RJLamie

Thanks wiz. I have always bought from bob at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines in the past. I was surprised by the lack of pressure feet options available for this family of machines. I now understand why. Thank you. Looks like I will need to buy a singer 111 clone to get all of those presser feet options.

Thanks for the reply. So you are saying that the CB3200 does not use standard Singer 111 presser feet. If that is the case where would I find presser feet on the open market for the CB3200 and what would I search for?

I think I read somewhere (maybe even on this forum) that the Cowboy and possibly the Cobra sewing machine utilizes standard Singer 111 presser feet. Would someone be so kind and confirm this? Thanks Randy

I really love your project. I am a little jealous. I would love to find a machine in the right condition to do a complete rebuild. good luck!

Thank you all for your comments. You all kept me from buying a piece of equipment that was never going to do what I needed. I will focus on picking up another compound needle feed machine to go with my cowboy.

I am currently using a cowboy 3200 set up with 277 thread to sew women’s tote bags. I now need to make some women’s clutch bags out of lightweight garmet leather and sew light weight purse linings. My local sewing machine recommended 3 machines. He has a rebuilt 201k for $225. He also has a 66-16 and a 15-90 with external belt drive. Both of them have been lubed and tested for $75. He highly recommends the 15-90 because it more robust than either the 201 or 66 plus you can put a larger motor on it for more punching power. I’m thinking a #69 or maybe #96 thread max. Is the 15-90 the right machine over the 201 or 66 for the price?

I really enjoyed reading bible on edge finishing. In all my work I have been skipping some steps. I do have one question. I have seen some paint like edge treatment that is very thick. Do you have any idea what that might be? I have included a picture to show its very plastic look.

Rocky, that is a great idea!!! I’m going to go that.

I found an answer to my own question on amazon. One of this sites sponsors Weaver Leathercraft carries an extensive line of what I am looking for.

Where can one purchase stock mallet dies? I am specifically looking for a mallet die for cutting a 1/8" by 3/4" rounded end slot. I see the Texas Mallet Dies offer customs but from their website they don't go this small.

Those are amazing colors and a great idea getting chummy with a tannery to get the inside deals. My main goal in this case is to be able to create custom colors. The color needs to be completely uniform that is why I was thinking acrylic paint. Can I achieve those kinds of brilliant uniform colors myself using dyes?

How would I create the color in the commercial bag below from veg tanned leather? I assumed something this bright needed to be done with acrylic paint.

I see lots of discussion about using acrylic dyes and paints but haven’t seen anyone layout out their best practices. I am looking to airbrush acrylic paint to create colored handbags. What kind of steps do people find work best for surface prep. Can you apply neatsfoot oil prior to painting. Do you dilute your paint when painting large surfaces? Any other tips and ideas related to this subject will be much appreciated.

I'm looking to dye some veg leather to make hand bags. What is the best products and or techniques to get the most uniform color. I'm looking to pink, light gray and beige.

So... it looks like #138 thread is my practical limit without busting the bank. It looks like the the sailrite ls-1 can handle that with a simple mod. This is $700 new. What other options can you suggest in new and/or used machines that can handle this for less money? I am very good at fixing anything and would likely tear apart and rebuild anything I buy that doesn't work perfect from the get go.

Are the maximum thread and needle of a machine based on the available torque from the motor? If I was to retro another motor or increase reduce ratio would that help or are there mechanical limitations like needle mounts or needle length when I go up in needle size?

I know the Sailrite is way above my budget of 200 but clearly that was not workable. I may need to hand stitch a few more bags to put me in a good budget range.

What do you guys think about the Sailrite LS1? Do you think it could sew a #346 thread with it? What needle size do I need to use?

So I tried the singer 4423 with #92 thread and a 110 needle. The machine easily sewed two layers of 5oz. It did it pretty effortlessly but the #92 didn’t have the look I want. My problem is I have been hand stitching too long and like the look of .4/.6mm thread. I’m creepy into handbags but the time to hand stitch a complete bag has been more than I want put into projects. If I can machine stitch the less visible stitches and hand stitch the highly visible ones I would be golden. I don’t want a huge difference in the thread size.

Clearly I don’t know what I want. I like hand stitching with .8mm and love the look of it. I thought this was a good place to start but when I seen the needle needed for it I knew I was barking up the wrong tree. I’m going to take bob’s advice and check out the heavy duty singers at Joanne’s. If one of those working and with 40% off I might find what I need. I will keep you updated on my progress.

The thread size I would like to use on these bags is about 1mm. I think it works with a 360/32 needle. i said I was looking for a vintage machine but that isn’t completely true. I would prefer a vintage. What I really need is a machine that can work with something close to that thread. I’m looking to spend about $200 so that means it may be well used.

I’m not necessarily looking for industrial. I’m looking I guess general information on what to look for in a used machine that I can buy fairly cheap to get my feet wet. There is a lot of used models on Craigslist in my area. It was pointed out that I should be looking for a walking foot model. I also need to look for one that can accommodate the size the thread I’m planning on using. Any other pointers?

I’m looking at buying a vintage sewing machine the can sew two pieces of 4oz leather together. I want something used but will do the job for at least a few hand bags. Any recommendations on what to look for and what to avoid in vintage sewing machines?