Forkbeard

Cool, I can live with that. It is an aluminum part, one of the only ones I could find on the machine. Should I maybe have it made in stainless steel? It easily could be. Should I post some pictures of it? It may be a common part, I don't know. It seems like it could be. FB

I bought a Luberto Cub. It is AWESOME. But I broke a part. I can't beleive it broke, but it did. I am willing to get a new one machined, but am trying to find parts from either the company or a secondary supplier first. I tried their pnone number and email, but no dice. Can anyone help me find them? FB

In the interest of saving space, I'll keep my weird machinery questions going here. Is there a machine that can punch holes in straight lines automatically? I punch holes every 3/8" on the edges of straps to sew stuff together in areas my sewing machine can't reach. A maichine like this would help me out. FB

Thanks, I'll check it out. I think I can find a press locally and refit it. Before leather, I was in welding and still have alot of contacts in the industrial crowd. The clicker is what I needed to know about. Just knowing I can get what I want is 10 steps ahead. Thanks FB

This may be in the wrong places, if so, I'm sorry in advance. Feel free to move it. I cut out hundreds of roughly 6x7 triangles of 12 oz veg ten with about 36 1/16" holes going down 2 sides. Having a stamping maching that wold cut them out would make me money. Lots of it. Can I get a thing like that made? Can I run it in a hand press type set up? I'm moving into new and more intense business territory. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks FB

Im posting this here too just in hope of finding some help. I'm looking for a supplier of 12-14oz veg tan. I usually buy the low grade saddle skirting sides from tandy when they are on sale. I'm needing more and more however. They only have them on wicked sale every 3 months or so. I need their $65 a side(with my discount) more offten than they can deliver. Can anyone help me out? I need about 6 side now and more every month. Thanks FB

I'm looking for a supplier of 12-14oz veg tan. I usually buy the low grade saddle skirting sides from tandy when they are on sale. I'm needing more and more however. They only have them on wicked sale every 3 months or so. I need their $65 a side(with my discount) more offten than they can deliver. Can anyone help me out? I need about 6 side now and more every month. Thanks FB

Hello all. I make armor for medi eval combat from leather. It has to be over 12oz. I prefer it between 13 and 14. I water harden it and do some pretty cool things. Mainly I make helmets. All from small peices. I'm looking for veg tan sides as cheap as I can get them. I understand that the quality will be lower, but thats cool with me. As I am using small(less than 8"x8")peices, bands and scars do not bother me. They even enhance some of my work. I buy alot of the C-D grade sides that Tandy get in when they are on sale. Right now, however, they are 80-90 each. Sometimes they get as low as $65. Can anyone hook me up with 12oz + veg tan for around $65 each? Or less? I'll buy at least 6 right now and more later for sure. Probly about 2-6 a month. Thanks FB

I tried to find the info on the cb 3500 you mentioned earlier and couldn't find anything. I'll call them tomorrw. Thanks man. FB

Here are my choices as I see them. I have about 1400 to spend, no more. The Boss-I have a freind who swears by his and loves the hell out of it. I am not a fan in lew of... The Luberto Cub I found for sale, it looks brand new but I think they are out of buisness. Then I started looking harder and found out Ferdco is selling the 440R for 1300 with a table and servo motor. New. There are a couple things on ebay: Consew 227 Singer 29-4 Techsew GA5-1R Consew382 post machine If someone could give me a little guidance here, I would surly apreciate it. Thank you. FB

Hey folks. i posted some stuff last fall about wanting to buy a machine. i knew nothing about this kind of thing. thanks to you nice people i did not buy a crappy sewing machine on ebay. after saving my pennies all winter i have cash in hand and am ready to buy a real sticher. i was about to buy a tippman boss, but this luberto machine has caught my attention. I've dug and dug and it seems to be a much better machine. what do you guys think? Im GOING to buy a machine in the next 2 weeks, the sooner the better. It has to sew 3/4" veg tan. All i make is leather armor. I sew typicly between wp and wt stiches in a run, no more. im going to spend between 1000 and 1500 on it. please, oh wise ones, help me out. thanks fb

I was watching it on ebay. It sold for like 100. I was just asking to see if I'm figureing out the difference between machines. Thanks Bob. I'm a-tryin to learn. FB

