Can a typical home sewing machine handle heavy duty canvas? Say for making a boat cover?

Question

Can a typical home sewing machine handle heavy duty canvas? Say for making a boat cover?

Answer 1

I'm a sewing machine technician and will tell you... YES. Most any sewing machine will sew what you want with the right thread, needle and tension setting. But the question is for how long? Not very long with the newer plastic machines. The gears will not hold up and the belt might slip or motor burn out.. For this type of machine you need one of the old ones with all steel gears and preferably one without a belt like a Singer 15-91 or a Singer 201. These are not that hard to find. ebay, Craigslist etc. Even an old one with a belt will do OK like a Singer 66 (most common) but be sure to have the proper needle, maybe a size 18 and change them every couple of hours. Thread also matters, you need upholstery or button thread. The heavier the fabric the looser the upper tension needs to be. Practice on scrap until its good top and bottom. Also you will need to adjust the presser foot pressure so it will feed right. There are attachments called a Walking Foot that you can attach that will move the top layer of material along with the bottom layer. These help immensely.

Any questions feel free to ask. There are many household heavy duty machines, just not plastic ones.

Good luck.

Answer 2

no, you need to use a commercial type machine to sew canvas.

Answer 3

no

Answer 4

My guy got a 'jeans machine' which is a bit heavier duty than the standard sewing machine but they look the same. We got ours on ebay.  It sails through heavy duty canvas, he made curtains and covers for memory foam. it was heavy duty denium material and it worked great!

*yes my guy sews better than me!!

Answer 5

Yes... if you have the "jeans Machine"..You have to go slow, and use the proper type needle. It is capable of going through 4 layers of canvas. i fixed  our center console cover with a home machine. I have a "White" brand sewing machine. it went through 2 layers of canvas and 1 layer of vinyl, and a layer of Velcro all at once.... but it's like a 7 hundred dollar machine. I got it at Joann fabrics  about 4 years ago with a 50% off coupon... Sign up for them at the store.

Answer 6

No, you will destroy it. My sister tried it years ago with what would be considered a heavy duty machine by today's standards.

Answer 7

Some can, but not on a regular basis.  An old Singer 66 or 99 or  15 might be able to, but it's not really good for the machine (especially when using heavier than normal thread) and you'll probably spend a fair amount of time redoing stitching.

You'll want something like a size 18 Jeans needle -- be sure to check needle clearances to make sure you're not hitting the needle on the bobbin case.  

You'll also need to be very careful not to let the weight of the canvas pull the fabric under the needle -- you'll break a lot of needles that way.

What sort of machine did you have in mind?

Answer 8

No, definitely not.  You need a commercial sewing machine.  You will ruin a household sewing machine by trying to sew canvas with it.  Even sunbrella, which may be what your boat cover is made of, as another poster mentioned, is very difficult for a household sewing machine to handle.

Answer 9

I remade the camper top for our 24 ft cabin cruiser a year ago. The sunbrella was $180 for 26yards. I bought the zippers from an online marine store.

You need a 'hotknife' to seal the material as you cut. (i did not have that) I have a lot of loose threads.

Even with a heavy needle my newer sewing machine would not go through double thickness.  

I borrowed 2 other old Kenmor's, took them to the repairman to be cleaned and set for the heavy material. (3 machines at $69.00 ea for maintenance) and broke several needles

I managed to get it made with zippers and vinyl windows. It keeps us dry and is easy to store. I don't think I would attempt it again with out an industrial machine.

The material moves around too much.  The industrial machines have upper and lower feeder feet that draw the material through and hold it in place at the same time.

I read a few books for tips too.

good luck

Answer 10

No, the typical home sewing machine cannot handle heavy duty canvas.  You'll either have to take it out to be sewn, or get a commercial grade sewing machine.  Hope this helps.

Answer 11

I think this all depends on how heavy you are talking about and what home machine you have.    Even home machines will vary in quality.

I sewed about 6 cushion covers with a midweight canvas material and quite a bit of polarfleece as well as a few sunbrella projects and the home machine is still working fine after 12  years, though I did go through a few needles....