Sew Machine Type? ZigZag or Straight?

[AngusMcDoon]

Wasn't that the kind that Nigel M got and was found to be electrically dangerous with no earth to metal parts? It's basically a shoddy copy of a Sailrite. On the Sailrite website they pull a clone like this apart and show the huge difference in quality of the parts. Cheap, but not good value.

Other than a full-on industrial this might be a better bet

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SAINTS-WA...Collect_SewingMachines_RL&hash=item46122c0128

 

[savageseadog]

Wasn't that the kind that Nigel M got and was found to be electrically dangerous with no earth to metal parts? It's basically a shoddy copy of a Sailrite. On the Sailrite website they pull a clone like this apart and show the huge difference in quality of the parts. Cheap, but not good value.

Perhaps it's double insulated, otherwise no idea but it couldn't be sold here if it weren't made to proper electrical standards could it? It's almost certainly Chinese but the Chinese make loads of electricals for the European market. China probably makes and uses more sewing machines than the rest of the world put together so they can't be all bad surely?

 

[claudio]

Perhaps it's double insulated, otherwise no idea but it couldn't be sold here if it weren't made to proper electrical standards could it? It's almost certainly Chinese but the Chinese make loads of electricals for the European market. China probably makes and uses more sewing machines than the rest of the world put together so they can't be all bad surely?

The Sailrite machine is partly manufactured in China too
See http://forum.sailrite.com/where-is-sailrite-made_topic841.html

Sailrite have made extensive modifications to these machines and there is nothing in the price range to compete with them for sailing heavy materials, sails e.t.c.
I have seen these machines in action and they are very impressive for a portable machine, if I was in the market I would buy one, its a no-brainer. Oh and don't forget to buy the monster flywheel if you're sewing heavy material, you need the extra inertia to punch through the multiple layers.

 

[lw395]

Get an old singer or Jones which have all metal gears and can punch through multi layers of canvas with a proper jeans needle. They're regularly on ebay for 50quid. Some say a walking foot is worth having. Unless you're going into mass production you don't need an industrial machine.

An old Jones (made in Poland), £50 from a shop that had taken it part-ex works for me. I have done sail covers, boat covers, webbing, all sorts in acrylic and PVC canvas, the sort used for curtainside lorries.
For sails, I am happy to pay a sailmaker to do it properly.
Except spinny repairs, SWMBO's multi step zig zag Bernina repairs those.

If I had the space I would get a proper industrial machine, but you need a big table etc to make it worth while.

 

[AngusMcDoon]

Perhaps it's double insulated, otherwise no idea but it couldn't be sold here if it weren't made to proper electrical standards could it? It's almost certainly Chinese but the Chinese make loads of electricals for the European market. China probably makes and uses more sewing machines than the rest of the world put together so they can't be all bad surely?

It wasn't double insulated. It was metal case, no earth, and dangerous. Yes, stuff that does not meet EU standards is sold on Ebay, see all the 2 stroke outboards for a start. There seems to be a big difference with Chinese goods made by western companies to western standards with a brand name to protect, and cheap Chinese tat sold on Ebay to no standards at all.

 

[William_H]

Re Toyota sewing machine. I have a couple of older model Toyotas one bought one acquired. Certainly no complaints as a domestic sewing machine and some ability to sew webbing sail cloth etc. But certainly not very powerful like a sail amkers machine. olewill