dirtclod

Real waves !

Try rocking the hand wheel when you put it in. One of my machines is a little tricky like that sometimes.

I made several of those a few years ago and used Chicago screws for the counters. The ones i made were two sided with numbers on both sides so it could always be read.

On one machine it did / does the same thing. A couple of times they back lashed in the bobbin case for a real mess. So i tried what i seen Trox i belive it was said. Go around the tension one and a half times then to your bobbin. So far it has helped. But i have had spools of thread that just wouldn't come of the cone right. Not sure if they weren't wound right or what. Sewing their fine but won't wind for a bobbin worth a crap.

Your pictures are tiny. People can't see what it is.

I'd get something besides horse hide if you want to stamp or tool it. I tried stamping a piece and it didn't work to well. Get some cowhide pieces to stamp and tool.

7.99 for 5 pounds of pieces. They could be from hand size to a lot bigger. Guess it would be a luck of the draw thing on what you get as far as the size of the pieces.

Push harder with your stitch wheel and divider and they should show up. I don't ever remember having and problem marking with a divider. Not sure i ever tried use a stitch wheel on it though.

DJ here's a movie where they make a football. It looks like the guy steams it before he turns them right side out. http://www.core77.com/blog/object_culture/how_to_make_an_american_football_18239.asp Good luck on fixing yours.

The only problem with the cutters is they leave a spot in the middle of your circle where the pivot is. Or the one i used did anyway. Try a plate the same size or close the size you want ( turn it upside down ) when you mark the circle of try to cut it and you will have to hold it down.

You can make a strop out of a piece of dense cardboard or a cardboard carton that a case of beer or cold drinks come it. They will work fine just make sure you use it on a hard smooth surface. 5/6 ounce leather will work fine to and even better if it's glued to a piece of wood.

A heavier maul or mallet ( something in the 1 1/2 to 2 pound range ) will help a lot to. Those poly head mallets they sell or to light to use cutting ends on straps. IMO

Yea it's a pretty hard trick to learn !!!! You may want to wait till you get some more time on your machine before you try it !!

I'll take both of the ruby blades. Sent you a PM.

I'd take a look on ebay for one.

I belive your going to find out that where the bumps are on the hide that your not going to be able to punch a hole with your awl to sew. Their hard as a rock or at least the piece i tried to sew was. To be able to sew you need a belly or maybe a piece off of the side to be able to sew it.

A few times i scraped it off with a knife the last time i used a belt sander to clean it off. Mines glued to a board.

I have the same machine and sometimes it dose the same thing on some sides. I'm thinking it's rawhide in the leather where it didn't all the way. Mine makes a sound sorta like when ya pull a nail. The only thing that i found that helps is to take the tread out of the needle and the arm at the top and lay it in the tension disk at the top and sew the piece with no thread then thread it again and stitch and will still do the same thing sometimes.

A pencil some poster board a set of french curves make some really nice patterns.

Wind a bobbin while your sewing.

i used to use a angle BW stamp all the time. It's no different than running a straight one mark you guide line on a angle and do just you would with a straight stamp.

DJ i would get the person that wants it and start mearsureing and making paper / poster board patterns and fit it that way.

Go to a auto parts store and ask for headliner glue it works fine or allways has for me. their several brands 3M is the best i think.

You have it sorta right. Set your foot down about three stitches in fron of where going to start. Then back stitch two or three stitches and then stitch forward. The way you said you are doing it you have a build up of three stitches if do it the way i desribed you have stitch twice instead of three. Starting and going all the way around i sew past where i start two or three stitches and call it good most of the time.

Ever pair i have made i got one side and that was plenty. Not sure what your talking about when you say Ray Hunt style.