harnessman
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Posts posted by harnessman
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Hi
I am just a ferry boat ride away! Even a short list of equipment, other than the Adler (great machine by the way), would go a long way to stirring some interest. Even just posting some general pictures would help. Also some Idea of price would be good, are we looking at a $3K or a $30K shop full of tools? I also make harness and other horse gear and just saying you have all the equipment necessary does not even tell me much, and I know what is required because there are many different ways to make harness, ei, all hand tools or highly mechanized!
I know how difficult it must be to part with you prize tools, I sold the farm, literally, and kept the leather tools for my retirement "hobby" gone wild! So you might seriously consider mothballing your leather tools for the future in case you get bit by the leather bug again!
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I talked with Jarod, the OP, on 10/20/2015. The machine that he has for sale is a Union/Randal high speed stitcher NOT a Campbell. It has been "rebuilt and re-painted" in his shop. It came to him from an Amish shop, sounded like it was in pretty rough condition when he got it. He seems to be willing to work with anyone on getting it shipped. His asking price was considerably less than posted here and still negotiable. Unfortunately I have no use for the machine.
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Is this machine still for sale?
Sent you a PM
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Purdy durn nice gunleather work pard! Next priject,inlay that thar lizard into the stock of yer pistola.
Sorry, something about western wear just makes me go all cowboy speak. (Chuckle, chuckle)
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Love the contrasting re-enforcing/overlay look. Nice clean lines. Thanks for sharing
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I have been doing leather work for pretty near 50 years now, off and on, and have always hand stitched. About 6 years ago I was doing a lot of harness work and believe me stitching a pair of
six foot long traces with two, or more, rows of stitches, that's over 50 FEET of stitching, will wear out your little fingers in a big hurry. After much discussion with she who must be obeyed (swmbo) I scraped up enough money to buy a 441 clone. Best thing I have ever done and it turned my hobby into it part time money maker because of the increased productivity. Huge learning curve to getting that first machine running correctly and consistently but lordy it was fast!
I ran with that machine for about 3 years until I got tired changing over needles, thread, tension, etc between jobs and I broke down and bought a second machine, a pretty new cowboy 3500. It was a great machine and, despite the shorter throat, it did everything I asked of it smoothly and easily. I had that machine for about a year when one of the big Adler harness stitchers became available locally and I was able to pick it up for about half of retail, about the price of a new Cowboy (whew, SWMBO darn near scalped me for that one). For those who do not know the Adler is like a 4500 Juki clone but on steroids! It is by far The Best heavy duty free arm stitcher on the market.That big Adler was a real eye opener. The smoothness of German engineering and machining was incredible! Stitch regulation was perfect! To make a long story a bit shorter I sold the Cowboy to a young man I was mentoring and kept the Adler as my main go to stitcher. The 441 clones will do the job but the Adler does it just that much better!
So, any machine, even (shudder), a manual Boss, will be faster than hand stitching but if you have the need and have the $$$ go with a Adler, you will never be sorry!
JMHO, your millage may vary.
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Ooops! Double post.
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THIS MACHINE IS SOLD!
Thank you to all who responded. It was sold locally to a new leather worker who is a fantastic artist.
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FOR SALE COBRA #3 - 9" FREE ARM STITCHER $2000.00
PRICE REDUCED! NOW $1850.00 OBO
LOCATED IN WISCONSIN
I bought this machine last year, about this time, for use in my part time leather work. It is a great machine but I got a real deal on a Adler 205 machine so I have to sell this machine to make room. (wife won't let me keep all my toys!)
It is in like new condition. Lightly used and barely broke in, just enough to work all the bugs out of it! Stitches great! Excellent machine for all kinds of holster work, harness stitching, heavy blanket repair, saddle repair or building. Easily stitches webbing, canvas, bio-plastics, upholstery fabric, basically anything that you need a really heavy stitching machine for.
The COBRA Class 3 will sew from 6 oz to 7/8" leather including skirting, all typs of tack, bullet loops, chap leather, and everything in between with ease. This machine has a 9" free arm with tripple feed walking foot. They are strong and compact, allowing you to sew in small areas easier than ever before! Arguably one of the best of the China Clones and you can not beat Steve's service!
The Cobra Class 3 comes complete with heavy duty pedestal stand on wheels, Digital DC Servo Motor, SR2 Heavy Duty Speed Reducer, extra needles, extra bobbins, thread, roller edge quide, tools, oil, accessory flat table and aftermarket roller guide.
I also modified the location of the foot pedal to better suite working on small items like holsters. If you do not like it you can simply move it back to the original possition.
