Pete on your travels you need to find yourself a good old cast iron Singer sewing machine. I have several models they are all good for tuff heavy stuff like canvas and shade cloth etc. Have even sewed up pet mesh into grass Catcher bags for my son inlaw he has a Jim's mowing franchise and uses these when the grass is wet. My favourite is the Singer 15K 88 it is a central bobbin machine and the bobbin cases are still available . The other machines the bobbin cases are not available the bobbin case lies just under the table and all the bits of rubbish tend to drop in. Not that it seems to bother them much. The 15k88 is a central bobbin machine the Old Phaff 30 is basically the same machine, and the bobbin case is out of the way under the machine. I have fitted electronic speed control which for me makes it easier to use. Just the shot for that ute cover project.
Regards Jim

Jim , I sew too!
I have a 1959 singer 401g ,which is great and I have a singer 319k my mum gave me that one.
I started to sew when I was selling furniture.
Still learning....... Out of the 2 machines I have I like the 401 G the best. I bought it up north off Gumtree a couple of years ago , They are a bit hard to get the 401G

Pete

Is that an industrial machine Pete?

Jim
I think they are classed as Semi ,, But they sew Canvas both Zig Zag with cams to do any type of stitch and the 401 G can do twin needles and straight stitch .. .. I think most old singer machines would sew Sew any thing ,,Fantastic machines .
The 401G is a very sort after machine and was belived to be the best singer had ever made .. But they all all better than any new machine


401G made in Germany
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUMLdHnBn5Q

This is the 319k ,But mine is black and in cabinet with teadmill

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SlmqZFAMd7M

Jim ,, Annies Locker is not far from where you live I think ? Have you been to her Shop ? I see her on FB with all the Vintage Singers

Hi Pete I have not been to her shop but I have bought stuff from her I think she is in Goulburn.
I have one old machine sold by Waltons I think that is German and central bobbin 3 or 4 Siinger 201 K's one 99K and the 15K88 that is my favourite. I have sewn countless shade cloth blinds for the house and caravan canvas bits and pieces and as I said lawn mower Catcher bags . My sewing is basically crap but it stays together I wish I could ask questions from the professionals . I was buying scrap canvas from a business in town the receptionist was happy to help .Went back on the wrong day when the boss was there he was not a happy Chappy he said the trouble with you old buggers you are smart and can hurt my business so my canvas supply was no more. I don't regard myself the least bit smart, but I am very persistent. I would love to do a course in upholstering and all that stuff.

Hello Jim , To be honest ,I love it ! ,But like you I want to learn more and get better at it . I Recovered two 1960s parker Lounges the ones with the Rattan back , But I was lucky because I had the original covers so I unpicked them to see how it was made and then I just copied what they had done ,, I sold both the lounges , I made a cover for the Trailer out of thin canvas I have lots of vintage Fabric I have collected over the years from Op shops . A couple of months ago we made Curtains for the lounge Room out of some 1950s vintage Fabric covered in Gold Fish and sea Shells . I really enjoy it and its produtive . I find lots of how to do videos on youtube and thats been a great help . The 319k I have,, my Dad bought it for my mum when they met and I was only one to show interest in it so I have it now . Its good ,But the Needles are hard to get for it ,That was one reason I bought the 401G which takes the common needle ,, I forget what the 319k takes I would have too look at the Packet ..

Earlier in the year, Mens shed before it got closed down & I have had only one visit since, as I consider them an unacceptable risk to me. A Singer industrial machine came in. I checked the electrics & it consider it a goer & was safe to sell.

No idea if it still there, but one can ask.

Marc

Marc,
Not for me , my machines Are fine for what I do.
PS I was out of town in the country down around Holbrook area a couple of days ago and I noticed that all the farms had a bottle of sanitiser attached to the Gates!
I've not seen any other areas doing this though.
Pretty safe around Holbrook I imagine.

Pete

Hi Marcc .
I am also happy with my machines .

We have a caravan with a toilet and shower which as a youth I swore I would never have.
Amazing how your needs change as you get older.
It was built in 2009 right on the cusp of going from 12v incandescent to LED's so it was a mixture of both.
It is now all LED.
We have a 150W unfoldable solar panel which is more than adequate for keeping the battery charged.
Caravans have come a long way since the 60's and 70's but I've seen some nice modern conversions on older Franklin vans and the like.
Wish I could use ours (bloody Covid)!

I am pondering on shifting from tentage to an A-Van Cruiseliner in the next year or two. I've always been against having a bog in the accomodation, and where I need to use one I always erect one of those camp showers and sit the thunderbox in there.

I've always loved the concept of being in a tent but I am also not getting any younger and when packed my tent weighs 55kg. Something has to give and I don't want it to be a shoulder or elbow.

Once I do the big upgrade, I'll still do the cooking and breaking the seal outside. The van will just be to kip in.

I had a 1962 Sunliner.
It's was great condition with all the original 60s colours. I only took it out a few times to vintage fairs with the 64 wagon.
It was a Rare old van. But one day when my life l was not going so good,, a guy offered to buy it. I was probably not thinking clearly at the time and I sold it.
Now I see they charge hands for 25k 30k for one as good as my one...... If I ever got another Vintage Van ,I would buy an old Bondwood Van.


Pete

When I was quite young we had a Franklin caravan which was about 15ft or so being towed behind a EK Holden station wagon with a 139 grey motor.
No level riders, electric brakes or beefed up springs and a single axle on the caravan.
It must have been a pig to tow and I do remember my dad pulling into a servo and releasing the radiator cap which was followed by a fountain of boiling water.
We only had it for a couple of years.
I guess my parents decided caravaning wasn't for them.

Should have had the 179 for that job, though I do think the radiators in early Holdens were a bit small, even though the rest of the car was well up to the task of towing. Was the car an automatic? If so it would have been a simple job to install a transmission oil cooler to take some of the thermal load off the radiator.

The problem back then was that radiators didn't have water reservoirs attached like they do now, which means that as the car cools down the cooling system cannot suck in cold water from the reservoir to make up for water lost during a long drive.

Cooling systems on modern cars are far more efficient than cars from the 70's and before.
It used to be common to see a car broken down with steam pouring out, rarely seen nowadays.
It amazes me how quickly modern cars reach operating temperature.
My FG Falcon would be up to temperature within a couple of kilometers which was nice on cold winter mornings.