Silver Case

Last I checked, I was going to get a Yamato DP-1111 Industrial Sewing machine. I went by the shop today to check it out, and they showed me another model, a Singer Professional 20u. They actually recommended I take the Singer instead. It has the same functionality (straight and zig-zag) as the Yamato, almost the same power, and parts (including speciality feet) are much, much easier to get hold over. As an added bonus, it cost $750 as opposed to the $1000 Yamato.

I tried it out and it tore though many layers of my toughest fabrics, so I have no concern about its power. I did long seams of applique run, and the stitching was uniform. It was manufactured in Japan, unlike modern Singers, so it has the same build quality as the Yamato. I think I will be able to get a manual for it as well.

They’re going to deliver it to me next Thursday, a public holiday (Hari Raya Haji), the day after I get back from five days in Tokyo. Wheeee can’t wait.

About five years ago I had a brilliant idea for a Christmas gift for Ling, an expensive, fine Janome sewing machine. Boy that went over really well. It sat in a closet forever, labelled ‘The White Elephant’ by Ling and never touched.

Dad used it once to repair some luggage. Recently I got it out to make some messenger bags. It works well, to a point, until I start taking on heavy layers of tough material. It’s really better suited to making clothes, not munitions. I ‘need’ a stronger sewing machine.

Ling did some research with her mom’s seamstress friend and found a sewing machine store that specializes in new and used industrial sewing machines. So as a suprise today, she took me to the store to let me pick out my Christmas present, an industrial sewing machine!

These things are no toys. Rather than some puny electric motor in the sewing machine, these sit on a dedicated table with a massive 0.5-1hp electric motor mounted below. Rather than the foot pedal controlling power to the motor, it is a mechanical linkage that engages a clutch linkage between motor and machine. And when I say clutch, it’s just like learning to drive a 1967 GTO. Total tire burnout. A home sewing machine, at top speed, might do 600 stitches per minute. These things do more like 2500-3000 stitches per minute. They sound like a vulcan chain gun.

An example of electric clutch sewing machine motor. Not for my unit, but similar.

I brought along a bunch of ‘difficult’ fabric and webbing. This thing chewed through it like a total joke. No problem at all.

I tested my stitching out on a Brother machine. But it only did straight stitches. I need one that can do zig-zag so that I can do embroidery and bar-tacks. So she pointed me at a Japanese Yamato DP-1111. This has those features, and against the odds, is even more powerful than the Brother I tested out. Demented.

Yamato DP-1111

So they’re going to setup this sewing machine on a proper seamstress table (even has built in meter stick on the table) and tune it up. I asked them to take pity on me and significantly gear-down the motor. It’s just too fast to use for my purposes. This should be trivial to switch out some pulley ratios.

Once it’s setup, I’ll go over during the week and test it out. Unfortunately I can’t find much at all about this machine online, let alone a manual. I’ll have to give a shot at contacting Yamato Sewing Machines directly and begging them for one.