Hi Rob,

My wife just finished making/repairing various covers (sunbrella and
some vinyl) using, variously, No.'s 18, 20, and 22 needles, all with V69
thread. Had better luck with the smaller needles, as they proved more
than stury enough, and the smaller sizes penetrate easier. We purchased
a ziz-zag machine from Reliable Corporation
(www.reliablecorporation.com) through an E-bay seller (Espectron IIRC)
for $425. It's a true walking foot machine, and appears identical to the
Sailrite LSZ-1 (I believe you'll find they're the same manufacturer) for
much less money. Once the clutch was adjusted properly (and I did have
to adjust the shuttle driver timing - the unit we got had a loose
setscrew), the unit worked great with up to six layers of sunbrella, or
5 layers of sunbrella and one layer of vinyl. Good luck!

Keith Hughes

Rob wrote:

Hi,

I am looking at making canvas covers for upper deck equipment and the
upholstery - cushions and am seeking guidance on thread and needle
size. I've established that I probably need thread size V69 with a
90/110 or No36 size needle , and perhaps V92 thread with needle size
110/130 or No25.

I've tracked down a source of some pretty sturdy heavy duty domestic
style machines - full industrial is just too large - and wonder what
the largest needle/thread combo is.

TVMIA