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Saddle stitching, 2 needles, like most people. I have a speedy stitcher and it can make a decent stitch, too (it's a lock stitch, by the way). I prepunch my holes for saddle stitch and have not tried punching on the fly with an awl. With the caveat that I'm only at this a couple of years, I just find stitching ponys fussy and inconvenient. Clamp the pony to the bench and the work into the pony and half the time, one of those things is going to move. Then you only get so many stitches before you have to shift the work. Projects like hats and holsters don't fit in them very well. I'm sure they do for somebody, but not for me. Knife sheaths, wallets, small stuff fits ok, but still fiddly. I find it easier to hold whatever I'm working on in my hands either on a workbench or just in my lap. Just my rookie outlook on stitching ponys. That said, a stitching pony is probably a good investment for most people who intend to saddle stitch. On the subject of not overbuying, I'd refer you to a couple of recent threads by an experienced crafter, making nice pieces using a small set of beginner tools. There are so many tools and methods out there, it's just hard to know what to buy when you first start out. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/125186-leather-projects-using-50-dollars-of-amazon-tools/ https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/122892-back-at-tooling/ Practice - it's free except for the leather. Maybe grab a bag of scraps and practice sewing. There's a "Getting Started" forum. It might be worth poking around over there and maybe ask for advice on a beginner tool set.

Very nice job! I love the stamping. Hope to be that good one day!

Hello all! Thought I'd join the forum to try to learn more about working with leather. I had a friend that challenged me to try some leatherwork about 4 yrs ago. I was making some knives and wanted to make sheaths for them. I do a lot of woodworking, mostly turning stuff on my lathe and crafty stuff also. My wife and I made a move from W.Tx. back to E.Tx. and now it's been a couple years since I've been able to get me a shop and get back to my hobbies. Looking forward to learning things from the pros here! Thanks for letting me join! Here are some pics of a few of the things I have done. Don't worry, I can take criticism very well as it's my aid to getting better.

I don’t have the most dexterous hands, and as a result, I often end up getting edge paint or glue on the leather while making leather goods. In an effort to avoid wasting the leather, I’ve tried using rubber sheets to wipe it off, but the results haven't been great, and sometimes it even ends up damaging the leather. I'm genuinely reaching out for help—does anyone have any tips or methods for saving leather that has been contaminated this way? Thank you so much!

Thanks

Thanks Mr. dikman....addictive indeed....I can SURELY see how....! As a matter of fact...I have a servo motor on the way...it is in the post...and due to arrive at any time...! The clutch motor that it came with...well...I think I could stitch pavement together with it....WOW...it's fast...! Thanks for your reply and information! Happy sewing to you as well! 🙂

Congratulations - but be careful, buying leather sewing machines can be addictive!! As kgg said, the 563 has been around a long time but as long as it has been maintained it should serve you well. A bit of advice, replace the clutch motor with a servo, you don't have to buy an expensive one as anything will be better than that clutch motor. Happy sewing.

I want to say HUGE thanks to kgg and to RockyAussie, for sending me such HELPFUL information, as I endeavoured to purchase a previously-owned leather sewing machine. I recently bought a Juki Lu-563 and I wanted to share a photo with you...! I cannot WAIT to get it going....just need some oil and I'll be good to go! 'Hope all is well - with each of you (!) in the Leather-Sewing-World! Thanks again for ALL of your help....so GREATLY appreciated!🙂

Try contacting Hoffman Brothers in Chicago area. glenn

Hallo ich liebe rechtsarmige Nähmaschinen und würde ihre gerne kaufen. Dann hätte ich zwei Singer 145K1 und könnte die eine mit schwarzem Garn nutzen und die andere mit weißem Garn. Grüsse.

Ok here is one thing that most people do not know about and Adler. The needle bar height is adjustable. You have to have the height set correctly even before you time the machine . If the height is wrong, machine will never sew correctly. Contact me and I can walk you thru the adjustment. glenn

Like you are? Your IP address resolves to Staré Město, Moravskoslezský, 738 01, Czech Republic. Most often, IP addresses from India, Pakistan, etc. are spammers. They will join Leatherworker.net, pretend to be good members, often post a reply to a thread that hasn't seen any activity for several years. This thread had none for 2 years. Their double post tends to raise flags as well. So I was poking a hornets nest with a stick!

You are putting wrong angle on blades. Sharpened area should be no more than one or two mm back from cutting edge. You have filed the edge at least 60 degree angle when they should be right at 30 degrees. Fine grade file that is new and finish with about 600 grit stone.

