Industrial sewing machines

[andrewa]

To date, I've managed to sew all my gear with a 30yo Janome domestic sewing machine, which maxes out at 18g leather pointed needles, and about 40g thread, however, I'm now interested in sewing leather, and the 18g needle is not big enough for 20g thread, and I can't adjust the top tension high enough to pull the "loop" into the middle of the seam....

So, just thinking.....I know you can get 24g and maybe 26g needles for industrial machines, but what industrial machines do others use? What features are useful beyond fwd/bkwd. Should I look second hand? Etc etc. Or should I just deal with it, and continue hand stitching? What features of an industrial machine make it better for sewing lighter fabrics like sleeping bag materials etc, as I have no problem with my current domestic machine for these. SimonM, Underclingmike , Moondog - what are you using, and why?

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[simonm]

We have a Juki 8700 for our lightweight fabrics e.g hammocks, quilts and tarps, and a Protex walking foot machine for heavier fabrics and binding work. Industrial machine are simply faster and feed fabrics in a more consistent fashion. Once you get used to them they just make life a lot easier.

[andrewa]

Thx. What sort of investment required?
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[simonm]

For a new machine you are looking at $1350 and up.

[andrewa]

Simon, which walking foot machine did you get? And can you use this for normal sewing, or is a walking foot only appropriate for thicker sewing?

I've no idea about any of these machines - it's a bit like learning about sleeping bags from scratch! (Eg I want to buy a general purpose sleeping bag for all seasons, and maybe snow. What should I get?"!

I just don't have a concept of what features would/might be useful, esp given that I am only sewing for interest, not income.

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[Moondog55]

I'll give you one It needs a lot [ a LOT] of TLC and rehab but it's yours if you want to rebuild it
Old Singer Really heavy duty straight stitch machine Taking up valuable space in our driveway and I can't afford the rebuild

[andrewa]

Um, I've fixed a lawnmower carbi, fiddled with my old outboard, and thought I have the carburettors sorted ( until daughter #2's marine mechanic BF removed one from me for more radical work). But I do know how humans work. What sort of stuff needs doing to it?

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[undercling-mike]

I don't use an industrial machine because I simply don't have space but from my research I think the requirements of a leather sewing machine and one for lightweight fabrics are sufficiently different that it's hard for one machine to cover both well. At the least the machine needs to be tuned differently for heavy materials and light materials.

A lot of leather focussed machines seem to have a walking foot or needle feed or both and if you're doing work with tight curves or curved pieces then a post bed machine might make life a lot easier than a flat bed machine.

Remember that industrial machines tend to be specialised rather than general purpose because you have a factory with a number of machines, each tuned for specific tasks...

[andrewa]

Mike, yes, I have cone to understand this. I suppose I'd just like a machine that would punch though 5-6mm of leather with bigger needles, and also be able to do tight curves. Probably like the sleeping bag I described before. A unicorn!

[undercling-mike]

I guess if you're happy with your current machine for lighter materials then a more leather focused machine might be the way to go. Rather than a post bed machine as I mentioned above I think a cylinder bed machine might be more versatile. Still able to get into tight spots but can easily accept a flat table accessory for flat work. Have you looked on any leather working forums to see what people are using? Another group that might have experience are people doing custom car interiors or motorcycle seats.

[simonm]

I agree with Mike. If you want to do leather get a specialist machine. Basically light material require lightweight machine and heavy material requireso a heavy weight machine. You should be able to find a decent second hand machine with a walking foot. You can do curves with a walking foot, it just takes a bit of practice.

If you want to be able to control the speed automatically you will want a servo motor or if you are happy controlling the speed with your pedal then a clutch motor is probably more common. Industrial machines can be frighteningly fast when you first start using them so a servo motor will be easier for most people and they are quieter. Ours have a clutch motor but they work for us. If i bought again I would probably go servo.

[Moondog55]

viewtopic.php?f=53&t=24985

[andrewa]

I think I've resolved my issue - the thread I was using was too thick. It was size 20. Once I went back to size 40, which is my normal rucksack making thread, an 18G leather needle was able to sew through 6 bits of 0.8-1mm thick leather, so I'm fortunately going to be able to sew most of my leather bag by machine, and will only need to hand stitch small sections.

Happy as!!

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