rottik9 Report post Posted December 7, 2014 Hi, I am in need of a machine, as my hands can not sew any longer from arthritis. I need to find a cheep one, something manual I dont know anything about them...never used one in my life. thank you Joe K Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Constabulary Report post Posted December 7, 2014 Thats a pretty basic statement. What are you going to sew with it - how thick? How much can you spend? You can get a lot of good information from this thread here: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=25239 Just to give you and idea of leather sewing machines in general Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted December 7, 2014 Joe K; If you are looking for a machine to sew leather that is 3 mm in thickness or over (Canadian measurement), with any substantial size of thread, "cheap" may end up being well over $1200. The only manually operated machine in common use among our members is the Tipmann Boss. It sells for about $1400 USD. However, if you have arthritis affecting your right hand and arm, the Boss may be too stressful to operate (it uses a push pull lever on the right). We do have a section of the forum called Marketplace, which includes a section where people can sell used sewing machines. Boss machines show up very often. If you're looking to sew soft to medium temper leather, up to not exceeding 10mm, a decent upholstery grade walking foot machine may handle it. There are many machines in this class. The ones useful for leather sewing are triple (compound) feed walking foot machines. Examples are those sold by Juki, Consew, Chandler, Brother, etc. Singer used to make such machines, decades ago. The most widely used were the older model 111w155 and the newer 211w155. Either will take #138 (T135) bonded nylon thread. Check your local Craigslist, or equivalent, for businesses or individuals selling one of these in good working condition. Every upholstery shop, plus alterationists who sew denim jeans, use walking foot machines. Upholsterers usually sell off older machines as they buy new ones. You might pick one up for $500 to $700 in decent condition. Anything under that might possibly need parts or servicing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted December 7, 2014 When I mentioned "soft to medium temper" leather, I was talking about vests, chaps, motorcycle seats, dress belts, bridle leather and veg-tan leather projects that aren't made of hardened or dense leather. The tougher the leather, the higher the requirements for a suitable machine. An upholstery grade machine equipped with a #23 (aka 160) needle and T135 bonded nylon thread on the top and in the bobbin will have a hard time holding down thick or dense carving leather after it has dried thoroughly. It will also take a lot of tension on the top to pull the knots up from the bottom. The same job made of bridle leather may sew like butter, depending on who tanned it. If you intend to build gun holsters, knife sheathes, scabbards, armor, thick cases and such, a heavy duty leather stitcher will probably be required. These machines are typically referred to as class 441 machines. Examples are the big machines sold by Techsew, Cobra, Cowboy, Nick-O-Sew, Weaver and other dealers who cater to the leather trade. These machines must be modified by the dealers before they are ready to sew thick or dense leather with very heavy thread. My Cowboy CB4500 is usually threaded with #277 (T270) bonded nylon thread, top and bottom, and is capable of sewing over 3/4 inches (20 mm?). Your typical industrial sewing machine dealer will not sell such a customized machine for dedicated leather sewing. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rottik9 Report post Posted December 10, 2014 Union Special Lewis 200 I have located this model? The guy says he dont know if it will sew leather? Anyone here know if it will work for leather? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted December 10, 2014 Union Special Lewis 200 I have located this model? The guy says he dont know if it will sew leather? Anyone here know if it will work for leather? Sir, you need to learn to use Google search to get info on sewing machines. It will save you time and probably a lot of money you are about to waste. The Lewis 200 is a button sewer for cloth coats and shirts. It cannot sew anything but button shanks to garments. It is not a leather sewing machine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mds65 Report post Posted December 15, 2014 I have a singer 144W201 that I just had gone through by the Singer repairman. Old but reliable machine, have a clutch motor or a servo motor for it. Located in Parkersburg WV. Have a table but will need to be modified to accept the larger machine. Would take $1000 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
