Ferg

I think you folks might be missing a step in the burnishing. After sanding and edging the leather you wet the edges, rub Glycerine Soap (it is a semi-solid amber colored bar) well into the edges. The edge will be shiny and rounded. You then apply the Saddle Soap with whichever method you desire. ferg

Maybe you are running warm water over the leather. ferg

I will try it some time. The buffing wheel you are using is the same size I use to polish and the rpm on your motor is correct. If you are driving the shaft with the buffing wheel with a belt from your motor I would use a smaller pulley on the motor than the shaft. Seems about 1000 rpm is about right. I am sure someone else will jump in here. ferg

Obviously someone uses a flap/buffing wheel to do edges, I never have and do not know of anyone else that does. I can see using them to clean-up some tools but not the edges. Use a strop. ferg

Return to Hide Pounder instructions and read very closely, I think you are missing something. I use stain, no paint for my edges and never have any peal, flake, or rub off. Use the products Bob suggests and follow the instructions to the letter. ferg

I built mine by "loosely" copying the machine Bob Park has. Shaft, pulleys, shaft stops, all came from Graingers. They deliver quickly if you don't have one nearby. ferg

Unfortunately when I unrolled some old hides I had, they had mildewed. I chose not to mess with trying to clean them up. I also had cut a fairly large piece from a hide to do a piece, never got around to it. Some forty years later I removed from the bottom of a box, cased it with plain warm water, it carved like butter. It was veg tanned of course, cow hide of 8-10oz. I think I did let it soak until the bubbles quit coming to the top of the pan of water. I always rolled my wetted leather into a terry cloth towel and allowed to rest until the next day. I have never placed a piece of leather in the fridge and I don't like placing between glass although that definitely slows the evaporation of the water from the leather. ferg

You may be interested in this web site. http://www.glove.org/default.php And this one: ferg

I was a building contractor most of my life and so I had/have access to stone companies here at home. At one time I made dipped chocolates as a hobby. Went to my stone shop and rummaged in the waste pile finding a quite large piece of marble about 2" thick to work the candy. Recently our last child left home to buy her own home leaving one large bedroom my wife informed me I could use for my leather shop. Astounding would not do this statement justice but I certainly complied and have been putting together my leather shop. Same old stone shop doesn't have a trash pile anymore but I got a black granite piece 1 1/4" thick measuring 28" x 19". It is square, I promptly went to the wood shop and built a bench from some 2" pine I had. The bench is 31" deep x 78" long. Top is 3/4" particle board with melamine. I cut a hole in the middle of the top about 4" back from front edge and slid the granite onto a 2" pine framework I made underneath. I had some 4" thick timber left from our home that I drilled various sized holes to accommodate stamps and punches. Mounted this on about a 30 degree angle so I can see all the stamps and other tools. Bolted to the back of the bench is another sheet of 3/4 particle board with melamine. The back rises 21" above the tool blocks, I will have leather holding different tools on this. I hung an 8' "high intensity" flourescent fixture just slightly to the back of the work bench 3' above the bench. Also built a table on top of an old Computer table measuring 6' x 3', 3/4" thick again. I use this for layout and cutting, My work area is set in a triangle so that I can move 6 feet in any direction to another workstation including my sewing machine. We had an old swivel stool in the wood shop we don't use anymore. I cut 5" off the legs and re-upholstered seat and back for working at my carving bench. I have a discarded kitchen chair with a padded seat and back at the sewing machine, Cutting table is stand up, don't like to cut sitting down. There is a large window opposite the sewing machine but I have two lights at the machine also. I will post some pics when I get more of it finished. ferg

I have struggled with this problem ever since buying my Consew. You must use smooth bottom feet. I also use a narrow slot smooth needle plate. There is a "sweet spot" to get the leather to move properly as the feet walk and imprint into the leather as little as possible. Factory dyed chrome tanned leather seems to resist the impressions better than veg tan. I normally do not finish the veg tanned leather before I sew. My main reason for this, it is easier to smooth the impressions with a modeling tool. I usually use a large one for this but I don't think that matters much. Rub as lightly as you can and still remove the impressions. The leather has a tendency to get a little shiny when you "burnish" with the modeling tool. Finishing last helps cover that problem. One other note: When burnishing the edges of a piece it seems likely you will get some residue on the back side of your leather if it is being backed with another layer of leather. The Oxalic acid solution will wash those marks off. You can allow the piece to dry thoroughly and then do your finishing. Hope this helps a little. ferg

The Consew 206RB5 is a flat bed machine that will sew 3/8" leather thickness with a servo motor. You could sew light weight holsters and some purses. I think you need a long arm machine. ferg

Hi Kevin, Our main family business begins Christmas in July and runs through most of the following January. Your idea for the tambourine case sounds interesting. Have you considered stitching around it by hand? Bob Park has some beautiful rope cans. That is where I would look for inspiration. Bob is always generous with information. If he isn't too busy he just might jump in here with some thoughts. ferg

You folks have my curiosity stirred up. Is this piece really usable? Only something you use occasionally? Final question, does it really work? i am guessing it would take a steady hand so you don't gouge too deep. ferg

