Need sewing machine

[RememberingGS]

Hi sorry im sure this has been answered somewhere but whats a good sewing machine for a light leatherwork, basically wallets thats all. Thanks. 

[Wizcrafts]

Any common brand name triple feed walking foot machine will sew wallets. This is typically a flat bed machine like those seen in upholstery shops. They are built to properly handle bonded (nylon|polyester) thread sizes 69 through 138. Some ise the Singer standard L style bobbins like those used in the old Singer 111w series of the 1950s. Newer machines use a 1.5x "M" bobbin. Juki walking foot machines often have a 2x capacity "U" bobbin. Old Singer industrial sewing machines usually don't have a reverse lever. Most newer machines have a push down reverse, or a single stitch lever that controls both directions.

Triple feed walking foot machines usually have smooth bottom feet to avoid marking veg-tan leather (there are all manner of accessory feet). Avoid dual, top and bottom feed walking foot machines as they have aggressive teeth on the feet to drag the material through the machine. They are intended for sewing chrome tan leather, awnings, tarps, drapes and vinyl.

Read my sticky article about the type of sewing machine you need to sew leather.

While the machine head is less important, the same can't be said for the motor. All upholstery shops use clutch motors for their speed and torque out of the gate. Most newbies to sewing leather projects want slow speed for ease of use and precision on short runs. While any skilled upholsterer can feather the clutch to slow down, it is not so easy for leather crafters who frequent this forum. So, we tend to buy servo motors and sometimes speed reducers to gain slow speed torque and ease of control.

While there are a number of servo motors on the market, many of us, including me, use this Family Sew FS-550s, which is sold with a non-stock 2 inch pulley by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. Other industrial sewing machine dealers usually sell the motor with a 70mm pulley which runs faster and is harder to slow down without adding a reducer.

[Rhale]

In your profile you said you wanted to learn making holsters for revolvers and knife sheaths,  why not get a machine heavy enough to do those also?  I would recommend a cobra, cowboy or techsew they are all basically the same machines.

[RememberingGS]

28 minutes ago, Rhale said:

In your profile you said you wanted to learn making holsters for revolvers and knife sheaths,  why not get a machine heavy enough to do those also?  I would recommend a cobra, cowboy or techsew they are all basically the same machines.

Ok thanks and any specific model, ive never used a sewing machine before

[Rhale]

I own a3200 cowboy which I really like, it will sew up to 5/8” thick, mine is set up to sew down to about 6 oz. but it could be set up to sew a little thinner from what I understand.  Contact Toledo sewing or solar leather both are on thin forum.  I have bought from both they are good people.

[RememberingGS]

1 hour ago, Rhale said:

I own a3200 cowboy which I really like, it will sew up to 5/8” thick, mine is set up to sew down to about 6 oz. but it could be set up to sew a little thinner from what I understand.  Contact Toledo sewing or solar leather both are on thin forum.  I have bought from both they are good people.

Cool thank you 

[dikman]

Holsters. There's that magic word again. Not much can be added to Wiz's reply as it pertains to wallets, which is what you asked. If, however, you also want to sew holsters then that's an entirely different ball-game, as you Yanks say. If you're only talking about pancake-style holsters, IWB/OWB then the 3200 should probably suffice, but if you're considering heavier Western-style holsters then you'll really need something bigger (usually a 441 clone). You'll probably cause yourself a lot of grief if you want to sew thin wallets on these two machines.

The simple fact is there is NO one sewing machine that can do it all (unfortunately). You could say it's akin to the Holy Grail for leatherworkers.

[SolarLeatherMachines]

On 6/23/2019 at 12:21 PM, Wizcrafts said:

While there are a number of servo motors on the market, many of us, including me, use this Family Sew FS-550s, which is sold with a non-stock 2 inch pulley by Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. Other industrial sewing machine dealers usually sell the motor with a 70mm pulley which runs faster and is harder to slow down without adding a reducer.

All Cowboy machines now come with the 50mm/2 inch pulley as standard on the servo motor.  

[Wizcrafts]

8 hours ago, SolarLeatherMachines said:

All Cowboy machines now come with the 50mm/2 inch pulley as standard on the servo motor.  

