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Due to Trump imposing tariffs on Canada, Canadians have been trying very hard to buy Canadian:

Look on Ebay . . . copper rivets . . . https://www.ebay.com/itm/352511867169?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20231107084023%26meid%3D0d1f268ea5e74b5c84712fb55d99b4c2%26pid%3D101875%26rk%3D4%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D352656754562%26itm%3D352511867169%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D2332490%26algv%3DSimVIDwebV3WithCPCExpansionEmbeddingSearchQuerySemanticBroadMatchSingularityRecallReplaceKnnV4WithVectorDbNsOptHotPlRecallCIICentroidCoviewCPCAuto%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p2332490.c101875.m1851&itmprp=cksum%3A3525118671690d1f268ea5e74b5c84712fb55d99b4c2|enc%3AAQAKAAABkG96wQ16jds4VFcrhy1F3d4mbwZUJI9Fs%2BgdXYAHIzlX2e3YaNh7x%2BEnKA3G%2BCqSl1Xn4McfcWFK1GytmS2qxJ87mtE8Gm3iR1Ja4WBwh0hNHJrJx3Ki5mp04ow4CO7lP%2BooCybZDDU%2BbbSwmg7CbTin%2BBzBzbCYVnbjvyQAHu6--HI4MB7SvJl5IJqlyvomgoLMlgT6qAJzX0SANJhty2dLNihoUJlF8VqAlqljdRi835uzdT%2FRw2dvDZ%2FKGbQCHYRB14v0kGwE3cSXw%2B2qhe%2B0H%2F1j8myQUlVEX3joNhwh7qOrSJOdzneyRFZuDtxGj41Mo4ttFpvmPdZnY7DNvrzgPZCIDLjXsrwahFpin7FtgWogJyNJJFhlkZOSSgeqjgV%2FE6qC577KxRtf3aqZZ0MdG4rIUuSNO3m0nywm82cOYvXRVnn69oHwxBnnQ0KjnMpyrigJIETey1stdnFqzITxjP1rL6sGbvwarZEpOM1iVBWuTfedF6PWlN7ZXF9L4SBY50J8Wnr10iexzh033FM%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A2332490&itmmeta=01JX5ZZDZP9HHYXS3MDAEYDAG9 Cut a piece of 8 or 10 oz . . . about 7 inches long. Push the ends together . . . . then overlap the top corners . . . and swing the bottom corners of each end up so they are level with the top edge of the loop of leather. Put three rivets in it . . . in a triangle pattern . . . with the point at the top. That is the VERY BEST way to hang a hammer loop off a nail apron. I usually put a 8 or 9 inch piece that goes straight up from the loop we talked about . . . and fold it over the belt . . . with two snaps. it's THE most comfortable and easiest to use May God bless, Dwight

Can you sew your small items without a stitching pony? I don't care for them.

A flea market guy sold me all this hardware this morning for $15. Only wanted the D and O rings. I guess I am caught up on ugly buckles, D and O rings till the end of time. Wondering what the items in the last picture are for?

Just watched a YouTube video about using just the skin, gently cooked in a pan until the fat is rendered and then straining it out. Nothing else added to it, so the final liquid is pure oil. I will probably try that.

Thank you. I called wood-n-stuff and I think their product will work OK.

Are you still using this machine ?

Does anyone know where I can find the heavy duty robots used to attach a metal hammer loop to the leather?

The important things are your #1 & #2. Veg tan should be completely dry before clamping for stitching and it shouldn't move while in the clamp. With that said ponies should have something in between the wooden clamps, preferably something softer that the work piece. I use a couple pieces of 3oz English bridle on each side (not glued together). The English bridle will comform to the tooling when snug. When the work piece is in the clamp you don't have to use a lot of pressure to do the stitching, if you are your holes may be to small. Also make sure when you're stiching you aren't pulling the piece so it moves towards you or away from you. The pressure should go to the left and right.

