Sewing Machine Suggestions

[Sail123]

Tuff to find big water in Nebraska as well. My only close by option is Branched Oak Lake. About the size of a walmart and SAMs club shopping center tract of land. Not very large for a 32 foot sailboat. Hey, beats not sailing. I daydream about blue water, like a horny kid ogles the ladies underwear in the JCPennys Catalogs . Lol

 

[Tejas]

Before you make the trip you might want to eMail the seller and ask for the model number and if possible the serial number. With the serial number the model and year of manufacture can be found. Search on the model number to get more information, or post and perhaps some of us can help get information.

 

[Sumner]

Before you make the trip you might want to eMail the seller and ask for the model number and if possible the serial number. With the serial number the model and year of manufacture can be found. Search on the model number to get more information, or post and perhaps some of us can help get information.

Good idea. That looks to be somewhat like what my friend in Missouri got from a furniture company, although I think his is a newer machine. His is very heavy duty, but no reverse and it sews really fast. Too fast for him. He also had to have a friend that worked at the factory and serviced the machines there come over and get him setup on it. Also way too big to use anywhere but home.

Bigger is not always better for our type projects. Out projects are a lot of piecemeal work and short seams. Having a machine where you can sew stitch by stitch (slow) will be a big advantage while learning and using it later.

The craigs list search is a good idea, just maybe don't be tempted by a really large machine unless that is what you really need and you know how to run it.

Last fall we were making projects for the Endeavour and Ruth had two foot operations involving pins and such and couldn't run the sewing machine for a couple months. Prior to that I had only sewed a couple seams on a few projects. I decided to give it a go and ....

http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/canvas-index.html

...sewed up the dodger/bimini myself before she returned to work. It was possible since the LSZ-1 not only punches through a lot of material but can do it very slowly when needed stitch by stitch and I used the reverse a lot to 'lock in' the ends of the seams and to also turn the project and just sew in reverse on short seams.

I really enjoyed it and now do more of the sewing on projects along with laying out and cutting the material,

Sum

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Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[Bill Roosa]

Couple of thoughts:
Most sail repairs can be done by hand faster and easier then on a machine.
most sail repairs are just two pieces of fabric or so many pieces you HAVE to do them by hand or have a dedicated supper duper industrial machine mounted on a concrete base with a technician in attendance to keep it running right. The point being you would be doing those repairs by hand anyway so your machine only really needs to do "normal" sewing for 90% of the work you do.
A standard home sewing machine works fine for sail repair as long as it is along the edge (and not on a patch with 10 layers of material) so the utility of a machine for sail repair is much reduced and you have to do it by hand anyway. Trying to get all that material 'through the throat" is not going to happen!
I have hands pretty much anywhere I go so I can repair when away from the doc as long as i have needle and thread.
All those other projects can be done with a home sewing machine. I've use the Admiral's Huscavarna for the new bimini and curtains, main sail cover, sail ties, line bags and intend to use it to replace the cabin cushion covers. It has successfully sewn through 5 layers of sumbrella with no problem. I never ran into a 6 layer situation but think it could handle that too.
SO
learn to hand sew for the majority of your sail repairs (there are only two types of stitches and about 3 knots) and use a standard home machine for all the rest of the projects.

 

[Tejas]

Anecdotally, sail repairs I've made have been sewed by hand or not even required sewing but rather just sticky-back tape. The sacrificial cover of my jib will soon need replacing, and the sewing would be within two-feet of the edge of the sail, which I think can be done with a straight stitch sewing machine.

As for layers, simply binding the edge of fabric is five layers, going over a seam is seven layers, overlapping binding at a corner is nine layers, add webbing reinforcement to the edge ....

Getting fabric under the arm can be a hassle and can be facilitated by using spring clamps or rolling the fabric up and sliding on a short length of PVC pipe cut with a lenght-wise slot.

 

[Sail123]

Another take on this sewing question, is how many of us keep the sewing machine on our sailboats?

