Thread: sewing canvas

Ok
What you want is a 99K style machine. This is a cast iron type. Older type of machine. One that has a wooden base. reason is they are stronger and heavy duty than the new palastic ones. Also easyer to use on the floor with a big canvas. As the canvas won't move the machine around too much.
Then you want to chose a strong needle but that will come later. needles are not all the same . There are hundreds of differant ones . It depends on what you are sewing. Jeans , silk , cotton.
Once you have your needle then you have to take a bit of scrap canvas and test the machine and get the tension of the thread right. (BTW make sure you get rot proof thread or stuff for canvas). If the thread bunches under the fabric then the top tension needs setting , if it does it on the top then the bottom tension in the bobin needs doing.
Easy really
Don't go for a new flashy plastic one with a computor. They are set to work for a certain number of hours and then go bang . And besides that they are crap

I agree with what Reads90 has said.

When I was purchasing my machines I rang up a machine repair shop and the bloke told me which ones to look out for in the trading post.

There is one particular one (can't remember for the life of me) but he said that you can pick them up dirt cheap ($10-$20) and they can convert them for you so they handle thicker thread (basically they machine off part of the bobbin housing I believe). As Reads said you want something strong and heavy.

I managed to pick up an old singer machine for $5 at a garage sale, that machine will sew through canvas but it won't take the thicker thread.

Hope that helps, cheers Nat

Depends on how many layers of canvas you want to sew and how heavy the canvas is. I'm guessing you're not in Sydney, 'cos I've got a room full of industrial machines.

IIRC you need a ball point needle for canvas - it goes in between threads rather than poking through threads of the canvas.

An old straight stitch industrial shouldn't cost you more than $50-150, that'll get you a ancient Singer that does forward and reverse and probably a knee-lift foot, which makes life easier if you're doing a lot of sewing.

Problem with those little Singers is that they will do the job in most cases, although sometimes you're going to have to wind the needle through by hand cranking - again, becomes a bother if you're doing metres of hand cranking. Also, sitting on the floor crouched over the job for hours is not comfortable.

A lot of sewing big canvas - under sail size - is about having the space to lay the job up before you sew, knowing exactly how the seams are going to go, and folding the job up in such a way that it'll feed easily through the machine. You need a fair bit of space front and back of the machine to feed the job across.

Other good thing about industrials is that the bobbins are bigger - take more thread - so if you are using heavy thread you don't have to change the bobbin every couple of minutes.

If you are going really heavy - 4+ layers of over 16oz canvas - you might want to find a walking foot machine. This clamps the job and drags it forward between stitches.

Or you can find your local sailmaker/shoe repair guy and get them to quote on it for you.

Cheers
Simon.

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

Depends on how many layers of canvas you want to sew and how heavy the canvas is. I'm guessing you're not in Sydney, 'cos I've got a room full of industrial machines.

IIRC you need a ball point needle for canvas - it goes in between threads rather than poking through threads of the canvas.

An old straight stitch industrial shouldn't cost you more than $50-150, that'll get you a ancient Singer that does forward and reverse and probably a knee-lift foot, which makes life easier if you're doing a lot of sewing.

Problem with those little Singers is that they will do the job in most cases, although sometimes you're going to have to wind the needle through by hand cranking - again, becomes a bother if you're doing metres of hand cranking. Also, sitting on the floor crouched over the job for hours is not comfortable.

A lot of sewing big canvas - under sail size - is about having the space to lay the job up before you sew, knowing exactly how the seams are going to go, and folding the job up in such a way that it'll feed easily through the machine. You need a fair bit of space front and back of the machine to feed the job across.

Other good thing about industrials is that the bobbins are bigger - take more thread - so if you are using heavy thread you don't have to change the bobbin every couple of minutes.

If you are going really heavy - 4+ layers of over 16oz canvas - you might want to find a walking foot machine. This clamps the job and drags it forward between stitches.

Or you can find your local sailmaker/shoe repair guy and get them to quote on it for you.

Cheers
Simon.

How much for one?

Thankyou for the info.
I was wondering if an old singer would work and sounds like it will. Of the camping repair shops I have been in they all seem to use singers. I want to try and make my own seat covers and bits and pieces. 16oz with a couple of layers would be the upper limit of what I will be doing.
Being in regional Vic it can be a bit hard to find the right people to talk too, and some manufacturing places feel that you will be taking business away from them.
I have plenty of room to lay things out, so that will not be a problem.