Sewing Lamb Skin Garments?

[clarktonystark]

ive been reading alot on the forum this past week but still have a lot of questions.

first off im new to sewing and ive never sewn anything before, i want to make mens clothing.

i bought a singer cg-590 and im pretty sure its not what i need, if i want to just do lamb skin leather i need a needle feed machine and not a walking foot right? all I'm planning on doing is making some lamb skin mens vest, with a thin lining. what is my best option, i want something that will get me a good start to sewing. thanks ahead

[Wizcrafts]

If you get a needle feed machine, change the presser foot to one equipped with rollers on the front and back (or a good quality Teflon foot). This will prevent the soft Plonge from gathering as it feeds. You will definitely benefit from an easy-to-control servo motor, preferably with a rotary speed limiter dial, rather than up/down sequence buttons.

Note, that needle feeders are garment factory machines with oil pumps that are meant to spin at 2000 rpm and higher. However, sewing leather goods is done at very slow speeds, typically less than 600 rpm. You may need to occasionally remove the top thread from the take-up lever onward, raise the presser foot, then spin the machine at high speed to distribute the oil to the extremities.

Most walking foot machines are manually oiled through numerous holes and can run at very slow speeds. Some are built for lighter duty goods and would be a better match for sewing soft leather goods. Such machines would have a smaller hole in the feed dog and lighter pressure and thread tensioning springs. You probably will not be sewing with any thread larger than #92, or cotton/polyester T80 to T100 jeans thread.

Contact our dealers who advertise on or contribute to the forums and ask about a light duty walking foot machine, with a servo motor, setup for soft, thin leather. They will steer you in the right direction and stand behind the machines they sell you.

[clarktonystark]

thanks for the response wiz, i live in la and there is hundreds of used sewing machine dealers within walking distance of my house, are there any specific machines that you know of that i should keep my eye out for.

also im a little confused, are needle feeders a type of walking foot, from what i read you recommend a triple action walking foot machine, i looked for your national 300 and had no luck.-Clark

[Wizcrafts]

thanks for the response wiz, i live in la and there is hundreds of used sewing machine dealers within walking distance of my house, are there any specific machines that you know of that i should keep my eye out for.

also im a little confused, are needle feeders a type of walking foot, from what i read you recommend a triple action walking foot machine, i looked for your national 300 and had no luck.-Clark

The needle feed I referred to is a straight stitch, bottom feed only machine. The needle pulls the material in sync with the feed dog. This system provides positive feed for light weight material that has few or no thick seams. These are production garment making machines that typically sew at 30 stitches per second or faster. Hence, the need for an oil pump and gasketed oil pan.

Walking foot machines can be double or triple feed. Double feed involves the outside foot moving in sync with the feed dog, while the needle and inside foot only go up and down. These feet usually have aggressive teeth. Triple feed means the outside foot lifts and lowers as the inside foot and needle move in sync with the feed dog. Most leather sewers use a triple feed machine with smooth bottom feet.

Needle feed garment machines are able to sew cloth and lining material without ripping it or getting it caught in the bottom needle slot. Normal straight stitch machines are only bottom fed, and have very small needle holes. A roller equipped or Teflon foot is a must for sewing leather or other sticky materials on a straight stitch, static needle machine.

Walking foot machines tend to be harsher on light fabrics and linings. The feed dog is typically 1/4 inch wide, with an elongated or oval needle hole in the dead center. The hole is much larger than the needles, allowing for variations in the needle's position as it moves and flexes. One can still use a walking foot machine to sew light cloth if one relieves most of the pressure on the feet and the thread, top and bottom.

[clarktonystark]

any specific models you recommend? thanks again wiz

[gottaknow]

A good needle feed machine is the Juki 5410. If you can find one used, look for one equipped with a Juki servo motor. There should be plenty in your area.

My other favorite, older needle feed machine is the Singer 281-22. If you look for one, make sure it's the -22 model as several of the other 281 class are not needle feed. This is a 60's era machine and you should be able to get the head and table for $300-$400. You could add a servo motor. There is no plastic on the 281-22 and they will sew a wide variety of garment leather and wooven goods. Parts are readily available. The Juki 5410 will handle a bit more thickness.

Both machines have a sump style oil pan which in a home setting can get a bit messy. The 281's oil pan does a much better job of keeping the oil where it belongs. The 5410's tend to drip oil because the tray portion under the hook is a bit shallow, even though it's not part of the main reservoir. Easy enough to manage by wiping that area out as needed. To keep the machines high speed pumps working, winding bobbins at high speed once in a while is sufficient.

Regards, Eric

[clarktonystark]

thanks eric, im gonna keep my eye out for those. -clark

[clarktonystark]

ok went to a spot and found a juki 415-5 with a juki servo motor for 650$ delivered to my house, is that a good deal/machine?-- i also found a juki dln 5410-6 used with a servo motor for 800$ delivered?

Edited July 23, 2013 by clarktonystark

[clarktonystark]

ok ended up buying the juki dln-5410-6, looking forward to getting to know some of you guys on here. Now the hard work begins.

[gottaknow]

It's a very versatile machine. We can sew 2 layers of lightweight Lycra and garment leather as well as pretty heavy nylon webbing we use for making tactical gear. I use from a size 11 needle up to a 22. That's versatility.

Same issue applies that I mentioned in my pm about the oil tube that rubs against the shaft for the oil pump. When you run the machine at high speed, you should see a pretty vigorous amount of oil in the sight glass. It's an easy repair, but the bearings on the top shaft may have gotten hot if it wasn't caught. Not all this class present this issue. In my factory, about 1/3. It's a bigger deal for us since we sew at high speed, 40 hours/week.

Also, if you happen to unscrew the pressure foot adjustment too far, you'll have to take off the end cover and put the spring back on, no big deal.

Have fun!

Regards, Eric

[clarktonystark]

ya im learning alot, i cant even sleep from my excitement, this machine is awesome, wiz, had you not said anything about the servo motor with rotary speed limiter id be lost, ive turned the speed down so i actually can sew, before with the hydraulic motor it was basically un-usable for me since i have never used a sewing machine in my life. thanks. same to you eric, i love this machine, you truly are a professional, your input on this site is straight to the point and filling, hopefully ill be turning out some quality products soon.