TWerner Report post Posted March 17, 2015 Hi, I'm not planning to make a full set of goalie pads, but my son plays hockey, and I am frequently re-stitching parts of, or modifying pads. On my next project, I'll be sewing 1/8" neoprene around some 1/5" thick sastec to make a thigh shield, which will get sewn to gel knee pad that is about 3/4" thick. I might be able to squish everything to 1/2", but it would be difficult. So I want to sew thick material, but soft. Not like sewing a 1/2" of leather, but lots of drag on the thread. It stripped the gears on my little Kenmore machine I won a Singer 29K from a cobbler shop on Long Island a couple of years ago on ebay. I won it for $300 with the table and motor, but they backed out of the deal and refunded my payment. I've been watching ebay now for a while, but really haven't had the space for something like that. Now I do, and it seems like a patching machine would be ideal for the type of sewing I want to do because it can change direction without turning the material. I'll be sewing the front of knee pads that are tubes, and can't be turned well. Sort of like sewing on a boot. Or inside the arm of a chest and arm protector. As I said above, the materials I'll be sewing are thick, but they are much softer than leather. Is a patching machine a reasonable option to be looking at? I am not having a lot of luck finding one cheaply, that seems functional and looks reliable, but I could get an econosew 29E72LBT for around $1500, and I see 29K or Adler 30-15's for sale periodically for under $600 with no motor. I don't mind a pedal since I'll really be doing small amounts of stitching, but I want to make sure these machines can do what I want. It would be nice to stay below $1000, but I view it as a power tool that helps me keep my son safe, so I'm a little flexible on price. I also saw a Tippman machine for sale on here and looked it up. It would be a great option I think, if the throat were deep enough to let me work on larger pieces. Just looking for advice. Thank you, Todd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Geneva Report post Posted March 17, 2015 The 29k will only sew about 1/4 inch. If you want to sew 3\4 inch you will need something along the lines of a Juki tsc 441, Singer 144w, Landis #3, Landis #16, Adler 205-370 this does not include all of the chinese knockoff crap. Good luck. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TWerner Report post Posted March 17, 2015 Bummer the patching machine won't feed pads as thick as I need. The ability to turn the head was such an awesome feature! Based on everything I've read, several of the Chinese made machines are very well built. Cowboy and Cobra get good reviews here, as does TechSew. China has some incredibly high tech manufacturing facilities and they are working hard to get past their previously justified reputation for low quality/low price. There are a lot of very smart people in China, and there's a lot of national pride. I'm not saying everything made there is high quality, but you need to get over the idea that made in China always means lower quality. It doesn't. The problem for me is those companies selling high quality Chinese made machines are pretty new, so I don't expect to find an older model at a bargain price. Honestly, I'd feel a little guilty owning a $2k machine to use 5 or 6 times a year on my pet projects. I won't rule it out, because it will likely be a lifetime purchase for me, but even so, it seems rude in a way. Todd Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
25b Report post Posted March 17, 2015 There's really nothing "rude" about it...if you want, you could offer to fix other players gear with it for a fee...that would help cover the cost. Or you could start making and selling leather goods in your spare time. Look at it this way...it's an investment you can hand down to your kids someday. If you take care of it, it will last a VERY long time. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TWerner Report post Posted March 18, 2015 Or you could start making and selling leather goods in your spare time. Rude may be the wrong word, but I know there are many people whose skills and plans justify owning a machine like those much more than mine do. I don't feel "entitled" to own one maybe? Anyway, on selling leather work, I used to suture pretty well, but I sew like a chimpanzee wearing mitten. It's unlikely I'd work off the price of the machine. I'd be better off renting time on the machine to other hobbyists if I wanted to make money. Thankfully, nobody cares what my son's goalie pads looks like, not even my son. So if the stitching is strong, all is good. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Techsew Ron Report post Posted March 18, 2015 (edited) Hi, I'm not planning to make a full set of goalie pads, but my son plays hockey, and I am frequently re-stitching parts of, or modifying pads. On my next project, I'll be sewing 1/8" neoprene around some 1/5" thick sastec to make a thigh shield, which will get sewn to gel knee pad that is about 3/4" thick. I might be able to squish everything to 1/2", but it would be difficult. So I want to sew thick material, but soft. Not like sewing a 1/2" of leather, but lots of drag on the thread. It stripped the gears on my little Kenmore machine I won a Singer 29K from a cobbler shop on Long Island a couple of years ago on ebay. I won it for $300 with the table and motor, but they backed out of the deal and refunded my payment. I've been watching ebay now for a while, but really haven't had the space for something like that. Now I do, and it seems like a patching machine would be ideal for the type of sewing I want to do because it can change direction without turning the material. I'll be sewing the front of knee pads that are tubes, and can't be turned well. Sort of like sewing on a boot. Or inside the arm of a chest and arm protector. As I said above, the materials I'll be sewing are thick, but they are much softer than leather. Is a patching machine a reasonable option to be looking at? I am not having a lot of luck finding one cheaply, that seems functional and looks reliable, but I could get an econosew 29E72LBT for around $1500, and I see 29K or Adler 30-15's for sale periodically for under $600 with no motor. I don't mind a pedal since I'll really be doing small amounts of stitching, but I want to make sure these machines can do what I want. It would be nice to stay below $1000, but I view it as a power tool that helps me keep my son safe, so I'm a little flexible on price. I also saw a Tippman machine for sale on here and looked it up. It would be a great option I think, if the throat were deep enough to let me work on larger pieces. Just looking for advice. Thank you, Todd We deal with a number of hockey production/repair companies - typically these use a machine like the Techsew 2900L for glove re-palming and skate boot repairs. A light/medium narrow cylinder walking foot machine like the Techsew 2600 for skate boot production, and Techsew 5100 for repairs on most parts of goalie pads including the thick straps. Considering the presser foot clearance, needle size and thread size required for sewing 1/2" of leather a patching machine would not be appropriate for work on goalie pads. You should start your search with a cylinder walking foot machine and go from there depending how thick you want to sew. best regards, Ron Edited March 18, 2015 by Techsew Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TWerner Report post Posted March 19, 2015 It seems like the TechSew 5100 is very similar to the Cobra class4 and the Cowboy 4500? I watched a 30 min video on the Cobra one yesterday to understand how it works and is maintained. Those are machines Tim The Toolman would love. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Techsew Ron Report post Posted March 19, 2015 It seems like the TechSew 5100 is very similar to the Cobra class4 and the Cowboy 4500? I watched a 30 min video on the Cobra one yesterday to understand how it works and is maintained. Those are machines Tim The Toolman would love. Yes, they're all based on the design of the Juki 441. Ron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