I recently learned that and should have clarified my statement. I repent in dust and ashes! I was thinking about the motors sold by some eBay and Amazon general purpose industrial sewing machine dealers who don't specialize in precision slow speed leather sewing machines. In fact, there is a recent topic about a new member who bought a Family Sew motor online that had a 70mm pulley and all the trouble he is going through trying to refit it with a smaller pulley.

[SolarLeatherMachines]

Yah, saw that.  Shoulda just called one of the dealers.  We keep extra pulleys in stock, and I have the tools to ream out to various sizes.    `vOv'

[KAYAK45]

OK!... You don't need to OWN all the machines!

FIRST,  WHERE ARE YOU! 

NOBODY NEEDS ALL THESE MACHINES.  Join a LOCAL guild and rent, borrow, and steal some stitches when needed.  For a holster you might need fifteen/twenty heavy stitches, BUY A 2400 INCH SADDLE MACHINE?. ( I did..good idea)  The rest are say 277, 341 etc., in 14 oz. leather, at most.  Sew those heavy stitches by hand?  No cost.!  If you want to make A boot, do you buy a Landis Sole Machine? (I did..dumb)  NO!..RENT IT...at the local shoe repair store.

Buy a machine after you hand-sew, and are tired and getting too many orders.

OR, join the legions, like me, that own machines, little used, that would love to rent them out and teach you to use.  You will find them/us nearby.

 

[Wizcrafts]

On 6/23/2019 at 12:43 PM, RememberingGS said:

Hi sorry im sure this has been answered somewhere but whats a good sewing machine for a light leatherwork, basically wallets thats all. Thanks. 

Let me answer with a specific link to a suitable machine for sewing wallets and other items not exceeding 3/8 inch thickness. There are more souped up machines, like this machine's big brother, the Consew 206RB-5 - which has a safety clutch mechanism that protects the rotating "hook" from physical damage, or being thrown completely out of time from thread jams. Since even seasoned pros can accidentally jam the hook, I recommend buying a machine that has this extra protection built in.

Later on, when your business picks up and people want you to make custom holsters, look into getting a holster and harness stitching machine.

[cdthayer]

On 6/23/2019 at 12:21 PM, Wizcrafts said:

Some (u)se the Singer standard L style bobbins like those used in the old Singer 111w series of the 1950s.

School me on bobbins Wiz.  I have in my database that my 1944 Singer 111w153 and my 1959 Singer 111G156 that use bobbin #203470 (244750 aluminum) require size "G" bobbins.  Am I out of whack on this?

CD in Oklahoma

[cdthayer]

For someone just starting out on wallets, I'd recommend an old Singer 31-15 with a roller foot to get into the sport.

CD in Oklahoma

[Wizcrafts]

4 hours ago, cdthayer said:

School me on bobbins Wiz.  I have in my database that my 1944 Singer 111w153 and my 1959 Singer 111G156 that use bobbin #203470 (244750 aluminum) require size "G" bobbins.  Am I out of whack on this?

CD in Oklahoma

That was my bad. The Singer 111 uses a G bobbin, not L. For some reason I keep cornfusing those pesky little bobbins. Must be getting old.

[cdthayer]

7 hours ago, Wizcrafts said:

For some reason I keep cornfusing those pesky little bobbins. Must be getting old.

You and me both!  I don't use prewound bobbins, so I don't have much experience with them. Thanks.

CD in Oklahoma

[RememberingGS]

On 6/25/2019 at 4:55 PM, KAYAK45 said:

OK!... You don't need to OWN all the machines!

FIRST,  WHERE ARE YOU! 

NOBODY NEEDS ALL THESE MACHINES.  Join a LOCAL guild and rent, borrow, and steal some stitches when needed.  For a holster you might need fifteen/twenty heavy stitches, BUY A 2400 INCH SADDLE MACHINE?. ( I did..good idea)  The rest are say 277, 341 etc., in 14 oz. leather, at most.  Sew those heavy stitches by hand?  No cost.!  If you want to make A boot, do you buy a Landis Sole Machine? (I did..dumb)  NO!..RENT IT...at the local shoe repair store.

Buy a machine after you hand-sew, and are tired and getting too many orders.

OR, join the legions, like me, that own machines, little used, that would love to rent them out and teach you to use.  You will find them/us nearby.

 

I live in Illinois and ONLY want ti do wallets and id holders. Thanks. 

[dikman]

In that case ignore everything past Wiz's first post.