUKEwjO4dSey6zMAhWpg4MKHUWjDAgQFgglMAI&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.joann.com%2Fon%2Fdemandware.static%2FSites-JoAnn-Site%2FSites-joann-project-catalog%2F-%2Fimages%2Fhi-res%2Fproject%2Fpdf%2FPA00223.pdf&usg=AFQjCNG8bnom5KfB1eLB6lEjHIsosUBgMw&cad=rja

Machine Needles

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Denim or leather size 18 at least.

Your needle may be new, but Is needle correct size for fabric you are sewing? If so, is needle all the way up as far as it will go in needle bar shaft, flat side in back & more rounded side facing you? Stretch knits and wovens, denims, and leather do not use same needle size. Jimmy

Hello there! Make sure your pattern selector is compatible with the presser foot. Good idea to test with a straight stitch setting: Tension: 4. Width:4-5. Length 5 after you insert a new needle and re-thread machine. Your previous needle may have become bent when machine malfunctioned. Use fabric compatible with needle size. Always raise presser foot when threading! Then always lower presser foot before sewing. Remember to use blue tip scarf needles with synthetic fabric silk thread 50. Purster thread 50, mercerized cotton thread 50-60; #11 or #9 for fine or lightweight fabric with silk thread 50 or fine Pollyester thread; #18 leather needle for leather, #14 - 16 denim . Jimmy Sweep out shuttle carefully with small brush for broken threads and lint.

You need a heavy duty needle #16 or #18 to sew leather and teflon presser foot is helpful

Depending on the overall thickness of the proposed job, this should be fine provided you bear a few things in mind, and monitor progress.

Use a new size 14 or leather needle, and be prepared to renew needle several times depending on the size of the job........start the sewing by turning the handwheel to create the first stitch and run at low to moderate speed
.....if the machine feels like it is struggling from the outset, do not continue.....
if it runs fine and only starts to labour after a while, the needle will have become blunt...replace it.

For each new seam, start by turning the handwheel manually, just to get things started.....you may also find this helpful at the end of seams for the lock stitch

Also...
The presser foot tension may need to be relaxed a little depending on the overall thickness of the job