Hello and thanks in advance! I am practicing to make pieces that can be small or narrow (hat patches, hat bands, belt) but that have detailed work including figure or pictorial. You spend hours of time and effort on depth and 3D relief for animals and flora with fine textures etc., you know... But then even master Al Stohlman's "The Art of Hand Stitching Leather" front cover shows a tooled belt clamped right there under the wooden vice grip of a stitching pony. I just feel like it wouldn't take that much pressure to at least slightly compromise certain, painstaking work. People always talk of accidentally, barely nicking or scratching their work with xyz tool. I do not want to even slightly compress the shoulder of a bear or something, and almost considered a Speedy Stitcher, but I want to learn quality-with-efficiency, for an indefinite commitment. And stiches look great even when not needed structurally. Are there any tips you can think of other than: 1) Let the work dry good and hard before clamping into the pony 2) clamp it just tight enough not to shift or wiggle, but do not over-tighten I see some ponies have material buffering the piece from the direct wood jaws; maybe I can try some different rubbers, leathers as a buffer? I thought of felt but maybe it allows movement too much unless too tight....? Any experience or thoughts here are appreciated, Jeff in FL

https://www.wood-n-stuff-shop.com/

Five years ago I paid an upholsterer a lot of money to re-upholster the seat in my 1979 pickup with blue leather. She bought a whole cow hide that was blue color, and she did a very job. She sewed a big Chevy bowtie on it, and it looked great. But the color has faded a lot, and now it is an ugly greenish color that I don’t like at all. What can I do to change the color of the seat? I would prefer to make it a blue color; but dark grey or black would be okay.

Prayers for your daughter that the surgery goes well!

Same as the 83K I have.

Searching with google turns up several methods of "purifying" chicken fat, one of them refers to "degumming" the fat using phosphoric acid and then adding lye to balance the ph and to help form the "soap" that is skimmed off. Most seem to refer to a similar process to making tallow, slow cooking the fat and some say to then add boiling water to separate the gunk for skimming off. I would rather use the process to make tallow as I know that works and it stores indefinitely with no rancidity. Here's a thought, perhaps if you go to your local roast chicken shop I'm sure they'll be happy to give you a few gallons of chicken fat.

Don Potter had a reputation as a pretty good maker. I don't know much but there are people in that area who do. One lady we know told me her mother learned to do leatherwork from him in the Livermore/Pleasanton area of California at one time. I don't know when he ended up in Pendleton. At one time he had a fire in his shop and a guy put together a donation deal that several of us sent stuff to get him going again. I think I heard he was working out of the back of an antique store at one time also. I got some of his tools second hand from a guy at the Pendleton Leather Show a few years ago.

Thanks!

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does anyone know if it is worthwhile to buy thread from thread exchange and ship to vancouver Canada

Just so you know the Juki DLN 415 is a needle feed high speed garment (fabric) machine not meant as leather sewing machine except for maybe some very thin upholstery class leather. The max needle is a DB x 1 (16 x 231) x size 22 needle so it good for max V92. I would tilt the machine back and see it the reverse lever mechanism isn't jammed or seized-up. Here is a pdf of the manual. Juki DLN-415 Instruction Manual.pdf

Thanks MikeG ASE #9 manual No_9 Stitcher Manual (1).pdf Luberto Classic Classic Stitcher Manual (1).pdf

How do I/we do that? I know the first step is to cook me a chuck to get the fats

FYI: parts are still available for these. It should take 40mm ID blades, typically either 70MM or 80MM OD. 12" approx. cutting area. Good strap cutter.

Please post copies here if they aren't too large for the file size restrictions here. If they are too large, send me a PM and I'll give you an email address to send them to, then I'll post them here. They may be useful to other members now or in the future. Thanks.

A big witch's hat (leather, of course) and grubby black robes. Surrounded by mounds of chicken meat and feathers. Think how many I will need to slaughter to get a CAULDRON of fat! All the area cats and dogs and rats surrounding me as well. Hmm... Halloween comes to mind. What an idea.😆 I will probably try to render some chicken fat sometime soon. The next batch of dog food is nearly due. Hope it does not smell too much. The dog food is bad enough.