ChipperBags Report post Posted October 10, 2022 Hi! My name is Chip. I’m new to leather working. I instantly loved it because it involves sewing with a sewing machine and reminds me of wood working (which I also love). I want to make nice bags and wallets for both women and men to sell. No website yet as I am just getting started learning about this, but… I’ve already made two bags using a Singer 128 and a Kenmore Model 21 “Purple Monster”. The Singer does not have reverse, so that was a bummer. The Kenmore has reverse and is a left homing needle (kind of an annoyance, but works). Both of them had their issues and I realised I can’t use them for quality work. Even still, both prototype bags I made came out “ok”. Those are going to be gifts. I have not settled on what specific items I will be making for sale, but totes will be on the list! Chip from CHIPPER BAGS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gezzer Report post Posted October 10, 2022 Well WELCOME from a hand sewer , what little I sew . You have come to the right place .... these folks seem to know their machines !!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greystoneleatherllc Report post Posted October 10, 2022 Hello from north Fla. Gatorville,,,,,db Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rleather Report post Posted October 10, 2022 Welcome to the forum, from the horse capital of the world. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChipperBags Report post Posted October 10, 2022 Thank you for the welcome! Where do I go to discuss specific machines? Starting at almost the beginning! Chip from CHIPPER BAGS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rleather Report post Posted October 10, 2022 There is a forum Leather Sewing Machines, I would go there and post any questions you might have. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChipperBags Report post Posted October 11, 2022 Roger. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChipperBags Report post Posted October 20, 2022 (edited) Okay, so now that I am at my computer instead of my phone I can write a more thorough introduction of myself, when I started 'sewing' and taking an interest in Leather and what machines I have used and why I think I will LOVE working with Leather. I am a 60 year old male who is thinking about retiring in two years from my real life job, if I can. I started sewing literally, just a couple of months ago... Why? Well, let me tell you a story. (Promise not to be too long) When I was a kid my mother would not let me touch her Singer shiny black sewing machine because she thought I would take it apart and break it. Now, I did take a lot of things apart to figure out how they work, but that sewing machine was never one of them. And so (get it, So, Sew) I never used a sewing machine. Even when I bought my wife one shortly after we were married, I had no interest in it. On to just a couple of months ago. My wife signed up for a quilting class. She was frustrated because the machine I had given to her more than 30 years ago was not performing the way it should. The tension was off, the bobbin clutch in the flywheel would not unlock and it would not reverse. We took it in to the shop twice, each time paying $75 or more to get it fixed. When I bought it I think it was about $130. It is a nice little Seammaster SM1000 (SM100, I can't remember). Anyway, we got it back from the repair shop and she took it class. It would still not stitch in reverse and we could not get the flywheel to unlock for the bobbin to be would without the needle being engaged. So, I took off the flywheel, found the 'clutch' washer was on backwards, flipped it around and put it back together. I hand tested it and it seamed okay. Then I was thinking, well let's just get her a brand new machine. So, my co-worker happen to have a Singer Quantum 9960 sitting around that his wife was not using, nor every did, so it was literally brand new in the box and gave me a deal on it. I brought it home. Once we unpacked it, she was in love with it, but as with most people she was taking it slowly. As a matter of fact she still has to finish her first project on it. But... I said to myself "How hard can it be to make a quilt?" So, I looked it up on YouTube, found a young woman who did your first basic quilt in 6 lessons of about 10 minutes each and started off on the new Singer 9960. OMG! I LOVE IT! It reminds me so much of my other interest/hobby, woodworking. In woodworking, you get the material, measure and cut out the pieces, put them back together the way you want them to be and then you finish them so they look nice. And you get to use very powerful tools! I had no idea, that sewing was so similar. You get the material, you measure it out, cut it up, put it back together the way you want it via sewing and 'clean it up' to look