Janice

I got in here sorta backwards, much of that due to timing. I didnt know squat about leatherwork, other than looking after the horse tack I owned for the last 20 years. My mother was a seamstress, and a darn good one too, though I hated sewing clothing, I am sure I picked up some knowledge there. I bought it all at once. A complete harness buisness, that was run out of a basement, by an elderly gentleman. I took a chance, an invested some of my equity into all these tools and supplies. I dont know exactly how good of a deal I got, but I think I paid about 25% of the replacement value, now that I have reasearched more of the equipment. I have a day job, and hubby works as well, we always have. I am teaching myself. Started out doing some custom work for people, and repairs. Used to do alot of horse blankets, but have weeded them out now. Too much work for no money, but it brought people in, that would want other stuff. Tried doing some retail with it as well, but very little happened with that, too many tack stores around here. I made some nice chinks, pillows, strap goods and other items, but didnt know how to tool, and hadnt gotten around to teaching myself that yet, so they were kinda plain. I am now into tooling, have made 5 items so far. Need continue with the education and practice. Dying and finishes are my next area, then lacing. I have alot of horse connections, and friends who are bikers. I intend to continue to learn, and teach my hubby, but it will all stay small scale, as I plan to keep the security of my job, and its pension, for the next 18 years. That is the plan, but who knows? I would like to again say thank you for this site, and all of the people here, who are generous enough to share your knowledge.

Tony, so the simanco name is the same as singer then?? Is it a different brand name under the same company? Twinoaks, I just want to know what everything is, and then I will get around to trying everything out eventually. I would also like to know what goes on my machine, and what i could maybe use on the other machine, or should get rid of, cause I have way too much stuff! I have more pics of things to add to this thread, and will get them on here soon. Gotta go make some hay right now.

Which one Tony, #1 or #2? Here is another item.

Hi all. As some of you may already know, I bought a shop a few years ago. This shop was owned by a gentleman that had over the years bought out a couple of other shops. It's main focus was harness making. I have some machine parts, heck, I have some machines, that I dont know what they do. Most of it I have figured out, but I need help with the rest. I own a Juki pro 2000, by ferdco, same as a few of you on here. I have here a box of sewing machine parts. Now, I dont know if these parts fit MY machine, or another, please specify if you know. Any and all help greatly appreciated. please quote item #, so I know which one you are talking about, thanks! Next item. The one on the left appears to have a staple in it, why??? the other one appears bent?

I read earlier somewhere here to use vellum paper in the pattern process. I went out and bought some. Before I get going on this, can some of you go over your methods of pattern transferr for me? I have reg paper with the pattern drawn on it, that is the stage I am at. I am pretty new to tooling, and have read so much on here, that now I cant find the posts that I got the idea from in the first place. Any and all help greatly appreciated!

Thank you everyone for all the tips. One that really struck me was: " I don't want to sew through the tape as it sticks to the needle and can cause problems and thread fraying and breakage. " Excellent point Bree, thanks!

I am right handed, and have 6 1/2 in on the left, and 7 on the right. I do live in metric land, but I am still old school!

Thanks for all the input everyone. This is such a fantastic forum! I made it with the beveling on the inside, and it looks good. Next one I am going to try the idea of no carving, just pear shading them in, and see which works best for myself. Thanks again for all the help! Jan

When trying on different horn bags on different saddles, to figure out which is best, I noticed the ones with a 90 degree "V" in them fit the most saddles the best. Consider installing small D rings on the bottom backside of the bags, so they can be tied down, and dont "slap" the horse when going faster than a walk. This can also allow you to make the hole bigger, to accomodate different sizes of horns. The hole. It can be a hole, or it can be just a slit, with small holes punched at either end, when bags are made of leather. Jan

That is an incredible piece of work you have created. I would also like to thank you for sharing the information with us, as well as your pictures. In my wildest dreams, I hope to be able to someday create something half as beautiful! Thanks again for sharing.

I am so glad you posted that Art! I had lost the link to that one, it is an amazing video! (dont care much for bullfighting, but could watch that horse move for hours) Thanks!

I am making a small gift for a friend, and it will have paw prints going across it. I have carved them already, as well as a few on some scrap pieces. I have been playing around with the different stamping tools, and am not really happy with how those have turned out. If anyone has some ideas to try, please let me know, as well as tool numbers I should use, ( I have a dozens of tools). Thanks in advance. (cutting the toes with the swivel knife was good practice!)

Here is one of my favorites. For all you older rockers out there. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxEX__YXmDs

British Columbia is an amazingly beautiful and diverse place. It is in Canada. Al Stohlman loved living here in the caribou. We have health care here that is universal, although some parts of that are changing. Where I live, we may get snow in winter, but it doesnt usually stay for more than a day. WAY less populated though, except for the lower mainland.

When I started, I just borrowed every pair I could and took patterns and pictures of them. You could offer a small gift, or future discount, to those that lend you thier chinks, as an incentive. I made a cattle counter for a friend that lent me 3 pairs of hers.

Thanks for the input guys!

Those are wonderful! I would really like to try making one for my mom. Any chance you could send me some instructions? This is such a wonderful forum!

Hi all! I love this forum! I recently decided to try my hand at some carving and tooling. It worked out pretty good for my first kick at the can! I made a cover for one of my head knives. I also am learning to sharpen, but that is another thread. I would like some ideas for small projects to tool for practice. Not small as in tiny tooling, but just some simple patterns to develope my skill level. I have pretty much every tool a person could think of, and am slowly trying to learn how to use them all. For the past number of years I have been concentrating on repairs, and sewing. I have made some chinks, pillows, halters etc, but I have not done any tooling. Does anyone have any ideas on good practice items, (besides wallets) Here is my first piece of the head knife case.

I am new too, and I noticed when practicing with the barbed wire stamps, that I was better working on the bottom, than on the top. My patterns lined up better. So now I turn it upside down for this. I am also better working from right to left, (<----), than left to right (----> ). So just pay attention to which way you are going when you practice, to see if you are better one way than the other, and take your time. Also, one of my tandy stamps bent with not that much use, wish I had gotten the hidecrafter ones.

WoW! Thats INCREDIBLE! Sooooooo beautiful. Is it Hidepounders own design? Now I want to learn how to do that too. This forum is beginning to become addicting,,,,,

I ran across an industrial juki for sale near me, looks like a good price. Only problem is, it's powered by 220. Is it possible to have it changed to 110? If so, how much work is this to do? It is a model DDL-555ON-3, asking $400. ANY info on this machine would be GREAT!!

You may have just saved me some work! Thanks! I do a number of replacements on western saddles each year, I will be trying this out soon.

I am trying to find values for some of my tools, for insurance purposes, and I was searching the net and found one of my pinking cutters. http://www.april1930s.com/html/singer_pinker.html This one is as mint as you get, with the original box, and extra wheels etc. Mine shows signs of use and age, and has no "extras". Another one I found is mint, and valued at 185 usd, no extras. So I have an idea on this item. For the history part, I did find it was about 1933 vintage. BUT, I also have a much larger one, it is an american, and have no idea on the value of it. Anyone want to throw thier 2 cents as to the value I should put on this? Any history info? Thank you very much!

http://www.proleptic.net/ Here ya go, thank google!

ooooooooooooooooooooooo, I am in LOVE,,,,,,