Portable Walking foot Bigfoot sewing machines straight stitch CBSS and zig-zag CBZZ.       Home

Theobald Sewing Machines Ltd are the sole suppliers of Bigfoot sewing machines.

These exciting portable machines are precision built to enable them to cope with demanding tasks such as: general seaming and piping (welting) in upholstery fabrics used in the home, draperies, leather, quilting, in automobiles, caravans (zippers, cushions, repairing awnings and tents, etc.), boats (repair sails, bolt ropes, etc.), aircraft interiors, sewing very thick seams in Irish dance dresses, etc. The piping (welting) foot is supplied with the machine.

Professional upholsterers will find Bigfoot CB portable a useful and practical addition to their industrial workshop machinery when they need to work on site (for example when fitting out pubs and clubs). Bigfoot CB is an ideal machine for outworkers who are producing piped cushions in heavy fabrics from home (these machines are much quieter than industrial sewing machines). THIS IS A GREAT MACHINE FOR ON-SITE JOBS.



Bigfoot sewing machines can stitch up to 10 layers of heavy canvas material with straight stitch and our CBZZ model can zig-zag stitch up to 8 layers of tightly woven, hard to penetrate 8oz Dacron. That tells you how powerful these machines are! (Dacron is a condensation polymer obtained from ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid. Its properties include high tensile strength, high resistance to stretching, both wet and dry, and good resistance to degradation by chemical bleaches and to abrasion. It has multiple uses such as: sails, curtains, sports clothing, etc.)

Bigfoot CBZZ can, in addition to straight stitching, sew zig-zag stitches up to 5 mm wide, the stitching can be spaced tightly enough to bind edges of carpets, etc. It is also equipped with 3 needle positions: left, centre and right which are extremely useful as a quick seam allowance guide.

Bigfoot CB machines run at a much lower speed than conventional industrial machines (approximately 700 stitches a minute maximum speed). This compares with a conventional walking foot industrial machine which may operate at around 2000 stitches a minute. Consequently with Bigfoot Cb the user has much more control over the work making this machine ideal for upholstery, restorers of classic cars, boat and caravan owners, horse blankets (New Zealand rugs) repairs and any other application where thicker work must be sewn with good control.

Industrial sewing machine clutch motors use about 3 amps constantly (not just when you press the pedal to start sewing), Bigfoot CB machines use just 0.7 amps only when you press the pedal to sew. That is a big electricity saving!.

Although Bigfoot CB sewing machines are designed to be portable(special one-piece reinforced plastic base eliminates the need of cut-out table), we can also provide on request an industrial type formica table top (normally 20" x 22") mounted on a special stand with lockable casters.

Bigfoot CB’s foot lift clearance is approximately 7/16 “ (10 mm). Bed plate distance from the needle to the vertical part of the arm is 6.75” (17.3cm). Stitches of up to approximately ¼” (6.5 mm) long can be sewn.

Bigfoot's feeding capability is very efficient as the walking foot feeds the work in unison with the super efficient lower feed dog, allowing you to produce even stitches in demanding jobs. This "even feed" feature ensures the minimum slippage between the plies of fabric being sewn which is a big advantage when matching patterned or striped fabric.

BigFoot has a reverse stitch lever and built-in bobbin winder.

Both Bigfoot CBSS and CBZZ boast powerful 150 watt 1/10^th horse power motors which are equipped with an efficient reduction gear system driven by 2 toothed belts for extra power and control. (150 watts provides more than twice the power of many domestic sewing machines). The motor amperage is rated at 0.7 amps.

Bigfoot CB machines use the same needles used by professional industrial sewing machines. This enables thicker work to be sewn than is possible with ordinary domestic sewing machine needles. The needles are available in many thicknesses and types to enable the owner to best tackle different jobs.

Bigfoot can easily use threads up to size 36!. Ask us for advice on threads.

The foot pressure can easily be changed to sew in different weights of fabric by means of a knurled screw.

A very practical advantage of these machines is that the user is able to easily access all the working parts in order to lubricate and clean them.

The machine body of both CB models is of sturdy cast iron construction. Big foot CB models are mounted in a base equipped with an effective folding extension table giving the user approximately 9 ½ “ (25 cm) work support to the left of the needle. The machine packs away into a carrying case. Packed away the machine measures 20” x 14 ¼” x 9 1/4 “ (51 cm x 36.2 cm x 23.5 cm). Weight 36 pound (16.5 kg).

Big Foot CB models take standard type 15 bobbins available worldwide.

Included with the machine are: needles, oil, bobbins, large and small screwdrivers, carrying case and a special thread stand. This stand is a great economiser, as all sizes of thread cone or reel up to 5,000 m or more can be used.

Sewing sample on request.