Recommend me a sewing machine
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if you were sure that lightweight materials were all you'd use, the little two stitch singer would be great. janome sells a similar machine.
if you were sewing canvas and leather or multiple thicknesses of nylon, you should start looking at industrial machines (new or used). as you get more ambitious you will find that the clearance from foot to bed is important.
at the low end of industrial machines are some walking foot designs, such as sailrite, thompson or the mini-brute. they come in straight stitch or zigzag.
good luck.
if you were sewing canvas and leather or multiple thicknesses of nylon, you should start looking at industrial machines (new or used). as you get more ambitious you will find that the clearance from foot to bed is important.
at the low end of industrial machines are some walking foot designs, such as sailrite, thompson or the mini-brute. they come in straight stitch or zigzag.
good luck.
forestwalker
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
I'm a great fan of late 60's or early 70's Husqvarnas, I hear the Singer equivalents are pretty much the same. As heavy as a main battle tank, but more durable, and with better build quality. Find out where the local sewing fanatics have their machines serviced, and ask what second hand machines they have.
I can't remember the full name but there is also a German make that begins with 'Pf' that were made in Kaiserslautern, near where I used to live. They, like Singer, have a very good reputation for dealing with ... ahem ... 'manly' sewing jobs.
That'll be Pfaff. I bought SWMBO one when we were in Germany. We've only had it 37 years and it's started playing up already!
Nigel.
Ive sewn through 4 thickness of canvas with the hand cranked machine pictured, it was ok,,,. also thin 1-2mm leather, I found it occasionally better than using the powered machine, I had more control. I agree you have more stitching options, and power is faster for the long seams, but I found it ok and a good optin for starting out with simple projects.
i Spent a bit of time trawling gumtree and freecycle and eventually found one for a tenner, its out on loan to a few folks, never actually got round to using it myself yet!
Anything from the eearly 70's to the early 80's are tough machines. I've got 2 old singer (yeah they are door stops for now), a pfaff serger, 2 kenmore med duty (these things will go through 1/4" of leather for some reason), and a brother. the brothers are really a much lighter duty machine. Some things to look at in a used machine:
-Check the platen where the needle enters towards the bobbin area. If there are a bunch of stiple marks around the edge, there's a good chance that the walkers (the things that move the material forward per stitch length), are a little worn. Also check the armature, where the needle is held, for excessive play. A littel play is OK.. but a lot will really wreak havoc on your budget when it comes popping needles every 30 stitches.
- Check the motor strength. a stronger motor doesn't always mean that it will go through more material... but, every little bit helps. Anything over 1 amp will suffice for what you are wanting to work with. Also, hand cranks can be a lot cheaper, but they will wear you out before they wear themselves out!
- Route some thread from the spool all the way to the needle. pull on the thread from the last point before it enters the needle. while doing this, check the spool-side thread tension knob to make sure that it does work (gets harder to pull the thread as you twist clockwise; less tension counterclockwise).
Other than that, If you've got a big budget.. get a husqvarna
The computerized ones are incredible... i will have one someday, before death, just to play around with.
good luck, and let us know what you decide on... lots of good help on here for getting started.
-Check the platen where the needle enters towards the bobbin area. If there are a bunch of stiple marks around the edge, there's a good chance that the walkers (the things that move the material forward per stitch length), are a little worn. Also check the armature, where the needle is held, for excessive play. A littel play is OK.. but a lot will really wreak havoc on your budget when it comes popping needles every 30 stitches.
- Check the motor strength. a stronger motor doesn't always mean that it will go through more material... but, every little bit helps. Anything over 1 amp will suffice for what you are wanting to work with. Also, hand cranks can be a lot cheaper, but they will wear you out before they wear themselves out!
- Route some thread from the spool all the way to the needle. pull on the thread from the last point before it enters the needle. while doing this, check the spool-side thread tension knob to make sure that it does work (gets harder to pull the thread as you twist clockwise; less tension counterclockwise).
Other than that, If you've got a big budget.. get a husqvarna
The computerized ones are incredible... i will have one someday, before death, just to play around with.good luck, and let us know what you decide on... lots of good help on here for getting started.
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