KAYAK45

You now have a "sweet" machine, Deb. The marine manual for cleaning, calls for a soaking in desal fuel. That's a good start. Wiz is correct, as always, on the lily oil, as the correct and only lube. Just google felt and you can get just what you need for your table. Lowes, Home Depot and many other have it in stock for around $5 for far more than you need. The 31-15 is known for it's ability to do light sewing, such as cowboy boot decorative stitching, which is what I use it for. If you want to tame it's stitch speed, I would suggest looking into a "servo motor". As noted by WIz, Toledo sewing is a great source for this singers needs. PS. You list your location as "USA". In future questions, this forum can be of better help, if you narrow this location. After all, this is a BIG country. ENJOY YOUR MACHINE!

No, you do not "NEED" a sewing machine... you want one! Go to the sewing machine forum site as NORTHMOUNT suggests. Spend oh … say.. 5 hours there.. and you will have a half century of knowledge, for free. That's the whole point of this site. OR. spend thousands of $$ on your own and FAIL. Don't ask how I know this to be true! God bless and good luck hunting! Kevin

Hey! What's up with "a private" source for a better item? Isn't this whole forum for sharing???

Search this site and look up manual for 31-20. That will give you your answer!

Yeh, I got a pair. Actually several! Some look good and don't work well, some look bad and work well. Hell, before writing this I looked in my bucket and found a brand new set I've never used. Don't know if their good or bad! Call Lisa sorrel, she is a sponsor here, and get a new one. Don't waste time or money on used.

Look around your house! Several screwdrivers make great tools. Flat blades can be lifters, star bits, for background, Philips bits are very interesting, and don't forget forks, spoons and knives with serrated edges. You have all the tools you NEED in the house, and at NO cost! Gotta a crescent wrench? Good tool for a pear shader. Oh, and bye the way, I also own hundreds and hundreds of "store bought" tools. Still use screw drivers when needed.

OK!... You don't need to OWN all the machines! FIRST, WHERE ARE YOU! NOBODY NEEDS ALL THESE MACHINES. Join a LOCAL guild and rent, borrow, and steal some stitches when needed. For a holster you might need fifteen/twenty heavy stitches, BUY A 2400 INCH SADDLE MACHINE?. ( I did..good idea) The rest are say 277, 341 etc., in 14 oz. leather, at most. Sew those heavy stitches by hand? No cost.! If you want to make A boot, do you buy a Landis Sole Machine? (I did..dumb) NO!..RENT IT...at the local shoe repair store. Buy a machine after you hand-sew, and are tired and getting too many orders. OR, join the legions, like me, that own machines, little used, that would love to rent them out and teach you to use. You will find them/us nearby.

Great idea to save a classic! I also have a 55. The marine manual says to soak it in diesel fuel for 48m hours to start with, then wipe dry and oil w/any available motor oil! LoL! That's the start.

I found this old post and thought I'd bring it back up. One mans junk is anothers treasure for sure! Take you "scrap" and make a holster. After that, use the left over for key fobs. After that use the rest to fill boot soles, etc,etc. I bought some "scrap" from a chap maker. Great background for filigree cut leather. Make your belt loops outa your straps. Make plain belt loops and sell them. Tandy does. Got a blemish on the backside, if you can't use it as intended, run it through a splitter and make a wallet. I made some drink coasters for a car dealer and then got an order from her for key fobs. What is scrap! Hell, to a guy who wants beef, leather is a scrap! Kevin

OK. Many of us have been where you are. So many choices, so many ???!. FIRST MACHINE, big investment. It's not just the $$, it will be the time you spend to learn everything about your new machine. What thread sizes, what needles, what oil or grease and when, can you change tensions and it goes on and on. DON'T ASK HOW I KNOW THIS. I love ANIMAL HOUSE, the movie. ROAD TRIP! Find a good pro dealer and go. You don't only need a machine, you must get some support! I have Singer 31-15, 111-155, 251-3, Cowboy4500, Aristicrat 12, Seiko PW-7B post machine and two Fortuna bell skivers. Each and every one took hours and hours to learn to thread, oil, needle thread size changes, stitch length, etc., and sew or use with control. MY HUMBLE OPINION ONLY! Do not buy on Craigs List, E-Bay, Amazon, nor the Local Newspaper. Do not buy a head only and then try to assemble and buy a matching table, motor, thread stand, belt, lighting, guides, needles, thread etc,etc,etc! You will only get what YOU NEED from a DEALER. PERIOD! Just my opinion after spending thousands $$$, hundreds of hours, to get what I needed. Good hunting, and good luck...just do it! Kevin

Really nice looking ride! Good choice on the sewing machine as well! I LOVE mine, you will too. Sorry to say though you will not make a good leather worker. Way too neat a shop area. You gotta clutter it up, make it really messy and have STUFF all over,to be a REAL LEATHER GUY. HAHAH Again though, good choice on the machine and happy stitches. Kevin PS: Shots to the right and low is a "scwease" issue. Use your finger tips and surprise the firing. PPS: Were the HELL is the spe;l; check?

YES, there are a couple reasons for one/other. And then NO. I already called my "go to guy" BOB @ TOLEDO, about your same question. Go clutch! Cost..lots of options from people switching to servo. No need for speed control on a skiver. Everybody else wants to SLOW.. a clutch for sewing..a skiver works better at higher speed. Put on BIGGER pully and get the correct speeds for less dollars on the skiver. A Servo, on the other hand, does not use a lot of power when not in use. A real plus. So.. if you do not want to turn it on/off use a Servo. If you want to use it wisely and cost is a factor, use a used clutch. My answer was to use my older clutch for the skiver and buy more Servo's for sewing! Kevin

I'm going double down on what Ken said. There is so much to learn about holster design, leather purchasing, finishing and selling for a profit, to name a few of the obstacles ahead of you, to be a HOLSTER MAKER, that a machine should be far in the future. I did the wrong thing and bought ALL the correct machines, spent literally hundreds of hours learning to use them and THEN started making holsters. WRONG WAY! Make holsters by hand, finished to perfection,sell them for a profit, and then when you are too busy to sew by hand...and making way to much money to stop...THINK ABOUT buying a sewing machine. The stitching of a good holster, on a machine, is probably the LEAST MOST IMPORTANT THING to learn. Make ..say..thirty.. by hand..THEN.. post again. Just my thoughts. Kevin

If you want to build a small "Paint Booth" or "Glue Booth" be advised almost all fumes are heavier than air and a bottom collection system, vented outdoors will be the best. How do I know this? Check the OSHA fines I paid for a top vent paint FUME RECOVERY system that cost thousands and was ruled INOP by our Federally friends. Really, it was proven to me that the fumes are heavy and can collect in low areas of a shop. This is not only a BREATHING problem, but a potential SPARK problem around flame (furnace/water heater?) as well as ELECTRICAL SPARK (air compressor on floor?). Kevin Good luck all. !

Well it's two years later! Wear is the shotgun video? That quote was October 2010! ................. Kevin.............I grow weary!