Elennah

Just found a cheap Singer 44-90. It was so interesting I could not pass. Where can I find bobbins for this machine? Does it use the same kind as a 31-15?

I would like to buy an old Singer for sewing leather. Which models have a walking foot? Our of these, which can use the thickest thread?

Thank you! The thing is, the machine is going to be sitting in our living room most of the time, unused, so looks matter, too. :D I think a new 1000 buck machine would likely be a wonderful experience, but a lot of money, considering I only sew about once a month. I don't see myself ever starting to sell, as my shoes are so expensive to make, both materials (European veg tanned leather for kids) and time. Thus my husband might not appreciate throwing more money into this hobby than I really need to. I am keeping an eye on Craigslist and such, but I think this may be a long project, living in WI. Edit: Just realized I have something worth about a thousand that I might sell, which kind of changes the situation... If someone has idea about new machines, I would be interested in looking at those, also. In that case, I would likely want to use it for the uppers, also. Doesn't change the looks issue, though, unless it could be rolled into a closet...

Thank you! Are all the 45k machines more or less the same, or are there some that would not work for my purpose?

Thanks so much, jimi! To clarify, I am actually in the US these days. I have a Frobana, but it is way overkill for me, especially as mine came with number 5 needles and needle plate.In other words, the holes it makes are huge. I looked into replacing the plate and needles with number 3's, but the quotes I got cost as much as a new machine. However, I have been hanging onto my Frobana, in case I ever start to make sandals. I should have mentioned that the shoes I make many would rather call slippers: I glue on a very thin sheet of crepe. Therefore, I am looking for more of a multi tasker, rather than just a shoe soler.

Where in WI are they located?

I am looking for a machine that can do this: I make shoes mainly as gifts, so the price of the machine is definitely a big consideration. I use an old Singer 31-15 for decorating the uppers, so it would be a big plus if the machine could use the same table. Not a must, though. I believe the machine in the picture is a Singer 45K something, but I am looking for any machine that could do the job without causing lots of swearing. Thank you for any thoughts on the matter! (The photo is from the website of shoemaker Ruth Emily Davey, just to give credit where it belongs.)

Thank you, howie696. Unless someone has a differing opinion, or wants to tell me I won't get along with this machine, I think I will try my luck with this. (Yes, luck, not skill...I can sew but I don't undertand machines.) :D

Does anyone know whether the Able290 and the leather patcher from leatherpatcher.com are basically the same machine? From what I understand, both sellers get the machine from China, but then replace some parts, adjust, etc. As I would be ordering to the US, I am wondering if the Able290 would for some reason be worth the extra cost. I do not have the funds for a better machine, prefer one with no electricity needed, and think one of these would do a good enough job for my purposes (sewing small amounts of two to three layers of 1,6 mm leather). I also need to be able to transport the machine on the plane, so my options are very limited. Just mentioning this, so no one would feel the need to resue me from this machine and to tell me that I really should get a "real machine" instead.

Hit and miss meaning I change nothing and yet get a different result.I tried with different thread (bonded nylon, but way too thin) and in the end decided to leave out the crepe. Sews nicely through 2-3 layers of 1.5 mm leather, which is really all I need. I bet this means that someone else would get this machine to work just fine. I wonder if the problem is the thinness and softness of my crepe...I still am not able to do much with the stitch length. No idea why. So to answer your question, I have achieved anything from really short to really long, but mainly by changing the pressure of the... well the part through which the needle comes. Not sure what this should be called, as it is not a regular pressure foot. I am so curious about that knife style feed dog. I wish I could get one of those, also.

Found where to supposedly increase the stitch length. It was in the manual, after all, as it should be. However, nothing seems to happen no matter what I do. Has anyone heard of a source for size 3 needles? I would prefer those, but can only find size 4 and 5 online.

Alright, my Frobana is here. Does anyone know where to find a manual in English? I definitely need that... I got it to work, somewhat, but the thread is thicker than I need and I cannot figure out how to increase the stitch length. I was not able to find the answer in the German manual. I guess the good news is that I was able to thread it and have it actually make stitches after about an hour of fiddling with it. Yet, it is far from looking like I need it to for the shoes. A learning curve, for sure. An additional challenge is that our 18-month-old is npw absolutely in love with this machine. By the way, someone online claims that a Frobana can only sew something at least xx thick (what ever the xx was) but I can now report that that is not true. I sew through 2-3 layers of about 1.5 mm leather plus a really thin crepe sole, and it seems to do just fine. Well, as far as fine is the right word... It is still totally hit and miss...

Okay, now I get it. Your photo basically shows the type of shoes I make, though mine are very simple and mostly for little kids. The machine, which should arrive in a couple of hours, is hand driven. (I like all my machines without electricity.) We'll see how long it takes me to get it to work... if I ever will. I have absolutely no experience with anything like this. I mainly sew with antique Singers, regular ones, not the shoemaker kind.

Yes, the German text says that there are two different feed dogs, and either can be used. I think these machines often come with just one feed dog these days, but I assume it is because the other one has been lost. The reason I suspected this might not be the machine for you was probably due to not understanding what you wrote about attaching the soles. My problem, I am sure. However, I still don't quite get what you mean by cup soles and the edges curled up. I always just assumed that the different version are all the same machine, just older and newer.

Hello Robin, The machine used to come with both feed dogs, so one could use the one that suited the work. You can see that here, on page 9: http://www.youblishe...ppertal-Barmen/ I am waiting for my machine to arrive, so don't know much more as of yet. However, if I understand correctly what you wish to do, this may not be the machine for it. If you do a search on Youtube for Frobana, you will see what this particular machine is used for.