Beginning Sewer looking for general advice

[MtlBiker]

58 minutes ago, Northmount said:

135x17 are conical point for fabrics.  135x16 is a chisel type point used for leather.  It will cut threads in fabrics in instead of sliding through between threads.  Other than that, they have the same specification for length, diameter, etc.

There are several different types of leather points, diamond, etc.

Needles and stitch type.pdf 374.16 kB · 1 download

for needle size versus thread size see this chart.

Tom

 

Thanks Tom!

I thought 135x17 and 135x16 were different sizes.  (New to industrial machines.)

And that's a great PDF about the needles.

[nylonRigging]

6 hours ago, MtlBiker said:

Invista Brookwood... the Cordura I've bought was simply listed as 1000D Cordura.  Would that be the same thing?

Yesterday I bought another fabric locally, which the (huge) fabric retailer had labeled as "Majestic 1000 D Nylon Oxford PU".  I have no idea if that's really a brand name or just a name they've put on, but it seems very similar to the Cordura I have.  Slightly more shiny on the PU backing.  And I can buy that for $12.95 (minimum 10 meters).  $15 for smaller quantities.  It's obviously a clone, but I have no idea how good a clone it is.

The problem is that I'm in Canada and buying small quantities from the US is just prohibitively expensive... exchange rate, shipping, duty, so I'm kinda stuck with Canadian suppliers and what they offer.

 'Cordura' and they will legally vigorously protect their trademark . I think the name Cordura, people just thrown that out there generically for description, even though it might not be .

Kenyon mill also makes good 1000 den. and heavy weight weave nylon fabric . They use the name 'K-kote' as the trademark . Their also Berry compliant, eastern mill US made good quality stuff, but I never found any of there 1000 den. that is supple/flexible as the Cordura brand can make. But thicker stiffer weave 1000 Den. nylon is good for a lot of things . Kenyon also has quality back coatings also like Cordura .
I try to buy Cordura and Kenyon nylons for quality side of things, but I used to buy some imports like 'Kodra' brand .

Ya, you definitely in a tight position for High-$ shipping up from US. to Montreal. As 'rule of thumb'  good heavy weave 1000 Den. with heavy backcoat will weigh close to 1 Lb. per yard . Shipping-$$ always suck for fabric or leather also , This year alone 2020, I have probably have picked up close to 800 yrds of nylon and had it truck/shipped for pick up.
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[DonInReno]

I was just roaming through a local fabric store that has a very large amount of left over ruminant fabrics (end of run leftovers), so the selection is always changing, and this post came to mind.   When you have a chance to visit a big store with a large selection of heavy fabrics it will be well worth it.

It’s hard to describe the wide variety of heavy synthetic fabrics available now - super heavy 3000d, super supple 1000d, 1600d rip stop, super stiff stiffener, super coarse weave 1600d, and the same down through the thinner weights.     I can’t imagine appreciating the weaves and feel without actually seeing it in person, so the more samples you can get in your area the better.

Then there are the vinyl coated polyester “tarp” fabrics that are bulletproof and are nice to use in high wear areas.   I can definitely see these used in some kinds of firewood haulers.

Then there are the heavy cotton canvas fabrics - almost as much variety as the synthetics.

I don’t know where this store gets leather scraps, but at a few bucks a pound it’s a steal.

Just keep looking and don’t overlook eBay, Craigslist and whatever other sites you have up there - sometimes one person will clearance out a given thing and you can buy a lifetime supply for cheap.   It will take many generations to use up all the YKK bulk zipper I bought at a military surplus store a few years ago.  *chuckle*

 

[JLSleather]

That (Consew) machine will sew a pretty wide range of leather goods... I used mine to sew everything from 2 layers of 1 1/2 0z kidskin for wallet linings up to about 12 0z with 7/8 veg tanned glued to 2 layers 2 oz kidskin.  And I sewed from thread sizes 42 to 207.

Idea is to NOT run a machine full on at capacity, but that thing will sew 1/4" of leather (even firm veg tanned) quite well.

Good little machines... still regret letting mine go.