SethJ

If its going to be dyed dark,...no worries,..I just case the area I'm working with,......if it's going to be natural/ oiled,..I try and haul butt carving while its all cased.

Just wondering how you guys keep your skirts from curling,....I currently use a side of 10oz with a 6 oz lining,..then sew to the shearling,....I wonder how thin I could get away with and still keep it from curling?

I think they're a little on the pricey side,..but definatley great quality!

Without them I think you'd see 1) the skirt tugs,...and 2) all the hardware(screw,nails) from the riggings? I love them as they're a nice place to show off your carvings!

ahhh,..I figure there's enough smut everywhere on tv and the net,.....dont need it here too,..lol

Hmmm not sure about this,..but if I get a piece of really fleshy hide I have used gum trag to mush it down. I put a good amount of gum on it and swipe one direction until it gets flat like I want. It seems to last a pretty good while.

Dang EXACTLY what I was looking for! And $28 cant beat that THANKS!

Hmmm thats my name too! lol

lol Oh man,...you better know it. I think that was a lot of my troubles too,..I had a big back-log of stuff people ordered trying to get it out the shop,..and when I got the machine,..I was in such a hurry to get it going I stumbled a bit. I completely cleaned out my shop in the last week,..everything's caught up. Its really amazing how my turn around time has gone to nothing! I was sooooo dreadfully tired of handstitching belts and skirts and such lmao,....but I can guarantee you this,...I'm an expert hand stitcher! LOL I wish I had one dollar for every stitch I've laid by hand,.....I'd be at the very least a hundred-thousandaire

Just finished the edge stitching on some rear jockeys.....smooth as butter....

Thanks! I thought I had to go to a round needle>? Oh heres an update,...and No Its daytime hours so no bathrobe,...originally those videos were just between me and Bob Jr in the wee hrs of the morning,..and I never thought about anybody else seeing them really until I decided to out on here and get some feedback. Its not uncommon for me to work well into the night,..and yes sometimes even in my PJ's LOL

Not a problem,....Hey just FYI,...I was in my robe because it was like 3am and I'm way behind in the shop,...but thanks for noticing. Yea I can pull the video down,..but heck I had videos up there for years,..and not a single view? lol doubt if its damaging,.... so no suggestions on the sewing shearling huh?

SHAME ON ME? Listen buddy....I posted a video so I'd have a way to visually communicate with Bob Jr,...nothing as vindictive as trying to hurt his business,..but I hardly feel the need to explain myself to you. thanks.

My carvings are FAR from perfect. Yet I sell hundreds of pieces a year. I have tons of mistakes in almost everything I make....you know what,..the consumer never sees them. Its art,...art thats developing over a craftsmans lifetime.....people just see the beauty of handwork. Now if its a functional or mechanical error that will affect operation or function,..its a no-go,..but as for cosmetic flaws,....you'll be AMAZED at what the average consumer/buyer does not see. I strive for perfection,..but after 4-5 hours of continious little knife cuts,..or smacks on a mallet of repetetive tooling,....I DO make a bunch of errors,.....its NOT a big deal.

Heavy molding ,..I'll soak in hot water,..then oven dry on low temp. Light molding,..I'll just wet with a rag,..like extreme casing,...and let air dry to shape. I have made templates from wood that I use for cases, mag pouches and such,..wet leather,...clamp it in the templates until dry....

I've tried the wledwood and other contact cements,...the only one I've found that I like on saddles and holsters and such is the Leathercrafters Contact Cement,.....that or barge. The other stuff can be pulled apart fairly easily,..this stuff,...it will tear the fibers of the leather if you let it cure and try to rip it apart. Yea I didnt really get that either,..I want it STUCK! I figured he meant he wanted it held until he could sew it. I cement almost everything I sew.

Anybody know where I can get a stapler that will punch like up to 6oz leather,..something like what I could use to make belt keepers?

Oh I completely agree....but at the time I started this post,...I was almost suicidal,..lol,...thank goodness i've worked some of the issues out with the help of Bob Sr and Jr,...and a hell of a lot of trial and error. And YES I think a big part of finding a solution was help from the members in here,...many very helpful posts!!!

did this on the 4500 too..... Ok back on topic,...yea I thought I'd heard somewhere that maybe I have to use round point needles when sewing shearling to skirting??

Ok let me clarify before the nazis all come out. I'm NOT bad mouthing the " Bobs". Its just frustrating like I said. My youtube video is hardly mainstream and was for the purpose of showing the Bobs...and you guys...not to tell the world. anyhow....after A LOT of experimentation this week I have a lot of the issues worked out I think. THREAD seems to be a big issue!White 277...no probl;em,...like a dream. BLACK 346,...no problem,..just run a tad slower. The white 346,..forget it lol. I may try another brand. I was able to sew a holster welt,..most of the problem was ME holding the piece at an angle in the foot,.,,,causing some deflection of the needle,..missing bobbin pickup etc.... Dryer leather does seem to sew better,..less feet print and other "white thread / dye issues) Many of the issuses were a cummulation of a buncha little things,....I think a bunch of you guys suggestions helped a LOT so THANK YOU! And THANK YOU Bob,..and Bob....I know Bob Jr has been down with the flu,..so I been trying not to bug him,..lol Let me say this,...the 4500 runs AMAZING when you do your part. Its just a LOT of stuff to watch out for,..and i find I have to adjust tension when going from thicknesses. And a few other adjustments. I forgot what you call it,..but where the needle goes thru the lil hole in the like foot part,...mine was maligned,...and one of my presser feet was bent from a previous wreck and deflection,....so I straightened those out,..and shredding has stopped. Also whoever said to run the thread thru the tension guid twice,..like in and back out,..that helped tremendously!!!! So all in all its running pretty good,..lots of little things coming together to create a calamity of problems.....most ATTRIBUTED TO USER ERROR! DOH* Oh,.by the way I'm in Louisiana. Heres a holster I was able to get done the other day with the machine. theres some other stuff on my page I recently did with the machine too,..cellphone cases etc... feel free to look www.facebook.com/sjfineleathers and iif you want to friend me personally,....spook spook the sniper thats my facebook. I havent been on much because I had a client wanted a saddle this week and i've been bowed up working on that. DIDNT I READ SOMEWHERE about sewing shearling with the 4500? A Different needle of something? Something about the shearling getting snagged????

This might sound stupid,..but I have a roll of Black 346 that runs ok on the bobbin and the top......white runs like crap,..the black runs good! lol I think I'm losing my mind. The black even feels different,..like softer,..not as brittle,.....

Ok the flywheel issue has been resolved! The 346 thread was snagging in the bobbin race and locking everything up,...Flywheel is TIGHT! the shft was even turning. But this issue seems to have been resolved on changing the bobbin race!

No No! I have some 26! I'm running 26 with 346 on top this morning,.....and 277 on bobbin,....doing some experiments...just hang tight,..I do however need the holster plate which I didnt recieve? QUESTION?: Does the holster plate use the walker foot? Or is it removed like the stirrup plate?

ILooking back my comments seem harsh about it being a dud,.....let me catch my breath,....I'm SO FRUSTRATED. The machine runs well under ideal conditions,....it's just destroyed a LOT of my work,...and its really bugging me. When it does work,..it works beautifully......I just have to get past these issues and I'm concerned.

GREAT INPUT THANK YOU!