JLSleather

If you already have a drill press and a circle cutter, yes - you can use that. I wouldn't use a spade bit, but a hole cutter would be fine (moderately fine tooth and sharp)

Oh, and then there's Kevlar thread, which is exactly what you think it is. Zero stretch and a breaking strength about 2 1/2 times that of nylon or poly thread (for same diameter). Much more costly, and largely prohibitive for leather craft. If, on the other hand, you are sewing parachute harness ...

Note to self: The girl at W/C thinks size matters.

That tooling looks purdy consistent, and the stitchin' is nice too!

I haven't ordered W/C for quite a while. I thought about it a while back -- probably same reason as you -- some of the HO I've seen lately has been LESS THAN STELLAR quality. But, the W/C web site been non-functioning for a good while now, and I couldn't find the number. Oh, crap.. now that i think about it,. probly on the back of that sample thing that still hanging in the shop ...

Yikes. An 19 minute "airbrush" video, where the airbrush doesn't actually come out until about 14 minute mark? Maybe I clicked the wrong link ..

My fault, it seems. I told them they could have put those on Ebay and got a quick $600-$1000 for them. His wife said 'well you shoulda told us'. My opiinion, that would be tough to do since i didn't know they had them They're melted down somewhere by now ...

Yep, the "back when" ones was the good in 'em. We had some friends over a couple weeks ago. They saw the tools and said they got some from an estate auction last year... while going through a bunch of stuff they bought they found a couple hundred of "those sliver or chrome things like you got". But, they didnt know I use those, or anybody else who does, so they got thrown away with some other things they don't have use for! Well,, it happens I suppose ...

I don't put leather in plastic sealed bags.

I've done 277/277 and I've done 277/207. Either works fine. Use a 24 or 25 needle, and it will work. Has nothing to do with presser foot.

Mike gave you some good advice. Since you have the issue with different spools, it's likely NOT the thread (though not a guarantee there yet). So, if not the thread, change the needle. If not the needle, check the hook for 'boogers' (or cleanliness - sometimes just a build up of "fluff' from the thread). One more issue, a #18 needle might be pushing it with 92 thread (though certainly fine for the 69 thread). I have a short ( a few seconds ) video showing the hook / bobbin area on a cobra. Reason I mention it here, it shows (slowly) the action in there. You can see, then, that the top (needle) thread drops below (around) the hook to form the stitch. As Mike says, a 'booger' on the hook assembly can nick the thread -- and then when the take-up lever pulls it back up it APPEARS that the damage is being done at the needle (which, it isn't always). Long-winded, maybe I should just show the video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7MVSikaYEk

Yeah, well.... short version...Jeff has some blue guns a bit discounted from price of new. If you're making holsters for the 27, I'd suggest taking advantage of the discounted 27 if he still has one.

Those models are NOT the same. If you're making 'sack' holsters (or whatever they call that these days, where the leather folds around, and remains loose) they are close enough to the same circumference. If you are making formed holsters that are at all close, the two are NOT interchangeable. You could get the 27 to go in a holster made for the 17, but before long it wouldn't fit the 17 any more.

Is that the bushing you said it didn't have? Wondering from what you said, coupled with what Wiz said, if a fella couldn't rotate that shaft a half turn (since so much is loose already) and eliminate the possibility of a bent shaft. Much more likely I would think that a worn bushing is causing it to 'one -side', particularly since it rotates the roller into the casting

What size thread are you using? LOTS of people set these machines for ONE type of stitch in ONE type of material - usually with the same needle/thread combination. The rest of us may need to make an adjustment occasionally it's not difficult. The picture shows the bobbin IN the machine, though you may find it easier to adjust by tilting it out, or even removing it. Each his own. I don't use it for thread under 207, though I think you could get away with using 138. Loosen the clamp screw, make your adjustment (clockwise is tighter), and then snug the clamp screw back down.

Google tube has some REAL crap -- like most places these days I suspect But, just one example I would personally not avoid (which is not the same as recommending, it's just not NOT recommending) would be to search for "leather tooling" and maybe not avoid videos by Bruce Cheaney.

