Portable compound feed machines?

[plingboot]

First post here, so a newbie question.

I’m looking for a portable machine to stitch small leatherwork - wallets, cosmetic bags, watch straps, purses, etc. Most designs aren’t too thick (circa 6mm) but there are places where I may need to stitch up to 10-12mm where a hand strap is sewn into the side of a cosmetic bag.

If I had the room I’d go for something like a consew 206, but I don’t have the space for something fixed in  its own table - I need to be able to put it away when not in use… like a regular sewing machine.

I have half an eye on a sailrite LSZ-1 Premium, but as I’m in the UK there’s a real premium to pay with shipping and duty. 

Im also unsure whether the lack of a needle feed on the sailrite will be a problem in the long term.

Does anyone know of an alternative portable machine or a way to repurpose an industrial machine like a 206 so it can be easily ‘put away’ when not in use?

thanks…

[Matt S]

34 minutes ago, plingboot said:

First post here, so a newbie question.

I’m looking for a portable machine to stitch small leatherwork - wallets, cosmetic bags, watch straps, purses, etc. Most designs aren’t too thick (circa 6mm) but there are places where I may need to stitch up to 10-12mm where a hand strap is sewn into the side of a cosmetic bag.

If I had the room I’d go for something like a consew 206, but I don’t have the space for something fixed in  its own table - I need to be able to put it away when not in use… like a regular sewing machine.

I have half an eye on a sailrite LSZ-1 Premium, but as I’m in the UK there’s a real premium to pay with shipping and duty. 

Im also unsure whether the lack of a needle feed on the sailrite will be a problem in the long term.

Does anyone know of an alternative portable machine or a way to repurpose an industrial machine like a 206 so it can be easily ‘put away’ when not in use?

thanks…

Welcome to the forum Pling!

Are you intending to make these as a hobby, as prototypes to be farmed out for production work, or to produce a volume for sale? What thread size do you need/want? What sort of budget do you have?

Your biggest issue is that an upholstery-weight machine like the consew 206 is going to be right at or over its top end with 10-12mm of leather under the foot. What sort of leather are we talking here -- tooling veg, bridle, garment, upholstery... your choice will affect how viable your machine will be. This is something I've struggled with, as I'm sure have many -- attaching straps and buckles is a real pain in the backside if you want to keep everything consistent and the extra thickness isn't helpful. Otherwise this is exactly the sort of machine that would be ideal for the sort of work you want to do.

Another important thing to consider is the weight of the machine. Machines of this class are somewhere around 50lb (25Kg) for just the head (not counting weight of motor, bench-top base etc.). Now for all we know you're a strapping scrum half who wrestles farm tractors for a hobby but if not you might struggle with lifting such a machine on and off the bench. I am aware of nobody who sells these "bench top" machines in the UK, and very few even in the US (where the market is far larger and more open to hobbyists). There's probably a lot of good reasons for that.

If you're really after a Sailrite, as well as the several other drawbacks when using them on leather be aware you will probably have to get the motor replaced, as we use different mains electricity to those in North America so make sure to budget for that too.

The best alternative I can sensibly suggest is a cylinder-bed machine on as small a table as you can get away with. I improvised one with a modified Bekvam trolley from Ikea a while ago. It worked okay and didn't take up much space but in the end didn't meet my needs.

Whereabouts are you in the UK? We have a lot of friendly Brits on here and you can probably find someone localish to go look at their machines.

[chrisash]

https://shop.solentsew.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=sailrite+LSZ-1 used to sell them i see they still have spares, maybe worth a phone call

[Northmount]

The OP appears to be at Sunbury-on-Thames, Surrey, KT12, United Kingdom  according to the IP address.

@plingboot  It's a good idea to add your location to your profile so people here can give you more localized help and answers.

Tom

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, plingboot said:

First post here, so a newbie question.

I’m looking for a portable machine to stitch small leatherwork - wallets, cosmetic bags, watch straps, purses, etc. Most designs aren’t too thick (circa 6mm) but there are places where I may need to stitch up to 10-12mm where a hand strap is sewn into the side of a cosmetic bag.

If I had the room I’d go for something like a consew 206, but I don’t have the space for something fixed in  its own table - I need to be able to put it away when not in use… like a regular sewing machine.

I have half an eye on a sailrite LSZ-1 Premium, but as I’m in the UK there’s a real premium to pay with shipping and duty. 

Im also unsure whether the lack of a needle feed on the sailrite will be a problem in the long term.

Does anyone know of an alternative portable machine or a way to repurpose an industrial machine like a 206 so it can be easily ‘put away’ when not in use?

thanks…

The Sailrite can't sew over 6 to 7 mm without mechanical modifications. It is also limited to T90 bonded thread. Keep looking for a real leather sewing machine that is rated to sew the thickness and thread sizes you want. 10mm is usually the maximum that an upholstery class walking foot machine can handle. But, most can use up to #138 thread. So, they are a step up from a portable machine.

There is a new portable stitcher on the block! It is the Cowboy Outlaw and is a clone of the original Boss hand stitcher. This may be the machine you are really looking for to do short runs and prototypes.

[plingboot]

Thanks for the replies. Looks like a portable might be off the list. 

I’m pretty new to this so the learning curve on everything is almost vertical. 

My ‘grand plan’ is to design, make and sell short runs of items in my spare time. I’m still getting to grips with which leather I need to be using (a question about that will be hitting the appropriate section soon) where in the UK to source it and what thread size etc.

up to now I’ve bought off cuts of leather on eBay to experiment designs with. As mentioned in my original post, most of my designs will be no more than circa 6mm thick. IE circa 2mm leather outer, zip, lining fabric  or all leather wallets of 2mm outer and 2 or 3 layers of thinner for the card holders. Some may have small details where that thickness is upto 10mm, but it might be that I resign my straps by skiving(?) the leather more at the end to make that part of component thinner.

