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JLSleather

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Posts posted by JLSleather

  1. Posted · Report reply

    Drill press works good. Lunch special was 6 wings with habanero sauce, dinner roll, fries, ana coke. And at the sale pickin it up I found midget guitar for the 9-year old. And I still had time to finish that belt.

    So, well ... that wall behind the drill press in teh picture sucks. Oh, but then - that aint my wall :rofl:

  2. Posted · Report reply

    "New" drill press that chubby girl found for me, just for doing this stuff. Think it's prolly worth the $50 she paid. Offered two MORE $$ (U.S. currency) but they would't deliver.

    Then, for that price, I could get the pickup out and have lunch at the new resturaunt my buddy opened with the change ....

  10. Posted · Report reply

    Oh, you may look at the bag, then look at the purse, and wonder why they don't quite look the same. This could cause someone to wonder what he's doing wrong while lacing.

    So, here's the thing... those lace stitches are angled 'right' .... like this / / / / / / / / / /

    the book likely shows the stitches angled to the left, ................ like this \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \

    Not that one is right or wrong, and since the holes are slits in a straight line, likely don't matter (if you do the whole bag the same way). Likely done either from the inside (which makes the stitches look the 'other way' from the outside) or by a 'lefty' . Just observation from the poop deck ....

  11. Posted · Edited by JLSleather · Report reply

    Couple of things here ....

    1) As a rule, you'll need about 7.5 - 8 times the length for that type of lacing stitch. Your bag is 10x11 (front) and 11 x 16 (body) yes? That would be a length of 96" (from your numbers) which would require about 768" of lace (translation, 64feet, or 22 yards). Judging the size of the bag from the pictures, you may need a bit less than that - but that's a guess from a photo.

    2) When I re-lace something, I don't take it completely apart. Cut the lace about 6-8" along one edge with a scissor. You can run the scissor right along the edge, cutting the "loops" off of the lace without harming the bag at all. You could use a knife as well, but the scissor can't hurt the bag if it slips, where a knife very well could. Then just pull the 'bits' through just like in your pictures. Begin lacing there, and when you're close to where the old lace starts, just cut back some more. The bag never actuall comes apart (no holes to meticulously line up).

    3) For all it's simplicity, that's still a nice looking bag. Certainly there are people who could do this for you quickly and for not so much money. Unless you'd just like the experience of doing it yourself, Aaron's proposition sounds more than reasonable.

    Oh, and

    4) The products you mentioned are really not for "dry". You'll get any number of recommendations for this, but Neatsfoot oil or Lexol conditioner would likely be a better bet than the things you have. If you're going to attempt the project yourself, I would do any conditioning before beginning to cut the lace... but that may be just personal preference.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Yep, but far as i know not the ones that stitch that heavy. If you can get a new BOss for $1100, might be worth doing - just to have it there in case the other machine needed service and you got orders to put out.

    As a rule, I think foks around here tend to over-build anyway. I have never - and will never - make belts outta two layers of skirting leather. And #415 thread is for pulling my truck out of the snow bank, not for stitchin :)

    But, up to about #207-#277 thread and half an inch thick there are machines available. Toledo's 3200 model runs $1600 new. I just mention that one cuz it's at the top of this site. I didn't buy one, since I don't need one. But, if I was in the market for another machine I'd likely look at that one.

  24. Posted · Edited by JLSleather · Report reply

    Leather Recommended Needle Recommended thread SPI - ????

    I understand that experimentation is the key however just looking for some guidelines to start with. For example. I want to do a project composed of a 4/5 oz top, 2/3 oz liner and another 2/3 oz pocket. So the total project is about 8 - 11 oz total. What needle/thread and SPI would you start with? Part of the project will just be the 4/5 oz top and the 2/3 oz liner. But I want to stitch it complete so the total weight will vary as I stitch along.

    Jon

    That's a LOT of questions :)

    I think I tend to run about one notch lighter than lots of folks when it comes to thread size. Some of that stuff is maybe better for pulling your truck outta the snow bank than for stitchin :)

    So your specific project ... think i'd probably wanna use a #138 thread at about 6/7 spi. There's some 'flex' in that depending on how firm the leather is, and such. Depending on where the pocket "hits", I might use up to 8spi. I rarely do anything 'tighter" than that.

    For gun slings / guitar straps, same thread and maybe step it up to 6 spi (largely decorative anyway).

    heavier stuff, heavier answer - so, holsters 207, weightlifing belts 207 or 277 @ 5 spi (that much strength isn't necessary - only in the mind of the weightlifter).

    I personally use thread down to a #46 (as well as 69 and 92) but that's under what your machine wants to do, no?

  25. Posted · Report reply

    Yeah, most foks have sides in like 2/3 oz up to heavier skirting in the 14/15 range.

    Just a matter of keeping in mind that the belly of a cows hide, much like foks in general, tends to be a little softer and stretchier. Likely fine for linings or projects that dont get a lot of stress put on it. Not so good for holding sharp detailed form either.

    HO stocks weights, W&C will split it to the weight you want, even Tandy carries several weights. And there are grades in the sides, just like the shoulders.

    The reason I balk at buying sides (with the belly) -- you know that looser-grained slightly spongey stuff at the corners of yer shoulder leather? Imagine 5-6 sq feet of leather that's a bit worse than that.

    One more 'for info' thingy.... if you have the room for the belly, almost a toss-up to take it or not. They're gonna charge more for the backs per sq foot. Depending on where you buy it, 5-6 feet of leather is gonna run $40 (ish). So, if they're gonna charge $40 to cut the belly off, might as well take it.

    And one bitch and whine remark. Usedta be that foks would cut a straight edge down one length of the hide for you, just cuz you asked. Nowadays, they want a fortune for the smallest "extra". Remember when you usedta do things like that just because the guy would return the loyalty and get his leather from you all the time? ....

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