Industrial sewing machines? Confused

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big_swede

Native
Sep 22, 2006
1,452
8
41
W Yorkshire
Over the past 40 years, I have had reason to use several different upholstery shops which make custom interiors
for hot rod cars and boats. One woman as a receptionist out front. All men on the sewing machines in the back shop.

I started out in heavy sewing, am a coatmaker by trade now. And I can assure you I've never ever met a woman machinist in either heavy sewing or bespoke tailoring. But I always get some jokes about sewing being a feminine job.. Weird, ain't it?
 
Jul 30, 2012
3,570
224
westmidlands
Just for your info to save you going round like i did,


An industrial is just that, made for continuous use, heavy duty ones light ones, they usually come countersunk into a work surface.

A walking foot is a foot that feeds the top in syncrony with the feed dogs on the bottom, so the material gets fed more securely.

If i was sewing leather, id do what cobblers do and use a hand cranker. I saw one like this, aparently according to mother this is what girls in the 19XXs used to be taught on as no foot tressle was needed and they could be put away, i just do not know whether it would sew leather.

http://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Singer-28K-Manual-Sewing-Machine-Dated-1930-/291822499647?nav=SEARCH
 

dewi

Full Member
May 26, 2015
2,647
12
Cheshire
Tandy leather have started to offer a hand cranked sewing machine for leather... it'll comfortable sew up to an inch of material (I've seen it in action... it does more than the literature and sales info says)... only trouble with it is, it's about £1500. Expensive bit of kit, but very easy to use and from what I've seen, extremely durable.

Can't remember the make of my sewing machine, and it's in its box at the minute, so can't really be digging it out... but it'll comfortable sew leather... thin leather at least. I've also tried denim and it copes quite well... shortly be trying heavy canvas. Total cost including threads and needle... £50 delivered... fleabay is a useful tool sometimes :D
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
****** annoyed. Drove to my father's house (4 hours) to pick up the sewing machine and he's thrown it away. His garage is piled high with other crap so aside from the Singer I can't see what he's actually got rid of. Certainly not the old skis, single gloves, perished wellies, VHS tapes, broken vacuum cleaners, dirty jam-jars, old lawnmowers, bags of rusty nails/screws, empty paint tins, smashed rear light fittings for his Kia, plant pots, old hifis (not B&O :)), damp road atlases (that barely show the M25), rock solid paint brushes, mouldy yellow pages, short lengths of cable (T&E, old colours), odd boots etc.
 

grey-array

Full Member
Feb 14, 2012
1,067
4
The Netherlands
Heya Spandit,

Any luck yet, I only just saw this so might be a bit after the fact here.
Cause were you looking for a electrically driven machine? I currently have a Adler 30-1 standing around which is a variation on the very common singer 29k.
and that allows you to do absolutely everything, however doesnt sew very fast. although that for me being in leatherwork is actually a good thing as I have a ton of control.
Adler%2030-1%20Photobucket1_zpssogmapbg.jpg


Adler%2030-1%20Photobucket12_zpsulesmksx.jpg

The beast sews up to 12mm or half an inch of vegtan, and that is purely as the walking foot wont go any higher than that XD.
but for thinner leather and canvas projects you might be better of with a straight sewing machine with an electrical drive.

but just wanted to show you the option did exist. as I have the ability to sew pretty much everything heavy on my machine now.
as long as I keep it under 12 mm. also because of the pivoting direction of the walking foot I can sew in every direction and do some really awkward stuff with my machine as well.

Goodluck on your hunt for the perfect machine Spandit
yours sincerely

Ruud
 

spandit

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 6, 2011
5,594
308
East Sussex, UK
Thanks, Ruud. The plan was to link up the manual sewing machine to one of the electric motors I received with my industrial sewing machines (that aren't suitable for what I want). Yours looks good - exactly the kind of thing I need...
 
The Tippmann Boss is pretty impressive...but it has to be for the price! Have you ever looked at the Sailrite machines? They are a bit less expensive but very heavy duty. I've had great luck with them and the company has amazing customer service. They are based in the USA and I had to get one imported but I have been really pleased with it.
 

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