Tin cans? Try 3/4" plywood, the thread breaks after four or five stitches and trashes the needle but the look on peoples faces is great! I think what we were trying to say is if you can find an older all metal machine it's worth it for the long term durability and being able to sew heavier projects. If you have a machine like JimB and it works for you great. It's just when those of us who drive these things for a living tend to offer advice along those lines. I just asume that every body is sitting at a machine 10 hours a day