Dipping my toe into sewing; Advice requested

[Sam83]

Hi everyone! I'm Sam and I'm thrilled to be here.  I've been lurking and reading the threads here for the last couple of months and the time has come to officially join the community.

As a total newbie, I've been reading the stickied/older threads, trying to grapple with all the terminology that everyone here is so familiar with, but have found myself a little lost and in need of assistance. I'm hoping nobody minds if I ask some questions. 

First, a little background.

I'm currently based in Dubai, having moved here for work just before the pandemic hit. I lost my job during the initial wave and started leather working as a way to deal with the stress of the situation. I have always loved leather, but never handled it before. I am teaching myself little bits at a time and still have a lot to learn, but I quickly became addicted to the craft! I'm sure many of you will know the feeling well! 

I've been making myself some small items using some 4-7ft leather pieces (from Etsy), a rivet press and some cheap rivets+snaps, leather belt hole punch, and contact cement.
I've made 3 bags and a couple of card cases this way. A couple of those items were saddle stitched (using Youtube tutorials) but I quickly found that my hands can't take it (because I have rheumatoid arthritis), so I relied on contact cement and must say the stuff has been perfectly fine for my needs up until this point.

Like many people, the pandemic has made me reassess my path and seek more joy. I've decided I'd like to start a small Etsy store selling purses and wallets. I'm aware that there's a ton of competition out there in this area, but I would like to spend my days running a modest operation and relishing in the joy of handcrafting unique items for others to enjoy. My designs have been unique (my own patterns) and I have had strangers comment on how beautiful my handmade bag was- which sent me straight to cloud 9! I have felt so excited, joyful and proud of my small creations and I'd like to lean into this passion project fully.

Now onto the questions and issues I'm facing.

I cannot picture selling items made with contact cement. I would have to stitch them for them to be worthy of other people's interest and money. However, I've never machine-stitched anything in my life! From my research, I have narrowed down the options for a sewing machine, but could use some input on which would be best suited to my needs and circumstances. 

Materials:

- I'm using goat/lamb/chrome tanned leather and suede, ranging from 0.6mm-1.2mm in thickness. For some designs, I would need to stitch up to 3 layers of leather. 
- I'm using reinforcements/interfacing  on the thinner leathers so they don't tear or stretch out when the bags are full.
- I'm also lining my bags with thin microsuede fabric.

Budget: I'm trying to save up to $2000 (usd) for my first leather sewing machine (including shipping).

Machine options (based on the threads here): 

1 -  Techsew 2700
2 - Consew 260RB
3 - Juki 1541
+ some sort of regular home sewing machine to stitch my linings and inner pockets- perhaps a Brother or Singer?

*I've been reaching out to local suppliers but they're not forthcoming with information. Basically they say that I should decide what I want and then they'll let me know if they can source the machine. I also have the option of finding a supplier abroad who will ship internationally but the shipping cost would eat into my budget.
** I'm not including hand-crank machines due to my rheumatoid arthritis, however I'm willing to consider it if they're not as hard on the small joints as saddle stitching.

Questions

1- Are the 3 options I've listed the correct ones for my needs? Is one preferable over the others? 
2- I live in a small flat, but have enough space to set up desks/machines/shelves. However, I'm concerned about the weight of the machines and the amount of noise they make. Would any of these machines be an issue if used in a flat versus an outdoor studio/warehouse. Are they too loud to operate in a flat? I don't want trouble with my landlord or neighbors.
3- Is it difficult to set up these industrial machines without any prior experience? I'm planning to follow Youtube tutorials and/or any information provided by the supplier. 
4- Franky, do you think I'm jumping in at the deep end and would be wiser, given that I know nothing about sewing machines, to use a basic domestic machine with a different head/needles for my leatherwork instead of investing in a proper leather sewing machine? 

