dirtclod

Spence their is quite a bit of bar stock on ebay. I searched aluminum bar stock .

I didn't understand what you were talking about. Sorry about that. Plus i see now that it says spot instead of slot and i have some new glasses...LOL.

Tom i never have seen a adjustable punch of any type and i've been doing this a long time. All of the punches i have seen were one size no matter the type bag / slot, round or oval punch all are one size and you have to buy the different sizes.

Nice job !! Personally i would rather have more coverage on the pistol. But you need to make the customer wants. I bet they really like it.

My thoughts are that if you use the plastic sheath inside the slot it's going to be the right size for the knife and long enough that the tip of the blade cant cut the bottom or stitches out of the pockets when you take the knives out or put them back in the roll. Plus if you decide to have one made you could mail the plastic sheaths for who ever the maker is to measure and pattern with, sense i don't think you will want to send your knives. Sewing magnets will cause a bump in the roll looks to me like. In the first picture you better make sure you put the knife in perfect or you will cut the stitching.

Marty i have both types of machine post and cylinder arm. You can do alot on a post machine but i think you can do alot more on a cylinder arm machine. On the cylinder arm you can sew a wider piece without having to fold or mash it depending on the arm length. A cylinder arm will generally sew heavier / thicker materials. Use heavier thread. More choices on the feet especially if you get a newer machine. Most companies have a flat plate attachment that can be put on or took off if you want one. Sew odd shapes and they are easier to sell to more people if you ever need to. And i'm sure their are some things that i didn't think of. Marty if your going to get a new machine take pieces of what your going to be sewing and try it out, if your going to order one send samples and ask them to sew them for you. If your buying a used one do the same thing. Call different dealers and talk to them see who you feel comfortable with.

That is the nicest or one of the nicest pieces i have ever seen !!! Great job !

I tried several different search engines and came up the same thing as you. Makes me wonder if it's a made up name for a common snake some place and Karung sounds better more expensive or something. Kinda like eel leather is not really eel it's really a slimy fish i can't remember their name that lives on the bottom in the ocean.

Lasse i like all of your tools !!! You have made some mighty fine tools. I've made a few things but none ever looked as nice yours. I really like your lace cutter and splitter their my favorites. John

This is JMO but i don't this thread belongs on here. If you want to talk political things i'm sure their are lots of forms that's all they talk about. But if you want to make a stamp of either one of the Bush's like this stamp i'll be more than happy to pay the postage. Heck i'd even send ya couple extra bucks.

I didn't read the whole article but what i did read i agreed with. Personally i have worked with my hands to make a living sense before i got out of high school except for one breif period when i was talked into trying college at 35. I lasted one half of one semester. It was just like school i didn't understand what they were trying to teach. My mind doesn't work that way i guess. Over the years i have done a little bit of everthing it seems. Worked for a butcher, set tombstones, worked on the farm off and on, pumped gas, mowed yards, bat tender worked for a boot leger, commerical glass work, carpenter work for several years and having been doing leather work full time for close to 20 years. I wouldn't take anything for what i have learned doing the different jobs. Knowing how to build ment i was able to build my own shop ( still a work in progress inside ) and save a ton money . I make a living doing leather work but i just get by and i have learned to live cheap..LOL. Having the internet sure has helped business. Where i live the people that have money won't buy from me because they say it's better if it comes from some where else plus they have a bigger store. Still haven't figured out what the size of a store had to do with quality of the product. Guess i'll take some of those smart pills when i find them and i bet their next to that money tree i have been looking for all this time....LOL.

I wouldn't worry about what brand of motor is on it as long as it works. Personally i think it will be fine for what your sewing. Just guessing here will you need to sew over two or three thickness's on your purse? Take some scrap pieces and sew them and see how it does.Pfaff's are good sewing machines.

If you get a finger caught under the foot or needle i bet you will only do it once . I got my finger pinched ONCE when i got it under the foot on another machine i had !!!

Black rose i hope your new machine works well for you and that get rich and famous selling your bags.

Take a look here http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=25628&st=0&p=161414&hl=builderofstuff&fromsearch=1entry161414 and here http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=25604&st=0&p=161290&hl=builderofstuff&fromsearch=1entry161290 . He has some good ideals on spliting and beveling.

You will need the guards or welt on the seams to keep from cutting the stitching on the pockets. Plus the guards the right size would be handy to use in sizeing the pockets. In the picture you have shown a couple of those knives have the guard and the ones i looked at most of the knives had guards. Plus just for your safety incase you were to fall they might keep the knife from cutting through the roll and cutting you.

