Which sewing machine should I use query

[redx]

Greetings to all,

I've recently finished restoring a 20' boat and need a tonneau cover to protect it's cockpit area from the elements when the booat is on it's mooring. I got a quote to have a cover professionly made and it comes in at just under AU$1000! My budget won't stretch that far so I intend to have a go at making it myself, shouldn't be too difficult. I will need to do further research on the types of material available but figured I'd have to use some kind of uv resistant canvas and polyester thread suitable for the marine environment, for instance there is a type of material called "Sunbrella" that might do the job.
However, I really need some advice about sewing machines before I even begin the task. With the right sized needle would a normal household sewing machine be able to handle the canvas type material and heavier thread? I am wondering if the material would feed through ok, and if the motor would have enough torque to push the needle through the fabric? I have looked for an industrial sewing machine but even second-hand they are way too expensive, particularly as this will be a one-off project.

Would your mother's old Singer household machine handle this type of job?



Thanks,
redx.

[ian]

the short answer is no.

Just off the phone to one of my sisters. (sewing machines are as bad as wood working tools -- between them my sisters have over 10 sewing machines ranging in price from $300 to $12,000)

when I mentioned that the sunbrella fabric weighed 330 to 400 grams per sq.m there was a significant intake of breath.

my sister's advice is: for the sort of fabric you want to sew, a machine from the 1950s in very good nick might just handle it. But it will be touch and go -- and don't be surprised if the machine breaks part way through the job.
any domestic machine made since the early 1960s will be too light duty in the mechanism which feeds the material past the needle.


Sister's advice is "save the tears and get the job done professionally"

[redx]

Hi Ian

Thanks for the advice, I guess I should get a few more quotes to see if I can get the price of the cover down a bit.


".....between them my sisters have over 10 sewing machines ranging in price from $300 to $12,000)"

Bloody hell! Your sisters must do some really serious sewing!

Regards,
redx.

[_fly_]

Maybe some of those clothes alteration places in the shopping centres will put it together for you.
If you get it all cut from the right stuff and they just sew it together.
Or maybe the shoe repair man (although they usually use a post machine instead of a flat).

But both of them have industrial machines.

[ian]

".....between them my sisters have over 10 sewing machines ranging in price from $300 to $12,000"

Bloody hell! Your sisters must do some really serious sewing!

no more so than many of us are serious about our wood working -- the $12,000 machine is the sewing equivalent of a CNC setup

and the $300 machine? -- to quote it's owner, "at $300, I don't need to worry about it being stolen from the back of the car"

[redx]

Thanks Fly, I didn't think of clothes alteration places. The quote I got was from a dedicated marine cover fabricator which might account for the cost being higher than I had considered. I might even try a few upholsterers too.

Thanks,
redx.

[ian]

red
another option is your "local" of truck tarp maker
Though I realise that if you're in metro Melbourne, you may not have a "local" truck tarp maker

out of interest, in the quote of "just under $1000", how much does the material cost?

[A Duke]

Hi,
This may be what you are after
http://www.annebonnyslocker.com.au/ablesew/index.htm
Regards

[Christos]

I guess I am going to be the spanner in the works but have you thought of doing it manually?

Similar to the equivalent of using hands tools in wood working, needle and thread with a pair of scissors?

[ian]

needle and thread with a pair of scissors?

and a sail maker's palm

[A Duke]

Hi,
I see on your other tread that you got a machine, what did you get?
Regards

[redx]

I did think about doing the sewing by hand but very quickly came back to my senses.

There is a possibility I can borrow a suitable industrial machine but can't tell you what it is as I haven't seen it yet.

In the meantime I 've been looking at different marine fabrics and have settled on Weathermax 80. It is described on this website -


http://www.canvas-boat-cover-and-rep...-material.html


It says Weathermax 80 is stronger and more abrasion resistant than sunbrella and is able to be sewn on home machines!. So I might be able to do it on the old Singer after all.

Cheers,
redx

[Robson Valley]

Another place to look at are the businesses making custom car upolstery.

I make denim tool rolls with narrow pockets to hold about a dozen wood carving gouges.
I don't own a sewing machine other than a Speedy Stitcher. But, I found a lady in the village with a big machine that can do denim seams.
I cut out the parts from old blue jeans and pin them together.
She does the sewing, neat and tidy, well finished, $5 - $10 depending on complexity.
The store bought equivalent for what I need is $80+ each.

[redx]

Not sure if I replied to this post or not. It's an old thread but better late than never I guess. The sewing machine I got was a Singer 201K. It's has a polished timber cabinet and is operated by either electric motor or or foot treadle. Cost was less than $200 off ebay. It's a beautiful machine to use, really smooth and quiet, and it did the job easily and had no trouble handling the heavy duty material and thread I used for my boat cover.

[Arron]

Not sure if I replied to this post or not. It's an old thread but better late than never I guess. The sewing machine I got was a Singer 201K. It's has a polished timber cabinet and is operated by either electric motor or or foot treadle. Cost was less than $200 off ebay. It's a beautiful machine to use, really smooth and quiet, and it did the job easily and had no trouble handling the heavy duty material and thread I used for my boat cover.

I’m glad you did respond - I’m interested in this Singer 201k. When you say it is operated by either treadle or motor, do you mean that on your machine you can swap between driving the machine by either foot treadle or motor as required?

I have an industrial machine that I use for upholstery (hobby) and I’ve done what I can to slow it down and it’s not bad for most uses but I’d love something that could go ‘stitch by stitch’ for the more complicated stuff. I can hand crank my machine but that requires me to take one hand off the workpiece, not always possible, so being able to crank by foot would be ideal. Nonetheless, it must be able to run by motor for most of the time.

Cheers
Arron