Dipping my toe into sewing; Advice requested

[Sam83]

42 minutes ago, Tequila said:

Again, IMHO I would choose the Leatherwork, why you ask?

You confirmed a lot of what I was thinking (and had learned from the sewing machine thread). Thank you very much! 

51 minutes ago, Tequila said:

Third after looking at the machine specs the LSZ-1 MAY require you to change the presser feet and feed dog since it’s designed to be used for sewing canvas, etc and might mar leather.

21 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

In order to get a good grip the feeder and foot have teeth. In the case of the Leatherwork version, the feet and feeder are knurled instead of having sharp angled teeth.

You both mentioned the grip/feet, so I'll explain that if opting for the LSZ-1, I would add on the knurled feet to my order and use those instead of the toothed feet that come as standard. I'd rather pay a little more than risk marking up the leather.

I'm still leaning towards the Leatherwork, particularly because of the lower speed. I'm new to learning all this so I feel like that speed control is going to be really helpful.  

24 minutes ago, Wizcrafts said:

With or without these modifications, the Sailrite portables are limited to sewing 1/4 inch, or ~6.25mm under the feet. Sewing anything thicker requires further modifications.

Oh, I'm not going above 4-5mm thickness in my projects. The leather I'm using ranges from 0.6 to 1.2mm (and V-92 thread), so doubled or tripled, it's still not pushing anything near the limit of the machine. I appreciate the explanation on modifications, though, as it's great to learn. 

Also, Wiz, thank you for pointing out earlier on that the local power outlets and voltage needed to be considered when selecting a machine. I hadn't even thought of it until you said it, so you probably stopped me from making a huge mistake there! 

[kgg]

2 hours ago, Sam83 said:

Also, the leatherwork has a speed reducer which the LSZ-1 doesn't and I had understood that this was important for being able to control stitches around corner and such.

Please know that I'm not trying to push back against your recommendation. I just want to learn and better understand how important things like the horsepower are.

Depending on how thick / type of leather you are planning on using and if the portable walking foot will work I would still first choose the the Worker B motor. If you find the speed control isn't where you need / want it then you could add a speed reducer and a servo motor at a later date. The LSZ-1 clone I showed is consistently run at max thickness or just above using the tiny 90 watt standard domestic motor.

The advantage of having the zig zag besides the zig zag is you can sew closer or farther from the normal center needle position simply by setting the needle to either the left or right and selecting zero on the zig zag setting. That way it works as a straight stitch machine just with the needle left or right of the normal center position. As a note all the feet / feed dogs available for the LS-1 Leatherworker are readily available for the LSZ-1 from either Sailrite or Chinese suppliers.

Before investing in a portable walking foot Sailrite have you tried to get a more capable industrial flatbed or cylinder bed machine shipped directly from China or Taiwan?

kgg

[Sam83]

38 minutes ago, kgg said:

I would still first choose the the Worker B motor.

 

38 minutes ago, kgg said:

The advantage of having the zig zag besides the zig zag is you can sew closer or farther from the normal center needle position simply by setting the needle to either the left or right and selecting zero on the zig zag setting. That way it works as a straight stitch machine just with the needle left or right of the normal center position.

On the 2 points quoted: Thank you for explaining. I am unsure how the Worker B motor is preferable over their Workhorse motor, so I'll head over to their site and try to figure that out. From the specs, it looks like the Workhorse is a stronger option, so I had better read the specs more carefully and see what each one offers in more depth.

The option to set the needle off centre would be incredibly helpful as it would allow me to stitch closer to the edge of a piece. Thank you for explaining! It would certainly be a very handy trick. 

38 minutes ago, kgg said:

Before investing in a portable walking foot Sailrite have you tried to get a more capable industrial flatbed or cylinder bed machine shipped directly from China or Taiwan?

I had looked into that around a month ago, but since I am alone here and have no mechanical knowledge (and you pointed out to me earlier that those machines weigh double what I do ), I don't think I would be able to assemble them and get them in working order. I've never been near an industrial machine so I'm uncomfortable even considering putting one together correctly.
I had considered perhaps paying someone to assist with the setup, but the way I've been treated when simply enquiring about machines by local vendors has made me want to avoid this at all costs. The fact that I've spent months chasing after suppliers just trying to get a straight answer to "do you supply industrial leather sewing machines" has been punishment enough. 

The Sailrite options are lighter and therefore easier for me to assemble alone, and the customer support being in English/ always quick to respond removes a lot of my concerns.

Thanks again to everyone for their input. Lots of food for thought!  

Edited August 16, 2022 by Sam83

[Sam83]

Just a final thank you to everyone who helped me out!

After contacting the Sailrite team, I discovered that the Worker B motor doesn't run on 230V (the LSZ-1 with the regular motor does and I had confused the two options), so my only option is the Leatherwork machine. They even confirmed they can offer Express shipping! 

For the domestic machine for my cotton linings, I'm opting for the Janome HD 3000. I'm looking for an older/used option because it turns out that the motor on the current ones is weaker than it used to be. This should be far easier to get my hands on.

This is so far away from where I started, back when I though I would be able to get my hands on a Juki, but it feels like a good starting point for me so that I can practice and hone my skills whilst I live here. 

Thank you again for all the assistance and knowledge you've shared! I have learned so much from the discussion and am very grateful. 

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, Sam83 said:

After contacting the Sailrite team, I discovered that the Worker B motor doesn't run on 230V (the LSZ-1 with the regular motor does and I had confused the two options), so my only option is the Leatherwork machine.

This just about makes it imperative that you order the Monster II balance wheel to improve the punching power. This balance wheel weighs 7 pounds.

[Sam83]

2 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

This just about makes it imperative that you order the Monster II balance wheel to improve the punching power. This balance wheel weighs 7 pounds.

Unfortunately, that particular balance wheel incompatible with the Leatherwork machine. The Leatherwork comes with a Power Plus balance wheel, which I'm hoping achieves the same result.