kgg

Condensation may become a problem depending on how well the structure is insulated and the temperature / humidity swings inside the shop. The ideal situation would be to keep the shop well above zero probably around the 55 + F mark but this may not be an expense that is feasible if you are only occasionally using the shop area. Large temperature as well as humidity swings can play havoc on fluids, all sorts of materials and equipment. I think a converted attached garage or basement area maybe a better option with proper ventilation to get rid of any chemical odours. kgg

For me when I am looking to purchase something handmade I want quality workmanship using quality materials. For me handmade is something made by hand. But you got to be willing to pay for it. I equate back to my grandfather (master tailor) days the difference. He would call some of the other tailors in the family, factory tailors. Yes they could do some nice work but were lacking on some skills. They relied predominately on patterns and machines to provide items that would fit a range of individuals. A master could do that but also had the knowledge and ability to create an article to fit a individual perfectly from scratch with nothing more then scissors, tape, caulk and thread. The difference in workmanship is amazing just compare your off the rack $100 suit with a $5000 suit. kgg

Have you tried contacting someone who repairs industrial machines maybe a good used brand name such as Juki, Singer, Pfaff, Alder like Mark Rofini of Industrial sewing machine at industrialsewmachine.com kgg

For the serious pullers, like Akita's / Alaskan Malamute's / Mastiff's / Black Russian Terrier etc. is a good quality prong collar like mdv99 suggested. When a quality prong collar is properly sized, put on properly and most importantly used correctly it is like having power steering on your car. You could almost walk them with the prong collar and a shoe string for a lead. You can get cheap prong collars do not use them. A quality prong collar has the prong ends rounded nicely so there are no sharp bits that could stick or stab the neck of the dog. A way to test is rub the end of the prongs over your arm if it scratches your flesh then it is of poor quality. A lot of pet shops do carry them but you have to ask for them as most stores don't openly display them. What I have done for difficult dogs is put their regular collar on and the prong collar. Hook the lead to the prong collar for a time then transfer the lead to the regular collar and see what happens. Loss of control then hook backup to the prong collar eventually just putting the prong collar on the dog will cause the dog to behave properly. When I have had to use a prong collar to correct the pullers it is only for short ten minute bursts in an enclosed safe area, lots of special treats and then followed by twenty minutes of enjoyable time. kgg

I look forward to seeing the pattern cutting stuff. Working on a 3d print for a adjustable (0-50mm) swing-away edge guide and a adjustable (20 - 50mm) bias folder. kgg

We are using the new MK3S which comes with the new and 'improved' rough texture PEI flex steel removable bed. The only way to get consistency with first layer sticking is to use Elmers blue glue stick. Only alternative is to take rought steel wool and roughen it up. Which we do not want to do. Glue works perfect for PLA, but PETG is too sticky for just glue - thus tape layer. Its old school but it works. At some point will replace with the older 'smooth' version (as soon as the new firmware is bug fixed for having multiple bed plates - right now 3.8.0 is buggy - as that way we can dial in z-height for both beds... or use one for PETG which needs a slightly higher nozzle vs PLA). It is on the list of upgrades. For temperatures we used a modified version of 'Pretty PLA' and 'Pretty PETG' that has been dialed in for our specific machine. Usually 160 noz + 60c bed for 49 point bed levelling (the PID can get wonky with fully heated nozzle) and then increases to 215/70C for PLA, or 240/80 for PETG. Of course fan is off for first few layers 3 to 7 depending on material to keep curling to a min, and extrusion width is set to either .95 or .92 depending on material (once again dialed in for our machine so may be different for others). For the hassle factor of PETG we will at some point go to carbon fibre or nylon or more exotic 3M materials (such as the 316L they recently released)... and build a tent for a heated enclosure. That of course also means going from a E3D NozzleX .4mm to a .6 NozzleX or .8mm so as to reduce clogs with the larger fibres. Never going back to brass nozzles as the Nozzle X never clogs (even leaving PETG in the head for a day or three and then using PLA it just flows out first time, every time). We have set the orientation so that the gcode tells the printer to print lines mostly via X or Y travel rather then X plus Y travel - it's faster and more precise that way. kgg

I would investigate dealers within a two hour driving distance and then expand the radius to four max. Seattle should be fairly close and have industrial sewing machine dealers. kgg

Have you considered making a road trip to a couple dealers that way you could take some of your stuff along and see what machine would work best for you. Purchasing at a dealer fairly close to home maybe something to consider from a support/repair point. kgg

I should have added that for the Vape/Bobbin Holder we used PETG (black) filament, for the Bobbin Stand and Bobbin Thread Guide we used PLA(+) filament. The colours in the photos of the thread stand and bobbin guide were just magic marker rubbed over the surface to added some effect for the photos. We had to replace the .4 nozzle that came with Pursa i3 with a Nozzle X after about 40 hours of operation. Didn't like the PETG filament had to use masking tape on the bed, print at half speed and fiddle with the temperature setting to get decent results. The PLA(+) gave overall better and faster results with just washable glue stick rubbed over the bed. We will be using mostly the PLA(+) in various colours in the future. kgg

We are using a Prusa i3 printer, Autodesk Fusion 360 for basic design and Cura for slicing. kgg

Dang, you have been outbid on the Juki. Gave up smoking, did that for 52 years and started vaping about three years ago. No ill effects so far other then the sense of smell and taste that were laying dormant for so long came back with a vengeance, still love the smell of a good cig or cigar. Had a small smoking habit of between two and four packs a day every day. No cancers, breathing or heart issues just decided to try something different. Can vape to my hearts content for under $30 a month which is a lot cheaper then feeding the smoking habit. We make our own vape so I take full responsibility for all aspects with regard to the source and quality of ingredients, mixture of ingredients, taste and the level of nicotine. I wouldn't recommend to anyone to try vaping but if you smoke it maybe an alternative to the smoking habit. I think it's the lesser of two evils but keeps me sane which I know is debatable. kgg

