Why Choose the Fabricator® Industrial Sewing Machine?

The Sailrite^® Fabricator^® Sewing Machine is our full-size, industrial straight stitch sewing machine with a compound walking foot. This is the machine to build your business on. We designed it for job shops as well as enthusiastic DIYers who want to take their sewing to the next level. If you’re considering adding an industrial sewing machine to your lineup, or if you’re looking to invest in one, well-made, high-quality machine for all your sewing needs, this blog will detail everything about the Fabricator — its top-tier features, quality components and sewing capabilities — to help you decide whether this powerhouse machine is right for you.

The Fabricator is built to handle your toughest sewing jobs. The high-quality cast-iron machine body and finely machined parts ensure your Fabricator will be dependable for years to come. The internal components are high-quality metal, and the parts are designed for daily operation. The machine is self-oiling and is capable of running up to 3,000 RPM, though Sailrite tunes operation for much slower with an emphasis on stitch-by-stitch power. With proper maintenance, the Fabricator is a lifetime machine, meaning it’s the only industrial straight stitch machine you’ll ever need. We keep all replacement parts stocked and ready to ship should you ever need them.

The large-size rotary hook is gear driven. The rotation of the hook is timed precisely so that the thread tension is always consistent coming off the hook. This precision also eliminates skipped stitches. No sacrificial parts are required with a rotary hook system, and the large size of the hook and bobbin reduces the frequency of bobbin winding, another important convenience. A rotary hook machine also runs more smoothly at high speeds and is quieter than oscillating hook sewing machines in which the hook oscillates back and forth. As you can imagine, such a motion will never be as fluid as a rotary hook that rotates in one direction.

The Fabricator fits a style M large-capacity bobbin so you can sew for longer periods of time without running out of bobbin thread. The attached bobbin winder mechanism lets you wind bobbins without unthreading your machine, and it also allows for bobbin winding while you sew. The Fabricator is designed to handle heavier weight thread than many other sewing machines. You can sew up to Tex 135 thread without issue, which is ideal for leatherworkers and those sewing thick assemblies up to 5/16 inch.

The compound walking foot is designed to handle both thick and thin sewing applications. The two-part walking foot is comprised of an inner foot, which performs the walking task, and an outer presser foot. The inner foot moves up, forward, down and then back with the needle, feeding the fabric. As the inner foot moves up again, the outer foot maintains pressure on the fabric assembly for the next stitch cycle. When the needle is through the fabric, the outer foot is up allowing the fabric to move. This two-part process produces even stitches and guarantees that the layers of fabric won’t move around while being sewn.

For the first time on an industrial machine, the Fabricator is also fitted with Sailrite’s patented Posi-Pin^® Safety Shear (Patent #7438009), which protects your machine from damage. If you sew over something you shouldn’t, the pin will break and your machine will stop operating in order to protect the machine. Pulling the pin out also makes the machine stop working, which is an excellent bonus safety feature. Additionally, the Posi-Pin lets you disengage the balance wheel when winding bobbins, reducing wear and tear on the machine's internal components.

A 9/16-inch presser foot lift accommodates thick fabric assemblies with ease, and a built-in knee lift allows you to quickly raise the presser feet. The Fabricator is designed for precise stitching and easy penetration of the toughest assemblies, including canvas, leather, denim and other hard-to-penetrate materials. The presser feet on the Fabricator are designed not to damage, scuff or mar delicate fabrics, making this an ideal machine for leatherworkers. We also offer a specialty Leather Foot Set (#400212) specifically designed for sewing leather with the Fabricator. The outside presser foot is designed without teeth and the inside foot has an open channel in front of the needle for super precise and accurate stitch placement. The machine features 10-1/4 inches of underarm space for comfortable sewing and to accommodate large assemblies.

Most industrial sewing machines sew too fast. They have plenty of sewing power, but only with a fast start, and it may be hard to control your sewing and stitch placement — but not with the Fabricator. The machine allows for incredibly slow and precise stitch-by-stitch sewing, even from the start, while maintaining full power and control thanks to the powerhouse Workhorse^® Servo Motor. This 550 watt, 3/4 horsepower motor runs quietly for an enjoyable and pleasant sewing experience. The Workhorse, in conjunction with a cogged timing belt and oversized Stitch PRO Balance Wheel — the first of its kind with a servo motor — provides maximum power while maintaining slow-speed control, so you can sew stitch by stitch and up to 1,108 stitches per minute.

The Workhorse Servo Motor features fully adjustable speed settings. You can lower the setting of your maximum stitch speed, enabling you to press down fully on the pedal and restrict the number of stitches per minute. This is a great feature for sewers who want more control and who are more comfortable at slower sewing speeds. For example, the speed setting at 10 will sew a top speed of 246 stitches per minute, and if you bump it up to 45, you can sew the maximum 1,108 stitches per minute. But no matter what your speed is set at, you can always sew one stitch at a time given the variable speed control.

Due to the gearing of the motor with the Stitch PRO Balance Wheel, there is no need to add an expensive gear reduction pulley to the machine as some other industrial sewing machines require. This saves you from the added expense of this extra part and the extra belt. The unique, oversized Stitch PRO Balance Wheel gears down the motor, creating a superior mechanical advantage. The motor’s 12-coil design also allows for smoother operation and more slow speed control.