I also added a better swing down roller guide($85) because the roller guide that came with the machine (included) was not all that handy. The original roller guide is included.
Also included is a high Lumen 28 LED adjustable work light ($49), really a nice bright light, and the optional flat work table ($85), which I never used.
I have also included a 1/4 spool of 277 black Nylon thread and two packs of needles (25 & 26) and the full bobbin, shown in the pictues on the winder, to get you started.
Look at the pictures to see exactly what you will get.
Come & look at this machine, try it out and you will be impressed.
Bring a buddy to help load as I recently had back surgery and have lift restrictions!
If you have any questions do not hessitate to ask!
Email or call 262-689-1204 & leave message. Located in Wisconsin.
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Unless you just have to do it yourself, look into replacement heads from Osborne. They are made of water buffalo and all ready to go. I tried building one from scratch and was disappointed in results and cost. I don't know about larger ones as i wasn't looking but I picked up some smaller brand new ones real cheap on ebay.
Yea, this is for one of the big old mauls. Makes the Osborne ones look like toys!
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Hi All
I am looking for a double shoulder or butt of 10-12oz rawhide. I just picked up a heavy maul and need to replace the head. Original was pretty thick rawhide, ,bout 10oz by the looks of what is left. Don't know if they even make rawhide that thick anymore. Most of what I am finding is thin, 2-4 oz saddle or braiding stuff. I found one mention of water buffalo rawhide for mauls? I am sure this subject has been covered before, but i'll be darned if I can find it.
Any help would be appreciated.
Jim
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FOR SALE COBRA #3 - 9" FREE ARM STITCHER $2000.00
LOCATED IN WISCONSIN
I bought this machine last year, about this time, for use in my part time leather work. It is a great machine but I got a real deal on a Adler 205 machine so I have to sell this machine to make room. (wife won't let me keep all my toys!)
It is in like new condition. Lightly used and barely broke in, just enough to work all the bugs out of it! Stitches great! Excellent machine for all kinds of holster work, harness stitching, heavy blanket repair, saddle repair or building. Easily stitches webbing, canvas, bio-plastics, upholstery fabric, basically anything that you need a really heavy stitching machine for.
The COBRA Class 3 will sew from 6 oz to 7/8" leather including skirting, all typs of tack, bullet loops, chap leather, and everything in between with ease. This machine has a 9" free arm with tripple feed walking foot. They are strong and compact, allowing you to sew in small areas easier than ever before! Arguably one of the best of the China Clones and you can not beat Steve's service!
The Cobra Class 3 comes complete with heavy duty pedestal stand on wheels, Digital DC Servo Motor, SR2 Heavy Duty Speed Reducer, extra needles, extra bobbins, thread, roller edge quide, tools, oil, accessory flat table and aftermarket roller guide.
I also modified the location of the foot pedal to better suite working on small items like holsters. If you do not like it you can simply move it back to the original possition.
I also added a better swing down roller guide($85) because the roller guide that came with the machine (included) was not all that handy. The original roller guide is included.
Also included is a high Lumen 28 LED adjustable work light ($49), really a nice bright light, and the optional flat work table ($85), which I never used.
I have also included a 1/4 spool of 277 black Nylon thread and two packs of needles (25 & 26) and the full bobbin, shown in the pictues on the winder, to get you started.
Look at the pictures to see exactly what you will get.
Come & look at this machine, try it out and you will be impressed.
Bring a buddy to help load as I recently had back surgery and have lift restrictions!
If you have any questions do not hessitate to ask!
Email or call 262-689-1204 & leave message. Located in Wisconsin.
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Hi Jim,
I have the Cobra 5550. It is a race car compared to my other stitchers. Good for boot tops. It runs 69, 46, and 33 thread fine. I have the servo and speed reducer and I don't have to ride the handwheel like on my old 31-15 (but it had a clutch). It sure is a lot tighter than the 31-15 too. It is invaluable for doing tight turns and intricate work, stuff I used to dread in the 618. Nice machine for flat work, you'd have a hard time getting it away from me now.
Art
HI Art
Great! just what I wanted to know. Thank you for the feedback.
I agree withe the servo vs clutch. I have a clutch on my Singer 211 and it is OK, but still tends to freewheel sometimes when you least expect it. ON the other hand I have a servo on my big class 4 harness machine and I can easily lay one stitch at a time exactly where I want it! Love that servo, really should get one for the Singer as well.
Thanks
Jim
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Hi All
I am looking for a machine to sew fancy stitching into 3-6 oz leather and am looking for some feedback on these two machines, Cowboy cb-8500 or Cobra 5550. They look to be identical and come set up with a roller foot. I was originally looking for a old Singer 31-15 but they seem to be scarce as hens teeth in the upper midwest where I live. Any feedback would be appreciated.