I know absolutely nothing about your particular machine but, you need help so just maybe a different idea? When I have had the problem you are having it is usually one of about three things. No. 1 Your machine is not threaded correctly No. 2 Your thread has slipped out of place on a sprocket/tensioner, might even down behind the mechanism. No. 3 The tension on the machine is totally out of whack. I would start from ground "Zero" on both top and bottom tension (if the machine has both). Adjust the tension about 1/4 turn on both or leave the bottom alone and do this on top tensioner only. Sew a few stitches, check to see what is happening, another 1/4 turn, sew, check. I became so disgusted when I couldn't get my machine to sew correctly that I finally just took the tensioners to zero and started all over. After fussing and fuming several times I hit the right spot. Wiz has taught me a lot about my machine and others. If I never learn anything else about the Consew I have, there is a "SWEET SPOT" when you hit that you need to do very little adjusting on most thicknesses of leather or layers of leather. ferg

My family, from great greats to present, lived/live within 6 to 10 miles of Wright Patterson Air Force Base, Dayton, Ohio. I have fond memories of my dad taking us kids to see the planes take off from Patterson Field at beginning of WW II. Wright Field and Patterson Field were separate then. We always felt great pride in knowing those guys and gals were protecting us. ferg

First point of contention: You really need to work on your beveling. If you are having trouble getting the hang of moving the beveler as you tap it, at least use a modeler and smooth the bevels you have. You selected one of the most difficult Basket Weave designs out of a bunch. Practice on some scrap leather before doing a "Keeper". Next to edge lines aren't very good. Some of your work looks like the leather may have been too wet when you knifed it as well as stamping. If you are using fairly thin leather, use a thicker swivel knife blade. That makes your knife marks wider without cutting deeper. ferg

For a first belt you done well. Practice using your tools on scrap. Alignment off here and there. I personally like the Basket Weave done with a border line. The basket weave in the first pic doesn't look quite finished. ferg

Campbell Randall may have the needle chart, they have much information on their site. ferg

I researched the Pricking Irons until my head hurt. I finally bought one just to see how the darn things are actually made. #1 conclusion: Pricking Irons are not intended for "PUNCHING" the stitching holes, only to mark the spaces and slant for the awl. #2 Conclusion: Pricking Chisels, Stitching Chisels, etc. are intended to punch the sewing holes through several layers of leather if need be, no awl necessary. Main problem with the chisels? The holes started to close before you got around the item you were sewing, need to open the slots with an awl anyway. The Pricking Irons are not sharp on the end as a chisel. The stitching is supposed to cover the marks left by the Irons but they are so big you need to rub them out with a modeling tool or similar. Doing so all around the item leaves the area you rubbed out at a different texture than the opposite edge considering that you kept the stitches to one side or the other. If you center the stitches on the marks it helps but with smaller thread you have two lines of marks to rub out. So, I have a Pricking Iron I have absolutely no use for to remind me of how expensive it is sometimes to declare I didn't need it to begin with. My hands are getting so crippled up that I simply cannot hand sew anymore unless it is absolutely necessary. I do love to do it. I am back to, "LEARN the skill of placing the awl at the correct angle on the dots made by a stitching wheel." ferg

I don't understand what you are wanting to gather from a close-up. This is a close up of the iron I have.

I have a C S Osborne 609-8 pricking iron. It is 1 1/4" wide (32mm), eight teeth which are 3.5mm wide set on the correct angle. I have never used it because after paying a little over $100 USD I just couldn't bring myself to grinding it down to a better tooth width. I hunted for them for a long time. Finally decided it was time to learn to use the diamond awl and a stitch marking wheel. Managed to get pretty good at it, then decided to purchase my Consew machine. Haven't done any hand sewing since. ferg

I spent all my life in a Farm Family. I know how frugal folks can be. Good luck with your venture. Ask the folks you see at your table what they would most likely buy if you had it. ferg

Wow! I must be using a lot of oil. I check my machine every time I am ready to do any sewing. Any surface that appears to be the slightest bit dry gets oiled. Machine has a metal pan to catch drips of oil. I watched a lady sewing chair covers. She started the machine about 1/2" (3 stitches) away from the actual edge of material. She done three reverse stitches from the start then sewed forward over those. I have been doing that and find that I have less problem with cutting the thread. Larger needles, such as you are using, probably compound the problem. Are your stitches tight inside the leather layer or layers? If machine is sewing with insufficient tension the thread that was first applied to the needle hole may get caught when you reverse. You do hold onto the thread that is in the needle when you begin your stitching I assume. ferg

I find that my machine doesn't tolerate Barge cement too well when I am sewing upholstery leather with a pre-glued seam. Assuming that the thread gets caught by the adhesive so as the needle withdraws it is sticky and causes some problems with the tension. In my experience you should not need to reset tension simply because you cross a seam with additional layers. You may need to adjust for "Middle of the road" tension. ferg

I would need to vote for Al Stohlman books, any and all, depending on what you wish to work on at any given time. Some of today's professionals smirk at Al's artistic and carving ability, I think there are literally thousands of folks doing excellent leather work just because of this man and his wife. ferg