Ferg

Could be mould. Since you wish to use what you may have in the house...... Is there a bottle of white vinegar? If so mix a solution that is one part vinegar to 3 parts water. BTW: I am giving you these instructions with the idea the leather probably isn't usable anyway so trying this cannot hurt. Dampen the leather with a little warm water in a sponge or soft wash cloth. Use the sponge with the solution and rub lightly on the entire piece. May remove it and may only remove part of it, be patient. It may take several applications. When finished rinse with warm water and allow to dry to workable shade of your leather before anything else. ferg

I am guessing it might be a upholstery/canvas machine. Doesn't look like a leather sewer. If there is a model number on it anywhere GOOGLE. There are literally millions of Singers out there and lots of information on them. ferg

Before I tell you what I have used I want to inform the many professional sewing machine people that I have tried this and in two weeks I see no buildup of dirt etc. There is a product called "Motor Kote". It was formulated for use in Semi Tractors and most anything that turns or has a motor. I put it in everything I own PU truck, cars, sliding table saw carriage, etc. They now have the product in a spray can. The feet on my machine began "Hanging Up" when I pushed on the knee lift. Determined it might be the foot lift rod. I oiled it regularly with little result, lightly sprayed it with Motor-Kote, it has been working perfectly ever since. BTW: The product is available at Meijer's if you have one and a number of truck stops. They have a web site: https://www.motorkote.com/ with free shipping. ferg

Please reduce the size of your photos so we can actually see what the entire machine looks like. ferg

I have bought an old splitter. Unfortunately it hasn't been delivered yet so I am at a loss as to good information for you. This is a crank splitter and from what I have found out, you don't want a "Hand Pull through" splitter if you intend to do much splitting. My splitter was intended for splitting shoe sole leather but "Wiz" has checked it for me and it does a great job of other leathers also. Will post when I receive it and try it out. ferg

How 'bout using Pig Skin? That is the pattern/texture on a football. ferg

As has been said, "Read all posts on this site that pertain to what you are interested in." This site is very much like an Encyclopedia of Leathercraft. Also: If you have a Tandy store near you, visit and ask the folks working there many questions, check out the many information books they have. If you don't have a Tandy store close to you by all means visit their Web Site. There are many retailers that advertise on this site also. Tandy is a great place to begin. ferg

Very nice. Nice design and tooling. ferg

I remove the brush inside the can as soon as I get the glue. Haven't noticed any problem with a little rust, it does discolor the glue a little. ferg

Visit this web site: http://www.warner-criv.com/ Search for black patina on copper. If they don't have it there are other Stained Glass companies, just GOOGLE. ferg

Hi Mary, You need the 135 x 16 needles for leather. I am enclosing a chart for needle sizes in reference to thread. Your machine will handle #207 thread but makes it work hard, #138 is really the largest unless you modify your machine and/or stitch one stitch at a time. ferg

First stop? A Tandy store if you have one close by. They will instruct you and have classes. You can buy a starter set of needed tools. Please do not get the idea that leather crafting is a cheap craft to get into. Once the leather bug has bitten you, all brevity is off. If you are married, brace yourself for an uphill climb when you see a tool or book you simply must have. Al Stohlman books are fantastic for beginners. "Tech Tips" and "How to carve leather" are just two of them. ferg

Shelly, We manufacture an item, not leather, in our family business. We sell strictly wholesale and have for 35 years. I take every movement made to make the product, time it. Every item of leather plus a percentage for waste, electricity for lighting, insurance, absolutely everything. Total those costs and realistically figure the number of items you can make in say, 8 hours. Being a family business we figure $25.00 per hour. Now you know how much it costs for each pair of straps. Take one half of the total costs, add it to the cost, add 10 percent of that total for profit. That is the way we do it. There are definitely other methods. This has worked for us for 35 years. We are living our fruits of the labor in our beautiful Log Home for the last 16 years and I hope a lot more. ferg

Now, you see you have your method and I have mine. Yours works for you and mine for me. I have tied off the thread and I have glued the tips with super glue. Some folks burn the ends. For you to say that tying off by hand is the correct practice simply is not necessarily true. I will continue to use the leather needles no matter if I reverse or not. I agree that you can sew leather with a round point IF you use an oversize needle. Personally I don't like a thread hole that I can drive a truck through. Simply like what I get with a leather needle. I am glad you like the round point but don't try to convince me that your way is the best, it just works for you. ferg

One of my daughters is a Caregiver. None of our family would have thought she would be one to do this, she loves it. We are proud of her. ferg

I think you done a very good job on the edge, especially since you hand stitched. Nice color choice on the leather and thread. ferg

Curious to know what the financial damage is on the machine you have. ferg

Go to this site: http://www.thethreadexchange.com/miva/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TTE&Category_Code=nylon-thread-information to get much information on thread. A must read for many sewing machine beginners. ferg

LesNo6, You are giving some tainted information there. Leather point needles are for stitching leather because they cut/pierce the leather so the remainder of the needle and thread can do it's thing. Round point needles are for fabric, canvas, and vinyls etc. If the machine is perfectly timed I would bet the needle will return into exactly the same hole without cutting the thread. ferg

I am referencing your third paragraph. I see nothing on this company site that would suggest they have a machine that will trace onto leather. The machines are all "cutters". Can you clarify? ferg

Bobby, I have an Epson printer that will print 13 x 18, very handy for making drawings on Vellum. There is always a down side, this particular printer has a thirst for ink. Illustrator makes it possible to draw on any size you wish, dependent only on your monitor size. Simply print the actual size you need. My hand is not steady enough to do much drawing by hand. This is where the drawing programs hit the sweet spot. ferg

I have used the 2oz calf skin for the wrapped edge. Looks absolutely beautiful if you keep your stitches perfectly aligned. I like a slightly different shade of dye on the wrap than body of bag. ferg

Your wacom drawing can be copied to Photoshop but you must remember, Photoshop is not a designing platform, you need Illustrator to move your drawing from the tablet. You can resize much easier and keep everything in proportion at the same time. There are some less expensive drawing programs, you need to check the specs to see if they will import from the Wacom. ferg

Normally if it is on 120 volts doesn't matter which wire is to the posts, technically. If you reverse the wires and the hot wire happens to be connected to the case of the motor you will get shocked every time you touch it. If motor is on 220 volts you can reverse the motor by exchanging the two hot wires, leave the ground wire alone. That said: I would bet he screwed up the parts when he put them back in. ferg

This company has many fine looking items. You do realize they are in the Czech Republic? ferg