I keep mine at my business, where I store extra sails in file cabinets. High and dry. Collected 15 sails, far too many to keep on the boat anyway

 

[RichLan]

I have used a Singer 4423 for cushion covers, sail cover and other misc. items.
It has sewn six layers of Sunbrella and vinyl with ease. I bought it new from a Singer dealer on Ebay for around $200.00. The case is made of plastic, but that makes it light weight.

 

[Bill Roosa]

I keep my needles, hand palm and thread in the nav station pencil organizer and the spare sailcloth under the aft birth mattress.

 

[onecoolair]

Learning to Sew

First time learning sewing..Or even with experience...
Something to consider is that crappy cheap sewing machine will be harder to learn to sew with and way more frustrating to use. It will making one more likely to just give up on learning. You will have wasted more time and money on that cheap piece of so called fake industrial my #&^*$( crap!!. It would be smarter to do it rite the first time!
A few years ago I needed a machine to do some projects of my own. It had been a few years since I had last sewn. Money was tight so I bought one those so called heavy duty industrial machines at least that's what it was marketed as. Lying as..-hol#^!!... I ended up wasting so much time and money having hire a professional every week to make repairs because it was impossible to fix it myself or find parts.
I finally went with a sail rite.....and my gosh what a relief!!!. Once I had the sailrite I ended up redoing everything I had done before. My work man ship and productivity increase one thousand percent!!

 

[onecoolair]

deleted

delete.....delele,....delete

 

[Sail123]

delete.....delele,....delete

My sewing machine does not have a delete function. Is that a new feature? Lol

 

[onecoolair]

My sewing machine does not have a delete function. Is that a new feature? Lol

Very funny!... There was a hiccup in the system as I hit the submit button. And the double posting would not delete. :bang:

 

[Ron20324]

delete.....delele,....delete

Sorry, but putting the machine in reverse does not 'delete' stitches. :naughty:

 

[JonnyQuest]

Regular sewing machine OK for canvas/sunstrip restitching?

This is digging back to a December 2012 thread, but I saw the below discussion where Bill Roosa commented in part that a regular home sewing machine works OK for sail repairs as long as its near the edge. Would that include just restitching the sacrificial cover along my genny? Seems like a self-evident yes, but wanted to make sure before I had my wife's standard Brother home sewing machine tuned up for the work.

I need to restitch the genny sunstrip and to restitch my canvas covers as well--no 6 layers of any type of material planned. Thanks for clarification for the occasional use of a home/personal grade sewing machine!

JonnyQuest

Couple of thoughts:
...A standard home sewing machine works fine for sail repair as long as it is along the edge (and not on a patch with 10 layers of material) so the utility of a machine for sail repair is much reduced and you have to do it by hand anyway. Trying to get all that material 'through the throat" is not going to happen!
All those other projects can be done with a home sewing machine. I've use the Admiral's Huscavarna for the new bimini and curtains, main sail cover, sail ties, line bags and intend to use it to replace the cabin cushion covers. It has successfully sewn through 5 layers of sumbrella with no problem. I never ran into a 6 layer situation but think it could handle that too.
SO
learn to hand sew for the majority of your sail repairs (there are only two types of stitches and about 3 knots) and use a standard home machine for all the rest of the projects.

 

[Sumner]

...--no 6 layers of any type of material planned..

The layers add up fast. If you have one piece on the other and have it hemmed that will be 3 layers. If you are on an edge and they are both hemmed now you have 4 layers. Overlap these onto somthing else and you can get to 6 and 8 and more. It all adds up,

Sum

[FONT=Arial, sans-serif]============================[/FONT]

Our Endeavour 37

Our MacGregor 26-S Pages

Our Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida

Mac-Venture Links

 

[JonnyQuest]

Hi Sum,
I brought the genny to the shop whereupon wife bought Her brother sewing machine, Figuring that they would know the capabilities of that machine. To make a long story short they said I should not have any problems, But may need to hand turn The wheel to get over thicker portions. Very few of on my sail. I guess my sail is really kind of a small sale and it is pretty thin compared to many people's sails.

