Sewing Machine

[tome]

I've hastily migrated this from SB where the replies were fairly predictable!

Just had various quotes for new sail covers etc. Given that at some stage we'll be spending a couple of years on board and will need to do our own repairs, should I bite the bullet and buy a sewing machine. The UK dealer is in Aston Rd Waterlooville and I went to see one yesterday, they look very solid. £590 plus VAT for the LSZ-1.

Does this make sense, or will I end up sewing my own sleeve into the machine and will my results look naff if I have a go making my own sail cover? Never used a sewing machine before, but I'm quite handy at hand-stitching and willing to have a go.

 

[pragmatist]

Have been told by a professional canvas maker that its cheaper to use a domestic sewing machine and throw it away when it's tired out - planning to do cockpit cushion covers in canvas shortly using hand Singer which was my mother's 21st birthday present in 1938 I believe. Will let you know how it goes but its very tough - similar ones can be bought 2nd hand for less than £50.

Canvas maker actually recommended an electric machine but with a small mod so you could hand-drive it through bits like corners/multiple layers.

 

[AndrewB]

We carry a sewing machine, though not an LSZ-1 which would undoubtedly be my top choice if I could afford it. The machine has to be tough enough to sew zig-zag through three layers of sailcloth, most domestic machines will quail at this and keep missing stiches. (Incidentally, a lesson we learnt early was if a salesman says their model is good for this, be sure to have some sailcloth and thread to hand and get them to demonstrate). We've put in a stronger spring to increase the needle pressure, but this simply adds wear elsewhere and we regularly have to replace the thread pickup wheel. Even an LSZ-1 won't be tough enough for some repairs, e.g. at the clew.

The extra space under the arm of a specialist machine is particularly useful for sail repairs. We've also found an ancient Singer part that gears an electric machine to be driven by hand power, which is very useful.

I wouldn't bother with a machine for just maintenance repairs. Sewing by hand may be tedious, but on a cruise time is not in short supply. (Don't worry about neatness, that soon comes, and anyway you cease caring). Also, an ordinary domestic machine should be adequate for such tasks as sewing acrylic for sail covers, making canvas biminis etc, unless the material is rubberised.

Ours has proved invaluable when recutting an old sail we were given as a spare genoa for our yacht. We have used it to make sail covers and a bimini. It's also been used for earning pin-money in marinas doing repairs - I'm thinking of making series drogues as we go along, for which there seems to be some demand.

 

[CharlesM]

Hey Pragmatist

I am interested in finding a hand driven machine. you say such can be found for £50... do you know where?

Cheers
Charles

Caribbean .. not relevant to post I know but just had to say it - soo excited.... hehe

 

[BobOwen]

If your quick here ! Presently £10.50

 

[tcm]

well, i have a moderate exp of sewing machine having watched various peeps incl loads of pro's use them. They are simply a power tool, but with strong overtones of girliness cos of the sewing which is irrelevant.

I don't believe that a normal sewing machine will do - partly cos of the potentially huge amount of thick material that has to be punched thru and mainly cos you have to get a massive amount of material shuffled under the head in order to start stitching (say) a 2metre wide lump of material on the side of the sail - so have a look at what that limit is - how wide a piece of matrial can you stitch down the middle of?

speretly...altho i love the self-reliant thing, i bet that that £700 wd get you a whole load of things stitched at massive speed, anywhere. I have loads of long zips frexample and when one crew wrecked one i was short of a 4m long zipper - which the local sailypeeps had in menorca - but no way cd i have whacked it on with sewing machine if they had merely supplied zipper for what they charged (£20 i think) - inother words i am not sure that you will get yer money back esp since you won't be able to buy bits of canvas etc at trade prices, and wil also need massive pinking shears etc to buy the stuff then use the damn machine - and if a sail rips bigtime are you really gonna have a go at that? - or get a company to do the bigger stuff properly?

I wd really buy machine tools for things that tyou hoestly believe you would do better, or wd have fun, or can't find elswhere, or where the price is quite small to make such calculation relevant- £590+vat ain't small imho and i don't think you'll have a load of fun with the thing.

Worst of all, some awful people might laugh and point and say har har look at that girly wurly tome doing some more crappy sewing ha ha what a flippin total mess look the seam are done nineteen times over and the numbers are all creased and crap heehee, which of course i would never do, but some might

 

[tome]

This is good stuff, espec the gurly bit. Karen thinks I'm crackers for even suggesting it, but it seemed such a good idea last night after a couple of glasses of a fine rioja.

Ok, the local sailcover man gets my dosh and the sewing machine brochure gets binned. Or praps filed, just in case.

 

[philmarks]

Ah, well I use a Singer domestic electric (the original programmable model per V&A museum). It drives me crazy at times, very sensitive to boobin tension oops bobbin. Does zig zag. Have done long zips etc no problem. swmbo made sail covers, stackpack. Made sprayhood also. Now I'm swmbo-less, learning to do sail repairs myself... so far so good. Why not try a domestic machine, and learn. Send the tricky stuff to the sailmakers....or when you've learned, buy an LSZ-1.

Heavy-ish sailcloth multiple thickness is a problem, but get the right needles and thread and it can be done with a half decent machine and patience. Not too slow either.

 

[MedMan]

We carry a very old, very heavy domestic electric sewing machine that has been used to make our Bimini, sun covers, cushions etc and to repair our sails as and when needed. It will cope with all except the heavily reinforced corners. We bought it eight years ago for £60.

