I bought a sewing machine from SailRite. I found out after buying it that the triple stitch zig-zag is an important part of sail making/repair. I'm wondering if I should replace this machine with one that has the triple stitch zig-zag feature. Do you have any experience whether the normal zig-zag is good enough if you are just making things from canvas (Sunbrella) and just repairing sails?

 

SailRite mentions that a triple stitch zig-zag is not a requirement for sail work. It allows you to do in one pass what a regular zig-zag requires two passes. Be happy with your regular zig-zag until you start building sails commercially.
BTW, canvas work uses straight stitching.

 

Do you have any tips for maintaining a sewing machine while cruising? What kind of general maintenance should there be?

 

I think perhaps obvious, that another tip would be having the user manual, and if you can find one the service manual, if not for your specific machine then a generic service manual for that class of machine.

 

Yes, the three things that you can do to make sure the machine stays in good working order while cruising is as follows.

1. Keep it well oiled! A good oil coated machine using a heavy oil is going to help prevent rust in a salt environment. I is usually a good to keep it in a well ventilated area in stowage that will not have a great deal of moisture in it. Keep the belts with a bit of belt dressing on them to keep them from dry rotting.

2. Make sure you have the machine secured so that it is not buffeted about i while stowed and in heavy weather. All that knocking it around will cause it to get out of adjustment and out of time. Secure it upright and solid and that will save you tons of headaches.

3. Use it. Don't let it sit for 6 months pull it out and use it for something. it will keep the internals oiled and will keep it running smoothly.

 

Is there a 'new' machine in the $300 dollar range that is ok for cruising? The intended use would be canvas (bimini, dodger, sail cover, etc.), re-doing the cushions both inside and out, & emergency sail repair (just to get to a sail loft and have it done right).

I'm of the assumption that a zig-zag feature would be just for sail repair, and not really necessary for quick 'get you home' repairs.

thx in advance!

 

Is there a 'new' machine in the $300 dollar range that is ok for cruising? The intended use would be canvas (bimini, dodger, sail cover, etc.), re-doing the cushions both inside and out, & emergency sail repair (just to get to a sail loft and have it done right).

I'm of the assumption that a zig-zag feature would be just for sail repair, and not really necessary for quick 'get you home' repairs.

thx in advance!

That is a tough order! There are a great deal of machines that you can get that will do what you want (used) but the portability is where you are going to suffer a bit. For that price you are likely going to be in the range of a used NELCO, BROTHER or if you are lucky and early generation Sailrite LS. The Nelco is a better quality home machine that will do some medium duty sewing but is not necessarily designed to do the heavier canvas so results on a tri-fold seem may not be consistent. Many machines that were designed to do the heavier materials were designed to also be compact. You can get a Sailrite machine at the sailing shows for a deal which would put you in the $600 range.

Here is a sample of a NELCO machine

Restored Vintage Nelco R-400-2 Zigzag Sewing Machine - made in Japan, heavy duty - Sewing Machines & Sergers

 

Hi-thanks for doing this. I have a red sailrite machine and would like to know if I could take it to my moored boat and sew with it running off a small red honda generator, EU200i. If so that would push me over the edge in buying a small gen.

 

Should work fine. The Machine you describe is the LS-1 (I think) and that motor pulls 1.7 amps at 6600RPM. Even at start up I don't think it would be enough to trip the breaker on the Honda by a good 5-8 amps. You should be just fine doing that. By the way that is a nice little generator!

 

I was seriously thinking about buying a new Sailrite machine a few months back. About the time I was ready a friend was selling a wedding present to them which was a singer 160. It was brand new and retails for about $400 but I paid $175.

Over a couple weeks I made all new hatch covers for my boat and it did a great job. I don't think I would use it for sail making but for normal canvas it works great. I'm in the process of making an insulated companionway cover for my boat and am planning on making a new mainsail cover. I really wish I hadn't paid someone to make a new bimini for me early this year as it would've been easy with this.

 

I just bought an industrial sewing machine made by Toyota. I haven't used it yet but can't wait though.

 

I have to say I am one of those guys with an older cast iron Kenmore with the steel gears and I can sew a mean zig zag as well as straight stich....

And I have made many boat related items, covers, etc as well as some major sail repair (there are several threads around)..

BUT..My buddy got a sailright machine, and let me play with it a bit and I hate to say it but I have to...

There is no comparison between the two The Sailright machine just grabs and pulls and stitches like nobodys business no breaking a sweat, or thread, or needles just hold and sew...multiple layers no problem...

I'll still fight with my old machine for a few minor projects I have, But High on my list of things to get is an actual Sailright LZ1 for any major projects I plan to do in the near future.

You gotta see one in action to really appreciate the ease.

