What sort of sewing machine

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HankRearden

HankRearden

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I want to play around with making some of my own upholstery for my mopars and my boat. I failed sewing in high school home-ec so this will probably go poorly.Which is why I don't want to go broke buying an expensive sewing machine. Can anyone tell me if the antique singer machines will sew the marine vinyl on Amazon. I can buy one of those locally pretty cheap and it has the benefit of being a cool looking antique when this experiment fails horribly.

singer.jpg
 
If you can find the correct needles for the older machine, you MAY be able to pull it off. Most upholsterers have a heavier duty machine for the heavier vinyl.
 
Look for a singer industrial machine with a walking foot. End result will be better. They arent that expensive.
 
I got Kitty a Singer heavy duty at Joann Fabrics recently. It was around 200 dollars. So far, it's done everything she's wanted to do. She's even sewed on a leather belt for me on it.
 
The ebay one is a Packard... Kinda keeping it in the Brand so to speak
 
PFAFF and Merrow built the industrial sewing machines I have used and worked on in the textile mill. Wife has ran industrial machines most of her career. I don't know what brands.
Two pieces of vinyl, canvas, or any upholstery grade fabric is too much for household dress makers machine. Add a welt bead in the seam is waaay too much.
Parts and service for any of them can be outrageous.
The Packard on Ebay may be a good buy. I didn't see what year model/how old it is.
 
PFAFF and Merrow built the industrial sewing machines I have used and worked on in the textile mill. Wife has ran industrial machines most of her career. I don't know what brands.
Two pieces of vinyl, canvas, or any upholstery grade fabric is too much for household dress makers machine. Add a welt bead in the seam is waaay too much.
Parts and service for any of them can be outrageous.
The Packard on Ebay may be a good buy. I didn't see what year model/how old it is.
 
I wanted to do the same as you. Spent about a year watching and reading about what was needed online. I finally got a 30? year old Juki with a walking foot for $250 about three years ago. From the person who used it in there daily job, and new everything about its history. Still have not used it to make something useful. But it is the kind of machine that will sew anything.
 
dalerich said:
I wanted to do the same as you. Spent about a year watching and reading about what was needed online. I finally got a 30? year old Juki with a walking foot for $250 about three years ago. From the person who used it in there daily job, and new everything about its history. Still have not used it to make something useful. But it is the kind of machine that will sew anything.
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I bought the sylvania. It was local and cheap. It has paperwork with it that says it can sew heavy stuff like canvas and leather, specifically mentions upholstery. I tried it on some vinyl and it worked sort of but now I need to learn to sew.
 
use to be 1000 furniture upholster shops in central nc for all the new furniture went over seas, might could find a good machine cheap in that area,...what ever machine you chose just go slow take ya time and watch them fingers!!
 
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