Help Finding A Machine

[Forkbeard]

Hello all. I've been making leather armour for about 10 years. 90% of that has been making plate style armor from water hardend 12-14 oz veg tan. I love the material and have had great success.

Over the last year or so I have started using designs that require more and more sewing. I'm now starting to look for a machine.

I WANT a ferdco bull. I can't have it, it's just too expensive. It's also overkill for the current projects I'm planning.

I',m changing my pocedure a little. I need to be able to reliably sew 2 layers of 10-12oz(not more than that) together flat and straight.

I've been looking at about a million different machines online and I am lost.

I KNOW which machines will sew through 3/4" of leather. I can't afford them unless I can find one used from an incredibly nice person.

I'm less sure about which machines can really sew throuh the 3/8" total thickness I need to sew. There are several proponents of the old style singer machines. They believe they can do the job for me. There is also the new singer 2691 industrial. I'd like to know if anyone has had any success with this, as it's brand new and the price is right.

I really love the ferco baby bull, but it's also too steep fo me unless I can find one used.

So here's my problem in a nutshell:

Need to sew 2 layers of vegtan, 3/8" total.

Should I spend 200-400 on an old school singer?

Should I spend 600 on the new singer industrial 2691D, with table and 1/2 horse motor included?

Is there anyone willing to part with a Ferdco Baby bull or better for a low price?

Should I just bag this plan and keep hand sewing(my hands are tired)?

Whatever I get, it will see around 10 hours a week, maybe 20 sometimes, of use.

Thanks for your help.

FB

[Wizcrafts]

Hello all. I've been making leather armour for about 10 years. 90% of that has been making plate style armor from water hardend 12-14 oz veg tan. I love the material and have had great success.

Over the last year or so I have started using designs that require more and more sewing. I'm now starting to look for a machine.

I WANT a ferdco bull. I can't have it, it's just too expensive. It's also overkill for the current projects I'm planning.

I',m changing my pocedure a little. I need to be able to reliably sew 2 layers of 10-12oz(not more than that) together flat and straight.

I've been looking at about a million different machines online and I am lost.

I KNOW which machines will sew through 3/4" of leather. I can't afford them unless I can find one used from an incredibly nice person.

I'm less sure about which machines can really sew throuh the 3/8" total thickness I need to sew. There are several proponents of the old style singer machines. They believe they can do the job for me. There is also the new singer 2691 industrial. I'd like to know if anyone has had any success with this, as it's brand new and the price is right.

I really love the ferco baby bull, but it's also too steep fo me unless I can find one used.

So here's my problem in a nutshell:

Need to sew 2 layers of vegtan, 3/8" total.

Should I spend 200-400 on an old school singer?

Should I spend 600 on the new singer industrial 2691D, with table and 1/2 horse motor included?

Is there anyone willing to part with a Ferdco Baby bull or better for a low price?

Should I just bag this plan and keep hand sewing(my hands are tired)?

Whatever I get, it will see around 10 hours a week, maybe 20 sometimes, of use.

Thanks for your help.

FB

Here is a description of what that Singer industrial sewing machine is designed to sew:

"Suitable for stitching such products as blouses, shirts, men's, ladies and children's apparel, uniforms, overalls, lingerie, etc."

It will handle thread up to #69 bonded nylon, which has an 11 pound breaking point. It is a tailors' machine, with a small pulley on the flywheel, enabling it to sew at very high speed. The springs that create top tension on the pressor foot and thread are set to garment material strength.

You will have wasted you money if you buy this type of machine to sew leather. It simply will not sew 3/8" of veg-tan, especially hardened leather.

What you need to sew armor is at a minimum a heavy duty leather stitcher designed from the ground up for slow speed, big needle, large thread size stitching up to 7/16". The Cowboy 2500 is such a machine and is available at a very reasonable price from Bob Kovar, at Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. His phone number is 866-362-7397. Call him and see what kind of deal he can offer you, or what alternate machines he has in stock, new or used, that will sew 3/8" hard leather, with #277 nylon thread and a #200/25 needle.

Be prepared to spend around a thousand dollars for a CB 2500, or similar machine, based on the old Singer 45 class machines.

Here is a scan of the product sheet he sent to me for the CB 2500.

[Docado]

Hello all. I've been making leather armour for about 10 years. 90% of that has been making plate style armor from water hardend 12-14 oz veg tan. I love the material and have had great success.

Over the last year or so I have started using designs that require more and more sewing. I'm now starting to look for a machine.

I WANT a ferdco bull. I can't have it, it's just too expensive. It's also overkill for the current projects I'm planning.

I',m changing my pocedure a little. I need to be able to reliably sew 2 layers of 10-12oz(not more than that) together flat and straight.

I've been looking at about a million different machines online and I am lost.

I KNOW which machines will sew through 3/4" of leather. I can't afford them unless I can find one used from an incredibly nice person.

I'm less sure about which machines can really sew throuh the 3/8" total thickness I need to sew. There are several proponents of the old style singer machines. They believe they can do the job for me. There is also the new singer 2691 industrial. I'd like to know if anyone has had any success with this, as it's brand new and the price is right.

I really love the ferco baby bull, but it's also too steep fo me unless I can find one used.

So here's my problem in a nutshell:

Need to sew 2 layers of vegtan, 3/8" total.

Should I spend 200-400 on an old school singer?

Should I spend 600 on the new singer industrial 2691D, with table and 1/2 horse motor included?

Is there anyone willing to part with a Ferdco Baby bull or better for a low price?

Should I just bag this plan and keep hand sewing(my hands are tired)?

Whatever I get, it will see around 10 hours a week, maybe 20 sometimes, of use.

Thanks for your help.

FB

Hello,

I own a Ferdco Pro 440R that I am interested in selling. Up grading to a Cobra 4.

Cobra Steve recently checked it for proper operation and adjustment. Was told that it sewed perfectly. I will not have it

until @ the 15th of July. It will be shipped backed to me then, along with new machine. Have pic's if interested.

Is complete set up. Clutch Motor, Speed Reducer, Regular foot, Manual, Needles, Thread and Table.

Asking $1100. + Shipping. Located @ St. Louis, Mo.

Pm if you would like to discuss further.

Good Luck in your search!

Kirk

[Forkbeard]

In order:

Wiz, thanks for the advice, I really need it. I knew coming here would help.

I'll contact Bob at Cowboy on Monday.

I wouldn't try to sew leather after it's hardend, though, Gimme a little credit, man. Thank you for the input on the Singer clothing machine.

Docado, I really want that machine, but $1100 it just too steep for me right now. Want to trade for some bitchin armour?

I'd actually like a machine with a hand powered option, too. For what I do, it would be nice to go that slow, but beggars can't be choosers, I'm prepared to take what I get.

I've been finding machines in the stragnest places, if I post a list of names and model numbers, can you guys tell me which ones are worth looking into and which ones are not for the likes o' me?

FB