Sewing Machine

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  • 14 Dec 2016 08:05
    Reply # 4458720 on 4225757

    Hi Paul the machine is all metal though the motor cover is a hard plastic that has become brittle with age. Mine is 220 volt the wattage is 80. The model is the Automatic 21e.

    Speed control is via the foot pedal, more pressure more speed. It has reverse but that is very stiff on mine and I use it by flicking the cam back manually.

    I was able to sew 3-4 layers of seat belt webbing and 4 layers of Odyssey lll cloth using a 120 needle and v90 thread. The biggest problem was getting it all under the foot. Putting that much through I did have to help the walking foot a bit.:)

    More here on it.

    http://www.spiritedshannon.com/2011/03/husqvarna-21-e-i-love-you.html

  • 09 Dec 2016 12:50
    Reply # 4449429 on 4225757
    Deleted user

    hi gary

    ive heard nice things about these machines, but ive never had a chance to play around with one in person.  my understanding is that they are truly all metal.

    does your machine have a "speed control" or a transmission gear of some sort on the bottom left?  it would be used to sew at slow speed but geared down with much more torque.  also, can you tell us what the motor is rated (110volts or 220volts and how many watts)?

    thanks

    paul

  • 07 Dec 2016 21:08
    Reply # 4445689 on 4225757

    I have a Husqvarna Automatic circa late 1960s that I used to make my sail. It did a good job and handled most of what I pushed under needle.

    Last modified: 07 Dec 2016 21:09 | Anonymous member
  • 26 Nov 2016 04:56
    Reply # 4411862 on 4410000
    Deleted user

    Hi David

    I have looked for the Mercury at The Sewing Depot, without success. 

    Are you able to provide supplier and/or model please?

    The Machine came from the Sewing Depot. The model number on the machine is Portable WFZ-L. Might be worth contacting them to see if the machines are still available. 
  • 24 Nov 2016 18:10
    Reply # 4410000 on 4226310
    Anonymous
    David Thatcher wrote:

    David Tyler will probably have a lot of useful thoughts on this but ideally you need an industrial type machine with a walking foot, which is capable of punching through several layers of canvas. The ideal machine is the Sailrite which are made for heavy canvas and sail making. In New Zealand I purchased a new Chinese made Mercury machine which seems identical to the Sailrite apart from the heavy flywheel on the Sailrite. This cost NZ$500 new with the extra long throat, or arm. I use the Sailrite manual for the machine which shows how identical they are. I have used this now for a sail cover, bimini, and other canvas project on the boat, and for repairing horse covers. I bought new because any second hand machines were of doubtful age and quality and so the price of the Mercury compared very well, and it came with an extended warranty. So far it has performed well.

    Hi David

    I have looked for the Mercury at The Sewing Depot, without success. 

    Are you able to provide supplier and/or model please?

  • 18 Sep 2016 21:54
    Reply # 4255771 on 4255252
    paul bournhonesque wrote:

    im glad my reply has added to the dialog.  can some one let me know what an article is?  i would be glad to help out with something but since there are sorta different levels of "publication" to take a simple blog post to the next level of an article, i could do some reviewing and maybe editing?

    thanks

    paul


    I assume, that Scott meant an article for the magazine.  One of my many jobs as sub-editor, is to trawl the website for any posts or threads that can be the basis of an article in the magazine.  In this case, we were thinking of using the post that Paul had written, and Lynda was just going to copy and paste it in.   But If you want to write an article from scratch, using the information available, you'd be very welcome to.  I'll forward this thread to Lynda, the editor.  However, the deadline for issue 72, was a few days ago and she may just want to stick with Paul's original post for now.  That doesn't mean to say that an article, with even more information (plus pros and cons) wouldn't be welcome in the future!

    Maybe you'd like to contact Lynda, too, at editor@junkrigassociation.org and discuss this with her.


  • 18 Sep 2016 21:05
    Reply # 4255730 on 4225757
    Deleted user

    Thanks Paul,

    It does seem like there is some risk with the plastic gears.  However, the way this machine feeds fabric has lured me to the dark side :-)  It looks like some replacement gears are still available while others are not.  The 1222 Pfaff only has four plastic gears that are important to me.  I'm only interested in straight and zigzag stitch, so I don't think I have any need for the plastic cam stack. If I should become emotionally attached to the machine and break a gear, then I think I wouldn't have trouble moulding a new gear from urethane (I used to do this for RC model airplanes).  If it didn't involve re-timing the machine, I might just mold a new set as insurance.  

    Also, I should state that I have not made my own sail yet.  I've sewed sail covers, dodgers, a tonneau cover, cushion covers and other fabric bits for a boat, but I've only been an assistant while David Tyler sewed his last wing sail.

