Off Grid Machine

[joecool911]

I'm looking for an income while living off grid. Decent solar system, but it would be nice to sew without electricity. Would be for holsters and other items, but they'd be the toughest and thickest items I'd sew. Considering the short amount of sewing time, makes sense to me to get a non electric machine. The Tippman Boss comes to mind, but this leaves only one hand to manipulate the leather. So I'm wondering about a treadle machine recommendation. Hope you guys have some good ideas. Have some other leather items which may be good to market as built in the USA with zero carbon impact.

[electrathon]

I think your only valid options are going to be the tip an or hand sewing. With a low end level of production, hand sewing is likely your best choice.

[joecool911]

Are there any electric machines with notably low amp draws?

[Uwe]

I can imagine a pedal driven setup similar to a kids pedal car or a regular bicycle that powers a regular sewing machine via belt pulleys. With the right size belt pulley or gear ratios you can sew nice and slow with plenty of torque and punching power. Most treadle machines will not have the right pulley gearing ratio to provide enough torque for sewing holsters. Of course pedaling while sewing may take a little practice. With the right (i.e. 1:1) gearing it may actually offer a nice synchronicity and needle positioning - pedal down = needle down, or something like that.

Servo motors only use noticeable electricity when you press the pedal. Even a 200W weakling of a motor can drive a sewing machine with a speed reducer.

Post some pictures of your solution before you totally disconnect from the grid!

BTW, I have a 7KW solar system with 55 megawatt-hours produced to date. I feel reasonably guilt-free driving my electric car around town. We're almost net zero, but not quite. Another 10 solar panels should do it, although I'm not planning to live off the grid.

Edited September 28, 2015 by Uwe

[coryleif]

Cf: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=42141

& Windham Cub: http://www.windhamcub.com/?page_id=16

And, then, there's always water power...

[penguineer]

I'm another vote for hand sewing. No power required.

For small projects like holsters and sheaths you would have less setup each time you go to work, the stitching is more secure and better stitch placement.

.....and I find it relaxing.....

Cheers!

[Colt W Knight]

I absolutely hate hand stitching, so I would go with the Tippman Boss. I think most of the machines you can find that already have a treadle and can sew leather would not come close to sewing a holster, and retrofitting an industrial leather machine to a treadle would probably work fine but be uneconomical.

[oltoot]

The Landis 3 was originaly set up with a treadle stand and once you get it figured out you can sew right along, there is a guy who regularly advertises in the Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal who specializes in old Landis machines and I have heard that he even makes treadle stands. I believe that he is an Amish gentleman and off grid is nothing strange to him.

[Uwe]

That's the kind of pedaling setup I was thinking of, very cool!

[leecopp]

Dont forget our treadle sewing machine roots. I find that singer industrial sewing treadles can often be retrofit with a singer domestic band wheel yielding higher torque and slower speeds. The White Sit Straight (wide body) treadle is also suitable for standard Singer Industrial size machine and comes with the domestic band wheel. I have Singer 31-15, 42-5, 78-1 and 21W180 all running well under treadle power.