56100 Sewing Combinations

When it comes to making light to medium-heavy weight woven ply, cotton and burlap bags, the 56100 class machines have always been the logical choice.  The confusion often occurs though, in choosing the correct sewing combination to match the bag being sewn.

Some of the considerations that need to be made are: 

1. Do the seams have curves or are they all straight?

2. Is the seam folded or flat?

3. Do you need to use a folder or will the seam be turned by hand?

4. Are you sewing the same bag type all the time?

5. How heavy is the bag?

Keeping these basics in mind, the following can be used as a guide for each of the machine styles.

56100M - Generally used to sew light to medium weight bags where sewing around curves is necessary.  The narrow single row feed dog and matching throat plate allows the operator to make sharp curves easily, yet still have the feeding action to sew long straight seams.  The presser foot is slightly wider than the feed dog and has a solid design needle hole area to keep the bag from edge from being dragged into the needle when sewing around the curves.  The foot also comes standard with an attached sewing guard.  When sewing sharp curves a folder is usually not used.

56100P - Generally used to sew long straight seams or wide curves on medium to medium heavy weight bags.  The machine has approximately 3/16” (4.8mm) longer needle bar travel than the 56100M or 56100T machines, to accommodate the thicker bags and heaver seams.  The wide three row feed and matching throat plate provides for more feeding surface and feeding action.  The throat plate also has a tapered section in front of the needle hole to allow the bag to move smoothly to the needle. A slotted wide matching presser foot helps the operator control the bag and view the edge of the fold if necessary.  No folder is provide with this machine, but can be easily adapted.

56100T - Generally used for long straight hems on light to medium weight bag openings and for double turned-in side and bottom seams.  The wide three row feed and matching throat plate also provides for more feeding surface and feeding action like the 56100P.  Throat plate does not have the tapered section in front like the 56100P because the machine comes standard with an adjustable hemmer for hems 10 to 25mm wide and 2 to 4mm thick.  The presser foot is the same as the 56100P and is used for the same purpose.