Wizcrafts

I bought this inexpensive binder platter on Ebay, a couple years ago. I clamps onto the edge of the table.

Bring some of your material with you. Have them try to bind it with their tape and binder. Then, let us know how it plays out.

@Dave9111 Have you tried contacting Sailrite using their online chat? They deal with people sewing canvas and nylon. All of their machines have special binder attachments available that work with the bias tape they sell. This ain't yo Momma's bias tape either. Some of it is made out of canvas. They sell Sunbrella and matching bias tape. Chances are that their folders and tapes will get your jobs done correctly. Here is one of the Sailrite videos demonstrating how to sew both inside and outside 90 degree turns using Sunbrella bias tape and fabric.

It is very unlikely that there are any dealers with the original parts for a Singer 18-3. That series was made in the 1920s and 30s. Singer's industrial division has been out of business for a long time. They sold off all of the remaining parts to various dealers. Still, the chance that some dealer, somewhere has that part is above zero percent. Parts can also be salvaged from another machine if you can find one.

Those are not industrial leather sewing machines. They are domestic, or household hobbyist sewing machines. They are neither heavy duty, nor meant for leather. This is the wrong forum to get information about domestic sewing machines. I posted a picture below of a real heavy duty leather sewing machine as a reference. It can sew over 3/4 inch of hard leather with needles as large as roofing nails and thread 10 times thicker than anything the domestic machines can handle..

@Dave9111; Many years aago I had a sew ing gig that required me to sew binding onto the edges of road workers' safety vgave ding run off the top or bottom on turns, especially inside turns. The vests had outside and inside curves. I tried inexpensive oriental binders, but they let the bindinsg run off the top or bottom on inside curves. My dealer recommended getting a custom binder made by a specialist. It cost the boss $400 for that binder, but it worked flawlessly. If you aren't getting satisfactory results with a stock binder, look into a custom made binder that's made to work with a particular binding material. The right angle binder I had made double-folded binding out of flat 1.25 inch polyester edge tape.

@SaraJ There is a possible explanation for your sideways needle bar motion. That could be caused by a loose or misadjusted L shaped bracket at the bottom of the head, on the left end. This bracket secures the needle bar, inside (aka: alternating/vibrating) foot bar and presser bar, keeping them aligned laterally. Here are two photos showing the wide and close=up view of the parts. My machine is a flatbed 111, but the mechanism is the same on your Singer 153. The screw secures the bracket. The hole in the bracket is wider than the screw. This lets it move to the right and left to set the clearance to a minimum, or maximum, as desired by the user. Try tightening it while pushing it to the right. But, don't let it bind the shafts. They must move freely, but without noticeably shifting to the right or left.

The Juki 8700 is a bottom feed only machine. You will have to either order one with the most aggressive teeth, or buy an aftermarket feed dog with aggressive teeth if you're to have any hope of the moving the material. Really, auto upholstery, like any other type of upholstery, calls for a walking foot machine, with at least dual feed. The Sailrite portables all have top and bottom feed. The Consew 206 series machines all have triple/compound feed, which is the strongest and keeps all layers aligned as the needle move with the feed dog and the inside foot. You may be able to find a used Singer, Consew or Juki walking foot machine, complete with a table and motor, well within your stated budget.

It is always best to feed spooled thread off the top. Feeding sideways adds unpredictable friction that changes as the spool unwinds. If you need a thread stand, buy one. They come with raised bottom plates that screw onto a table. The stand threads into the plate and there are usually two cone brackets, and thread loops above them.