Juki 1541S or Thor 1541S

[chrisash]

May just fit but a tight squeeze and at its limits same with 207 if your lucky but normally 138 max

[CowboyBob]

On 9/25/2021 at 10:30 AM, bj139 said:

I waited and a Singer 111W155 showed up.  I bought it for $175.  Can this sew 1/2 inch?  This one feels pretty tight.  It was used in a one person shop to do upholstery.

No,usually 20oz (5/16")is max it will sew with the standard needle that comes with it,go any thicker & the needlebar will hit the top of the foot.

[bj139]

18 hours ago, CowboyBob said:

No,usually 20oz (5/16")is max it will sew with the standard needle that comes with it,go any thicker & the needlebar will hit the top of the foot.

Can a longer needle be used and the needle bar moved up to re-time?

[Wizcrafts]

3 hours ago, bj139 said:

Can a longer needle be used and the needle bar moved up to re-time?

You might gain 1/8 inch more capacity by using a System 190 needle. Nonetheless, the interconnected inner and outer foot bar cranks will probably max out at 3/8 inch working height.

[bj139]

1 hour ago, Wizcrafts said:

You might gain 1/8 inch more capacity by using a System 190 needle. Nonetheless, the interconnected inner and outer foot bar cranks will probably max out at 3/8 inch working height.

Why do the Singer specs say 1/2" presser foot lift?  Is this just lift and not working height?

[kgg]

On 9/25/2021 at 2:30 PM, bj139 said:

I waited and a Singer 111W155 showed up.  I bought it for $175.  Can this sew 1/2 inch? 

I think, if you are going to be sewing 1/2 " constantly you probably should be looking at a different machine. Yes, you may on occasion push your machine to do more then it was designed to do. But you run the risk of damaging other internal components.  If the 1/2" is going to be a regular occurrence or just a would like then you need a machine that can do 1/2" plus at least a 1/8" for your safety margin. It is better to run a machine designed to handle slightly over your needs then running a machine at it's design max and is definitely better then running a machine beyond it's design max. That then probably means looking at cylinder bed machine as they would probably be more cost effective then a flatbed capable of sewing 7/8" thick items.

kgg

[kgg]

1 minute ago, bj139 said:

Why do the Singer specs say 1/2" presser foot lift?  Is this just lift and not working height?

My take on pressor foot lift is just the clearance from the bed to the bottom of the pressor foot for ease of getting items under and out from the needle. It would be nice if the manufacturers came out with a spec that said " the max sewing thickness is XX mm " just like they do for thread.

kgg

[bj139]

17 minutes ago, kgg said:

I think, if you are going to be sewing 1/2 " constantly you probably should be looking at a different machine. Yes, you may on occasion push your machine to do more then it was designed to do. But you run the risk of damaging other internal components.  If the 1/2" is going to be a regular occurrence or just a would like then you need a machine that can do 1/2" plus at least a 1/8" for your safety margin. It is better to run a machine designed to handle slightly over your needs then running a machine at it's design max and is definitely better then running a machine beyond it's design max. That then probably means looking at cylinder bed machine as they would probably be more cost effective then a flatbed capable of sewing 7/8" thick items.

kgg

I have just one application where I am trying to sew a layer of nylon seat belt webbing to 3 other layers of webbing that are 3/8" thick.  The total might be 7/16" so I might be able to turn the handwheel by hand and sew it.  For most other things I have been sewing 3/8" should be more than enough.

Edited September 27, 2021 by bj139

[kgg]

12 minutes ago, bj139 said:

The total might be 7/16" so I might be able to turn the handwheel by hand and sew it. 

Yes, I think all of us have had to hand wheel at some time or other. Remember to back off your pressor foot tension. The main pain is growing that third arm. One arm to guide the material, second to hold the top and bottom thread on starting the seam and a third to hand wheel. Oh, I forgot one to hold the reverse level down to reverse and lock the stitches.

Best of luck,

kgg

[Wizcrafts]

22 minutes ago, bj139 said:

I have just one application where I am trying to sew a layer of nylon seat belt webbing to 3 other layers of webbing that are 3/8" thick.  The total might be 7/16" so I might be able to turn the handwheel by hand and sew it.  For most other things I have been sewing 3/8" should be more than enough.

A System 190 needle is about 3/16 inch longer than a System 135x16. That is total length. The distance from the top or bottom of the eye to the bottom of the needle might not give exactly 3/16 inch gain if raised all the way up. Your needle bar may still hit the top on the inside and/or outside foot. Moving parts inside the head might bind up at that height.