Kovac Report post Posted June 17, 2020 Hey there. A coworker moved inti a new house that was owned by an old shoemaker. He found this old singer 29k33 there. What are these machines used for? Is it good for leather and if so what thickness range? Is it a good find? I was thinking of buying it of him, but would want to know if its even worth it. Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted June 17, 2020 The entire line of 29k machines are shoe and boot patchers. They are also used to sew embroidered patches onto vests, especially over pockets. They are entirely top driven by the teeth on the single moving foot. That foot rotates 360 degrees to pull the work in any direction. For this model patcher, the thread is best limited to #69 (T70) bonded nylon. It uses System 29x3, 29x4, or 135x16, or 135x17 needles. The best needle size for #69 thread is #18/110. The small bobbin limits the amount of thread that can be held. You can use #92 bonded thread with a #19 or 20 needle, but it will go less distance than #69 thread. If you load a bobbin with #138 thread it will only sew one or two belts. Thickness-wise, a 29k33 will sew about 1/4 inch of soft to medium temper leather. It can clear a seam that's up to 5/16 inch, but probably not sew that thickness. The stitch length varies with the thickness. The maximum length on a pristine mechanism is 5 stitches per inch into about 6 ounces of shoe upper leather. This decreases to about 7 or 8 to the inch at 1/4 inch. If the feed motion mechanism is worn you may only get half that stitch length. I hope this helps. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Kovac Report post Posted June 18, 2020 Thank you very much! Considering I already own a perfectly good pfaff 335, this doesnt seem a reasonable choice. Cheers Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LumpenDoodle2 Report post Posted June 18, 2020 I’ve found that the Singer 29 is one of those machine that may not be used too often, but I’d miss it if I got rid of mine. Its ability to get into tight spaces has saved me a fair few times, but it is limited on the thickness of leather you can sew with it. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Handstitched Report post Posted June 18, 2020 @Kovac You may not have a use for it right now , but they are handy to have as they can do stitches that other machines can't because they have a 360 degree foot ,I have a 53, they can stitch at any angle. And the fact that machine has a stand and a flat bed is even better, hard to find here in Oz. Might be worth reconsidering ? HS Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Constabulary Report post Posted June 18, 2020 Keep in mind, the 29K33 is a very old machine and most of the wear parts are no longer available. Some parts are still available and some new parts can be modified to fit but its still an very old machine form approx the 1920´s I guess. Before you buy it look for a manual and test sew it. If the max. stitch length is approx 4mm its a quite good score for a machine of this age. if the stitches are longer - even better but when they are shorter you most likely have to invest in some new parts. The max. stitch length you can achieve is a good indicator for the technical condition / the grade of wear on this type of machines. Generally on patchers - yes, very handy machines for repair work and sewing in tight spaces or for sewing on patches but not a machine you can produce quality leather goods with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
CowboyBob Report post Posted June 18, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, Constabulary said: Keep in mind, the 29K33 is a very old machine and most of the wear parts are no longer available. Some parts are still available and some new parts can be modified to fit but its still an very old machine form approx the 1920´s I guess. Before you buy it look for a manual and test sew it. If the max. stitch length is approx 4mm its a quite good score for a machine of this age. if the stitches are longer - even better but when they are shorter you most likely have to invest in some new parts. The max. stitch length you can achieve is a good indicator for the technical condition / the grade of wear on this type of machines. Generally on patchers - yes, very handy machines for repair work and sewing in tight spaces or for sewing on patches but not a machine you can produce quality leather goods with. Yes,he's right about the parts,the small gears that run the shuttle in this machine have been discontinued many years ago & break pretty easy if you were to jam it up. Edited June 18, 2020 by CowboyBob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