The secret when selecting a machine is to find one with a very heavy duty, solid construction. The principal reason most domestic machines can't cope is that the arm that comes across the top and down to the needle actually bends upwards when the needle comes up against the resistance of several layers of heavy cloth. Once bent out of line, the mechanism simply cannot work.

 

[bruce]

if it , the machine, takes 2 hands to lift, has a walking foot and zigzags it should work. turn over the machind and look for plastic or stamped parts, you want 'machined' parts. check out 'sailrite' web site to see what they are selling. they also have a oversized wheel that will help in heavy material that is available for other machines that look like theirs. i paid $10 for mine at a 'goodwill' store, paid another $20 to have a sewing machine repair shop set it up for the thread/materials i would be using it on.

 

[Danthegorrila]

I use an old domestic machine, powered 220-240v Jones although I used to have a singer as pragamatist says you can through them when they get past it. My old one lasted years and years and this one is second hand it must be at least 2o years old and I paid £50 including reconditioning from a dealer. I think the older machines are much tougher than the more modern ones.

I have done some sail repairs although these most of these have been temps and get full repairs done at a loft. I have put new panels in windsurf and our dinghy sails, made cockpit tents and bimanis on it with no problem. As someone says the vast majority of your sewing is not sails. I did one sail repair at sea with the suit case generator giving the power

Hope it helps

PB

 

[Shanta]

Reeds sowing machine's (southampton I think) tel +442380771398 do secondhand recon's. I bought one about 5years ago for roughly £150. and they threw in a hand crank for free. It's a good heavy machine with zig zag doesn't like too much sailcloth in one go but fine for canvas.
The older singers,jones etc with the metal bodies are also good but finding one with zig zag's nigh on impossible. Trouble with these is if you force them though a thick wod it can throw the timing out.
Then you got to find someone to put it right.!
The Reeds has an extra bit that stops this happening so I have been told !
Best bet, old heavy machine & design things so you don't have any thick bits. Yes it is possible...
Good luck.

 

[pragmatist]

The ones neighbouring boaties found were in Dartmouth in, I think, a fabric shop but I have seen 2nd hand Singers similar to mine for this price elsewhere and I bought an old 2nd hand electric machine from a Singer shop in Taunton for about £40 although I found I preferred the ancient hand Singer.

Having used 2 flavours of elderly Singer I would recommend you don't get one with the old "torpedo" style shuttle - certainly the one I used was pretty unreliable where as the "modern" shuttle which is a bit like a polo mint shape works very well. I think that the torpedo ones are probably significantly earlier than mine - perhaps early 20thC ! (Think that one belonged to someone's grandmother !!!)

 

[Abigail]

Hi - not clear whether you're giving up on sewing machines altogether or just the temptation of a sailrite! We currently have a fairly elderly domestic electric which has done us through winch covers, webbing lifelines and various other bits and pieces without any trouble. We would not be without a sewing machine of any kind on board - but then we already had it when we moved.

We lust after a sailrite - it's all very well saying the sailmaker will get the dosh but there ain't any mid-Atlantic when the cruising chute gets a tear and suddenly you are rationing the water! (Though of course you can handstitch it.) Some americans who overwintered here had one and we had a good look. Very interesting - and like all such bits of kit has the potential to be much more useful once you've got one ...

Interesting to see they have a UK distributor now - they didn;t when we looked at it about 18 months ago so we were considering buying one when we go to a family event in NY in July - now it's ouch! tempation much nearer home ...

 

[jerryat]

Hey pragmatist, I never realised that the shuttles made any difference. I have two old (but in beautiful condition) Singers, one with the 'torpedo' and one with the 'polo' type. I've never used the 'polo' one, just picked up the nearest one (torpedo) before we went of cruising and used that. Had very little problem with it (occasional threads breaking) but will try the other one now! You live and learn on this Forum that's for sure!!

Cheers Jerry

 

[BigART]

I confess I gave in to temptation - and bought a LSZ1 just before Christmas (early Christmas present?).

I love it!!

I chased around for reconditioned Singers - with no joy. Nor did I come close to finding a robust domestic machine that could cope with the layers of fabric that I need.

We are off long term cruising - so expect to need to use this where there is no local sailmaker. I've also had some pretty grim repairs done on my sails by the professionals...

The LSZ1 so far has produced a replacement sail cover for my cutter - and has sewn through 9 layers of acrylic without a pause. The machine is seriously solid - definitely two hands required to left this one. All moving parts can be accessed for oiling - no moulded plastic cases concealing who know what.

Not sure if I'll ever work out the specifics of "did it pay for itself" - but I plan to have a lot of enjoyment & satisfaction from making stuff for the boat.

Ruth

PS the guys in Waterlooville who import the Sailrites provide great service

 

[pragmatist]

My experience is scarcely comprehensive - have used 2 with torpedoes both belonging to grandmothers but had lots of knots & breakages with both. But maybe if they'd been reconditioned ?

Have fun with your polo mint !

 

[tome]

Just re-read this thread and I'm sending myself mixed messages about this sewing machine. If I do purchase, will keep it quiet until I've done some ambitious job, eg sail cover.

 

[pragmatist]

Oh well - I still haven't ordered my canvas and foam for the cockpit cushions so I spose I'd better get on with it !