Additional considerations:
1- My estimation is that the thickest total material I'll be stitching will be 4-5mm. Therefore, I would like to get a sewing machine that can easily handle 10mm so that I'm not having it cranking at its maximum capacity all the time.
2- I would like the option of a cylinder arm and flatbed attachment, as some of my designs have gussets and rounded corners. 
3- I would like to buy a machine that would last me a few years before needing an upgrade, if possible. I don't think I want to learn/start on one machine, then have to buy a better one in 6 months' time as I won't be able to afford that. I'd rather learn from the get-go on the machine that will be my workhorse.
 

Okay, I think that's everything! I hope it's not overkill, but I wanted to be as clear as possible so that I can be steered right. 

Thank you to anyone and everyone for your willingness to help us newbies out! I'm super excited to hear what will be recommended and to start my journey into this world properly.
I hope to be able to share some of my work with you all soon!

[chrisash]

For that sort of weight but not much thicker I would suggest the 1541 would be the easiest to find in Dubai and fit your requirements fitted with a speed reducer the noise at slow stitching would be low. not sure if they would supply to Dubai but this company may be a lot lower cost than typical; Etsy stores

https://buyleatheronline.com/en/?utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=buy leather online&utm_campaign=S - Brand - UK&msclkid=fa0bc5195c5b15514243a50447ff2020

[Dwight]

Given all you have said, plus my own personal experience . . . i would look into a Tippmann Boss . . . totally hand operated and currently about a thousand bucks brand new

May God bless, 

Dwight

[Sam83]

5 hours ago, chrisash said:

not sure if they would supply to Dubai but this company may be a lot lower cost than typical; Etsy stores

Thank you very much for that recommendation! It does ship to Dubai and the prices are far better than I got on Etsy. :)

2 hours ago, Dwight said:

i would look into a Tippmann Boss . . . totally hand operated and currently about a thousand bucks brand new

I must admit, the Boss is very tempting. It is the least intimidating option for someone as new to this as I am. However, with my rheumatoid arthritis, I don't think I can handle hand-cranking. I'll keep it on the list of options while I gather more information, though. Thank you. :)

[Dwight]

29 minutes ago, Sam83 said:

I must admit, the Boss is very tempting. It is the least intimidating option for someone as new to this as I am. However, with my rheumatoid arthritis, I don't think I can handle hand-cranking. I'll keep it on the list of options while I gather more information, though. Thank you.

Depending on how mechanically inclined you might be . . . a small air cylinder could be rigged for the stitching . . . a separate one for the clamp . . . would take some thinking . . . and it was my probable path until I fell into a financial help that I could not pass up . . . and got the Cowboy.

May God bless,

Dwight

[Wizcrafts]

You could contact CowboySew to see if they have a dealer in India. A lot of leathercrafters in North America and Australia use Cowboy brand machinery. You'll want a compound feed walking foot machine.

As for the noise factor, as long as the machine you get is equipped with a servo motor it will run quietly, unless the machine is out of balance. I recommend asking the dealer you find to supply an analog servo motor, like the Consew CSM550-1. This motor has a simple rotary dial on the from to limit the top speed. It can be ordered with a very small 45 or 50 mm pulley to slow down the machine. As mentioned previously, a speed reducer between such a motor and the machine will bring it down to watching grass grow speeds.

Many of us have cylinder arm machines that came with a flat table attachment. I personally find it a pain in the ass to install it for one job and then remove it for the next. But, I am crazy and am addicted to industrial sewing machines. So, have flat bed, post bed and narrow arm patch machines littering the sewing room.

Since you're new to this, I agree that a cylinder arm machine with a table attachment is your best starting setup. They can be purchased with U-cutout tables, or pedestal stands. I sit on a bar stool when I sew on my cylinder arm machines and think a pedestal stand is best.

Whomever you contact about machinery, tell them up front that you will be sewing real leather, up to 9 or 10 mm. You want a machine that has smooth feet to reduce marking the top layer. Larger Cowboy brand machines come with not only smooth feet, but also a smooth feed dog.

Walking foot machines destroy lining material. Get a domestic bottom feed only sewing machine for your linings. They use standard household thread and needles.