nice (remove loose threads, etc.) I finished my first quilt in a week and I had to wait on some things from Amazon for that one. I finished the quilt for her class on the old SM1000, ensuring it worked perfectly! We have since donated this machine to a woman in need of a machine! (And she loves it!) Okay, next I figured, "Hey, why not sew leather?" So, I pulled out my father-in-law's 1949 Singer 128 and set it up for leather as best I could. I got a scrap bundle from Amazon and made my sister a 'bag'. It is my own design. Admittedly needs a little 'tweaking', but it came out not too bad. Still needs to be shipped to her. While I was using the 128, (Very nice machine and quite AWESOME for what it CAN do and OMG the stitching is PERFECT! Until you get to the leather), I found out that not being able to REVERSE is a problem. Next up my mother-in-law's old Sears Kenmore "Purple Monster" Lilac Model 21. This thing has two speeds. On (very fast) and Off. But, WOW, is she powerful. She has a 1.1 Amp motor and doesn't strain on anything I threw at her while playing around. Then I decided to make 'scale model' version of the tote bag on Sailrite's website with the Scrap leather I had. So, I stitched two pieces together to make it big enough and then worked the pattern they had on their YouTube video. Now, everything was going just fine until I noticed that the Kenmore was having trouble feeding the wrong sides of the bad material (Leather, quite 'sticky'), but I kept on going because almost all of the seams would be on the inside of the bag anyway and no one would see them. Now this machine has reverse, so I was able to back tack for this bag. BTW, using #66 Bonded Nylon in both needle and bobbins, working just fine with the #20 Leather Point needle I put in both machines. So, the stitching varies in length all over the place, but it is a straight seam and it is locked in. I made the straps, stitched them on and my wife "I'll use that." So she got that one. I love running the machine! But, you can't just sit there having it go and go and go doing nothing... So, what to do??? LEATHER! Other fabrics can work too. I already have a design in my head for a waxed canvas and Leather tote bag that should be pretty cool. But, and this is where I am now, I don't really want to hand stitch things, although I had to do a little bit for my sister's bag, I found I don't really like it much. But, I do love the machines. So, now I am searching for a sewing machine. I know I am not going to get them correct and they are not all the same class of machine. After joining the forum here I realized I probably want to go with a Cylinder arm machine with a flat-bed table attachment. This type of machine would be 'ideal' to get up and running and maybe make things to sell. The usual items as listed in my first post, but my emphasis I want to be on bags... And that may have to be eventually. I am currently in discussions with two local dealers who may or may not be able to provide me what I want/need for the budget that I have. kgg has already said "buy once, cry once" but I may not have the budget for that. So, I have three potential machines, and availability _IS_ an issue. 1) Leatherwork by Sailrite. This package is my budget. It is about the right price and what I am willing to shell out. 2) I almost got a Consew 226R complete package for about $1,100. And that would have been GREAT! But, the local dealer had an issue where he was not able to put it together and he would not let me do it either. 3) Some kind of Cylinder arm compound feed machine, the second dealer sells Artisans. This one would be a 246VA. All three machines have their plusses and minuses and I know they are NOT all the same thing. Should I just get the Leatherwork, learn more about sewing, get better at that, sell items, get money and then invest in a better machine when I get there? Or should I just 'bite the bullet' and get the more expensive Cylinder arm machine now (assuming that the Artisan is a decent machine). BTW, my comparison to ALL machines is my wife's 9960, which sews like BUTTER on everything at any speed! It is an AWESOME machine. I'm told it can even do some very light leather, but I don't want to touch her machine any more. Okay, that's about it I guess. I have layed out my 'story', told you who I am, why I have an interest in sewing leather and which machines I have used and which ones I am considering. And asked for some advice as well. At this point, all I can say is: THANKS IN ADVANCE! Chip from CHIPPER BAGS (which I want to be my little business name) Edited October 20, 2022 by ChipperBags Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Hags Report post Posted October 20, 2022 Welcome from the other corner of the US! You'll find plenty of inspiration and help here. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