(maybe I'll just go over to his house and "borrow" his)

 

Tad off subject BUT I recently purchased the Sailrite LZ1 along with a jib and main sail kits. I have to say the sewing machine is a brute. It has gone thru 8 layers of 7.4 oz dacron along with 4 layers of nylon webbing. I do believe whatever fits under the foot it will sew.
I'm just about done with the jib.

 

You are correct. If it fits under the foot it will go through it. Heavier needle helps the cause.

 

For those considering a straight stitch machine for marine canvas, some information on types of machines might be helpful. Almost all folks who sew marine canvas for a living use a rotaty-hook, compound walking-foot machines (aka, compound-feed, unison-feed, triple-feed).

A compound walking-foot has both drop-feed (bottom-feed) and needle-feed (top-feed) with an alternating presser-foot (walking-foot).

The following links might be helpful, and do click on "show more" on the YouTube video.

Sewing machine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Sailrite LS and LSZ machines are drop-feed, walking-foot machines.

Canvas can be sewn with what are sometimes called semi-industrial home sewing machines and are drop-feed machines. Another limitation of these machines is clearance under the foot, and the number of layers of material can mount-up quickly. Just try hemming the inside flat-felled seam of a pair of Levis to get the idea which is fewer layers of material than is usually encountered sewing marine canvas.

 

The Sailrite LSZ-1 has a similar compound walking foot to what you show. You can see it in action at 1:10 into this video:

My only piece of sewing machine advice is to buy a real Sailrite and not one of the similar machines like a Barracuda. I bought a Barracuda, but by the time you fix all of the deficiencies that the Sailrite has improved on you will have spent as much as what a Sailrite costs.

I bought the Barracuda for $500 on Amazon. Added the monster wheel (still not as good as Sailrite's wheel) for $100, Sailrite case for $125, and the Sailrite user manual for $20.
To really fix my machine to have the locking wheel that Sailrite has would cost another $60 in parts. That is about $800, the same price as the Sailrite and I don't get the benefits of Sailrite service or the small internal improvements that they've made.

Since I've bought it the Barracuda price has gone up $100.

 

Alex W,

The Ultrafeed is a walking-foot machine but not a compound walking-foot machine.

Looking carefully, the action in the video shows the alternating presser-foot but no needle-feed -- the needle simply goes up and down, and does not follow an elliptical path pulling material through the machine. Sailrite's documentation does not claim compound feed for the Ultrafeed, but does for the Sailrite 111.

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...UuS7Defr2QWf_oHACQ&usg=AFQjCNGniEu1fa-KA0pTpqe8M0fq12xnNg&bvm=bv.57967247,d.b2I

 

I've been researching machines for the past few months and am considering the LSZ-1. It is $75 off at the moment with free shipping. These machines easily sell used for $600 and go quickly if in good shape. If you run out of interest or projects you would have no trouble unloading it.

My projects will include a full winter cover, perhaps modifications to my Bimini for screens, hatch covers, cushions, etc.

 

I run a one man sail repair and canvas business. It pays for my sailing trips!
The business is seasonal - there are currently ice boats on the lake - I do get a few ice boat sail repairs though!
I bought an LSZ-1 Sailrite machine in 2007 - it is the only machine I have.
I've just printed my 200th invoice. That's 200 sail repairs; UV stripes on genoas; companionway covers; boat covers; dodgers; furling socks etc., etc..
Most of the boats I do work for are in the 25ft to 30 ft size.
In 6 years the LSZ-1 has lost its timing once. I re-timed it myself by looking at the manual. Back in business in 2 hrs. This machine is bullet proof. Backup from Sailrite is always there if you need it - you probably won't!
you can cheap out on second hand, $200 machines, but the grief isn't worth the hassle. If you are new to sewing you won't know if it's you or the machine. All of my problems when I started were me! The machine just kept going. There is a learning curve to marine sewing, just like anything else. Having good, reliable equipment takes one unknown out of the mix.
Sam

 

I have used the LSZ1 to make a kiteboarding kite and to repair kites. These fabrics tend to move relative to each other even though the machine has a walking foot. What ends up happening is that the fabrics don't feed at the same rate. This happens even when tension is maintained by hand when feeding of the fabrics. SailRite recommended taping the fabrics (double sided tape) when using these fabrics. Taping did the trick and made managing the fabric much easier. I am assuming that kite fabrics are lighter (i.e. thinner) than sail fabrics. Do sail fabrics also require taping? I think the issue is that nylon/dacron tend to be very slick thus causing the feed rates being different. Any insights into this by some of the more expereinced users?

 

Do sail fabrics also require taping? I think the issue is that nylon/dacron tend to be very slick thus causing the feed rates being different. Any insights into this by some of the more expereinced users?

