Fire Fighting Turnout Gear Repair

[AaronKK]

On 11/5/2020 at 10:34 AM, ArtV said:

Hi all, been a long time lurker but I have not posted up much. I have done some research into this and have not come up with much........ 

 

I am a leather worker who is looking at purchasing my first sewing machine........... here is where the question changes.   I believe I have narrowed down what I need for my leather goods, the Cowboy CB3200.  My question is.......... can I do turnout gear repair on this same machine? I would need to run nomex and kevlar thread. Any and all imput is appreciated. 

 

Thanks!!

Hey Artv! Just following up to see how the turnout repair is going? Interested in starting this myself. Thanks!

[AaronKK]

On 11/5/2020 at 10:34 AM, ArtV said:

Hi all, been a long time lurker but I have not posted up much. I have done some research into this and have not come up with much........ 

 

I am a leather worker who is looking at purchasing my first sewing machine........... here is where the question changes.   I believe I have narrowed down what I need for my leather goods, the Cowboy CB3200.  My question is.......... can I do turnout gear repair on this same machine? I would need to run nomex and kevlar thread. Any and all imput is appreciated. 

 

Thanks!!

Hey Artv! Just following up to see how the turnout repair is going? Interested in starting this myself. Thanks!

[Wizcrafts]

7 hours ago, AaronKK said:

Just following up to see how the turnout repair is going? Interested in starting this myself.

I cannot speak for the other member. But, I did repair one turnout suit last year and I did it on a standard duty cylinder arm machine and on a long arm, big bobbin shoe patcher, using a couple different sizes and colors of Nomex thread. There is no need for a machine heavier than a normal walking foot machine unless you plan to "make" this gear. I never encountered a seam that wouldn't fit under the raised foot or feet. The material was never tougher than my machines could handle. The thickest part was the new cuffs on the bottom of the legs. These were easily sewn around the snout of a Techsew 2700 cylinder arm walking foot machine using T90 Nomex with a #19 leather point needle. When I sewed through cloth or Reflexite, I used a round point needle.

This said, you could sew/repair firesuits on a Cowboy CB3200, until you get deep inside a leg or sleeve. That's when you'll need a long arm heavy patcher. I use an Adler 30-7. The next model up is a 30-70, or a Claes. These are very expensive machines that sew over 3/8 inch thickness and can manage #138 (T135) thread. The largest Nomex I found was T105, which is well within the limits.

If you do offer your services to repair turnout gear on a repeat basis, obtain liability insurance in case a repair fails and you get sued. Also, be prepared to send invoices and wait for checks to be issued.