AWilliamPast

This is really great information. Thank you so much for posting. I will keep my eye out for a 31 or a 42. Do you know what size needle/thread I could use with either? the larger the better. Regards, Alexander

Wow, so much information! I am planning on using #20 or #22 leather needles and bonded nylon #138. I will most definitely not run it too fast. For me, the slower the better - more control. My lines veer if I go too fast. Is there a solution i should clean with? Or just removing dust with swabs and tweezers? If there is built up greasey gunk how should i go about cleaning that? Lily oil - I bet that tip alone saved me cash and a few headaches. Thank you for the guidance and tips. After having my head spin sifting through all the information out there this post has made me feel as if my feet are finally on some solid ground. I appreciate it, Alexander

Thanks for all the info, It seems that I will be going with the 78-1, as anything else is either unavailable second hand or completely and utterly out of my price range. I am excited for my first machine and am confident that it will be great to learn on. Im sure it will be well worth the 200$ Is there a good post, article, or video on maintenance and cleaning that I can refer to? Regards Alexander

Thank you for responding, I apologize, I apologize I must have misinterpreted your post. Thank you for the information. I have read through your sticky post a few times although probably not as comprehensively as I could. What would be a decent 'modern' walking foot machine? I have come across Cobra, Juki, Alder, and Pfaff, however these have all been out of my price ranges and not available locally second hand. A brand and model of a modern, low-end, machine would be appreciated so that i could get an idea of what and where to look for. Thanks again, Alexander

Hello Leatherworkers! First post. Long time reader. I have recently decided to take a leap into the world of sewing machines to tackle some bigger projects that would be too difficult to handle with hand stitching. I have an opportunity to purchase either a Singer 78-1 or Singer 96k40 which are both available and in my budget (sadly the singer 111w was neither). The thickest leather I will be sewing will be 2x5oz leather or possibly 2x6oz whereas the smallest would be two layers of 2oz. I believe both of these machines will handle this although the high end might be pushing it. The 78-1 has a walking foot and can handle 138 thread, which is ideal. However, the 96k40 is fully serviced and ready to go in amazing condition. Also, 'The Wiz' on this forum has spoken fairly highly of the 96k40 as it was his first industrial machine I believe. Any and all insights and opinions to help guide my choice is greatly appreciated. Excited, Alexander Thank you for the years of learning!

Hello Leatherworkers! First post. Long time reader. I have recently decided to take a leap into the world of sewing machines to tackle some bigger projects that would be too difficult to handle with hand stitching. I have an opportunity to purchase either a Singer 78-1 or Singer 96k40 which are both available and in my budget (sadly the singer 111w was neither). The thickest leather I will be sewing will be 2x5oz leather or possibly 2x6oz whereas the smallest would be two layers of 2oz. I believe both of these machines will handle this although the high end might be pushing it. The 78-1 has a walking foot and can handle 138 thread, which is ideal. However, the 96k40 is fully serviced and ready to go in amazing condition. Also, 'The Wiz' on this forum has spoken fairly highly of the 96k40 as it was his first industrial machine I believe. Any and all insights and opinions to help guide my choice is greatly appreciated. Excited, Alexander Thank you for the years of learning!