Dogfisher Report post Posted May 22, 2021 (edited) I was just offered this Necchi Supernova for free. I am interested in sewing messenger bags and zipper padfolios. How thick of leather can I sew on this? Edited May 22, 2021 by Dogfisher Spelling Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DonInReno Report post Posted May 22, 2021 Others will be along shortly to say this kind of household machine will only sew the very thinnest of leathers. However, if this would be your first sewing machine, in that role it’s very valuable to learn the basics - more than half of leather sewing are skills that are universal to all kinds of sewing. It’s also valuable to get your feet wet in sewing before investing in an expensive leather sewing machine. Many times the idea of sewing is mentally more fun that reality. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dogfisher Report post Posted May 22, 2021 I actually have some experience on a Juki from years ago when I worked at a marine canvas shop. I'm just curious if I'm limited to like 4 oz combined thickness or therabouts with this machine. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted May 22, 2021 3 hours ago, Dogfisher said: How thick of leather can I sew on this? Maybe a wallet, or maybe just a wallet interior. The only method of feed is the teeth on the feed dog. Because leather can be dense, more pressure may be needed on the foot to prevent the leather from lifting up with the needle. The higher foot pressure fights against the feed action and may result in uneven stitches. This is especially true if the top grain is sticky, rather than smooth. The foot may just dig in. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dogfisher Report post Posted May 22, 2021 Hmmm. That sounds like an issue. So is there a way to convert it to a walking foot? Otherwise, seems like a no-go. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Wizcrafts Report post Posted May 23, 2021 9 hours ago, Dogfisher said: Hmmm. That sounds like an issue. So is there a way to convert it to a walking foot? Otherwise, seems like a no-go. There is an attachment that is driven by the needle bar going up and down that sort of passively walks in sync with the feed dog. It was made for quilters and is sometimes called a quilting even feed foot. I had one that I used on a Singer 15-91 I had and it was useless with vinyl and leather. I had better results when I found a roller equipped foot. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dogfisher Report post Posted May 23, 2021 That is really good to know. I think I might pass on the machine in that case. Thanks for your help. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gymnast Report post Posted May 23, 2021 I think you can make it sew quite much, if you are prepared to do some modifications to the machine, such as a speed reducer and other things. A serious issue with this machine will be marks from the feed dogs in the leather surface. So it do also depend on how nice you like results to be. As DoninReno points out, it can be a good machine to start learning on. A big roller foot will help, as Wizcraft points out. In my experience the main problem is, that thread tensions work against the move from the feed dog. With the roller foot the thread gets another direction to the fabric, so it do not pulls back the fabric that much. The same can be done by a modified food with a notch to the back, and it holds the fabric better than a roller foot, when the needle is down. This is a video about this kind of foot, and you will be able to find some tips for domestic machines on the same channel: https://youtu.be/rBIulDuhDDs Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