We will probably give it a try, but if the sail repair proves to be too difficult maybe we'll just stick to the canvas projects only.

 

[JonnyQuest]

I'll have a doubled/folded layer of sunbrella on each side of the single layer of sail cloth -- 4 thin and one thick(er) layer of fabric to go through. At least that's how the sacrificial cover is currently atatcehd to my genny.

 

[onecoolair]

Hi Sum,
I brought the genny to the shop whereupon wife bought Her brother sewing machine, Figuring that they would know the capabilities of that machine. To make a long story short they said I should not have any problems, But may need to hand turn The wheel to get over thicker portions. Very few of on my sail. I guess my sail is really kind of a small sale and it is pretty thin compared to many people's sails.

We will probably give it a try, but if the sail repair proves to be too difficult maybe we'll just stick to the canvas projects only.

You would be better off saving the money and wasted time an frustration in repairs to your wifes house hold machine..... By just using that money and putting it into the investment of a Sailrite machine..... If you do not want to do that then take it to your local sail loft and let them do it using the proper thread and machine.
BTW..... Take it from someone who learned the hard way.

 

[rardiH36]

My experience/opinion from doing a lot of sail and canvas projects with a non "Sailrite" type of machine:

- A good home machine will be ok for your job provided you are very careful. Unless the Brother is from the 60's/70's, it is likely to have plastic worm gears inside. Too much stress will strip the gears. (As I did to my wife's Singer! Fortunately, internet mail order replacement parts enabled me to fix for only about $10.) (I subsequently found an older Kenmore that does only straight and zig-zag and is all metal inside -- my exclusive boat machine now.)
- Sacrificial fabric is relatively thin. And sailcloth that's been flying in the wind for a few years also can be poked easily with a needle. The most layers will be at the leach side. So your new fabric folded over + the leach tape + the field sail cloth = Five layers of cloth. But every 3-4 ft is an inch where the field sail cloth sections overlap = 6 layers. I think this will be ok.
- Don't even attempt to use the machine at the multiple and stiff layer head or at the clew or the tack. Even by "turning the wheel by hand". Won't work. The needle won't push through easily. Or even if you do manage to force it through, the thread itself can bind in the fabric which will cause a bird's nest of tangle underneath. Get out your punch awl and do these areas by hand.
- Set the machine to zig-zag. Don't do a straight stitch. Use widest from side-to-side and longest stitch length the machine will do. Check that the top and bottom thread tensions result in a good looking stitch.
- A home machine does not have enough foot pressure (nor a walking foot) to grip/feed the heavy/slippery cloth and also drag the weight of an entire sail consistently into the machine. If your wife is actually doing the sewing, you should continue to gather/pull/push/feed the sail gently into the machine as consistently as you can. Or she needs to do this if you are managing the machine.
- Thinnest sail maker's thread is best for a home machine. Needs to be UV resistant of course.
- Use the most robust needle you can find. At the local sewing store, this will be either for heavy denim. Or for leather.
- Before you invest in supplies, maybe first try sewing a few inches on your sail with some practice material to see how it goes for you. Afterward, the thread can be carefully cut without damaging the sail so the practice area can be removed.
- How are you going to pre-fasten the sacrificial fabric to the sail? Special double-sided tape is necessary. Don't use spray-on tack glue which turns yellow with UV exposure and age and becomes very noticeable.

The above of course assumes that you and/or wife already now how to use the machine and have maybe previously done some heavier duty household projects like upholstery covers for the garden furniture.

I never have had a problem with a home machine for things like restitching Sunbrella sail covers or my pedestal cover. But again, if its too many layers, like at the fastener fittings, "go hand".

 

[stephen Penny]

We purchased a Sailrite sewing machine and it works great.