Sewing Machine For Garament Leather

[louis]

Howdy.

I am somewhat new to leather machines. I am looking for something with enough oomph to reliably make my own motorcycle and camping gear with on occaision.

The heaviest I would expect to go is 3 layers of 6 oz garment leather (and only rarely). I expect to use a #69 weight nylon bonded thread at heaviest.

Most of my other 'sewing machine' work is canvases and denims.

I have found that my home sewing machine really does not like heavy denim, and refuses to work the weight of leather tha I want to use at all.

I do very little heavy weight leather (little enough that it makes more sense to just hand stitch it), and would rather not invest in an industrial that would be rarely used as I have no intention of turning this into a business.

Ideally I want something on the heavy end of home use, so that it can do double duty for camping and outdoors gear, but lighter and cheaper than an industrial machine. I am currently living on a top floor apartment and would rather not haul an industrial machine around every time i move/need it serviced.

I have looked around a bit online, and am considering the following:

Janome 6600 P

Pfaff Hobby 4260

Pfaff hobby 1122

Necchi 6110

Pfaff Select 3

Does anyone have experience wit hthese machines adn know if htey will handle my thread and leather expectations?

[Wizcrafts]

None of the machines you listed are going to sew leather. I would recommend that you look into getting a portable walking foot machine. They range in price from about $300 up to over $700. The Sailrite are the cream of the crop. The Consew 206rp? is in the middle and the unpronounceable name brands are at the bottom of the scale.

Sewmun at aol dot com - on this forum - has one of those machines he sells, but I don't know the details. He's at the Sheridan show until next week.

[Hilly]

I agree, a portable walking foot machine is what you need. They have the "oomph" to tackle stuff like upholstery leather and heavy canvas. They are really not suited to light weight materials, and really won't sew heavy leather without expensive modifications like a servo motor and speed reducer. They are also light enough to be portable, as they don't come with the flatbed table to work on, but they are still quite heavy to carry around. You will probably want a very sturdy table to set your machine on in your apartment. I think most of them will handle thread sizes 69 - 92? Whatever you decide on, buy the best that you can afford to buy, and have fun using it.

[louis]

So some more beginner questions:

1) when a machine indicates a 1/4" welt, does that mean this is the maximum thickness it can hancle?

2) Would a walking foot or a roller foot be better?

3) What is drop feed and why do i want it?

4) What is a full rotary hook, and why is it a good thing?

5) What amp motor am I lookign for for a machine to be effective for 6 oz garment leather.

5) Is Alphasew a reputable brand? They seem to be pretty reasonably priced?

[Wizcrafts]

So some more beginner questions:

1) when a machine indicates a 1/4" welt, does that mean this is the maximum thickness it can hancle?

2) Would a walking foot or a roller foot be better?

3) What is drop feed and why do i want it?

4) What is a full rotary hook, and why is it a good thing?

5) What amp motor am I lookign for for a machine to be effective for 6 oz garment leather.

6) Is Alphasew a reputable brand? They seem to be pretty reasonably priced?

ANSWERS

Q1: No. The term 1/4" Welt refers to the diameter of the round cording and material covering it, that a specially designed welting foot is made to sew. This is an upholstery foot with a rounded out area that sits over covered cords, to sew close to the edge to make piping, which fastens seams together with a professional appearance.

Q2: Yes. You absolutely need a walking foot machine for the work you first described. A roller foot might also do the job, but not as well as a compound feed walking foot.

Q3: Drop Feed indicates that there are feed dogs under slots in the throat plate. These dogs have teeth that pulls the work to form a stitch length between stitches. Some machines have a knob or lever that actually drops the feed dogs so they never touch the material. This allows one to perform hand or hoop embroidery.

Q4: A full rotary hook simply rotates 360 degrees around the bobbin and bobbin case. Many machines use that system, as it is simple to deploy. The opposite is an oscillating hook, which rotates so far one way, grabs the thread off the eye of the needle and rotates a little further, until the thread falls around the bobbin, then backs up to repeat the process. This system allows one to use thicker thread than a full typical rotary system.

Q5: For sewing leather on a portable machine you should look for one with a 1.5 amp motor and a built-in speed reducer. Most portable walking foot machines are so equipped.

Q6: Alphasew is about as good as any of these portable Chinese machines. Until you spend over $500 you are in the lower end of the manufacturing scale. The Sailrite machines are much stronger and more reliable than the less expensive knockoffs. If you only intend to sew a small amount of leather, or nothing exceeding 1/4", the cheaper machines should do just fine. Pick one with the longest warranty against manufacturing defects, in case a gear or shaft breaks, or the motor burns out.

