a pro's opinion on a machine

[sketchydelux]

http://cgi.ebay.com/INDUSTRIAL-STREN...d=p4011.c0.m14

hope this link works if not this machine is "SINGER 301 SEWING MACHINE" i know nothing about machines other than what i want to use ir for.

-sil for making a hammock and a some insulation (under/overquilt)
-1000d cordura for making other gear , that if i actually catch on to sewing (packs pouches ect.)

so i guess i need a dual purpose machine for lighter and heavier fabrics, will this do?

TIA

sd

[Ramblinrev]

can you pick it up from them... or do you need to pay the $46 shipping fee? ~$100 for a machine fromm a private individual with no warranty and no assurance of the machine having been serviced seems a little steep to me. I know the description claims it has been serviced often but unless they had receipts I would take that with a grain of salt. If you don't need to pay the shipping then not a bad price. It looks like a good machine. A good machine will handle a wide variety of fabrics so you don't need to be too concerned about "dual use". A machine of that era would be sewing everything from leather to china silk so I would expect if it has been well maintained it would be a good machine. You are close enuf to Greece, NY that if they would let you take a look at it and try it before making the purchase final I would think it would be well worth investigation.

[sketchydelux]

yeah the shipping was the first of my worries - luckily greece ny is a local suburb of the city im from (rochester)

i am a decent craftsman and wouldnt want to deal with anything to "bottleneck" my skill

is there anything else i should know before i jump into sewing. im curious about the learning curve - applicable online resources for learning - pro's stories about their learning -

[Ramblinrev]

If the machine is good it should not hold you back in terms of making camping gear. Those old singers are workhorses... or should be if they have been maintained well. Make sure it would be a tabletop model or barring that that you can get a cabinet for it cheap. If it will sit on its own legs with all the workings off the table top then it will work outside of a cabinet. I could not tell from the pics that were on the site. In addition it would need to be a foot control rather than knee control to work out of a cabinet.


Learning curve for sewing is as complex and long as you want to make it. The simple basics can be learned in a few sessions at a machine. Easier to take a few lessons from someone, but not essential. Beyond that... the sky is the limit.