  • 18 Sep 2016 08:42
    Reply # 4255350 on 4225757
    Deleted user

    great to read darrens post.  the voice of practical experience is really important, since again i dont have sail making experience myself.  especially nice to bring up some more examples of machines and their pros and cons.

    singer 400 series vs pfaff 1222 -  for the right price either one of these are good with one important caution on the pfaff 1222 (below).  singer 401a wins on durability and still has good power, but the pfaff 1222 wins on torque, control, and having a top feed.

    for sails, singer 401a, 403a, 404, are strong machines but somewhat collectable these days, especially the 401a (kinda expensive).  but what darren says about the feel of using the machine brings up an important aspect i didnt mention before, TORQUE!  It is the power to rotate, but in the context of a sewing machine, i feel it as the power to punch through the material.  the pfaff has that punch-through torque and, though the 401a is not a wimpy machine, not so much torque.  also, the 1222e has electronic control.  the "e" in 1222e stands for "electronic", which means the controller doesnt use a rheostat like an older machine (e.g: singer 401a).  it will give more control over the machine: even power throughout the whole range of speeds.  darren and everyone else has to start the 401a with a little pull on the hand wheel (thus the name).  electronic control is why darren can enjoy slow speed sewing, which is good for making a sail too for sure!  the IDT (integrated duel feed) looks nice.  instead of the whole foot moving in tandem with the feed dogs below, there is a little tongue that moves between the tabs of the presser foot.  so nice!

    Caution - many people swear by these pfaff 1222 machines: powerful but smooth and quite.  but unfortunately that smooth quite design comes at a price which darren already identified: plastic gears.

    as machines modernized, like everything they started using more contemporary materials where they are a better fit.  in sewing machines, that means plastic gears which really smooth and quite things out, especially a nice nylon gear turning off of a steel worm gear.  that is great for mama's winter evening quiltings in the parlor with the dog lying in front of the crackling woodstove in 1978, but maybe not so good for sewing a saill in 2016.  the problem with these plastic gears is polymer degradation.  it might be from oil, but i think its more from heat, time, oxidization, etc.  the big risk is that the 1222 has had a few decades for the plastic (nylon?) gears to become brittle and, while it can handle the light sewing like the champ it was back in the day, the gears might crack when the machine hits 6 layers of sail material today, especially with all that nice power and torque that i mentioned above pushing from behind.  i hope darrens 1222e goes forever but its a real risk.  i think that the cam stack gear in the pfaff is cheap and easy to change oneself, but there are others that could be expensive. 

    this quilter blogger says it well.

    "[the pfaff 1222 is] One of the best vintage workhorses around, it comes with IDF that eliminates the need for a walking food.  German engineering that is top quality.  Be careful when purchasing because this model does have the plastic gears and if stored in an area without climate control those gears can crack.  Some swear by this model and only use it for all their sewing.  A great machine and very quiet compared to other models"

    on this same point, i have a machine that i really wish i could recommend, but i cant for just this reason.  viking 6000 series machines are similar vintage to the 1222.  i bought a beautiful viking 6440 IN MINT CONDITION for just $25 at a garage sale.  its is a heavy, cast iron frame (as are the singer 401a and pfaff 1222e) and has an amazing balance of quiet power and smooth control (i love the foot pedal!) with a truly beautiful stitch.  even more, it has a transmission which gears down to make a SUPER POWERED slow stitch, talk about torque!  it is like a tank.  nothing could be better for a home sail maker, but they have both the waxy grease problem of the pfaff 260~360 models and also some plastic gears.  this is the worst combination.  its just not a good choice.  i went thought the machine and got it all tuned up nice.  puuuuurrrrrrrrr....  it was sewing machine love.  on my first pair of pants boom! bang! pow! the plastic cam stack gear broke, and it is a little tricky to fix.

    after asking the oracle (internet) about the situation, i went to a very sweet old sewing machine mechanic, and the moment i brought it in he said, "ahhh, youve got a new boat anchor."  he basically told me that many machines like this viking and the pfaff 1222 are wonderful but are now facing $200 to $300 plastic gear replacements.  he does do them though, and it is a testament to the inherent quality of these temptresses.  remember the quilter up above?  well she is now grandma and after 40 years of quilting, she loves her old vintage pfaff 1222 or viking 6440 soooooo much, that she will good ahead and pay the mechanic $275 to change the plastic cam stack gear so that she can keep her trustee old friend humming along again in the parlor.

    the good news is, since i love reusing/repurposing/recycling stuff, after i finish my boat and someone asks me about my anchor can proudly tell them i use a 30lb. viking 6440.

    paul

    Last modified: 18 Sep 2016 16:22 | Deleted user
  • 18 Sep 2016 05:37
    Reply # 4255252 on 4225757
    Deleted user

    im glad my reply has added to the dialog.  can some one let me know what an article is?  i would be glad to help out with something but since there are sorta different levels of "publication" to take a simple blog post to the next level of an article, i could do some reviewing and maybe editing?

    thanks

    paul

  • 17 Sep 2016 23:22
    Reply # 4255121 on 4249951
    Scott Dufour wrote:

    I'd love to see Paul's post brought in as an article. 

    Consider it done.
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