DonInReno

Excellent! I was going to suggest spending a portion of your budget on a used flatbed upholstery machine first since they are relatively inexpensive and plentiful, but finding the 3200 is even better - with careful searching and not being in a hurry you’ll find a walking foot flatbed in good mechanical condition for not much more than $500.

There are plenty of myths about the 31-15/31-20 (and just about every machine) that get repeated here and in videos.... If Harry just got one of his facts wrong he’s doing good.

Very nice! Good job!

In almost every industry making rather generic components there are 1st quality and 2nds and maybe thirds that are all made in the same place, but get sold to different buyers based on their cost/quality needs. That’s simply a fact. To say different brands come out of the same factory is simplistic - even if two competing machines do come from the same place, you can bet the cost/quality/sorce of parts varies based on customer specs, not to mention attention to details in how it’s set up and tested.

More complicated mechanisms have been built by hand in the days before mass production so I have no doubt that it’s possible to make the parts. Personally I’d feel more comfortable getting my hands on a complete machine and measuring/drawing up the parts to be copied. What a fun project!

Without looking at the condition of each there’s no way to say which is a decent deal. No way is a clapped out 563-c with no reverse worth $600, but if it’s solid throughout that’s probably the market price for a used one. Same goes for the others. I get a kick out of machines that are a collection of every bad part in a shop... lol

There are at least a couple guys around the country that hoard 7 class singers and have most parts available, but they aren’t cheap. Seams like one guy is in the Seattle area, but I don’t have any contact information. If I was in your boat I’d keep an eye out for a basket case machine that had the parts you need - I’m guessing something in the $400 range would be a good deal.

Using a counterbore with removable pilot in the drill press would seem to be pretty straight forward since finding a bushing to bridge the gap between an undersized pilot and hook shank bore is just a little measuring and fiddling with scrap tubing in the junk drawer. The downside is $60 in the cutter and pilot for people that would use it once. Ill just chuck it in the 4 jaw, but there must be an easy way for someone without a lathe or mill.

Is it a new machine or old? Try the easy things first - make sure there is power to the outlet - plug something into the exact spot the servo plugs into. Make sure any wires into and out of the control box are plugged in securely. The manual should list any fuses or reset switches. unfortunately the quality of many servo setups is so bad that it’s often cheaper to replace the entire servo motor and controller than pay someone to troubleshoot and try to fix it unless it’s under warantee.

Vinymo #5 is only slightly bigger than 138, but it might be the way it’s twisted that doesn’t agree with your machine? A bigger needle is a good place to start.

That machine is perfect for what you want to do with it, and reverse isn’t as common as the models with reverse. The price isn’t a steal, but if there aren’t a lot of used machines in your area it’s probably not unreasonable. The real question is what condition are the parts in under the new spray paint. These old machines get painted numerous times over the years so don’t put too much value on the paint job. Use a good flashlight and look over everything for cracks. Take off the cover that covers the nose and look at everything for cracks, bad repairs, impact damage and anything that looks out of place. Any cracks in the cast iron and the machine is only worth salvage value. If any shafts or parts are welded they will need to be replaced so the seller has to adjust their price. Explaining how to judge if the hook is usable and or able to be reshaped to a point is beyond this post, but search carefully and it’s been discussed before. There is a linkage in the foot lifting bits that breaks and fails to release the thread tension when the presser foot is up - it’s not the end of the world, but if anything needs to be replaced it gives you bargaining power to reduce the price. Without seeing it in person I’m guessing if the guy selling it says the hook is shot, then it most likely isn’t in great shape. If you weren’t mechanically inclined I’d say pass, but if you don’t mind learning how to work on these machines and replace a few parts and adjust a bunch more, then this is a great place to start. keep in mind many people have messed with it over the years and many things are needing to be adjusted and or replaced. Replacement parts are cheap for these, but it’s usually better to only buy the parts that are worn and don’t expect a replacement assembly to be of the same quality as the original. Tension assemblies from China are a good example - it’s best to replace disks and springs, but keep the older brackets and screws. With normal use this machine will still be sewing 100 years from now.

Old screws that haven’t been turned in years can be held up with old dried oil. A little heat can go a long way. I’d use a propane torch and heat the screw only until a drop of water wants to boil - that’s often enough to loosen up the oil, and 210 degrees isn’t hot enough to damage any heat treating.

One word of warning, not just to you, but anyone who hasn’t sewn at all - not everyone enjoys sewing as much as they envisioned it. I think it’s essential to get even a yard sale domestic machine and make simple things or just practice making straight seams, before spending a lot of money.