Thanks
Jim
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FYI: Linhanyl thread is no longer being imported into the USA. The importer-distributor quit, leaving many bulk buyers in the lurch. The only way to get Linhanyl thread now is to either buy what's left from a dealer who is lucky enough to have some in stock, or, to order 50 pounds of the same thread size and color in a box and do all the Customs paperwork. Linhanyl is headquartered in Brazil.
Dang, why is it that just when you find something that really works, it suddenly is no longer available! I have gone through several "no name" brands of thread only to find them less than desireable, fraying, weak spots, fading etc. I finally happened on Linhanyl and it seems to be perfect, and now I hear that it is no longer available. DANG!!!!
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Cut a strip the width you want, sew it and then cut the keepers to length. I wouldn't buy a machine just to sew keepers.
X2
I run 3 foot lenths of 6oz through the big machine at 6spi with 277 thread. Cut keepers to length, melt the cut ends of the thread and at the same time melt a little beeswax/pitch into the holes. Fast simple and never a problem unraveling.
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Do you still have this splitter for sale? If so, how much and where in WI can a person find you? Thanks much in advance, MJ
Hi Mike
Sorry this was immediately snatched up and is long gone to a new home almost a year ago!
Jim
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Ok, Im getting the Boss. I will need suppliers for needles and thread. I could buy bonded lubricated Nylon thread 346 at Tandy but it seems a bit expensive even with my gold discount. I can get it from Tippmann but they only handle White, Black, and Brown.
Im going to start with 277 Bonded Nylon white and black. I will have needles for 207, 277 and 346. So I can experiment. I do like the look of the 346 on a belt. Anyway. Where are the good places to get thread and needles? I see that Zack White has thread and needles. I have heard about Thread Exchange but do not know anythng about them.
Please, I would like to benefit of your experience with suppliers of thread and needles.
Thanks
Michael
Try the Thead Exchange. Tons of great information on thread and lots of collors and sizes of colors to chose from Prices are as good as any and better than most! Best of all they actually tell you where the thread comes from , unlike tandy/s Weavers, etc where you buy whatever crap they can palm of on their customers. Stick with Eddington, poly, or :Lynhanyl in Nylon. best thread around, but that is just my oppinion and yours may vary.
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I got mine to stop with 4 heavy coats of neatlac, clearlac, whatever LCI calls it these days. It was suggested to me to try lincoln dyes, I just haven't found a source yet. The only color I have a problem with is black, so in the future I am just going to vinegeroon all my black, only problem is I still have some drum dyed black leather on hand that I need to use. As soon as I find a supplier of lincoln black dye that charges less than $11 to ship a $4 bottle of dye, or find a supplier I can buy other stuff from that has it I will try it out. BTW, its a PITA to put on 4 heavy coats of clearlac.
Yea, I know about the PITA with multiple coats of neetlac, used to use that stuff, bagcoat as well, never real happy with the finish that it gave. Always looked like someone had applied a coat of plastic to the leather. I have never worked with Vingaroon, might have to give it a try, as well as the lincoln dye's.
Thanks
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No matter what I do I cannot get the dye to stop coming off my edges. Here is a description of my last attempt.
Well, I got some empty "Copic Sketch Markers", they are perfect for doing edges. They are made for comic book artist to ink drawings with alcohol based inks and come with a chiseled tip and point tip that is soft almost like a paint brush.
My lines are now perfectly straight, angling the chiseled tip at the correct angle to the leather and a steady hand makes for a nice clean edge. Now I am still back to my original problem, I have still having dye rub off!
I am able to get a clean edge before or after burnishing with the copic markers so I have tried both ways. So my last two belts I dyed the edges black using the marker then ran an old white t shirt over the edges and got any excess dry dye off.
I then used Fiebings glycerine soap to slick the edges then hand burnished with duck cloth and fiebings white saddle soap.
I then coated the edges with paraffin wax and used my grinder style buffer to shine the edges. The buffer gets the belt hot enough to give the wax a good shine. I would stop there if I could but black will still come off on a soft cloth.
So I had a can of Clearlac, neatlac, whatever the stuff is called and I filled one of my copic markers with it, perfect even coats, great. Well I did a couple of coats and let it dry, got a white T shirt ran it across and I got black marks!
I just tried two more belts and I am going to let them dry overnight this time, well at least until later in the morning. One got 3 light layers with a copic marker, the other got a few layers with an artists brush. Maybe giving an overnight dry time will give me the protection I am looking for. I am probably the only loon who got out of bed at 1 am to go test some new methods to get my edges right. They look really nice, I just can't have black dye coming off if I ever hope to start selling. These are for Christmas gifts, and I have a few people who want to buy but I have to get the edges beyond pretty , they need to be pretty and durable.