The machine’s ability to sew slowly is ideal for novice DIYers just starting out. As they progress in their skills and become more comfortable sewing at faster speeds, so, too, can the machine increase speed to match every sewer’s comfort level. This speed control function accommodates the full range of sewing levels; it’s a machine that will grow with you through your sewing career. Being able to sew stitch by stitch and control your sewing speed with precision is a must for sewing specialty materials such as leather and vinyl, in which every needle punch leaves a permanent hole in the material. All of these features combined make the Fabricator the best performing sewing machine in its class.

The Fabricator can handle almost any material you can think of, and its extra-high foot lift accommodates super-thick assemblies. In fact, it can easily sew through 16 layers of Sunbrella^® Marine Grade fabric and up to 20 layers of denim. The Fabricator was built to be a true production tool for individuals making a living from sewing and upholstery work. Awning and canvas shops can use the machine full time. It’s designed to run all day long. It’s an excellent choice for leatherworkers too; leather belts, wallets, bags, holsters — the Fabricator can sew it all. If you create multi-fabric items such as canvas and leather tote bags and wallets, or leather and denim jackets and bags, the Fabricator is the sewing machine for you.

The Fabricator will easily sew through:

The Fabricator comes with a variety of top-notch accessories to make sewing easier and get you started on your next project. The commercial table stand provides a solid and sturdy sewing station with plenty of sewing surface. With a plethora of other useful add-ons — including an assortment of needles in various sizes, a flexible LED light, table drawer, industrial thread stand, bobbin winder, Tex 90 thread, five large-capacity bobbins and more — the Fabricator is the total package.

Did you know the Fabricator comes in two different packages? You can enjoy the Sailrite^® Standard Fabricator^® Sewing Machine Package or the Sailrite^® Deluxe Fabricator^® Sewing Machine Package. Both packages feature the Fabricator Sewing Machine in a solid stationary setup with the Workhorse Servo Motor. However, there are a few distinctive differences between the two, mainly found in the Deluxe package. The Deluxe package includes:

Check out the featured products on the right-hand side of this page to learn more about these two packages! You can also see them in the image below.

Every Fabricator Sewing Machine is put to the test before arriving at your front door. Each machine is fine-tuned, calibrated and tested at our Indiana manufacturing facility to ensure quality and precision performance. Once we receive the machine head from our manufacturing partner, our Sewing Machine Technicians fine-tune each machine. They add vital proprietary Sailrite upgrades like the oversized Stitch PRO Balance Wheel, Posi-Pin system, the belt cover, needle guard and more.

The first step of the fine-tuning process is to set every cam on the machine. If the cams are not set correctly, the machine will not function properly. As an example, the upper shaft cam set controls the timing for the needle and center presser foot so that they walk together and function in unison. These cams need to be adjusted so that the needle and foot are set at the optimum walk. Needle positioning is also set to center the needle in the feed dog opening.

Our technicians spend a lot of time painstakingly adjusting and testing each Fabricator. These adjustments perfect the “walk” of the feet, which maximizes stitch length and feeding consistency. The balance of the forward and reverse stitch length is also set during this stage.

Why is the Fabricator able to walk over bumps in fabric assemblies so easily without skipping stitches and getting hung up? Because our technicians carefully set the presser feet at the appropriate heights. The needle motion is also set in the correct position to penetrate the fabric in sync with the movement of the compound walking foot when the heaviest recommended fabric assembly is placed underneath the foot.

The rotary hook is adjusted for correct timing, and the needle bar height is set. The technicians test the rotary hook at maximum speeds and at various stitch lengths. This is an audible sound process to confirm the quality of the rotary hook. Every part must work in harmony for a Fabricator to meet our performance standards.

After all the fine-tuning and adjustments have been made, the last step is the sew off. Various fabric samples are sewn to make sure the machine is performing flawlessly. Every Fabricator is signed off by one of our highly trained technicians who has at least five years of experience working in our sewing department and has passed a rigorous training program. When you unbox your machine, you’ll find a hand-signed tag indicating that your machine was inspected, fine-tuned and tested at our Indiana facility.

Not only is the Fabricator a phenomenal industrial sewing machine that can handle canvas, leather, denim, upholstery, and even thin and delicate fabrics with ease, but it’s also backed by a two-year limited warranty and the best customer service and support in the industry. Our dedicated team is ready to help you via email, phone or online chat should you have any questions about your machine. We’re here to offer individual assistance and support for whatever you need. Our detailed full-color Fabricator Guidebook, along with our maintenance and setup streaming videos, will show you how to properly assemble your table to get you sewing as quickly as possible.

Should you ever need one-on-one assistance for your Fabricator, call or email us and we’ll start a support case for you. We have a library of support videos available to our Fabricator customers that solve most common sewing and machine questions. If we don’t have a video for your specific concern, our support staff will work diligently with you by phone to get your machine up and running quickly. We'll make a support video just for you and add it to our ever-growing library of educational and support content.

When you buy a Fabricator from Sailrite it’s not the end of our relationship, it’s just the beginning. You aren’t just buying a sewing machine, you’re becoming a member of the Sailrite crew — a community of like-minded DIYers who are just as enthusiastic as you are about sewing and the creative spirit. Our how-to project tutorials are meant to inspire your next DIY and show you all the amazing things you can make with your Sailrite sewing machine. Choosing the Fabricator for your sewing endeavors is the best decision you can make, and we can’t wait to see all the spectacular things you’re going to sew with your machine. Be sure to tag us on social media using #Sailrite so we can see your creativity.

Footnote: This blog was updated in July 2020 to mention the new Fabricator package.

Footnote: This blog was updated in October 2021 with updated presser foot product information.