Reliable Barracuda

[Frodo]

 Will the   Reliable Barracuda  sew holsters?   1/4'' leather?   0r  3  1/8''  pieces totaling 3/8'' ?

 

 

[kgg]

I don't think it will. My reasoning:

1. The Barracuda is only rating for max V138 thread if tweaked by Reliable, which shouldn't be that hard to do yourself. If I am not mistaken for leather holsters you need V207 thread size or better.

2. As the machine comes with a domestic sewing machine motor it isn't going to have either the torque or speed control for heavy punching without what is called the Monster wheel. Keeping a good speed control with the little foot pedal of the domestic sewing machine motor is going to be a challenge. Years ago a local upholster drop a Barracuda in a standard table and put a servo on it with very good success. Remind you of the Tandy machine.

3. Also a drawback of the portable machines is getting stitch consistency with thicker materials. I have pushed the Barracuda to above it's limits by stuffing as much material as possible under the presser foot probably closer to 1/2 " by lifting the presser foot up and then down on top of a combination of material but it wasn't pretty.

4. The presser feet and feed dog are typically very aggressive but that can be overcomed otherwise it will leave imprints in the leather. 

My conclusion is that for holsters it is the wrong machine as will be any of the portable walking foot sewing machines.

kgg

[ljk]

I've had a version of that machine for 30 years starting with a Thompson mini walker (stolen)

today I have a Camper's Tent Maker (with auto lube). Most of my use has been

sewing backing to twill for making embroidered patch. Great for keeping two layers even.

I also use it in my tiny shop in the house for wallets and tote bags.   My studio is 100 feet

 away at 8000 feet (cold) where I have my big machines. I've put a round pc. of

1/2" lead inside the rim on the wheel  to slow starting  (more momentum)  Also replaced

drive sprocket on motor with 10 tooth (from 11).  I think it will work on your application

singerman 12 has a excellent presentation on his Ebay site  (industrial sewing machines

portable walking foot)   If your sewing veg Sailrite has (delicate feet).

[dikman]

!/4" of leather is pretty thin for a holster, and as kgg said 207 is considered a minimum for a holster and 277 would be better. I couldn't make holsters with a standard 3/8" upholstery-class machine so I doubt one of these machines would be suitable.

[Frodo]

So it sounds like the barracuda is not my  machine.

If I go second hand.  with a $600.00 budget. what brand name am i looking for that is a 

narrow slotted jump foot machine?

holsters,belts knife sheathes are the goal, My patcher is tearing up veg tan. it is great for other stuff

[chuck123wapati]

3 hours ago, Frodo said:

So it sounds like the barracuda is not my  machine.

If I go second hand.  with a $600.00 budget. what brand name am i looking for that is a 

narrow slotted jump foot machine?

holsters,belts knife sheathes are the goal, My patcher is tearing up veg tan. it is great for other stuff

I see some union lockstitch heads on ebay, folks here say they are good I don't know and don't know if the models are good ones either but they are in your price range.

[Frodo]

I found a nice looking old Junker-Rue

 

But what model is it?  it is advertised as a industrial 

 

 

[chuck123wapati]

31 minutes ago, Frodo said:

I found a nice looking old Junker-Rue

 

But what model is it?  it is advertised as a industrial 

 

 

that's cool alright, there are three or four different models on ebay , I don't know crap about them so cant tell you much more. I just searched for union lockstitch.

[Frodo]

I was searching for union lockstitch but fell down a rabbit hole

[Constabulary]

The above J & R is a maybe 100+ yrs old domestic sewing machine - not a leather sewing machine.

Be careful - a Union Lock Stitch is not the same as a Union Special that is making a lock stitch!

Also - "industrial" does not mean a thing when the seller does not know what he is talking about. You (as a potential buyer) should know better than a seller what you really need. Do not rely on what others are writing in their adverts or ebay listings.

It´s better to know better - if you know what I mean.

Start reading this thread - you will learn a lot about sewing machines:

 

 

 

Edited January 30, 2020 by Constabulary

[blue62]

Look at tippeman boss, cowboy outlaw if you like manual machines, or a juki 441 clone of some sort, they should be able to do holsters without any issues.

[kgg]

6 hours ago, Frodo said:

My patcher is tearing up veg tan. it is great for other stuff

Have you tried to smooth out the aggressiveness of the presser foot on your patcher? Also what thread are you thinking about using?

 

6 hours ago, Frodo said:

what brand name am i looking for that is a 

narrow slotted jump foot machine?

Wouldn't a walking foot be better rather then a jump foot like whats on your patcher? Wouldn't a Singer 7-33 class machine be more suited to what you would be looking for then the J&R?

kgg

[Wizcrafts]

17 hours ago, Frodo said:

 Will the   Reliable Barracuda  sew holsters?   1/4'' leather?   0r  3  1/8''  pieces totaling 3/8'' ?

I sew holsters, gun belts, knife sheathes, pouches and cases. I have a room full of industrial sewing machines of all descriptions. However, I don't use my upholstery grade, patching, tailoring or light duty cylinder arm machines for holsters. These are serious projects that need to be sewn with serious thread. Peoples lives may depend on the integrity of the stitching on a holster. Don't dink around with your customers' lives, or the public they interact with. If you want to machine sew holsters, get a proper heavy duty holster rated sewing machine like the Cowboy CB3200. It sews up to 1/2 inch with up to #346 bonded thread. This is a serious leather sewing machine.

I personally have a longer arm Cowboy machine that sews at least 3/4 inch. In fact, I have sewn almost 1 inch thick holsters with it, but it is difficult at that thickness.

When I call a machine upholstery class or grade, it means that the machine was designed to sew and transport soft to medium temper leather about 1/4 inch thick. Most can walk over 3/8 inch seams if setup correctly and the machine itself allows it. None are built to handle the heavy thread required to sew holsters carried in the public. These machines stop at #138 thread but may handle #207 on top only and #138 in the bobbin. This means that the bottom thread is smaller, weakening the stitches down to #138 level. Additionally, the moving and take-up parts are not built to withstand the forces of heavy thread, big needles and dense leather.

[billybopp]

23 hours ago, Frodo said:

it is advertised as a industrial 

To a LOT of folks on eBay, Craigslist, etc - if it's painted black, that means it's industrial.  We know better! 

- Bill

[Gunnarsson]

9 minutes ago, billybopp said:

To a LOT of folks on eBay, Craigslist, etc - if it's painted black, that means it's industrial. 

Or if it's made of cast iron. Or if it's set in a table. Or if it vaguely looks like some sort of sewing machine. They've found the word "industrial" bumps the price up, so they use it, no matter if it's right or not.

[JLSleather]

If you absolutely want to stay below $600, your best bang for the buck to make holsters is ... a drill press.  Not a joke - a drill press with a sewing needle instead of a twist drill... will poke holes perpendicular to the surface, with the proper shape and orientation, with little effort.  Mark the stitches out with an overstitch wheel, "poke" the holes with a needle in the chuck (don't turn the press on!), and then HAND sew it in those holes.  Bonus.. pull the needle and swap for a burnishing tool and you got ONE machine pulling double duty.  Doesn't take much to hand sew a holster.

A "deal" is not a deal if you end up with something that doesn't do what you need.

Adding - I would be okay with a holster sewn with 207, but I wouldn't go smaller than that.  And my holsters are glued AND sewn.  207 thread gonna require a #23 needle (some fellas prefer a #24), so maybe look for a machine that can take a #23 needle.