A little guidance requested

If i wanted to work on some custom leather upholstery, is it more appropriate to post in sewing or leather?

Also- is there a checkout or class required for the sewing machines?

There is a sewing 101 class for the basic sewing machines and a special class for the Thor leather sewing machine. If you’re looking at hand sewing then the leather group would be more appropriate.

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thank you! that’s just what i was looking for!

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And @matthshooter is the guru of Thor the Machine. (Or as he calls it, Chris Hemsworth the sewing machine)

Yeah, im kinda curious to see what that is. i used to have an industrial machine for upholstery that could do leather, but with a name like Thor, im kind of expecting something epic.

Thor is the brand name… its a big industrial machine that stitches through heavyweight veg-tan leather like butter. Or so Matt describes it. At the moment, it only has a cylinder bed, so might be hard to undertake a big upholstery project before we can get a fit-around table built.

Given the fact that somebody managed to break the foot within a week of its’ arrival, you MUST take the training class to get signed off.

That said, it sounds like you might be a candidate to become a trainer for Chris/Thor. Matt’s business has had him on the road a lot these past few months.

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Mine was a singer heavyduty and from the sound of it not nearly as powerful as this one. that being said i could probably teach the class, but i fly for a living and spend about 3 weeks a month on the road, so it would be a little hit or miss.

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With your work schedule you might want to see if one of the teachers can give you a one-on-one on our machines so you don’t have to try to catch a class when you’re actually in town. I know some teachers will be willing to work with folks with an issue like yours.

that would be fantastic- is there a good way to set something like that up?

We used to have an additional leather sewing machine that was more of a heavy-duty Singer type. Not sure if we’ve still got it with all the foofarah that’s been going on. Again, it was a training-required, but something should be able to be worked out.

Give it a little while and see if one of them jumps in here. Otherwise, I’d start a new topic for “Need help getting signed off on Leather Sewing Machine”…

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It’s still there, but I’m not sure who does the sign-offs on it.

I took both Thor and the training for the two other leather machines from Matt.

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So did I.
The Pfaff belongs to DMS, and while referred to as a leather machine, it’s really just a domestic machine built in the days of cast-iron simplicity. It just has a strong motor so it can chomp through heavier-weight materials.
I’ve heard differing reports on the other “leather” machine. It has a walking foot, but when I took the class it wasn’t working very well. I thought I read on talk that it went home to its original owner, but I haven’t looked in a cabinet to confirm.
Thor is in a class by itself. I won’t be real comfy using it until we have a fit-around table. Not that keen on my fingers having to be so close to a needle that punches through heavyweight leather with ease.

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The “other” sewing machine is a Rex 607 on loan. It is above one of the cabinet. Be careful lowering it. It probably weighs 30-40lbs. It is a clone of a Sailrite industrial machine.

From the Leather wiki page:
https://dallasmakerspace.org/wiki/Leather#Sewing_Machines

image

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I’m interested in getting signed off on the Pfaff, it was being used last night and looks like the type of machine I am looking to use more than the Thor (which I did take the class on, but it’s much more than I need for the type of projects I tend to work on.) I think the Pfaff would be perfect for things that are a little too heavy for my home machine. :slight_smile:

Cindy

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At the moment, I don’t think I’m authorized to sign anybody off on anything, but I’m investigating the process.

I’ll keep you posted. Since Thor was added to the mix, I wonder whether calling the other two machines “leather” machines is still appropriate. Something to discuss tomorrow night at the sewing SIG.

Some musings here, since I won’t be able to make the meeting.

I’ve never quite understood why the Pfaff was segregated out. I’m moderately sure it was acquired by the early Leather SIG, which is why they considered it “their” machine, but I looked at it last night, and it’s just a heavy-duty sewing machine. Back when I first heard about it, I wanted to take the authorization thing, because it sounded like what we would need to sew the big canvas canopies somebody wanted to make.

So – we should figure that out, and maybe add it somewhere. I will say that the Pfaff has a different threading pattern. I mean – every non-industrial sewing machine is following the same basic path – the specific positions may be in slightly different spots on the machine. While experienced folks can puzzle it out, newer folks and less-mechanically inclined folks may not. Still, IMHO, sewing is sewing…

I agree with you Beth.
I think all of the machine-thinking needs contemplation. I think that no matter what sewing machine classes you take, you should be walking away with a diagram of the threading pattern, bobbin winding and placement, basic “before you start” maintenance for the machine(s) you were signed off on to keep for reference. Nobody should be expected to remember minute details like that over a long period of time of not actually using it. But those details can make or break your sewing experience. (or make or break the machine itself.)

Other things I’ve learned: the embroidery machine is NOT just an embroidery machine. It’s a regular sewing machine that just happens to have embroidery capabilities, but it’s been called “an embroidery machine.”

I’m kind of wondering whether we should stop looking at price-point on machines are start looking at durability of machines. Might be better to have some older machines that take a licking and keep ticking than having frequent breakdowns on lesser machines that are designed to be somewhat disposable. (for example - just saw an old 1960’s Kenmore at the local Salvation Army store for less than $60 bucks. If it was there on July 4th, I could snag it for $30 during the half-price sale.

I’m thinking I’ll pick the brains of my sewing-machine repair guy friend…

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Yeah, anything that can be reliably repaired would be good in my opinion. Eventually things will hit a wall but metal gears last longer than nylon.

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