Darren Brosowski

That can be replaced easily. PM me if you cannot find one.

Hi mate, I am based in Goulburn so I am just up the road. There are a number of reasons for the US and Australian price differences and they have nothing to do with profit. Like the US dealers Steve (Singermania) and I both fully assemble and test the machines before delivery. As the $AU is now below $US0.70 the $A cost is higher. Australian ports are the most expensive in the western world and the additional processing and customs charges are staggering. It costs about $US40 per cubic meter to ship from China but the freight from the port to a nearby wharehouse is about $US60 per cubic meter. Feel free to call me. Before I even try to sell a machine I am going to ask lots of questions about the sort of work you do now and what you want to do in the future. 0415 353 748 Thanks Wiz. People seem to forget that the backup and help can be worth more than the machine when you are trying to do production work.

It vary from machine to machine and can also depend on the direction you sew!! Generally I quote 6mm (1/4")

The instructions with the machine are pretty ordinary so these are the ones I write. I also have parts and accessories listed and combine postage. If you want a few things then let me know and I will do a discount for you http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/User-Manual-ABLE290-and-Chinese-shoe-Patchers-/221749677665?hash=item33a14f8e61

The Singer 17/18 class might be as old as the hills but they are still in production as the Seiko TE/TF. I believe that they are primarily used in the shoe industry. The bobbin is readily available as is the long beak shuttle. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Doz-Singer-17-long-beak-bobbins-/221352870282?hash=item3389a8c18a

That seller, Mark Foster in Australia has a fair bit of New-Old-Stock that he picked up a while back.

Nice toy!!!!

Some of the 29x needles I have seen recently are in fact just 135X16 or 135X17 so be careful how much you pay for what you get I did not read all of every post so not sure if it was mentioned but the needle clamp can be moved sideways so make sure the hook is within 0.5mm to the needle.

Most industrial Singer machines are here; http://www.parts.singerco.com/IPpartCharts/

Glad you got it going! You bought the presser foot spring etc. ffrom mr.

Apart from the walking foot mechanism the internals of the Sailrite are all off the shelf parts developed by the Japanesein the 1960's for domestic machines. Most of these parts are still in mass production for various machines built in China and Taiwan. It does many jobs well but for the price you can get a proper walking foot industrial with large bobbin and wide range of inexpensive feet. I know this because I am a dealer and have imported several of the base Sailrite machines from Taiwan and tested them extensively but they are expensive for what they can do. If someone needs a portable machine for canvas, webbing, nylon etc. then they are worthwhile but please do not tell me I know nothing about them. Tweaked up a bit a good 1960's Japanese cast iron domestic machine will sew nearly as thick but lacks the walking foot.

LOL, I am a bit old fashioned and prefer to fix things with a big hammer.

As a seller of machines I have a problem in that I am honest to the point of being brutal and it can put customers off but I would rather see them walk out the door than buy a machine that will not do the job required. 4-5mm is a thickness that many machines can handle but it is not the only consideration What thread size do you want to use? What type of work are you making? What type of leather? Craft or production? Answers to those questions lead to others. Forget the Sailrite as it is a glorified domestic machine. Talk to the European guys on the page as they may have a machine to suit - they are lovers and collectors as well as sewers - but they can also piont you to good dealers.

Capacitors, dry solder or the sewing machine fairies. Once they are broken the cost of working out the problem and fixing it is usually more than a new motor.

Hi Dikman, I do not believe that there are any specialist dealers in SA. Being in NSW I am probably the closest Cowboy dealer but Steve - Singermadia - is my business partner in Bundaberg, and NO he does not ship a case of Bundy rum with each machine. Email me darren@ablesewing.com.au I will not sell you a machine unless I believe it will cover the majority of your work

The shuttle on the 144 class is not going to handle anything heavier than #345 and that is pushing it. At most I would run 207 through them on a regular basis and 277 on top. Unfortunately the industry is dominated by dealers full of bullshit who know nothing about true heavy sewing. There are a small number of specialists who know what they are talking about and they are pretty much all sponsors on this page. Talk to them before wasting your money on a machine that will not do the job.

Don't panic. Once you master tensions all will be good. Have you gone back to the shop that sold it to you?

There is also some experimentation involved as the needle/thread size charts are generally for high speed sewing. Depending on thread type, speed, needle quality and experience it is sometimes possible to go one needle size down. Not always and it can even be inconsistent through one piece of leather. Just something else to confuse you with

The spring and adjustment mechanism are very hard to find. I have just bought some spring steel and will be making the flat spring soon. I also make a simplified version of the lift adjustor. Obviously they will be expensive as they are hand made. keep an eye on my ebay page http://stores.ebay.com.au/Able-Sewing?_rdc=1

Hi Mick, A lot also depends on thread size as the lighter machines are generally not great at much over M20 (138) on the bottom end. As you also mentioned on fb wanting to to heavier material at times there probably isn't a "one size fits all" solution

I have a special needle made in China that is almost the same as the 97-10 needle but there are three issues 1/ It is 2mm shorter so the needle bar needs to be adjusted 2/ It is only available in cloth point 3/ They are only available in Nm250 Price is $AU15 per pack of ten so less than $US12 + postage. Contact me on darren@ablesewing.com.au

There are two types of bobbin winder used on the 99k and the older, most common type will not work with most of the spoked balance wheels available as there is not enough adjustment. The simplest fix - if you have this problem is to remove the adjustment screw in the guard, swing the bobbin winder into a working position and mark a new hole. Take the guard off and drill and tap a 3/16" hole. As there is no boss in this position you will need a couple of washers behind the sector arm to support it.

Move the motor all the way up and the measure the belt length with a piece of string. I have about 10 sizes of belt Darren Goulburn NSW 0415 353 748

18g leather needles should be pretty common.

One of the things I do is make a bobbin winder out of Singer 15k parts from China. It is mounted on a bracket - with the original spring - so it can be mounted to the far right and run against the hand wheel all of the time.