How Strong?Capable is this old Singer?

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Hi,

Years ago I bought this Singer in consignment shop for a pittance ....

I took it to a shop where a retired guy worked occasionally .... he basically said it was a brand new WWI era Singer ... it is a treadle model that has an electric motor attached ....

I am thinking that this machine would be strong enough to make a pair of gloves, but could not take the extra thickness entailed in sewing holsters ....

The serial number is G53818XX

The electric motor says it is a Cat No BA 3-8, SS AU52-17-1, 0.53 Amp, 25-75 cycles AC & DC

What do you guys think?

[Dave Cole]

WWE, I think you'll find it a bit lacking. I have a 1920 Singer 31-15, and it will do inlays and thinner belts.Problem with mine is it's way too fast.So I just stayed with handsewing till I can get an Artisan.Dave

[JD Alan]

Dave, I don't know much abot sewing machines, but the table yours is mounted on appears to be the same type that I have. Mine is a 211 G 165 and it seems quite powerful, but it does run really fast. My wife is a pro seamstress, so she does any machine sewing I need on leather, but she's not too wild about the speed, or the lack of control anyway.

[outrider]

WW,

That machine is a little too light for doing holsters. If anything it would be good for very light material...maybe suede.

We must keep in mind that most of the machines we find at yard sales and in antique shops are made for the home seamstress...they are not industrial strength machines and are not designed for the real heavy materials such as leather.  Some machines like the one I recently purchased...the Singer Class 15-91 and the Singer Class 201 are gear driven machines (no belts) and are slightly stronger...but they are still home machines and are usually advertised as "Industrial Strength" home machines.  Any Singer Class 15, and it's clones (Class 15 HA-1 made in Japan) will do light leather work...with the exception of the 15-91 most are belt driven machines with a 1 amp motor...IMHO I would not use anything with a motor rated for less than 1 amp for doing leather...it will work for awhile but will eventually burn out.  By the way the Japanese clones are just as strong as the SIngers and go under many many different names...same machine with different brand names on them

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Outrider,

Thanks .... I kinda figured that it was a might too small.

Then on the other hand, in 1910 they were still doing Connestoga wagon repairs on the home machines that hey had ...

But I agree that a vest with a leather front, where one is sewing one layer of leather to a backing of cloth, would be about the ability of the the machine .....

Thanks for the advice ... I really did not want to try to learn and end up ruining the machine in the process .....

[outrider]

WW,  Those oldies are just neat to have around...like an old 56 chev

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Outrider,

I didn't mention it at the start of this thread, but I ended up paying $35 for the machine ... and it came with a buttonhole and fancy stitching attatchments that I would think would baffle a mechanical engineer ... LOL

But it has always handled rips and tears with yeoman's effort, and that is all ihave ever needed .....

[outrider]

Hey Dave,

I was just looking at your singer....you can slow that thing down if you replace that clutch motor with a servo motor..about $150.00...with the servo's  you set the speed with a dial and it stays there....they can do 1 or two stitches a minute or zip along

I have my machine set at about 20 or 30 stitches a minute where I can control it...especially when you go around radii

Just a thought

[WaddWatsonEllis]

Outlander,

After reading the posts in here and elsewhere, I think an Artisan Machine is in my future ... and now I will add a servo motor to the wish list ... at least 1 amp in power!