Hi! If you haven't seen it, I have an hour-long duffel bag video that might have some helpful info buried somewhere within it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a6uWl4Z-Ytdmqc0 For a stiffener, there are a number of options. A sheet of thinner (.060") Kydex or similar material might be a good choice. If you want some stiffness but want the bag to remain pliant, you could take a layer or two of canvas or 1000d Cordura and sew all over it, just go back and forth like crazy everywhere (this is how some stiffening is accomplished in men's suits, for example). Insert that layer in between the outer layer and liner of the bottom of the bag (likewise with Kydex or any other stiffener). In the bag I made in the linked video, my friend wanted the bag to remain foldable, so I didn't add any stiffening, and the inner tube bottom made it rigid enough - in his case, the bag is carried completely full or not at all, so the contents also add rigidity. Congrats to your son, and thanks to him for risking his life in service of others!

@@thejasonofalltrades thank you!

Hi! The motor still works great. The needle synchronizer eventually broke, and I replaced it with another without issue. I hope that helps, thanks for watching!

@@thejasonofalltrades thanks for reply

Hi! I truly appreciate the constructive criticism. If you'll pardon the lengthy reply, I want to at least explain why I am not rushing to recreate this video to correct the concerns you raise (which are valid). I'm just a dude with a camera, trying to make videos that some might find helpful, informative, entertaining, or some combination thereof. In the 10+ years I've been making KZbin videos, I have learned two important lessons; one, EVERY video I have ever made has something wrong with it, and two, it is nearly impossible to predict what videos will perform well enough to deserve some extra work up front. I don't do this for the money (thankfully), but I DO make a very small amount from it. On occasion, I have had a video idea that I thought could get a lot of views, and therefore generate more significant revenue, and I have put extra effort into better lighting, more thought-out dialogue, multiple cameras, etc. Usually those videos fall well short of my hopes. One of my most lucrative videos of all time is an under-two-minute tip on removing snaps, and it's one of the worst quality videos on my channel. The point of all of this is, yes, you raise some valid points, but it just isn't worth the effort required for me to make this video over again right now. My hope from this video (and generally all of my content) is to give sufficient information to help one along on their sewing journey, not necessarily to provide very detailed instructions. (Case in point, the double-fold hem is ubiquitous in some sewing disciplines, and going into great detail on how to fold an edge of fabric over twice seemed too much detail for this video to me; perhaps for some, it's not enough detail.) Again, I really appreciate the constructive way in which you worded your comment, and I will try to apply your suggestions to future videos; I'm always trying to get better, and often failing :) Thanks for watching!

@@thejasonofalltrades gotcha. Well, I appreciate you making these videos and hopefully I get more knowledge to fill in the gaps along the way. There's such a generational gap on sewing, I think many people are really starting at zero so these micro details matter to them and your videos are so practical and enjoyable I don't think more skilled viewers would be put off by holding the pieces up to the camera for a close up and few extra seconds of detail. Thanks for the reply and I'm looking forward to your future videos!

Sorry to hear you weren't happy with your HD. I haven't found the color or the light to be problematic on mine, but to each their own! I hope your wife finds a machine that suits her!

There is a link in the description to LearnMYOG, this vest is adapted from his Trail Running Backpack pattern. Good luck!

Not a bad idea! There is actually Tyvek-specific tape that might work better (I don't know) and could be more cost effective if it's something you end up doing a lot of. Thanks for watching and commenting!

Hi, First, this video is part off a comprehensive, year-plus-long review of the Singer HD machine. I am most definitely NOT comparing it to a triple-feed industrial machine. What I am expressing here is that many uninformed or newer seamsters may see "heavy duty" as an indication that they could use this machine if they aspire to sew heavy projects like the one in this video, which is not the case, and this project is intended to demonstrate that point. To your opening point, NO, a Singer 15, 66 or 201 could not "easily do it." They have the same primary limitation the HD machine has, that being a drop feed system (not a walking foot). While those machines are at least heavier and have the potential to be seated in a table that would make a project like this perhaps possible, they are not the right machines for this job, either. It appears that you haven't watched any of the rest of this series, and I don't expect you to be bothered to, but for the record, I bought the HD over a year ago with the clearly expressed intent to demonstrate that it is an inferior sewing machine; it has performed far beyond my expectations, outperforming some of my favorite vintage machines in side-by-side comparisons. Yes, it's plastic, and no, it will not last for decades like the vintage machines, but my example, at least, has been a pretty great machine. I appreciate you watching and commenting.

Hi! Yes, a "walking-foot attachment" can be used, this particular model came with one. I did a video a while back comparing the walking-foot attachment to a walking-foot machine; suffice to say that a walking-foot attachment certainly has utility, but it is in NO way a substitute for a walking-foot machine (and it really isn't trying to be). There is no knee-lift or any practical way to improvise one on the HD machine. There is no needle up/down, either. I am even more dubious of the HD models that DO have computer control (which would include needle up/down) than I was of the mechanical models. They should be mechanically just as capable, but the addition of cheap computer components adds another failure point that could render the machine completely unusable at any point, and the advantages of the computer controls doesn't seem worth it to me - your mileage may vary. I suppose a mat of some sort might hold the machine more securely, but I think if one is realistic about the tasks one does with the machine, it's mostly fine as-is. I definitely prefer having my flatbed machines set in a table, both for securing the machine from inadvertently moving, and for a flat work surface. There are probably tables that can accommodate modern machines in a similar way, but I haven't looked into that. I am still on the hunt for a Necchi, particularly a BU Nova. The Supernova is slightly more modern, although if I ran across one at the right price I would probably come home with it. Thanks for the questions, and thanks for watching!

Hi, I'm not an expert, but I would check to see that the linkage is still connecting the pedal to the motor controller, and that the wires connecting the controller to the motor are still connected. If you have the manual for your motor, check the "troubleshooting" section for other ideas. If everything is connected, my wild guess would be a problem with the controller, not the motor itself, but I am truly guessing. If you figure it out, let us know. Good luck!

It's quite satisfying, definitely give it a go!

I'm with you!

Having now put quite a few cuts through mine, I am still quite happy with it as well!

Agreed. The problem I hope to address is that "common sense" is sometimes only acquired with experience, and the folks who need to understand what is meant by "heavy duty" often are looking for their first sewing machine and think this inexpensive sewing machine that says "heavy duty" on it will be exactly what they need.