[kgg]

9 hours ago, Sam83 said:

Are the 3 options I've listed the correct ones for my needs? Is one preferable over the others? 

The first one you listed is a cylinder bed machine while the other two are flatbed machines.

If you can afford a Juki and need / want a cylinder bed then seriously consider a Juki 1341 or a used 341. If a flatbed is what you need / want then buy the Juki 1541 but you should be looking at the Juki 1541"S" model which has a safety clutch. The cost difference is probably less then $100 but could save you an expensive repair if you jam up the machine. 

9 hours ago, Sam83 said:

My estimation is that the thickest total material I'll be stitching will be 4-5mm. Therefore, I would like to get a sewing machine that can easily handle 10mm so that I'm not having it cranking at its maximum capacity all the time.

The 4-5mm thickness in leather would be approximately 12 - 13 oz and your 10mm would be equal to approximately 24 oz.

I think if you want the ability to sew at 10mm or above consistently you probably should consider looking at cylinder bed machines in the Juki 441 ($10K) class and clones ($4k) and for flatbed machines in the Juki 1508 or better.  Those machines are going to well exceed you $2,000 budget so that really only leaves the one arm bandits (Cowboy Outlaw ($1400), Tippman Boss ($1000), Master Tool Cub($2000)).

kgg

[sbrownn]

5 hours ago, kgg said:

The first one you listed is a cylinder bed machine while the other two are flatbed machines.

If you can afford a Juki and need / want a cylinder bed then seriously consider a Juki 1341 or a used 341. If a flatbed is what you need / want then buy the Juki 1541 but you should be looking at the Juki 1541"S" model which has a safety clutch. The cost difference is probably less then $100 but could save you an expensive repair if you jam up the machine. 

The 4-5mm thickness in leather would be approximately 12 - 13 oz and your 10mm would be equal to approximately 24 oz.

I think if you want the ability to sew at 10mm or above consistently you probably should consider looking at cylinder bed machines in the Juki 441 ($10K) class and clones ($4k) and for flatbed machines in the Juki 1508 or better.  Those machines are going to well exceed you $2,000 budget so that really only leaves the one arm bandits (Cowboy Outlaw ($1400), Tippman Boss ($1000), Master Tool Cub($2000)).

kgg

Cowboy 3200 with crank handwheel.

[sbrownn]

9 hours ago, Dwight said:

Depending on how mechanically inclined you might be . . . a small air cylinder could be rigged for the stitching . . . a separate one for the clamp . . . would take some thinking . . . and it was my probable path until I fell into a financial help that I could not pass up . . . and got the Cowboy.

May God bless,

Dwight

Indeed Dwight...good choice.

The Weaver Cub could be modified to put a servo motor on but you might as well just buy a Cowboy 3200 because that's where you will probably eventually end up anyway.  Unless you need to sew in a place with no power the hand operated machines are too close to the price of a motor operated one.  As you branch out into other items you might find yourself with a lot of straight sewing runs which will make you wish you had a motor.  I do a lot of guitar straps and when I get to the end of the straight run I just run the machine by hand to get through the complicated end curves and then its back to the motor.  

[Dwight]

2 hours ago, sbrownn said:

Indeed Dwight...good choice.

The Weaver Cub could be modified to put a servo motor on but you might as well just buy a Cowboy 3200 because that's where you will probably eventually end up anyway.  Unless you need to sew in a place with no power the hand operated machines are too close to the price of a motor operated one.  As you branch out into other items you might find yourself with a lot of straight sewing runs which will make you wish you had a motor.  I do a lot of guitar straps and when I get to the end of the straight run I just run the machine by hand to get through the complicated end curves and then its back to the motor.  

Actually the Boss . . . is only 1000 bucks brand new today.  There is not a sewing machine out there for double the price that will do everything it will do . . . unless you steal a used one somewhere.

I did belts and everything on mine for 20 years . . . wasn't always happy with the cowboy rigs . . . especially when they were of the "jumbo" size . . . but they paid the bills . . . 

May God bless,

Dwight