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Well, I for one love it. I have about 3 dozen domestics. The short answer is sewing machine oil and cotton swabs. The longer answer is at Quilting Board Forum, the 3rd post down. Especially the decals. They're not silvered like so many are, so be delicate and keep it away from direct sunlight. Also, don't carry it by that handle as it's not really meant for that. EDIT: My attitude is conservation, not restoration.

Hide house has a 4 oz FOC (free of chrome) leather in pistachio, a slightly darker green. https://www.hidehouse.com/Leather/Aspen-Cow-Full-Grain-Semi-Aniline-Finish-AS15-P.asp As best I can tell, this is similar to a chrome tanned hide but using other minerals in place of chromium.

That's a neat job of installing zippers. Looks very professional.

Hello peeps, Saturday i picked up a old Singer 128. Well from what I see it is a model year 1924 by serial number. Portable unit and the wood case is in great shape. My question for all you gurus is what to clean it with? Something that won't hurt the finish on machine. The mechanical underside is can use solved on. The black finish and all the gold is what I'm worried about. It is not bad just has years of built up material fuzz,oil and dirt. Lady said it was her grandmother's. Got a real good deal on it. No plans for leather sewing, maybe some light weight soft leather. Have always wanted one and been watching this one for awhile. Had a not going to sell price for awhile. Finally they came down to reality. So figured I'd ask here for something to clean it with and not hurt the finish. Thanks for the help.

Well mission accomplished. Had a few health issues. Heart attack tried taking me out but still kicking. Have been done for awhile and did achieve my goals. Can get my bad foot in now without a lot of trouble or pain. I put the zippers in the back, makes it easier for me to slip my foot in. I do appreciate all the help. Used the YKK zippers glued and sewn in by hand. Was actually pretty easy job. I was a little nervous ok alot nervous. Cutting in to a pair of expensive boots is nerve wrecking. My feet have a lot of nerve damage pain and neuropathy. On top of the drop foot. Will try posting a Pic for anyone who may be looking for help. I cut about 1/2 in wide seam basically the stich line. Everything else i cut and pulled out the thread. Then hand sewing everything back. Take your time and let the glue set up.

I´d try this by hand cranking the machine but again the needle hole has to be wide enough for 2 thread strands + needle. 214x1 / 328 needles have the same dimensions as 216x1 and I´m using the 214x1 in my machine w/o problems. 216x1 has a slightly different needle tip they have some kind of channel in the tip - not sure why. In case the hook tip hits the needle you have to move the hook a bit to the right and probably the bushing of hook driving shaft too. But it depends on how the machine is set up. Back in 2015 when set up my long gone 133K I started this topic:

Yeah Chuck, gotta watch for invading Abalones!! Nasty buggers!

Straight from the web-site "These customizable baby booties are sized for 3-month-old newborns, featuring genuine white deerskin sides and veg-tanned cowhide soles."

Finally getting back on this. @fibersport I found used parts on ebay, although I haven't tried installing them yet, it seems like a pretty big job. I adjusted the needle bar to use the correct needles. I also adjusted the bobbin case opener as per an @Uwe video. It seems to sew well, although there is a bit more noise in reverse, maybe this is normal. One thing is I don't find it particularly "easy" to turn over the machine. Its not hard, but its not like it would keep spinning like a top if I were to give it a spin (without the belt on). Instead it would instantly stop. I'm not really sure how "free" it should be though either, but I feel like its a bit tight or sticky. It does not have a tight spot, it is throughout the entire rotation and stroke, so its not binding in one spot. Any ideas what to look at? or should I completely disassemble and hope I can get it back together.

Re: Clutch motor It's a 110V motor. It's normal/fine for switches and capacitors to be rated for higher voltage that the actual use case. But even if you did want to use a clutch motor, this is not the one to use because it's a 2-pole motor (3500rpm) instead of the 4-pole variety which are only 1750rpm. Good move on the digital servo. Is it a cylindrical shaft 15mm diameter? If so, you can get a 45mm pulley for that here: https://www.ebay.com/itm/376135081840 which will slow it down considerably. Re: Belt slipping I would buy a new belt. The belt looks all dried out (less grip) and looks to be too narrow for that pulley. V-belts need to be pressing against the walls of the pulley to get the best grip. I've been buying belts like this one: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BK1FQHRR but I suspect that a 3/8" automotive (rubber on the outside) belt would be the grippiest.

