kjack88 Report post Posted December 19, 2020 I have always used a flatbed, but am getting into shoes...What things should I consider when buying a post head machine? (ie what length of post?)...I am trying to figure out if I go with a simple one, or not that has bells and whistles. I make handbags and want to make shoes and boots. Thank you! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted December 20, 2020 What height will your shoes have as you sew over the post? Most common post machines have a 6 to 7 inch high post and about 10 inches clearance from the needle to the inside of the body. This should be adequate for most shoes and medium shank boots. You will have to decide in advance on the type of feed the machine should have. You'll get maximum visibility with a roller foot machine. Some are only bottom drive and some are top and bottom driven. My Singer 168 post machine has triple feed walking feet. I used to have roller foot post machines that I used to sew caps and hats. If you get into sewing tall boots you will probably have to think about getting a Puritan machine. Red Wing work boots have some seams that are sewn with three needles running a chainstitch on the inside. Puritans come in a variety of post heights, from as low as 6 inches, all the way up to 3 feet. You will probably have to buy a used machine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uwe Report post Posted December 20, 2020 (edited) Much depends on what type of shoes you plan to make. There’s a lot of specialty machinery involved in shoe making. I’ve never sewn a shoe myself, but I’ve spent a fair amount of time researching machines and watching demos at trade fairs and during a visit to the Durkopp Adler factory in Germany. Those vintage Puritans are nice when they work, but you’ll need an in-house mechanic to keep them working. I have a triple needle Puritan and have pretty much given up on getting it to work right. I don’t give up easily. It’s for sale, in case you enjoy pain and suffering. A dual driven wheel type post bed appears to be the machine of choice for sewing dress shoe uppers. Sewing the sole and then attached the sole to the uppers are *totally* different ballgames, again depending on the type of shoe or boot. On the modern end, both Pfaff and Durkopp Adler make very good machines that are not cheap, just like a good luxury handbag. Juki and other major brands have similar offerings. The post bed machine in the middle portion of the video below that shows it sewing just about the entire upper dress shoe is a M-Type Durkopp Adler with quite a few bells and whistles. The sewist makes it look easy - she’s been doing this for decades, no doubt. If you have a well adjusted machine like that and you fail, you can pretty much only blame yourself and keep practicing. Edited December 20, 2020 by Uwe Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted December 21, 2020 Fascinating! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kgg Report post Posted December 21, 2020 Definitely is not that ladies first time doing that work. A master. kgg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gymnast Report post Posted December 21, 2020 As Uwe points out, there is a lot of specialized machines for shoemaking and boots. This is another kind of machine I find fascinating: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Uwe Report post Posted December 21, 2020 Durkopp Adler also put together a comprehensive guide to shoemaking and the machines involved. It’s good reading for anybody interested in making shoes. Here’s the link: http://www.duerkopp-adler.com/export/sites/duerkoppadler/commons/download/technology_praxis/Technologie_Praxis_shoes.pdf Here’s the PDF file in case the link stops working in the future: Technologie_Praxis_shoes.pdf Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
chuckgaudette Report post Posted December 21, 2020 58 minutes ago, Uwe said: Durkopp Adler also put together a comprehensive guide to shoemaking and the machines involved. It’s good reading for anybody interested in making shoes. Here’s the link: http://www.duerkopp-adler.com/export/sites/duerkoppadler/commons/download/technology_praxis/Technologie_Praxis_shoes.pdf Here’s the PDF file in case the link stops working in the future: Technologie_Praxis_shoes.pdf 12.33 MB · 3 downloads Great post Uwe. Thanks. I plan on putting my PFAFF 591 post machine up for sale. Its about 2 years old and doesn't have more than 10 hours on it so its practically new. It's a great machine but I don't just don't have a need for it anymore. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