I think so, I hope so. That game went to new home. I've not had any bad words about it come back to me. I can't see any reason why it should not last and be good In Victorian times shellac varnish was used to put a high shine on shoes and afaik the House Hold Cavalry of the UK still use shellac varnish on their boots. Polyurethane varnish is a better modern varnish than shellac

Probably using a VPN.

Thank you for answering, thought the maybe polyurethane varnish could be not a good idea Pretty sure it’s the same varnish just different brand name …. Mine is veg tan leather dyed by myself , tried this vanish on a small piece, it’s been a about a month now , I folded it , crumpled it (sorry it it’s not the right word 😂) , put drops of water …and it seems to be really good … is your varnish still doing its job?

I've not tried Vallejo varnish but I have used polyurethane varnish on my leather covered game boards On one board I covered with a pre-dyed chrome tan 'distressed blue' but working with the board the blue seemed be coming off. 2 coats of varnish settled it

Has anyone try Vallejo polyurethane varnish as finish on hand-dyed leather? (Or tooled/dyed/antiqued leather ) I had it from previous different projects (resin figures) and I tried it on a little piece of, it seems good

Back to the drill press… Troubleshooting 101: Grab a level and square to test the surface geometry… Sure enough, the press plate has a 4”crack visible, and although the area at the post is square, the rest is off-kilter, and therefore is currently impossible to give a vertical drive in relation to the plate. So yet another waste of a sheath… EXCEPT I was able to cut the welt loose along the glue line (and who says you can’t separate Barge lol…), and perhaps I can salvage the body with a fresh welt, though at this point, the stitch lines may be purely decorative and the body secured with more Barge and some rivets… We shall see…

Why is your location listed as Australia but your IP address is New Delhi (Pocket F), Delhi, 110001, India?

Merged your second post, same topic in with the original. Please do not clutter up the forum with multiple threads on the same topic. I had moved your original post to the correct forum so you did not need to duplicate it!

Looking for a bobbin case number for a singer 200w102 this is all I have on the machine. Machine was given to me and it works

Very nicely done. My suggestions on speed reduction: i) if you need to slow down the machine and reduce servo motor "speed jump" you should add in a speed reducer pulley. Most of the brushless servo motors have a minimum startup speed of 500 rpm and a pulley size of 50mm. With some of the brushless servo motors the initial increase in speed from 0 to 500 rpm, speed jump, can be a problem. With your arrangement by increasing the size of the hand-wheel pulley size from 2 3/4" (70mm) to approximately something just under 4.5" say 110mm you did gain some reduction in speed. Example A: i) Without the new hand-wheel pulley the speed of would have been 357.1 rpm with a minimum startup speed of 500 rpm at the servo motor. ii) With the new hand-wheel pulley the speed would be reduced to 227.3 rpm with a minimum startup speed of 500 rpm at the servo motor. To help with smoothing out the speed jump with the side benefit of increased torque install a speed reducer pulley between the servo motor and the new hand-wheel pulley. Example B: 1) With the new hand-wheel pulley and a minimum startup speed of 500 rpm at the servo motor. i) install a 3:1 speed reducer pulley having a typical size of 6" large pulley and 52mm" small pulley the speed of the new hand-wheel pulley will be reduced to 78 rpm If you had just used the original hand-wheel pulley size of 2 3/4" (70mm) and a minimum startup speed of 500 rpm at the servo motor the speed would have been reduced to 122 rpm at the hand-wheel. kgg

I've tried using ultrasonic cleaner and 1dl ~3.3oz. isopropanol for dismantled airbrush gun, but no major success was reached that day. 2 times for 30 minutes and didn't do much. Also used ethyl acetate(solvent, used as base for Fiebings dyes) to disolve, but wasnt very successful. I've also dipped my previous airbrush into acetone, and I think it didn't do much good except destroy o-rings. I'd really love to dismantle the whole gun to every last bit part and dip into kerosine or something really strong, use new o-rings and assemble back. Then should be as good as new. @DoogMeister It never occured me, that resolene is water based. And it makes so much sense now, as going "isopropanol - brown dye - isopropanol - black dye - isopropanol - resolene - isopropanol" never actually cleans resolene out, since it's water based not alcohol. Will do soon now! Thanks to both for these instructions! @Northmount Sorry and thank you.

Undiluted dye shouldn't matter, it's obvious that either there is some contaminant already in the leather or, as you surmise, the glue is bleeding through the leather and is preventing the dye from penetrating.