Anyone use their wife's sewing machine for sail repair?

[kito]

Well, my luck ran out on Ebay as far as buying used sails. I wanted a used main as a back up for my H30. Description said it "seen little use". I guess that meant it seen little use as a sail and more use as a tarp Anyway, I believe I can clean it up ok but the tack and clew areas need to be fixed up with a new layer of Dacron plus all the cringles are corroded and need replaced. Will a home duty machine do ok? I don't want a Sailrite or anything expensive since I am not making this kind of work a habit. I am talking about a used Singer that can zig zag stitch and handle the thick thread.
Btw, I negotiated with the seller and I ended up paying $35 for the sail. I figured it would be fun to tinker with over the winter. I have never sewn before so if I screw it up it's no big deal.

 

[Benny17441]

Well if you are in a trying mood then go ahead and try your wife's sewing machine but do not damage it all you'll never hear the end of it. Joking aside I have found that using the wrong tool is usually very frustrating and yields poor results. Since you have all winter why don't you get a sewing kit and the work by hand. It will be slow but probably satisfying.

 

[Chief RA]

Do not use oversized thread! Chief

 

[Ron20324]

.... Will a home duty machine do ok? ....

Maybe. I have a Sailrite zig-zag. I had to restitch my jib. I started in the middle of the sail and worked toward the corners. Of course the sail has more fabic layers the closer you get to the corners. Only on one of three corners could I get all the way to the corner. Hand stitch from there, but it was still better than doing it by hand all the way. I did do alot of sewing on Sunbrella- six layers- with a Montgomery Wards home machine. Look at the up-side. If you break the machine, you can probably sell the wifey on a new pro model.

 

[justsomeguy]

An older one with metal gears might be able to deal with it. "Might" being the key word here.

 

[Sprega]

Depends on the Singer. Most won't. Pfaff 130 will and you may find one for not a lot of money. No walking foot though. Which by the way isn't the answer all that Sailrite would have you believe. Go to your local full service sewing machine shop and talk to the repair man who actually knows sewing machines. They my even have a good used older machine on hand that will fit your needs.

 

[kito]

I can't use my wife's machine for one big reason.....I am not married My ex GF has an old Singer from the 70's she may let me use......the key word is "ex" though. That's why I am looking into buying a used one and not have a ton of money into it. Benny's idea of hand stitching is an option since I am not in a hurry. Just concerned that since this is a reinforced area with multiple layers, if I can compress the fabric layers together enough by hand like a machine would. Just wondering, I have seen cheap machines sew thick vinyl......what makes sailcloth so difficult where a heavy duty machine is required?

 

[Ron20324]

.....what makes sailcloth so difficult where a heavy duty machine is required?

Sailcloth is not loosly-woven like cloth fabrics. There are many more threads of a stronger design held together by some top-secret formulation, all of which combined call for a machine with alot of punch-power. I use the smallest needle that will not break, and will handle the size of thread used.

 

[Joe]

I second the recommendation to visit your local sewing machine repair and sales shop. Usually a one man operation... they often have rebuilt or used professional quality machines that can handle the job. You need special needles and thread.... do your research and ask the professionals for advice.

 

[RichH]

For a 'dress makers' sewing machine to be suitable for 'punching through' many layers of sail fabric:
• metal gears,
• massive weight wheel (the one you turn to get most machines 'started'),
• extra strength 'presser foot' springs (to stop the presser foot from constantly 'jumping up' when the needle withdraws the thread from the fabric layers)
• Learn how to 're-TIME' that machine so that the all the small parts that come together to make the 'stitch' come together in correct alignment and TIMING. Very frustrating to a have a dress makers sewing machine constantly 'go out of TIMING' when sewing heavy fabrics.

To aid in thread feeding to the needle when using a dress makers type machine ... soak or constantly spray the thread spool with a 'teflon based' dry lubricant.

 

[Tejas]

While I don't recommend a home sewing machine -- I had a Pfaff 130 that I decided at least for me was not adequate for canvas and sails -- there are a few tips for using a home sewing machine.

In selecting a used home sewing machine, in addition to robustness, you probably want to consider the lift of the foot, the space under the arm and the maximum thread size. Home sewing machine specifications typically limit thread to V 69. I was able to sew V 92 with the Pfaff. If I could get material under the foot of the Pfaff, the machine would sew, but the space was limited. On some machines just because material can be gotten under the foot doesn't mean that thickness can be sewed. Lifting the foot opens the needle-thread tension discs, and if the discs fail to close when the foot is lowered, proper stitches cannot be sewed.

The needle-thread tension discs on some home sewing machines fail to provide enough tension. However, double-wrapping the upper-thread around the tension discs might be a solution.

As for lubricating the thread, Sailrite sells a thread lubricator and thread lubrication the might be helpful.

http://www.sailrite.com/easearch#!&ea_q=thread lubricator

 

[Sailm8]

The sacrificial sunbrella strip had come unstitched on my jib. I took it to a canvas shop and for $200, she restiched the entire sail with UV thread. My wife had repaired it with her Sears years ago but didn't want to do it again. I wasn't going to try because I didn't want any fingers hanging from the sail.