Thank you chrisash. Working on two more items, an swing a way edge guide and a adjustable binding folder which I am hoping will work. kgg

This is an overview shot of the setup showing the bobbin/vape holder on the front of the sewing table, the bobbin thread pin guide on top of the sewing machine and the thread stand at the far right rear of the sewing table. kgg

The third accessory is a newer version of a thread stand. This was to solve a couple of problems related to thread problems particularly with 8 oz cones. I have to add an over view shot of the setup showing the bobbin/vape holder, bobbin thread pin guide and the thread stand in another topic due to file upload size. 1. I always have hated the cheap two clone stand that came with the table which at best is a cheap $10 Chinese stand. There is a simple solution to fixing the two cone stand but I still hated the look. 2. Get more cones of either 8 oz or 16 oz size clones in the least amount of underutilized space on the table while freeing/ cleaning up more table space. 3. Eliminate the thread backlash problems associated with 8 oz cones. The cone stand will hold at least five 8 oz cones or two 16 oz cones with one 8 oz. The cone platform sits on the right rear side of the sewing table with the cones being pressed into a 3mm high density foam base overlay. The cones are forced into the foam base overlay by a nut. Forcing the troublesome 8 oz cones into the foam works really well in getting rid of the problem of the thread backlash causing the thread to be sucked under the base of the 8 oz cone and jamming. The top thread guides have less a severe downward angle and are more inline with the machines thread pin and also the thread tensioner guide. My previous solution of mounting the 8 oz cones horizontally did work but as the amount of thread on the come became less problems did occur requiring more tensioner adjustments then I liked. All comments, suggestions welcome, kgg

The second is a dual purpose holder that can hold up to 18 bobbins and my vape. I always hated reaching around the belt side of the table to get or place a empty bobbin and was forever knocking my vape of the table. If I still smoked I would have been knocking off the ashtray so I came up with this solution. It c clamps to the table top and has two upright pins and a bottom swivel pin all able to store 6 bobbins each as well as holding my vape.

So I decided to add a couple of new accessories to the sewing table and the Juki 1541S using the new toy a Prusa i3 which is also getting a workout with our other hobbies. I am going to have to do this in three topics due to upload file size limit. The first is a simple thread pin guide. It slips down over the original thread pin to guide the bobbin thread to the bobbin tensioner on the top of the machine. All comments or suggestions are welcome. kgg

Totally agree. When I was looking for a compound flatbed I looked at and test drove a few of the Chinese Clones in the upholstery class. Some I have to admit did a pretty good stitch others vibrated, crunched and just sounded like a bucket of bolts banging around. Needless to say I bought the Juki 1541S and have been very pleased that I bought it. Down the road when I need / want another machine I know that the Juki is going to be easier to sell and have better resale value then that of a comparable clone. If dollars are the major factor buy a good used brand name from a reputable dealer in the class you need like a Singer, Juki, Pfaff, Alder and test drive it with your stuff. kgg

I agree with Ferg, you need two machines. Another consideration that I would consider is the shank diameter of the needle as this will determine the size of the hole in the leather or fabric that the thread is going to pass through. A common needle system for upholstery type machines is the 135x16/17 with a shank diameter of 2.0 mm while for a heavy duty cylinder machine like the CB3200 it would 794 needle with a shank diameter of 2.5 mm. Doesn't seem much of a difference but could really make a difference in stitching methods and appearance. Before you buy your machine, as it is an expensive investment, go to a dealer with a sample of your stuff, compare and see what fits your needs / budget best. Buy Once, Cry Once. kgg

I have owned a Reliable Barracuda as well as used the Sailrite. I would again have no problems in choosing the Barracuda again. Maybe I got a good one but if you put the two of them side by side in a blind test I think it would be hard to tell what you were paying extra for. For someone who occasionally needs the walking foot feature, who whats to wet their feet first in the hobby or dollars are a major factor before buying a more robust machine the portable walking foot machines maybe a good option, regardless of the name on the machine. The problem is that for the price of a portable walking foot Sailrite LSZ-1 (~$1095) there are so many other options available like the Consew p1206rb (~$1095) that is a compound feed machine as an example. kgg

As the Reliable Barracuda comes it only has a small domestic motor and speed controller like the Sailrite LSZ-1 but a lot cheaper cost wise. What Tandy done was take a Sailrite LS portable (no zig zag) and mounted it in a table with a Sailrite workhorse servo motor strapped to it. If a Sailrite portable could sew through two layers of 10 oz veg tan leather then I would expect the Barracuda should be able to do the same. If you tricked out the Barracuda like the Tandy machine you could save a fair bit of cash. But you still would only have a light duty table mounted portable walking foot machine. I think you would be far better off getting a brand name walking foot machine like a Juki du-1181n for about the same cost or 1541S which are made to work day in day out. kgg

I mostly use my prescription reading glasses for threading the machines needle or when I need the extra clarity otherwise I don't wear anything. I do wear safety glasses when cutting / grinding metal or using a chainsaw where stuff is probably going to be flying everywhere but never worn or even considered wearing eye protection while sewing anything. For some eye protection may give them with a piece of mind, for me I think they would be more of hindrance and wind up in the "don't iron pants while wearing them" bin. kgg

All I use in my Juki for various thread sizes are the Schmetz needles never had any problems. kgg