The thicker the material the better it hold shape and feeds more evenly. Double sided or "basting tape" is a good practice for novice or learning sewers. I still use double sided tape when making sail repairs because it is one less thing that I have to worry about. The other thing that you can use is one of the many attachments available the will do the folding for specific seams for you. Sailrite has a good selection of attachments. With more experience you will need less assistance. I have a couple women in the shop here that can sew very quickly with little to no aid from folders, attachments or tape.

 

I use double sided tape a lot.
It takes the place of the pins my wife uses with her home sewing. I never use pins, they are very hard to use with even a few thicknesses of canvas.
I also use a stapler. A regular long reach office stapler. Will penetrate canvas and Dacron easily and the staples are easy to pull out with snips or small pliers.
Sam

 

" Do sail fabrics also require taping? "

Yes. Sailrite included 250 yards of double sided sticky tape in the two sail kits I recently purchased. The Dacron is very slick. I don't see how one could sew together the parts with any kind of accuracy without the tape. I have stapled together parts of cushions prior to sewing.

 

Seam-tape can gum-up the needle. However, seam-tape seems almost essential for long, internal runs, including sails. Two ways to help mitigate gumming the needle is to apply the seam-tape offset from the line of stitches or use a thread lubricator.

When hemming, in addition to staples I also use HDX 3/4 in. Mini Spring Clamps (37 cents each from Home Depot), Binder clips from an office supply store, such as 3/4” wide, 3/8” capacity, or T-Pins from Sailrite.

 

So interested in a lsz-1 ..but have some questions. First, how old should I consider purchasing a used one? What changes have been made to a new one to warrant a newer model? Is the monster wheel needed? I will be making new sails and canvas accessories.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using Tapatalk

 

You might want to ask this question on the Sailrite forum. I'd read through some of the threads there because I think I recall similar questions have been asked.

Sailrite Sewing Machines - Sailrite Forum - Page 1

 

Thanks TS, I did find out what I was looking for as far as how old should you go. Sailrite recommends 4 years as that was when the last update went out

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Just an update:

Bought an lz1 sail rite. Every blog I've read said essentially the same thing. So I caved.
Also bought the bundle accessories and the magnetic guide.

Now begins the work for the admiral

Although I may do some as well. Hey it's like a new toy at Xmas .

 

Has anyone used any of the other Singer machines with success? Prices range from $99 - 499 on the net.

I just broke my old mechanical Singer and need a replacement for canvas, cushions and general repairs. I am not going to do any sail making. That I am going to leave to the experts.

Can you recommend any models?

 

If you wanted a singer here are a couple that I saw in your area on the cheap.

The 301 and 401 machines are decent machines that are a little step up from the home machine. They can handle the thickness of the material pretty well and as are still somewhat compact. There are some other machines out there that would be good though best thing to do is see what you can find and then ask questions about specific models. Here are some CL listings.

Heavy Duty Singer 401A sewing machine with Carrying Case

Singer CG-550C commercial sewing machine

 

What broke on your mechanical Singer? Might it be cheaper/easier to fix than to replace?

I have a lower end Pfaff Hobby that works nicely on cushions and lighter weight materials. It is easier to use (threading, bobbin winding, built in thread snipper all make it faster for me to use) so I use it until I need the power of the Sailrite machine. I leave my Sailrite machine adjusted for higher tension and pressure foot tension and the Pfaff adjusted for lighter fabrics.

 

If you have room and the time to wait, sometimes a Singer 111W155 becomes available on craigslist. The 111W155 is an industrial compound walking-foot machine. My earlier post on compound walking-foot machines on this thread might be helpful.

The disadvantages include: used, likely heavily used; $500 might be about as good as you could do (I got one with a clutch motor for $325); probably not be equipped with a servo motor; no reverse.

Also, seeming lightly used Sailrite LS machines can sometimes be found for about $500 on craigslist.

Actually, trading off lack of reverse for compound-feed can be a good trade off. The most common use of reverse is back-tack to lock the stitch. Here's what old-time professional sewers did before reverse. When fabric management is not an issue, simply bury the needle, turn the fabric 180 degrees and sew over the seam to lock the stitch. Otherwise, with the needle up, raise the foot a bit, pull the fabric toward you about an inch, drop the foot and sew over the stitch to lock the stitch. Raising the foot slightly does not open the tension discs, and enough tension is retained on the needle thread that the thread does not need to be held.

Having said that, reverse is useful in other situations to help mitigate fabric management, such as sewing around a patch, especially in the middle of a large piece. Needing to turn the fabric a total of 360 degrees is a real hassle trying to get lots material under the arm. Instead, sew one side of the patch, bury the needle, turn the fabric 90 degrees counter-clockwise and sew the next side, bury the needle, turn the fabric 90 degrees clockwise and sew the third side in reverse, bury the needle, turn the material 90 degrees counter-clockwise and sew the final side.

In your search, you might also consider a Juki 562 or 563 (the 563 has a larger bobbin). The design is similar to the 111W and the quality seems just as good.