Shucks, Ma'am Personally, I sometimes buy on Ebay. There's actually a pretty good selection of the older ones. This is not 'popular', and I would anticipate a slough of fellers gonna tell ya somethin' else. Only downfall really, is you have to find what you need, though you can do that in some of the Ebay stores. As I mentioned, I wouldn't go purchase the ones currently available from Tandy. Convenience which results in something other than what you need is not convenience at all. If it wasn't fer cute girls workin' there, I probably wouldn't go to Tandy at all You don't need the long speech about "craftool vs craftool usa vs blahblahblah (tho you could find it here). The Ebay listings generally show a picture of the impression made by the tool. Oh, and what you call 'flat faced' bevelers are (at least with Craftool brand) called "smooth" bevelers. You might prefer the "checked" or "checkered" bevelers.

I guess you're talking about stamping / carving tools? The number and type will depend on the type and size of work you'll be doing. Here's a few not-necessarily-connected thoughts about that. If you're doing basket stamped designs on portfolios and belts, you could easily do that with 3 tools (and some do). No problem. If you're doing "western floral" or "sheridan" tooling, you could do MANY designs with 10 tools. Perhaps another 10 would add some variation in your work. Tandy and Craftool are huge names in leather (some don't like it, but it's true). Both of these will show you pictures of carved designs with tool numbers used. Many people have run out to purchase those exact tools, only to realize later this wasn't necessary (or perhaps not even desirable, if you want to be noticed). You don't need EVERY beveler, though a few different is helpful. Example? Craftool makes a smooth beveler about 1/8" wide, and they make another - same profile and smooth texture - more like 3/8 or 7/16" wide. You don't NEED both -- all your designs could be beveled with the small tool. The wider one WILL speed your work (big plus on a belt with a border). Brands. I use Craftool carving tools. It's what I learned with, back when. It's all I use. But I have older ones, and i can tell you the ones at the Tandy counter today are not the same. Step 2. A number of people have realized this, and formed companies making alternate tools at (what I personally think are ) out of control prices. I don't care who you are, I won't pay $50 for a single stamping tool. Nope. Maybe enough at this point. You can still find these older "craftools" (as they were abbreviated) on Ebay and such. Perhaps a collector or historian would want them ALL, but a leather worker doesn't need them. Obviously, if you're making belts you'll need some type of punch, and lacing or sewing will require needles ... etc. The cow head was done with 8 tools, including the floral design around it. Granted, most would agree this is not particularly good likeness of a cow, but - hey - it's trying that counts, yes? Oh, if it seems like this didn't actually answer your question, we still need to know the type of tooling you want to do OOOPSy That's TEN tools, if you count the swivel knife and modeling spoon, both of which you WILL want.

OOOps .. my mistake. Same sites for those, down to size 18 http://www.campbell-randall.com/shop/index.php?route=product/search&filter_name=7x3 http://www.cutexsewingsupplies.com/servlet/Detail?category=Sewing+Machine+Needles%3A7X1+7X3+7X4+7X23+Needles&no=3798&param_referer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cutexsewingsupplies.com%2Fservlet%2FCategories%3Fcategory%3DSewing%2BMachine%2BNeedles%253A7X1%2B7X3%2B7X4%2B7X23%2BNeedles&searchpath=46222

If you do a search (which I did) you'll find that same question being asked regularly since 2010 (and likely before that). But it seems your question is 'where can i see a listing, that when i click it someone sends me 794S needles in a 10 pack and i type in a card number?" NO? Okay, maybe that was me wondering that. I like the stitch made by the LL point myself. Skip the long speech about why, you can get those here (or not, suit yourself) in size 23 - 27. Dont like the LL? You can get 'D' 'S' and "LR' points at Campbell-Randall. 10 pks or 100 pks .. probably million packs somewhere, though i admit i didn't search those.

That should work. The pattern shows a 24" gusset. I haven't made one of these since the 80's, so I don't remember how much adjusting I did. But, you can still get the entire pattern cheap and quick ... https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/p-1162-holster-and-gun-belt-pattern-pack.aspx?

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You may want to think it from the other way around. Since you're not "set" on a brand, perhaps consider finding the dealer or service center in your area first, then see what they have or at least what they service. If holsters and knife sheaths are as heavy as you expect it to get, then you'll have a wide range of possible options. Leather will be 1/4 - 3/8" thick for most of those projects, so any machine capable of sewing 1/2" with up to about a 25 needle and 277 thread should be fine.

Ooops.. sorry -- I thought I had mentioned the hand wheel slipping possibility. Good idea when things aren't what they should be.. drop the belt off the machine. If you can turn it by hand and still have the same problem, you have eliminated the motor as part of the problem. Plus, if the hand wheel is loose on the shaft, you'll probably catch that then.