Sewing machine

[BDAZ]

I think you are barking up the wrong mast. Do you have any pictures of your bags with the monster threads?

 

Bob

[RJLamie]

I know the Sailrite is way above my budget of 200 but clearly that was not workable.  I may need to hand stitch a few more bags to put me in a good budget range.

[kgg]

Hi RJlamie,

The Sailrite LS1 is only rated for V92 thread and you maybe able to push 138 through with a few tweaks same with the Reliable Barracuda. Size 346 you are going to need a real heavy duty machine.

[Wizcrafts]

3 hours ago, RJLamie said:

What do you guys think about the Sailrite LS1?  Do you think it could sew a #346 thread with it? What needle size do I need to use?

The Sailrite LS1 maxes out with #138 thread and a #23 needle. To use them you'll need to upgrade to the Monster II balance wheel.

[RJLamie]

Are the maximum thread and needle of a machine based on the available torque from the motor?  If I was to retro another motor or increase reduce ratio would that help or are there mechanical limitations like needle mounts or needle length when I go up in needle size?

[suzelle]

I like to noodle around with old machines, I like to save them. LOL. If you enjoy that sort of thing, take your time and enjoy the process. But time is money, and if you need a working machine as soon as possible, save your bucks and buy new from a Dealer who will support equipment they sell to you. 

Craigslist sometimes has a fantastic deal that you can't pass up, but sometimes you wish you had passed it up! My Pfaff 545 (High Lift) was one of those fantastic deals. I got lucky, this machine was like new. It had a flaw that I happened to discover and after fixing it (work I did myself) with some forum help, and a professional tune-up at a Commercial Sewing Machine Repair Shop, I have a machine that will do just about anything I need.

I have purchased new machines as well. Only one of those machines I was sorry I had purchased. It was lots of problems, but the Dealer was sketchy. I should have researched Dealers more before buying that one. Wished I'd known about this forum then, I'd have purchased from one of the reputable Dealers here.

Good luck! Can't wait to see what you come up with. 

[Wizcrafts]

2 hours ago, RJLamie said:

Are the maximum thread and needle of a machine based on the available torque from the motor?  If I was to retro another motor or increase reduce ratio would that help or are there mechanical limitations like needle mounts or needle length when I go up in needle size?

Not really. The motor affects punching power and the running speed. An underpowered machine can be custom fitted with a more powerful under the table motor. But it will still have a certain needle, thread and thickness handling maximum that cannot be safely exceeded. The main things that determine the thread handling capacity are the design and clearances of the hook and shuttle and the strength of the take-up and tensioning components. If a certain sewing machine was built to sew light weight cloth, it won't do well with leather, or with thick thread, or large needles.

You simply cannot sew with very thick thread on a sewing machine made for cloth and light upholstery.  It requires a holster, or harness, or a shoe sole stitcher.

BTW: sewing with #346 thread calls for a #26 needle. That is beyond the capacity of walking foot machines, except for the big Juki 441 and its clones and the Adler 205 and its clones. These machines run in the mid $2ks through the high $6ks.

 

 

[RJLamie]

So... it looks like #138 thread is my practical limit without busting the bank.  It looks like the the sailrite ls-1 can handle that with a simple mod.  This is $700 new.  What other options can you suggest in new and/or used machines that can handle this for less money?  I am very good at fixing anything and would likely tear apart and rebuild anything I buy that doesn't work perfect from the get go.

[kgg]

Hi RJLamie,

If you can find a good second hand Barracuda you maybe be able to pick it up in your price range. When I needed / wanted a small portable walking foot I compared the Reliable Barracuda, the Techsew 611, the Sailrite LS and ultimately choosing the Reliable Barracuda because of price and warranty. New the Barracuda was $648 CA ($499 US) and came with a three year warranty. If requested it would have come set-up for #138 thread out of the box. Since I pick it up at a local dealer I had no shipping costs versus the Sailrite would have been $1049 US plus $200 US shipping to Canada or approximately $1600 CA plus probably duty. For me it was a no-brainer. Both are decent little portable machines with about the same capabilities.

If you go the portable route I would suggest that you table mount it. I built a new 1 1/2" thick table top out of 3/4" plywood to accommodate the Barracuda and mounted the top to an old Singer treadle base. I extended the distance between the legs of the Singer base by 12 inches using 1/2" threaded rod and mounted the Barracuda's foot control so the foot of the treadle would push down on the foot controller. 

My suggestion,

kgg

[brmax]

I would try to be patient and keep a real good eye on craigslist or some local sales.  In the mean time keep stitchin away building the bank. 

 

Good day

Floyd

[DonInReno]

If you enjoy tinkering I'd suggest thinking of an industrial set up in parts - the table, the motor and the sewing head.  It seems servo motors are replacing clutch motors at an increasing rate and there are a lot of good usable clutch motors ending up in the landfill or selling for almost nothing. Good tables with homely laminate tops that remind you of the 70's are also free or nearly so.  There are well used singer needle feed heads that might not be your first choice, but for $100 less than a similar walking foot machine may fit the budget better.  It seems any walking foot head that sews will sell for at least $300 - older odd ball walking foot machines might be $200, but make sure parts are still available.  Well worn needle feed heads like a 212g140 start at $200 and it's not uncommon for a light duty straight stitch to pop up for $100. 

 

[BDAZ]

Heavy Dutyartisan® TORO-3200 Stitchers with a 12 ¹⁄₂" working area cylinder bed are known as Compound Needle Feed, Walking Foot (Unison Feed) Lockstitch Sewing Machine and include a very large size Bobbin and Oscillating Shuttle Hook system designed to stitch from as light as 2 to 3 sheets of paper, up to as heavy as ⁹⁄₁₀ inch or 24.1 mm thick. Some features of theartisan® TORO-3200 include a lever type stitch regulator with Reverse feed and a built-in bobbin winder mechanism. The machines stitch using threads manufactured using bonded twisted Nylon or Poly Threads from light weight sizes such as z-69 (tex 70) up to as heavy as size z-415 (tex 410) industrial threads. We recommend genuine SCHMETZ brand Needles from diameters as light as 794 NM110, (#18) up to NM250 (#27) including leather point needles 794 S #21 to #26 and 794 D #23 to #25.artisan®is the direct distributor of Schmetz brand, German manufactured highest quality needles and carries all of the various sizes. Please telephone or E-mail us at 888 838 1408 for help in deciding what is best size needle for your requirements.

 

TORO-3200 with "U" Table$2175.00

My suggestion is to stop screwing around and purchase a machine that will do it all or stay with hand stitching and stop whinging. I saw this advertised in a magazine and it seems to have a wider range of capabilities than the 3200 Cowboy. If you want to spend your time tinkering instead of making leather products that could generate income, that's your choice bou IMHO, not a productive one.

The only work I have done on my 3200 was to rework the electronics to slow the stitch rate way down, and to replace a flywheel with a bad bearing. I never have to waste any production time messing around with tinkering. To that end, the 3200 paid for itself long ago, both is sales and not a single product ruined by the machine. I can stitch a full belt and the last stitches are in the exact holes as the first.

Again, please post a photograph of one of your items with the desired thread.

Bob