Anybody know anything about this? It looks good, but might be too foriegn. FB

Were I buying a new machine, I would go to them. I need a used one, I'm poor. I'm just getting started, have some great ideas I know I can sell and have a limited budget. I'm shopping like a soccer mom. I'll send the company a message, thanks, but I'd reall like to know more about this from leatherworks, not salesmen. FB

I'm haveing a hard time finding info on this machine other than that it exsists. Can anyone help me out. I'm looking at buying a machine. I'm sewing 2 layers of 3/16" veg tan. Will this do it? Thanks FB

In order: Wiz, thanks for the advice, I really need it. I knew coming here would help. I'll contact Bob at Cowboy on Monday. I wouldn't try to sew leather after it's hardend, though, Gimme a little credit, man. Thank you for the input on the Singer clothing machine. Docado, I really want that machine, but $1100 it just too steep for me right now. Want to trade for some bitchin armour? I'd actually like a machine with a hand powered option, too. For what I do, it would be nice to go that slow, but beggars can't be choosers, I'm prepared to take what I get. I've been finding machines in the stragnest places, if I post a list of names and model numbers, can you guys tell me which ones are worth looking into and which ones are not for the likes o' me? FB

I do this all the time. I'm doing it next week all week long. Here is what I do. Use 10 oz or thicker veg tan. Stay under 14ozthough, as that starts to get hard to work. You can do it and it works great, but it's alot of effort and expense if you're not going to really use it for protection(SCA). I feel that thinner than 10 oz doesn't look like armor when your done. It looks very flexy and costumey. Make your pattern with poster board. Do it over and over until you can move freely in it. Cut it out of the leather. Edge it the way you want now, it's easier to do it now. You can also dye it now, if you want. It takes less dye before you harden it to get the same tones. After your dye is dry, saok it in water(hot if you want) for about a half hour or so, have a beer. Get a round smooth thing(poolball, ballstake, very round hammer) about 2 1/2"- 3" and a lager ball peen hammer. You'll use these things to stretch out your bulgy parts like pecs and sixpack ab's or anything else that requires a bulge type spot in the plat later. I use my hand on one side and rub the round thing into the leather until my pec's or whatever are good and stretched out. They start getting the curves around your body in. The side and top of shoulders. Curve them in way, way more than you want them, stretch it a little. Now cook the whole thing in your oven at 190 degrees. leave it in for 30 minutes. Then take it out. Don't freak out. It will be all ######ed up and flat. Reshape it quickly and put it back in the oven, use some oven proof dishes to prop it up if you have to. Take it our and reshape every 20-30 minute until it keep's it's shape(about an hour in). Then leave it in until it is ALL THE WAY DRY. For a breastplate, this should take about another 45 minute or so, your mileage may vary. I got this method from a guy who used to run The House of the Wolf, an SCA armourer. It's worked for me for years and years. I have 5 year old armor I have sweat all the way through that still holds it shape. You could start with some smaller pieces, like bracers and experiment a little. FB

Hello all. I've been making leather armour for about 10 years. 90% of that has been making plate style armor from water hardend 12-14 oz veg tan. I love the material and have had great success. Over the last year or so I have started using designs that require more and more sewing. I'm now starting to look for a machine. I WANT a ferdco bull. I can't have it, it's just too expensive. It's also overkill for the current projects I'm planning. I',m changing my pocedure a little. I need to be able to reliably sew 2 layers of 10-12oz(not more than that) together flat and straight. I've been looking at about a million different machines online and I am lost. I KNOW which machines will sew through 3/4" of leather. I can't afford them unless I can find one used from an incredibly nice person. I'm less sure about which machines can really sew throuh the 3/8" total thickness I need to sew. There are several proponents of the old style singer machines. They believe they can do the job for me. There is also the new singer 2691 industrial. I'd like to know if anyone has had any success with this, as it's brand new and the price is right. I really love the ferco baby bull, but it's also too steep fo me unless I can find one used. So here's my problem in a nutshell: Need to sew 2 layers of vegtan, 3/8" total. Should I spend 200-400 on an old school singer? Should I spend 600 on the new singer industrial 2691D, with table and 1/2 horse motor included? Is there anyone willing to part with a Ferdco Baby bull or better for a low price? Should I just bag this plan and keep hand sewing(my hands are tired)? Whatever I get, it will see around 10 hours a week, maybe 20 sometimes, of use. Thanks for your help. FB