Juki DNU 241H

[keithdubya]

Would a JUKI DNU 241H be able to sew through 3/8" of veg tan leather?  I mostly make gun holsters, but I also make some wallets and belts.  Up to this point I have done all the sewing by hand, but I would love to have some machine assistance.  I have found a used Juki DNU241H locally that has not been used in about 10 years.  I just wonder if it is worth risking the money to get it fixed up or should I just save up and spend the money on a new machine.  She is asking $400 for the JUKI, but I bet I could get it for around $300.  Any advice would be helpful.  I am new to these forums, but have been making holsters by hand for about 3 years.  I have learned a lot from you and really appreciate your advice.

 

 

Thanks,

Keithdubya

 

 

[dikman]

There are a couple of posts on Leatherworker about this machine, it can handle up to #207 thread and 3/8" under the foot. If it's working then I would think $300 is a pretty good deal.You need to try it first, if it's not working unless you know something about these machines there's no way of knowing what you could be up for repair-wise. A couple of points, I'm assuming it has a clutch motor and if you've never used one you may find the machine difficult to control ( a servo motor is highly recommended for leatherwork) and holsters - what type of holster? How thick? I make single-action holsters, and when I fold them I have four layers  and there's no way my machines can handle that (mine have 3/8" clearance). Also, handstitching allows you to use thicker thread and you need a heavy-duty machine to even come close to that..

[keithdubya]

Up to this point I have only made pocket holsters, which only have two layers.  So do you make all of your holsters with hand stitching then?

thanks,

Keithduba

[dikman]

Yep. On the one hand I would like to have a heavy duty machine (441-type) but the high cost, for what is purely a hobby, stops me from buying one (here in Oz the chances of picking up a used one is next to zero), on the other hand hand stitching is far superior to machine stitching so I'm happy to do that for holsters. Belts, of course, are a real pain to stitch by hand if doing decorative stitching. Time, by the way, is not an issue for me, being happily unemployed .

If you don't have a machine then if that Juki works you may find it very useful for bags, straps, wallets etc. I often use a machine, without thread, to punch out the holes for hand stitching as it gives nice uniform spacing, then follow up with the awl.