Hi im currently looking at a 1950s brothers sewing machine model 210 to continue with my tapestry work. I sew alot of layers of fabric together and i need a strong machine that will be able to pull my fabric through the machine without losing tension. I notice that the singer model i got from target loses the tension very fast and has a hard time chugging along when im sewing. Any thoughts on what characteristics of a sewing machine i should look for in doing this kind of work?
Thank you
The machines from the 50’s a]generally have metal interior parts. These stand up much better to the heavy work. Newer machines have nylon or plastic parts and have to work too hard. If you can find an older Singer it will work great. Anything pre 60’s will be good.
Look around for a place that sells commercial and industrial machines… I think you’ll find the better foot pressure and lower tensions needed will do a better job. You might also want to consider something like a needlefeed machine for multiple heavy layers.
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/category/machines-equipment/
Home machines just aren’t built to handle multiple heavy fabrics like tapestry all the time. If you’re going to use a home machine, look for one with servo or stepper motors rather than the conventional wound motor — you’ll get the full needle punching force at slow sewing speeds with the servo or stepper, but the conventional motor will tend to stall.
More: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100516223306AAHNY2H