I think the thread is too large if you think it looks chunky. I use 4mm stitching irons, a bargin set of Aiskaer for diamond holes and a set of 4mm Sinabroks when I have room for a very obvious stitchline. I use 1 mm Ritza thread and it does not look that big. You could drop down to a .6 Maine thread and I think it would look less bulky and appear "tighter". DAve

Toxo, this is what I'm working with. The shed is 15' x 9', the largest I could build without involving the council. In hindsight I should have gone a bit bigger but I had no idea how this would evolve, originally it was only meant to house a few sewing machines as I was blissfully unaware of just what else leatherwork could involve. The blue tool chest holds most of my leatherwork tools with the lockable lower section for storing gunpowder and primers. The two-drawer filing cabinet is full of reloading stuff, assorted dies, several hundred empty cases, loading blocks etc. Next to the cabinet are three more sewing machines stored out of the way. The shelf to the right is more reloading gear. The bench on the right has a Dillon press permanently sitting there, underneath are four more reloading presses that get bolted to the bench when needed, there are two electric pots for casting boolits, on the floor underneath are 17 boolit molds and a box of spare parts for the presses. Various knives are attached to the back of the bench. Looking to the other end the table on the left was originally for lead casting but that was soon needed for other things. First was a 3D printer, then came a laser engraver (enclosed in a wooden box with exhaust going up to the roof vent) and more recently a little CNC engraver (sitting on top). The 3-tonne arbor press only just fits on the edge of the table! Underneath are boxes of buckles that were given to me, a locked container for my shotgun shells, a small air-fryer (I kid you not!) for drying washed cartridge shells, a metal box for 3D filament, a floor heater and fan - it gets hot in Summer and cold in Winter. Not clear on a corner shelf are a radio/cd player and the PID units for the casting pots, assorted hammers and tools on the wall and various cutting boards on the floor. The cupboard on the right has dyes, chemicals, including the stuff for coating the cast boolits, more assorted tools, paperwork/manuals for things and misc. stuff. on the wall to the right is storage for sewing stuff - needles, rivets, buckles, spare feet, all that sort of gear. My Pfaff edge binder is up in the main garage 'cos I ran out of room!!!!! If I put anything else in there I won't have room to actually do anything.

Yes thread ends up like photo. After just a few stitches thread gets Bunched up and under latch. After several hours of trying different things it seems to be working again. Thank you for your help

The thread does look over large. I would drop to about 0.6mm flat thread or 0.8mm flat at most. And tamp it down using a small rubber head mallet

I have a leather baby moccasin kit from Tandy. I want to dye it, but I'm not sure what kind if leather it is (total newbie). I would greatly appreciate advice on how to prep the leather for dye. Thank You For Your Help!

It does look pretty "chunky" but it is a small holster, which probably accentuates the look. Mind you, some people will probably like that look.

I have always made my holsters with 6spi spacing and Tandy waxed linen thread. A couple of weeks ago, I got a wild hair and thought that I would like to try 5spi with 1mm thread. I got some 5spi irons and some Maine thread, size 0.040 (1.02mm). Used that on the BTB holster. Thread used on Avenger is my usual Tandy waxed linen, unknown size but smaller than 1.02mm. I'm thinking that the 1mm thread is looking chunky and I thought that's what I wanted but now, I'm not so sure. What do you think? I could try a smaller thread with 5spi and that may work better. A couple of comments about this little experiment. I really like the Maine thread for its' lower wax, better uniformity and overall handling. I absolutely love my new Crimson Hide Japanese irons for their super polished tapered tines. The 5 tine iron came out of the leather like a dream. These are both prototype holsters, made from cheap Tandy shoulder. Not the prettiest. The Avenger is Fiebing's Pro Dye, Mahogany, and the BTB was hot wax dipped. Maine Thread has free shipping for orders over $50. I went overboard, like I do on everything. Red, Black, Blue, and four colors of brown. I do not work for Maine Thread : ) What are you thoughts? Is 5spi and 1mm thread too chunky? Nick

You should probably go read Wizcrafts experience posted above. Looks like he got 346 though it but only after a fashion. Might want to pick his brain directly with exactly what you want to do before spending a lot of time and money.

Sorry to hear that and I hope I didn’t offend anyone

Looks like you've threaded it with small rope! Swapping out the motor and wiring is a smart move as given its age there is a possibility that the electrical insulation could break down, plus the capacitor is probably dried out inside.

Maybe it could start a (w)hole new design trend.

Toxo, no room on the walls! Behind the drawers are a couple of whiteboards, above head-height (which you can't see here) is a long shelf, virtually every bit of wall space is already in use. Where I put the drawers is (was) the last bit of open space available. Rolls of leather are stored under the table as well as a couple of rolls on top of another cupboard. If I didn't have the reloading gear in there too it would help, but there's nowhere else for that to go. And before you ask, I'm not allowed to build another shed.

Are you still making these? I’m interested to buy one for my RMJ Stabby Guy if it’s compatible.