sewing machines
- Thread starter pcatterall
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Martin_J
Well-known member
TBH - I was always impressed by my mother's needle feed ( or triple feed) sewing machine.. I always wondered how anyone ever came up with the design whereby the needle was down whilst the fabric was moved and how they managed to make the needle move back and forth as it does..
In just six minutes this video shows the triple feed walking foot when compared with a standard walking foot.
YouTube - What is a walking foot (including triple feed)
In just six minutes this video shows the triple feed walking foot when compared with a standard walking foot.
YouTube - What is a walking foot (including triple feed)
Martin_J
Well-known member
Sailrite also have their comparisons of walking foot vs needle feed walking foot with some nice video.
Comparing Sewing Machine Feeding Mechanisms
Comparing Sewing Machine Feeding Mechanisms
Poignard
Well-known member
Are Sailrite machines widely used by professional sail and cover makers?
If not, why not?
If not, why not?
Goldie
Well-known member
Used professionally? I don’t know. But a friend WAS a professional sailmaker and a Sailrite is what she carries on her own boat.
doug748
Well-known member
Well spotted. These Chinese machines, marketed and branded in the UK, are about £700 and the ones I have seen are either walking foot without the zigzag or with the zigzag and without the walking foot. So this looks ideal.
Will seriously think about having a punt on one.
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rowlock
Member
319 A word of caution. While the permutations and combinations of stitch at the flick of a lever and change of a disc are mind bending needles are particular to this machine and have proved less readily available in all sizes.
doug748
Well-known member
I did have a little think about that one, it says it takes:
(Groz Beckert or Organ),Size:14,16,18,20,21,23 System 135 x 17 Needles.
Anyone know about needles?
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Poignard
Well-known member
Sailmakers’ Supply Company – Trick s of the trade #6
PetiteFleur
Well-known member
I have a Singer 20U43 - on an industrial table with a powerful 1/3hp motor. Does straight and zig-zag. Done sail repairs, new dodgers and spray hood. Initially very fast(3000 spm) so slowed it down with a smaller pulley on the motor. No walking foot but not a problem I've found. It does have a fairly small throat - 10"? so could not make sails or any large canvas work - unlike professional sail making sewing machines which have a large throat - about 24 to 30" from memory.
Martin_J
Well-known member
The other advantage you have with a Chinese version is that they are available as a portable machine with either a 7" or a longer 9" arm... Sailrite only sell the portable as a 7" arm.
Much more room for the fabric under the 9" arm but the machine is a lot heavier!
Martin_J
Well-known member
Back to the original post though... The non walking foot machines, with a good needle will be fine on a few layers of Sunbrella or window material, if ( and it's a big if), if there is no hold up in the fabric feeding through the machine.
Where the walking foot helps is to pull the fabric through consistently when unexpected folds of fabric get caught up on things, and to just generally keep a nice consistent stitch length (especially useful if you sew with white thread on blue fabric).
The other thing the stronger machines cope with is a thicker thread. The smaller machines will take a needle that will sew up to about a V69 thread.
If you want to go up to a V92 thread ( perhaps four more wear resistance) then the machines like the Sailrite, the Chinese versions or a true industrial will be more suitable.
My Chinese clone is happy sewing with V138 PTFE thread so I'm happy with that as the main machine I use around the marina, although having the 9" arm, it's heavy.
Where the walking foot helps is to pull the fabric through consistently when unexpected folds of fabric get caught up on things, and to just generally keep a nice consistent stitch length (especially useful if you sew with white thread on blue fabric).
The other thing the stronger machines cope with is a thicker thread. The smaller machines will take a needle that will sew up to about a V69 thread.
If you want to go up to a V92 thread ( perhaps four more wear resistance) then the machines like the Sailrite, the Chinese versions or a true industrial will be more suitable.
My Chinese clone is happy sewing with V138 PTFE thread so I'm happy with that as the main machine I use around the marina, although having the 9" arm, it's heavy.
geem
Well-known member
We use V92 as our normal thread on the Singer 201k. We have also used Gore Tenara successfully as well.
savageseadog
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135 x 17 is a common needle system on walking foot machines.
Martin_J
Well-known member
Doug
Your profile says you're in the South-West.
If you're as far west as Penryn, you could always give Francis a call at Sew-Quick and see what he has in stock...
He's very experienced with heavy sewing projects and has both portable and full size industrial machines available.
Sew Quick Penryn - Portable walking foot
[Tilt your phone on it's side if you can't see the full photo of the machine on the website above. ]
For those in the Solent, you can pick the longer arm version up of the shelf at Solent sewing. Comes with stitch length lock (like the option on the Sailrite) and larger balance wheel but at a bit more cost.
Solent Sewing - Leisure Pro portable waking foot
pcatterall
Well-known member
Thanks all. We are now looking at a Singer 306K which we have seen. This has a good press in the sewing world. It does zig zag and a video shows it happily sewing 4 thicknesses of leather.
A walking foot attachment seems to be available.
I Looked through various sites related to the 99K it seems to have had a great life span and a testament to old British engineering! I noted that it was only after 1954 that you could reverse direction though. I did see adverts for walking foot and Zig zag attachments for the 99K as well.
I will report!
A walking foot attachment seems to be available.
I Looked through various sites related to the 99K it seems to have had a great life span and a testament to old British engineering! I noted that it was only after 1954 that you could reverse direction though. I did see adverts for walking foot and Zig zag attachments for the 99K as well.
I will report!
ean_p
Well-known member
a great life span and a testament to old British engineering! ! [/QUOTE said:
ghostlymoron
Well-known member
Straight stitching mat be all you need at the moment but it would be wise to future proof your purchase by getting one capable of zig zag.
You don't need a very sophisticated machine just basic stitches and all metal construction like old Jones or Singer.
doug748
Well-known member
Thanks for that Martin, I have seen the Penryn model £600 would be ok but I do want zigzag as it will also do duty on the domestic front. The Solent machine would be superb but too pricy for the work I would give it.
This American video seems to show an identical model to the "BoaCraf" job, spotted by fredrussell:
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fredrussell
Well-known member
They do look good Doug, I read a US review on, I think, Sailing Anarchy forum, and it was good but the guy said it needed fine tuning a bit before giving its best. Sooner or later I’ll buy one of these but on arrival it’ll be given to my sewing machine man to ‘commission’ it. I have an old Jones domestic machine and he absolutely transformed that. I’ve said it before on here but unless you really know your way around a sewing machine, a service by a pro now and then is essential.
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