I don't really want to coat the entire belts in Clearlac, I really like the look I am getting with a light coat of neatsfoot oil then a coating of Renaissance wax, I put my finishes on before I sew or edge the belt, the stitching gets beat up and gunked up if I finish after stitching and edging.
Thanks for any insight you may have.
Those belts I let dry overnight did not work, still got black marks on my white cloth!!!
I really need to stop the black from coming off.
OK, just so you do not feel so alone out there I am having the same problem. I recently made a pair of 4" wide Santa belts out of bridle leather, one Black and one Havana brown. and Santa is having a problem with them bleading out the edges. He is not happy and I am 'fraid I am getting nothing but coal for Christmas this year!
Edges were sanded,
dyed with Fiebings Pro oil dye dried overnight
hit with Gum T. slicked second coat of gum slicked again,
let dry for 24 hourse coat of
Atom wax over the top to really shine everything up. I buff out with old white "T" shirts and only a little of the wax residue and color comes off, once polished I can rub like heck and nothing comes off on the white "T"s.
Damn things are leaving black lines four inches apart all over his expensive custom made wool suit. He is sending the belts back to be reworked, but I am not sure what the heck to do to get them to stop bleeding.
Anybody got any Ideas how to seal these up?
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Hi Guys
I am in the market for a middleweight machine and kind of like the looks of the Artisan 2618-1B LTHR machine. Anyone out there use one of these? If so, how do you like it? I am looking for a machine that will comfortably hande 1/4-3/8 type work in harness leather. I have a big harness stitcher from NEEL but man it hurts to replace those big 784 needles! I also have a flat bed Singer 211 machine that works great for under 1/4 work, mostly I use it to set zippers into leather.
Any commentary on the ARtisan would be appreciated, or for that mater any other machine in this class.
Thanks
Jim
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What is the difference in Tan Coat vs Bag Coat ?
also would single cap rivets be stronger than double cap ones.
Hi Luke
Can't be much help on the Tan Coat as I only use Bag Coat to give a nice mellow final shine to flat goods.
As to the rivets, the single cap and double cap are the same as far as strength, or lack thereof, since they both rely on upsetting the post into the head on one side. Steel rivets are a bit stronger than solid brass, but tend to rust and look really ugly. Any of these upset hollow post type of rivet should not be considered much of a structural, strength, element as they are not very strong. If you are looking for strength then go with a post and burr rivet.
JMHO
Jim
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Jim, I have used nylon thread from Weaver for 13 years now and have not had a problem in my Adler 105-64. But I also have a Landis #1 and a #3. Now that is a different story ! The #3 is a wonderful machine, when it's working. It is real temperamental. It'll sew along nice for a long time, and then go into convulsions and ruin a nice piece. But, maybe its my thread. I am in the process of getting my #1 up and running, and was told on this forum not to use nylon in it. So, maybe that is the problem with the #3 also....??? Anyway that has been my experience with nylon, It seems to work great in the Adler but I have not used anything else so I have nothing to compare it to. What type of machine are you using ? Good Luck !---------------Bill
Hi Bill
I use 69, 138 and ocasionally 207 in my Singer 211 and have not had any problems with that. I use 277 and up in my big Juky knock off cylinder arm that i purchased about 5 years ago from Neel Saddlery. It has proven to be a good durable and usefull machine. I also use 348 in my American straight needle for box work and some other stuff and do not get the fraying that I see on the free arm machine unless I crank the thread clamps way up. Yes, I have gone over all the rub points on the machine with a dremmel and buffed out all the rough spots. The currious thing is that I have not seen this in the past, it is only in the last year or so that I have gotten the fraying, probably the last 2-3 spools of 277. Come to think of it I had to clean a lot of fluff off of the Singer last time I used it, and that was with a new spool of 138. I have also noticed lately that the cut ends of the thread tend to unravel real easily. I think they have switched vendors.
Jim D.
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Hi All
I am looking for some oppinions on Bonded Nylon for machine sewing. I am currently using nylon from Weavers and am not particularly happy with it as it seems to fray pretty easily going through the machine and leaves a lot of fuzz on the guides. I am using silicone lub on the upper thread and sew slowly so heat is not the issue.
I am trying to avoid buying several spools of $20+ thread to experiment with so I would appreciate some feedback on brands and where you get them from.
Thanks
Jim D.
Singer 29K71 -- Great Condition
in Old/Sold
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Is this machine still available?