 

[seadaddler]

canvas shop

I needed to have the uv protective sunbrella restitched also and had a canvas
shop repair it but a few months later it needed to be restitched again but
this time I went to a UK sail shop who makes and repairs sails here locally.
And this time they restitched the whole UV sunbrella for me and was great until my mistake got court out in 30 kts and gusting and what happen due to my mistake the sail got all wrapped around half open and with the wind at 30kts
beat the hell out of the UV sunbrella and ripped it pretty bad but most of the restitched job hell up well but the sunbrella in the middle and clew got badly
damaged,it is now in the same shop for all new complete UV protective sunbrella.
What I am trying to tell you that when it comes to sails in the wind it needs to be done properly other wise it will come apart when out sailing sooner or later and maybe at a bad time and I had it happen to me once and did even more damage beyond repair.
Nick

 

[woodster]

no but i did use my ex's filter queen vac one time to vac out my 350 chevy engine in the lifter valley hence the ex i think lol

 

[centerline]

contrary to some of the other replies, and depending on the machine, I highly recommend a GOOD home sewing machine for most projects concerning boat canvas and upholstery.... especially for someone who is just starting out

I will add, that a heavier machine is always better, but it is almost always a lot more money and most of us will never run our machines at a high duty cycle, even though we may have a heavy duty job once in a while.

a well chosen "home" model will do almost everything you will ever need to do unless you are sewing heavy harness leather or thick rubber, but it just wont do it as fast.

about 30 years ago, I had a basic singer machine that was a bit light for what i needed and i finally got another old used machine that has been going strong since then.
its an old husqvarna/viking 21-A 2 speed, that will easily punch thru up to 9 layers of sunbrella (its difficult to fit any more than that under the foot)... and sometimes it takes some patience to get the wad of material thru the arm, but a little pre-planning and it all works out just fine.
I have been using it for years and without any problems....

when using a home machine, the limitations are the size of thread, the length of arm and the power to push thru multi layers of heavy material.... choose the machine that covers what you want and use it...

if you need a machine that has a long arm, can take large thread and has a lot of power, and will be used a LOT over the next few years at a high duty cycle, then you need a good quality industrial machine... but if you are only going to be doing a couple of upholstery jobs, a few sail/jib bags, biminis/dodgers and a few other projects the next few years, a well chosen home machine will get you by just fine. they last a long time if maintained properly.
a machine with a walking foot is the second most most desirable feature after power...

ive sewn sail cloth which is very easy material to work with (making bags), but I have never sewn sails, so i wont make any recommendations here about that.

if money is no object for you, buy bigger and better.... because that is exactly what i would do if i thought i needed bigger, but with some of the creations i've made over the years with what i have, i cant see the reasoning for needing a bigger machine.... but others who have not been so lucky to have found a good strong "home" sewing machine have purchased the heavier industrial type machines and are completely happy...(why wouldnt they be)
but dont rule out the more affordable option just because the first light duty/entry level model someone gives you, doesnt do it for you.... look for a good strong one.

 

[kito]

The Necchi Hd22 was recommended to me for a good heavy duty home machine. It can sew 16 layers of Sunbrella with #69 thread. I found this place http://www.lotathings.com/Necchi-HD...E-FREE-SHIPPING-NEW-WITH-WARRANTY-_p_841.html

They sell a complete package for $389 shipped on Ebay. Still, if I pay that much I better take sewing lessons first. I really would like to do my own upholstery and canvas work.

 

[Chris Patterson]

It can be done. My philosophy is, it's a machine....with instructions. I've turned out a few turkeys, but really...ain't that difficult.

On my boat I commonly refer to my 'Frankenstein bimini', but everyone else says it looks fine. They're not stoned, I can tell..just kind I guess..

 

[Capt jgw]

I'm still alive, so, no. Actually I used a Singer 403A that was my mother's to do some upholstery and canvas work. Now it needs a new motor, but I did really abuse it.
If you want to buy a machine, check out Sailrite.com. I have thier LS1 which has been great. I now wish I had gotten the LSZ1 which is zigzag.
I saw on Ebay last month the exact same machines as the LS1and LSZ1 for about 1/3 the cost. They're not there now, but probaby will be again.

 

[dscribner]

Go to Sailrite.com. They sell kits and say specifically that a home machine is sufficient for most of the sail. The really thick parts require a ssil palm and elboe grease.

 

[centerline]

I'm still alive, so, no. Actually I used a Singer 403A that was my mother's to do some upholstery and canvas work. Now it needs a new motor, but I did really abuse it.
If you want to buy a machine, check out Sailrite.com. I have thier LS1 which has been great. I now wish I had gotten the LSZ1 which is zigzag.
I saw on Ebay last month the exact same machines as the LS1and LSZ1 for about 1/3 the cost. They're not there now, but probaby will be again.

I agree that if you are going to spend the money on a dedicated heavy duty machine, dont cheap out on the features, cuz thats the only real reason for getting one of the expensive ones... so that it can do ALL the jobs that you would ever need to do