Sewing Machine

MichiganSunshine

Would I be able to use a sewing machine on rainy days in my T@B 320?

Sharon_is_SAM

Hooked up to shorepower - Yes.    Boondocking - only with an appropriate battery capacity/inverter system and either solar or a generator to charge the battery(s).

Denny16

Or you could get a Sailrite 12VDC sewing machine used by boaters when voyaging.
cheers

Tampakayaker

Will you have enough room is the big question.  When my wife sews there is material all over her sewing room.  Can never have too much... 

pthomas745

How many watts does the machine use?  How many amps does your battery have?  If the machine is less than 250 watts (roughly) ,  a sewing machine plugged into an inverter should work.

So.....how many watts?

And, if looking quickly at the watts for some basic machines at Amazon, they use much less than 250 watts.

dragonsdofly

@MichiganSunshine, I use several old mechanical Singer machines. I do use a separate battery for this when boondocking. I use a 400 watt inverter. Because several of my machines are over 60 yrs old, they do not require a pure sine wave type inverter. They have only electric motors, all metal gears and an old incandescent bulb. While sewing daylight hrs, I take the machine outside, pull the bulb and can run both serger and standard at the same time. We carry the t@b's original battery (still tests within new parameters) as a backup and power source for the inverter. I use the machines on my lagun table, on the exterior mount. Generally, most sewing machines use less than 150 watts at top speed. Good luck. You can do this. Even at a campsite on shore power, I have run the a/c, fridge and up to 3 old machines simultaneously with no problems, sewing with friends. If you plan to use an iron while sewing, turn off the a/c, but fridge and appliances are good. Come fall, I have to use a lamp and the machine bulb, so only 2 machines max if using an inverter and SPARE battery. Here in Michigan there isn't enough available solar to charge 2 batteries. We keep the 80 watt suitcase on the t@b battery all the time. In summer, using the t@b battery for the trailer and the spare to sew with, we alternate days charging the batteries with the single 80 watt suitcase. Has worked for quite a few thousand miles, although when we had our boys with us, it was not practical to sew, and with 4 traveling in the t/v and t@b there was precious little room, but I have done it. So can you! -Denise

P.S. did this kinda on the fly at a campground. Took only a day. Can you guess what they are?


Can anyone guess what they are?

Olena

I sew hats all summer in my T@B on a domestic Bernina machine (the label on it says it needs 100 watts which I think is average). Because I like to camp away from the crowds (without electrical hook-up) I bought the Goal Zero 400 watt lithium portable battery. It was expensive but I have never looked back. The sewing machine says 100 watts and you would think that would mean 4 hours of sewing on one battery charge, but I find I can get at least 16 hours of sewing and only take the charge down to about 65%. The sewing machine never draws the full 100 watts (usually about 60 watts), and no one puts the pedal down and sews continuously without stopping. So far, I have not needed to supplement the a Goal Zero with the optional (and expensive) solar panel - a full charge at home is more than enough for a full week of sewing (that’s my full time work). I decided on the portable rather than an inverter because I wanted to be able to sew for as long as I needed without getting stressed about drawing down the T@B battery that is needed for other essential systems. Those are my two cents!

Olena

I was using my Lagun table too, but wore out the brushing by moving it around with the 35 lb machine on it. I looked on the Lagun site and they want $70 to ship the $15 part to Ontario!!!! If anyone out there in the USA can help, I would gratefully send payment in advance if someone could order the part and just mail it to me in a bubble envelope. It’s a lot to ask I know, but it’s worth a try. I don’t have any family south of the border.

jgram2

@dragonsdofly Elliott and ET!

dragonsdofly

@jgram2, the kid in pink (his favorite color) wanted to wear it and not get picked on or made fun of. He's actually wearing very pink makeup too. He became the bubble gum under the table (notice table on his head, and I made that too)! The other boy went to the costume party as a burlap sack. Obvious. But both won first place in their age category for the most creative and original costume. Judges (campground owners) came to see us later as they had seen me sewing and asked who decided what the boys would be dressed as and I explained that both made their own choice. Each of them heard stories of costumes I had made previously, or saw at parties and liked, and they got creative themselves, and asked to be what they dressed up as. This proves you can find room for just about any necessity and make it work in a 320 S! Yes, to the many of you who are wondering, the sewing machine is a  necessity when living in the t@b!

dragonsdofly

@Olena, I carry an additional battery to sew with. One we already had. Purchased the solar suitcase when we got the t@b as "factory installed" didn't exist. We don't draw on the t@b's battery for sewing. The solar panel is great for recharging the battery without a generator. We have done what you have done, but didn't have to buy anything additional. We had the inverter previously and our "extra" or spare battery was in the t@b for 3 years and served us well. It is still usable, and thus serves 2 purposes. 1) t@b backup battery and 2) power for sewing. Happy t@bbing!

MichiganSunshine

@Tampakayaker  That's pretty funny!  At home we are wild and crazy...but with limited space, we can control ourselves!

MichiganSunshine

@dragonsdofly  I think eventually I'll get a feather weight & add a hand crank to it.  I'm an avid quilter and sewing is important to me.  If I'm just going camping for the weekend, I can go without; but if I'm on the road for months, I will want one with me.  

I have much to learn about my new T@B.  I will need to research more about the battery.  I would like to add solar eventually.