Sewing Machine

[andrew]

Have received a Christmas present request for a new sewing machine.
Aha! I thought here is an opportunity to be seen to give but also receive.
Now to get that sail and cover stitching zigzag machine I have always wanted.
Any ideas or favourites recommended ?

[Ancient Geek]

As long as its Dinghy Weight stuff, I made lots of Dacron sails in the 1966-8 period for my Merlin Rocket, patched the covers and from 1968-75 ish Dragon and FD Sails too on my mothers Singer Sewing machine it's still going so my daughter tells me she uses it for mending horse blankets, you do need to get the sharpest needles and change them often as the ddacron/terylenre thread sharpens up the eye that the thread goes through. Or did. Was probably a question of tension.

[Ancient Geek]

As long as its Dinghy Weight stuff, I made lots of Dacron sails in the 1966-8 period for my Merlin Rocket, patched the covers and from 1968-75 ish Dragon and FD Sails too on my mothers Singer Sewing machine it's still going so my daughter tells me she uses it for mending horse blankets, you do need to get the sharpest needles and change them often as the ddacron/terylenre thread sharpens up the eye that the thread goes through. Or did. Was probably a question of tension.

[Pat]

My 17 year old Pfaff Creative which was top of the range at the time is clever enough to adapt to anything from fine satin to eight layers of denim. I do lots of sewing and I've sewn waterproof coats, covers and sails with it. Just use the right type of needle - get a pack of PCL needles for plasticised fabrics such as covers and jeans needles for canvas. Microtex are good with spinnaker fabric.
The Pfaff range is quite extensive and most have a unique top feed as well as bottom so they feed layers of fabrics much more evenly - great for slippery covers and spinnakers!
Sewmaster in Reading or Guildford are Pfaff specialists and gave excellent service recently after Franklins in Salisbury had taken 5 months to do nothing.

[Ed]

Yes, I use an old Pfaff industrial zig-zagger a '280' if my memory serves right.

old industrial machines do turn up on ebay as mine did.

I can still buy spares for mine from the USA and bought a new bed and foot a while ago.

I have tried using consumer machines, but have nearly always knocked the timing out sooner or later. Not too much of a problem if it is yours.....but would advise against borrowing from friend/family.

Only problem with going down the industrial route is the size and weight of the damn things.

cheers
eib