Gougeing on the shipping is a killer for me. It doesn't matter if it's from a brick and motor store / company or one on ebay i won't pay it if theirs any place else to get it. Just like the store in town that charged my customer $70.00 to overnight a package to Seattle. When i checked UPS website is should of been $50.00 . When i went back and complained i was told that's what the computer says and ithat i should of went to a UPS store if i wanted to pay $50.00. I doubt theirs a UPS store within a 100 miles of where i live. Now i don't mind them making some money. I think $5.00 to fill out a ticket and print a label would of been high but i would of paid it. I told the lady i wouldn't ba back and i haven't been back. Plus i have told everbody i see what a rip off joint their running. With the internet word travels faster now than ever before and people will tell quicker about bad service than good service. I guess that's human nature.

I rebuilt a Kentucky Rollback / Bluegrass saddle several years ago and it was a bear. The seams on the rolls were near impossable to get straight and lined up. Never get them really in line. Get ready to do lots of hand sewing ( but that might not be as big of a problem now with more affordable deep throat machines ) if you tackle rebuiding it find a supplier of hog hair. Whats in it didn't really work for me when i had restuff the rolls. The seat in one is sort of suspended. When i did mine i use seat belt webbing to suspend it. Then a piece of canvas a 1/4 inch piece of neoprene then the leather for the seat 60 inches on the sturipp leather should be plenty long because of the way their dropped down to start with.. But you might want to check that with a cloth tape and have him set on the saddle with a sturipp on the cloth tape. Oh the buckle for the sturipp leathers needs to be put on backwards so the tongue of the buckle doesn't scratch the fenders. If i can find the pictures i will post them of the one i did, I found a whole new appreciation for the original builder after i tackled it !! Best of luck on your journey if decide to rebuild it.

Nice job ! Your going to have a happy customer.

I would be happy to talk to you about making the knife roll. Do you have the plastic guards for the knives ? John

I got a order from Weaver's today 7 edgers and two packages of needles. I weighted the box before i opened it and it weighted 1 lb and 5 oz . Shipping was $20.00. So i called and asked if their was a mistake and the lady told me np their was no mistake. That they had a flate rate on shipping going on now $1.00 to $99.00 was $15.00 shipping $99.00 to $200.00 was $20.00 matter the weight i guess. Told her i though i was getting ripped off on the shipping because i had got two sides of skirting from Wickett and Craig that weighted 36 pounds and the shipping was $26.00 and change. She did say they would give a one time $7.50 refund on the shipping. I don't use UPS because the only place in my town Rips you off to send something. I mail things all over the country and quite a bit outside of the country and the post office is lots cheaper and faster alot of the time. Anyway they sent a customer comment form in the box and i have it filled out and one of the questions was would i buy from Weaver again. I checked yes and put a question mark beside it. Now It just depends if i can't find what i'm looking for another company i'll get it from them if i can't i will have to order from Weaver and pay the rip off price. As of now they have lost a 18 to 20 year customer if i can find what i want someplace else.

I have used a beveled edge only on a few things i have made. Just because beveling after it had been cut didn't look right. The few times i have done it was on a animal face and the inside of the ears. The rest of the time i use a swivel knife and then bevel.

Have you tried swaping the belt from side to side. I know that's about as clear as a mud puddle. Make a mark on the right side of the belt take it off and put that side on the left. Your belt may of took the shape of the other motor if was out of line a little. If that fails i would go to a parts store get a new belt and try that. But none of that may help either.

I've been working in the shop a good bit of today and just couldn't get this off my mind. Like others have said this not a dyeing art form. People starting out and people that have been doing leather work for years myself included have a easier access to more information than ever before !! When i came on this form a little over a year ago i had a hard beliving that folks were sharing so much information expecting nothing more than a thank you or thanks that really helped. I for one have learned lots of new things here. That is so different than it was a few years ago. If you were lucky enough for somebody to show you how to do something it was a Boy Howdy Day. I was lucky enough to meet a guy that really helped me out. I guess he though this ole boy needs some help !! He was nice enough to let me come and work in his shop for over a year no charge. All i had to do was furnish all of my materials and what tools i had. If i didn't have a tool he would let me borrow his till i could get that tool or tools. There are a lot of givers and takers myself included in the takers that do their best to soak in what is shared on this form and just like in life some pass along what they learn and some just want to pick the good folks here brain and then their off to do their own thing. Never to come back, except to show off something they have made and get the AT A BOYS then their gone again till they get something else made. When some one answers a question that helps direcetly or indirectly take it for what it is a gift of their experience and their screw ups. Over the years i have screwed up and threw away enough leather to build two or three saddles. Their are real artist here both in leather and just being able to draw a design. They may be able to help me on a suggestion for a tool or something but their not going to be able to make me or anyone else good at it. That only comes from pratice and more pratice and some natural talent won't hurt either. Will i ever be as good as them probley not but i can improve on what i do. JMO and it's like butts and belly buttons most ever body has one.

Simon i think their pretty hard to use but not impossible when your starting out. Get some scraps and wet them pretty good and try it holding it at different angles with the handle more flat and with the the handle tilted down with different pressure. When you have a new blade it dosen't take much pressure to cut to deep as the blade dulls i think it's more controlabel espically if using one for the first time.