Sewing machine for canvas work

[DesertAlbin736]

Last year we made a new canvas cockpit enclosure for our A25, using materials and instructions from Sailrite and a Sailrite Machine borrowed form one of our sailing friends. This year some repairs to the enclosure and snap on Sunbrella windshield and side window covers have become necessary due to UV exposure from the hot Arizona sun causing some of the stitching to come apart. Rather than beg & borrow someone else's machine again, I went looking on Craigslist for a suitable used heavy duty walking foot machine for ourselves.

Yesterday I picked up this Thompson PW301 "Mini Walker" machine for $300 from a guy down in Tucson. To anyone familiar with Sailrite machines, the Thompson looks just like a Sailrite machine. Consew machines are essentially similar too, Thompson clones made after the Thompson patents expired. One of those was up on CL for $599. That's because Sailrite machines are essentially a modified Thompson with some improvements added, including ability to reverse stitch to lock in stitches at the end of seams and do zig zag stitching. This one only does straight stitching and reverse, but not zig zag and has some differences in the drive motor, but otherwise nearly the same as a Sailrite Basic. Zig zag stitching is mostly used for making sails, so for our purposes sewing canvas the Thompson should work just fine. Used Sailrite machines generally go for $500 to $600 if you can find someone willing to part with theirs, and new ones range in price from $650 for a basic machine to $1,250 for top of the line.

Besides repairs to our enclosure and window covers, now we can do all sorts of things like cushions etc.

[kerrye]

I picked up an old Singer commercial machine for $100. Not a walking foot but powerful. It'll sew right up your arm if your not paying attention.