Bigfoot

That's not a rant....Tandy uk must sell the same screws as I also found the need to cut one of the many useless cross threaded screws in half and I think they invented a new "metal" to make them from...yet they still charge more than solid brass prices! The veg tan that I have bought when I have too is normally the wrong weight and very dirty surface plus a lot more cuts, bites and holes etc than I would expect for the price. It is a shame that Tandy have let quality slide so far but everyone has to do what they need to survive and maybe they had no choice but there prices should be much better. It seems that they have one stock delivery per year so don't expect them to have what you need when you need it and they have discontinued dye colours on me twice which is not good when you have photos and adverts running (yet those colours are still available in the usa?) Rant over ........ BUT.... on the positive side the service from all the staff at Tandy uk has been hard to beat and delivery is super quick(if in stock!) so for the hobbyist you can't beat the range they offer in the uk.....as they say, you pays your money and takes your chances

I'm a resolene fan, never had any problems with it myself.....strange ( and very confusing) how everyone has different results from the same products....

Careful cos resists don't work if you're using spirit dyes...if water based antiques etc then yes.

You don't say what dye you use but....Make sure you polish off and dye residue first and let it dry after dying and between coats. Personally I stick with resolene as it totally seals it. If it's the flesh side that's leaking dye then use Eco pro dyes as they don't leak at all!

A lad from my archery club also joined the army to get trained in black smithing/saddlery and it's working out well from what I've been told.....might be worth an enquiry for you?....

I think you did well considering you were using a groover! How did the lacing work out....does it hold it on securely....in the first pic it looks like it would slip of you straightened the arm?

Looks like a good job to me ....I'm sure whoever received em would have been happy.... keep it up and it'll should get easier.

Really really nice, both the design and the tooling...love it!

I'd say they're perfect if that's your style...mine would have more textured bevelling and pear shading but that's only personal preference...still looks good to me. Welcome back to leatherwork!

Thank you Tor

Is it possible for you to post the link again as it's now out of date. All I can find on-line are the parts manuals and it's twisting my mellon! Thanks in advance...

So true, the "All in one" products are terrible but if you want some contrast in your dyeing without the expense of air brushes etc then try some of the other antique ranges, A normal dish sponge heavily loaded is enough to get it everwhere you want it but you do need to move(and remove) fast with it....the Tandy video guide on how to use it is shockingly bad and i'm surprised they sell any!

I found this old pic on my PC if it helps....this was dyed over in eco flo smoke black and I thought i had put 2 coats of "Block" over the skull and fingers but take a look at the top of the finger on the left hand side and I must have missed that bit and put only one coat on it as it's much darker....2 coats is a minimum and you must let the first coat dry(only takes 10/15 mins)

Hello, no they don't suck, they have their place in the range of dyes available and can be great depending on what you are trying to achieve.

I made this unit to fit in the corner of my bench out of thick cardboard which works well and is strong enough to hang items from on wire hooks when needed, the extractor mounted at the back i have ducted out through the wall. I have found that hessian sacks make a good/cheap disposable filter and you can use as many layers as needed. Resolene (if you use it) still really sticks to the blades on the extractor over time so make sure you can get to the fan when it needs cleaning!

Thank you all, More research to do then...it's a big investment for a little business so i just want to get it right!

Sorry for the slow reply..I am rubbish at keeping up communications. The press I use has a wheel on the side so you can move it quickly for small adjustments...I wouldn't recommend one without it. If by hammering tools you mean crew punches and strap ends etc you can just put them under and press them through silently but you could also get someone to drill a hole to take the handle of a Tandy type handle and them it can be used for punching small holes, lacing or whatever you need....and all in silence!

Thanks for the reply Narvi, Is Highlead a good make...I think i read somewhere that it is and you can get parts? Does the binder effect normal stitching if you're not using it? Any idea what a cloned Juki 441 is called so I can look it up? Very sorry if these are stupid questions but we all have to start somewhere! Thanks again Bigfoot

Hi all, Any advice would be great as I'm thinking of getting a (hopefully) decent compound feed cylinder arm machine in the near future. The small amount of sewing i have done so far has been either by hand, with a Singer patcher or with Junker and Ruh SD28s (which I love and I think I will always use Junkers for some jobs) I would like any advice on the "Typical TW3-S335B" machine if possible. I guess it's a clone of something else so does anyone else have experience of these or know if I can change parts like the feed dogs to smooth so that they don't mark the leather and get other parts for it or is it just a waste of money? Also the synchronised binder thing.... what is that and can you sew like normal with it on a machine? Ideally I'd like a machine that will sew from approx 3mm to 12mm'ish and with a lovely slow servo motor for a novice like me! I've attached the pics to give some idea of what I'm normally trying to sew so if anyone knows of a great machine that will do it or has one that they want to trade for 2 or 3 Junker SD28s then let me know please!

Hi Paul, Welcome to the site. I took a peek at your knives and they look bootifull to me..but I like knives too....your sheaths like nice also. I hope you're feeling better soon and can carry creating your practical artwork. Please let me know if you do start making knives again as I'd like to chat about some ideas. All the best Bigfoot

Welcome Toolerlass from another addicted Brit! Enjoy the learning... I don't think the learning ever ends with leatherwork as there are so many things to try and create. Regarding neighbours, the only thing I can suggest if you have problems and decide to do alot of it is to get a ratcheting arbour press(big as possible and not cheap) but you can use that to quietly push large punches through leather and press stamps etc. Have fun and post some of your projects on here....you will get lots of helpful advice from some very experienced leatherworkers from around the world. All the best Bigfoot

I think any tools from the main suppliers are pretty much the same...to get the best from them expect to have to sharpen/strop/tighten/adapt them etc but they do function. pro tool prices are a huge leap so just go budget and enjoy your creations...bet your friends wont know if they were pro tools you used or not! like matt s said, le prevos ordering system is a drag so if we all keep moaning, they might update it!