There isn’t anything magical about sewing stands, but there is a reason so many stay close to the same dimensions - that size just works well for most things. Id recommend using the table a bit until it’s clear the size is too big, too small or just right then make your own top to match your preferences. For slower sewing a servo is a must have. A servo paired with a speed reducer is even better - I sew at a leisurely pace so both are must haves for me. If you’re interested in 207 (277 is not an option) your machine may or may not like it. It’s more likely to be a problem on the bobbin side and some will sew with 207 on top and 138 under. Make sure the case opener and clearance between needle plate and bobbin case have clearance for the thicker thread. Also be aware that not all thread is created equally and some 207 may work and some won’t. Some 207 doesn’t measure any thicker than 138 so is it really 207? Nylon can be stiffer than poly so even in the same brand this can make a difference.

The biggest downside to powder coating the machines I’ve stripped over the years would have been a lack of filler to smooth out the cast iron- many machines are quite rough. A tough durable powder coat looks cheap if the surface isn’t right. If the machine is going to be clear coated anyway I don’t see a big advantage to it, but I think it would be awesome to get set up to have powder coating as an option. I think powder coating metal parts of the stand would be ideal!

I have a straight stitch only clone of your sailrite and also really like it! Then I picked up a juki Lu562 thinking it wouldn’t sew much differently, but it does feed heavy material slightly better do to the additional needle feed. I have no plans to get rid of the sailrite clone, but a used flatbed triple feed machine was a great bang for the buck and worthwhile upgrade. A triple feed cylinder arm machine that sews up to 138 would be nice especially for bags. However... With those heaviest materials mentioned in your introduction I’d bet lunch that you would really like having the extra thread and thickness capability of a cowboy/artisan/cobra/etc Juki 441 clone, not that you would sew everything with it, but it opens up thicker materials and designs that many people don’t know they are missing out on. Thicker thread also holds up to sun damage better.

Thanks for taking the time to post those pics!

I agree preheating is very important. I like to evenly heat the entire piece to 1000 degrees F, do the repair, and cover with multiple layers of fiberglass welding blankets to slow down cooling.

Repairing a simple crack in cast iron with brazing is not always easy - and not every welder or machinist will even try. Sewing machines are covered in an oil film and any crack will have to be ground out and the surrounding area cleaned well. Preheating the area often shows additional cracks as oil works to the surface - those have to be ground out before continuing. The faster the cast iron cools the more likely it is to crack - so much of the machine will have paint damage from good preheating and slow cooling. Brazing shrinks as it cools, and the repaired area is attached on both sides of the break to the cast area below so that puts stress on the entire area - the repair may crack, or new cracks may appear. I have a cast iron spoke on a handwheel in a similar arrangement that has been repaired at least three times and needs a fourth. Sometimes everything looks to go smoothly and there is just a problem area that refuses to cooperate and the repair has to be ground out and repeated. Ive heard others with much more experience say they avoid brazing altogether and weld cracks with nickel welding rod - there’s a lot of wisdom in that. Another challenge has to do with bent areas containing micro cracks - cast iron of the type used in sewing machines can bend a bit before cracking - or small cracks exist around the bend that are small enough to not show through the paint. If small cracks aren’t causing problems you may not want to mess with them.

Welcome to the sewing world - you’ll have a bit of learning curve to get over before things get easy, but just keep at it and you’ll get it. Most middle of the road machines can’t sew 277 - for that you’d need a machine like Wiz suggests. No matter how much research is done, nothing will give you a better idea of what a machine is like and if it’s what you want than actually sewing with it.

A small square of fabric with a drop of oil on it, placed under your bobbin will do the same thing.

I see you’ve already gone to a different motor, but if someone else is in the same boat I once ran across an adapter on eBay that accepted a tapered shaft on the inner diameter and a straight bore on the outside diameter to fit a standard pulley. There are many different types of tapers so you’d have to know which you have. You can probably find a hobby machinist with a lathe to modify a pulley to match the shaft for $20. Having said that I’m betting many specialty pulley manufacturers make tapered bore pulleys.

Everyone has a different preference for length of movement, force required, and how fast the force increases. Personally I like 2”-3” of movement and very light constant pressure on what is essentially an automotive pedal.

I’m curious how many new parts are required and how many old parts need to be modified to do the big bobbin conversion - I have at least one machine that would be nice to have the bigger bobbin. good job saving the old gal!

If you don’t mind a little trouble shooting and learning adjustments and whatnot, you can get a very nice used setup for $400 that will last a lifetime. Many costume makers have a simple sewer or needle feed machine for light to medium weight material and a second walking foot machine for heavier items. A used Juki 870 in very good shape pops up once in a while for $200 ($300 is more common) and a good Juki 562 is a bargain at $300-$400, but once in a while a $200 machine pops up. I usually recommend focusing on getting the walking foot machine first since lightweight domestic machines out of the 60’s and 70’s are tough and almost free for lightweight sewing.