I think what I’m after is advice in the form of a shot list of (second hand) machine make/model numbers to look at as reference/starting point. I guess I’d like to spend a around £500-600, but willing to look at something a little more expensive if it’s features justify the price. 

Thanks

[brmax]

In these portable machines selections, I think one should really look at the surface areas these machines are or will be operated. 

This I think smartly can be selected and  likely used on other machines. Particularly ones not requiring a base/oil supply pan.

With these though the very same issues are machine weight and so a serious attention to where and how to place these machines. 

So mentioning some concerns breifly.  Its a must to follow up with the ease of movement with these industrial machines.

Or in some cases its just limited area vs totaly a mobile operation. Which is not a big deal, just a selection segment.

Additionaly we need to be serious when if required utilizing smaller stands or bases. So to help each other on the machine weight and the stability. 

Again we all here can eventually help with discussions, and as always get more focused. Its clearly what makes this specific forum area Rock!

 

Later and have a Good day!

Floyd 

[Matt S]

2 hours ago, plingboot said:

My ‘grand plan’ is to design, make and sell short runs of items in my spare time. I’m still getting to grips with which leather I need to be using (a question about that will be hitting the appropriate section soon) where in the UK to source it and what thread size etc.

up to now I’ve bought off cuts of leather on eBay to experiment designs with. As mentioned in my original post, most of my designs will be no more than circa 6mm thick. IE circa 2mm leather outer, zip, lining fabric  or all leather wallets of 2mm outer and 2 or 3 layers of thinner for the card holders. Some may have small details where that thickness is upto 10mm, but it might be that I resign my straps by skiving(?) the leather more at the end to make that part of component thinner.

I think what I’m after is advice in the form of a shot list of (second hand) machine make/model numbers to look at as reference/starting point. I guess I’d like to spend a around £500-600, but willing to look at something a little more expensive if it’s features justify the price.

Okay so that sounds like me like you'll be needing/wanting something with a bit more capability than the Sailrite (thread size and leather thickness). Floor-space aside what I would suggest is the best fit for you is an upholstery-weight compound/triple feed/walking-foot upholstery weight sewing machine with reverse and a digital servo motor. A cylinder-bed machine would give you a little more flexibility than a flat-bed, especially if you can get a flat-bed attachment for it. However you could probably do almost everything you want on a flat-bed if you're willing to work around its limitations. 10mm should be alright with most machines of this sort but this would be at the top end.

£500-600 can get you a decent machine if you're willing to buy privately but you won't get a "real" leather machine from a dealer at that price. Roughly speaking a new medium-quality Chinese upholstery weight sewing machine will cost you about £1000-1500 from a dealer. Used premium quality machines (perhaps with a few less of the popular features) might be a little less. New premium (e.g. Juki 1541) about £2000. Tandy sells the Tipman Boss (a truly portable machine that has a very mixed reputation) for £1600.

A bit like cars you can get more machine for your money buying second-hand from individuals but you'll have to do your homework, be willing to take certain risks with the machine (no guarantee!) and usually have transport available as shipping machines can be difficult and expensive.

If as Northmount says you're near Sunbury maybe visit Wimsew (in Wimbledon). They sell a solid range of medium-quality Chinese machines under their own brand. I've had the 246 and have still got the 0618 (used as a backup machine).

https://www.craftysewer.com/acatalog/Wimsew-Industrial-Sewing-Machines.html

[dikman]

I was thinking the same as Matt re- the type of machine. Upholstery-weight machines are arguably one of the most commonly used types so second-hand ones should be around. Singer 111/211 class, Seiko, Consew would probably be the first choice due to parts availability (mainly feet).

IF you're a DYI type of person then an option is to buy one with a "standard" table and then cut off everything that's not needed and reduce the table size to a minimum. A servo motor can be mounted on the top of the table, at the back of the head, it doesn't have to go underneath.

Just a few thoughts.

[Gunnarsson]

On ‎02‎/‎02‎/‎2019 at 11:37 PM, dikman said:

IF you're a DYI type of person then an option is to buy one with a "standard" table and then cut off everything that's not needed and reduce the table size to a minimum. A servo motor can be mounted on the top of the table, at the back of the head, it doesn't have to go underneath.

I have been thinking about getting a true industrial machine, putting it on a box like those portable "semi industrial" Sailrites etc, and hanging a suitable motor off the back. Big and heavy, but way easier to find room for than an entire table.
The available portable machines just seem too limited, lots of money for a machine with basically the same capacity as a vintage domestic, just plus the walking foot. Might as well aim for something with descent capacity.

[cdthayer]

My portable compound-feed machine is a Singer 111G156 powered by hand (automotive steering wheel spinner knob), transported place-to-place inside or outside by a surplus folding wheel chair, and used on any sturdy flat surface.  It weighs about 65 pounds.  Photo shows it setting on a motorcycle air-lift table being used to reattach a purse strap (Tex90 thread).

CD in Oklahoma

 

[kgg]

I like the wheel spinner idea.

kgg

[Gunnarsson]

Others have talked about the difficulty in sewing straight and well while using one hand for cranking, so I believe I would be putting motor on it sooner or later. But sure, if i don't get a suitable one at the same time as the head I will most likely try hand cranking it, it's not like I could have the head available and not try to use it! 

[dikman]

Here's what I did to mount a motor on top. I had a full depth table so cramming it in wasn't necessary for me. Without a big pulley it could be fitted a lot closer. The second photo is the somewhat extreme length I went to in order to slow it right down! If you made a "box" to mount the head on and made it longer then you could almost fit the motor right next to it and in line.