BTW: You initially said you want to sew up to 3 layers of 6 ounce material. That come to 18 ounces, or 9/32" - so look for a machine capable of lifting the foot about 3/8" and capable of sewing 5/16".

[kevinhopkins]

Hi... Wizcrafts is right about the sailrite. I sell them, but I don't know that it's what you want. THey're a good machine, as far as portables go, but when you say "3 layers of 6 oz" you've eliminated a Sailrite. The feeling that I get, is that you really want an industrial machine, but you want it to be portable. For what it's worth, I'd suggest rethinking about how bad you want a machine, and if you decide you really do want one, then go for it, and make sure that you get one that will do what you want. The type of gear that you mention sort of indicates to me the need for a machine that is heavier than the sail rite. And unfortunately, that will mean a heavy machine on a table that really isn't portable. If almost all your sewing is going to be fabric, then the sailrite might be all you need, but if you're going to do over 10-12 oz of leather, then you might need to rethink. Hope I didn't rain on your parade.... I'm a real believer in sewing machines, and I think every one on the planet ought to have one. But I know from first hand experience how horrible it is to have a machine that won't do what you need it to.

Call if I can be of help.

Kevin@springfieldleather.com

[louis]

Thanks! Gradually getting the picture.

So what is the advantage of having a speed reducer on the machine?

ANSWERS

Q1: No. The term 1/4" Welt refers to the diameter of the round cording and material covering it, that a specially designed welting foot is made to sew. This is an upholstery foot with a rounded out area that sits over covered cords, to sew close to the edge to make piping, which fastens seams together with a professional appearance.

Q2: Yes. You absolutely need a walking foot machine for the work you first described. A roller foot might also do the job, but not as well as a compound feed walking foot.

Q3: Drop Feed indicates that there are feed dogs under slots in the throat plate. These dogs have teeth that pulls the work to form a stitch length between stitches. Some machines have a knob or lever that actually drops the feed dogs so they never touch the material. This allows one to perform hand or hoop embroidery.

Q4: A full rotary hook simply rotates 360 degrees around the bobbin and bobbin case. Many machines use that system, as it is simple to deploy. The opposite is an oscillating hook, which rotates so far one way, grabs the thread off the eye of the needle and rotates a little further, until the thread falls around the bobbin, then backs up to repeat the process. This system allows one to use thicker thread than a full typical rotary system.

Q5: For sewing leather on a portable machine you should look for one with a 1.5 amp motor and a built-in speed reducer. Most portable walking foot machines are so equipped.

Q6: Alphasew is about as good as any of these portable Chinese machines. Until you spend over $500 you are in the lower end of the manufacturing scale. The Sailrite machines are much stronger and more reliable than the less expensive knockoffs. If you only intend to sew a small amount of leather, or nothing exceeding 1/4", the cheaper machines should do just fine. Pick one with the longest warranty against manufacturing defects, in case a gear or shaft breaks, or the motor burns out.

BTW: You initially said you want to sew up to 3 layers of 6 ounce material. That come to 18 ounces, or 9/32" - so look for a machine capable of lifting the foot about 3/8" and capable of sewing 5/16".

[Art]

Hi Louis,

I suggest you call Steve at Leather Machine Company, he can talk to you and answer all of your questions. The only question here is if you need needle feed, which is about $200 more than walking foot and highly recommended. Steve is tops in customer service and loves to talk so call him; 866-962-9880.

Art

Thanks! Gradually getting the picture.

So what is the advantage of having a speed reducer on the machine?

[DougVL]

I love sewing machines too, and agree that everyone should have one.

But the comments here seem to be ignoring most of the original question, which didn't make heavy leather much of a priority. The answers only seem to address heavy leather.

The portable walking foot machine should be pretty good for the uses you mentioned. There are limits to any machine, and it might not do everything you ask. But it's a good choice for the price. The original of these, I think, was the Thompson Mini Walker. That name may help describe this kind of machine. They (all) come with a 2 stage drive - two belts and pulleys after the motor. This reduces the stitching speed and keeps it more controllable for short seams and making corners. It also increases the torque and that means more power to push the needle through the material. Going slow helps with detailed or precision sewing.

In sewing machines, 'portable' means the motor is mounted on the machine, and not a separate unit under the table. The portables discussed here weigh about 40 pounds. Industrial machine heads run 60 to 80 without the motor.

I've had several larger machines and wish I also had a mini walker. There's one available nearby for $200, but now I'm retired and don't have the cash.

Check craigslist ads for your area for a while. You may find a good deal on some sort of industrial-type machine.

Checking with Bob Kovar (sewmun) is a good idea.

Doug