Northmount

Are you gluing to a smooth shiny surface? Most glues/contact cements don't adhere well to such surfaces. Smooth surfaces need to be roughened up to provide a "tooth" for the glue to hang onto. I've used water-based contact cement to cement kydex (smooth) to leather. Just roughened it up and have had no problems. Other solvent based contact cements work well too. Tom

Clean it outside, don't let the mildew and any possible mold spores contaminate other leather. Clean the shed out well too. Bleach will work on the shed. Tom

Make sure you keep your work piece flat on the table. If you lift the outside edge, bottom stitch will move towards the edge. I've learned the hard way! I assume you are also using an edge guide to help follow the edge too. If not, it helps most of the time. Tom

OP advised that this item is no longer listed for sale. Tom

If you get any iron/steel filings on veg tan leather, when wet it will react with the tannin in the leather producing blue/grey/black spots. You can bleach it out with oxalic acid or with lemon juice. Make sure to keep metal working operations away from your leather. I saw a comment a few days ago about some leather being contaminated before you get it. So that is another possible. Tom

Did you take a photo with your smart phone? Tell us how you did it and we might be able to help get it uploaded a little larger. Tom

Here is one thread with some info. http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/78562-glueing-large-areas/?tab=comments#comment-525042 Do a google search like this "site:leatherworker.net 3M adhesive" without the quotes and you will find many posts. Tom

Tons of posts here about making and using vinegaroon. Do a search, too many for me to list! The product of the reaction between vinegar (acid) and iron will react with the tannins in veg tanned leather to turn the leather blue/grey/black depending on various factors. It is not a dye, so there is no chance of it rubbing off onto your nice white shirt. Tom

If the vinegaron is still working (vinegar and steel wool still reacting), don't seal the lid. Else if it decides to blowup, you will have a mess to clean up. Tom

Butch's zip files copied to a PDF. DR Bag.pdf Parts available at Ohio Travel Bag. https://ohiotravelbag.com/ Tom

As above, and gaps between the table and the feed plate. The feed plate is flat too. This would really help keep the material you are sewing flat and allow you to do a better job. Tom

Are you using the same type thread on top and bottom? If not, one could be cutting the other. This is just a guess. Tom

Welcome Judith. You should add your location to your profile so people know where you are so those that are local to you can respond. It appears you are in Willis Michigan according to your IP address. Tom

You can limit google searches to a particular site by using a search string like: site:alibaba.com metal bag tags The site:xxxx.xxx is what restricts the search to the site. Tom

I knew I had seen it and couldn't find it. Then looked through notes and photos I had saved for reference and found the url. Just lucky! Tom

You need fairly strong magnets to hold through 2 layers of leather separating the magnets. I have found 5/8" diameter and about 1/8" thick. http://www.kjmagnetics.com/ has lots of information available for holding strength and applications. (As well as selling them for what I considered to be reasonable prices, even considering shipping and import fees to Canada.) Using a single magnet and piece of sheet steel for the opposite flap doesn't have the holding power you want. On a small purse flap, had to go back in and add 2 mating magnets to the original 2. You can pull apart an old case and salvage the magnets if you have one laying around, or go to a goodwill store. Tom

I assume you saw this thread http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=278#entry297272 I've been thinking of doing something like the table in her post March 28, 2013 Tom

You don't show the top guide post in your threading pics. If you take a wrap through it, you can further increase top tension. Too small a needle in tough leather makes it hard to pull the knot up into the leather. Where it was doing fine in textile material with 69 thread, it would appear that the combination of thread, needle size and leather you are sewing is at the root of the problem. Try going up to a larger needle size so there is a bigger hole to pull the knot up into the leather. I imagine you have read a number of posts about bobbin and top tension, so you already know that you don't want much tension on the bobbin. Should be easy to pull the thread from the bobbin. Tom

Why? Hard to reach over the Christmas / New Years break? Or do you know something the rest of us don't? Try https://www.leathermachineco.com/ Phone number listed at the top. Tom

You should show us your thread path from spool to the needle as well. It is critical to being able to adjust the top tension. Tom

For a Canadian source for thread, you could try Techsew in Montreal. Prices are better than in Sask! http://www.techsew.com/supplies/sewing-thread.html There is someone in the Vancouver area too that I saw posted here some time ago. It is worth doing a little research to find good sources, USA or Canada. I ordered thread from a company in the USA that supports this website (and shall remain nameless) a while back. I ordered 1# of each black, white, dark brown in 69, 138 and 207 expecting to get matching colours in each size. Brown was very inconsistent, with some of it being straw/gold coloured; not brown at all! So then I had to order more to get matching colours in all sizes. I didn't attempt to return it since I would have more cross border hassles. If the supplier had been a Canadian firm, I would have returned it since I would only be dealing with shipping. I try to avoid cross border purchases if I can find the same or equivalent from a Canadian source for a comparable price looking at exchange rates, shipping, taxes, duty and item cost all totaled up. To me it only makes good business sense to avoid some of the cross border hassles where possible. I also won't have items shipped by UPS or FedEx due to their excessive brokerage charges. Tom

@Jason046 Moved your post to Leather Sewing machines. Sewing machine people are more likely to see it there and chime in. Tom

Try Howard Imprinting. They show packets of 24 kt gold leaf for stamping leather. http://www.howardimprinting.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=33&products_id=447 You may find some on ebay as well. Tom

The plain yokes always cut into my fingers. Back in '61, covered my yoke with a scrap of leather. Wasn't as pretty as this is! Tom

Allow for seam allowance whether lacing or sewing. 1/4" to 1/2" on all sides. It can be trimmed after assembly if edges don't match up. Allow for the fold difference between the wallet liner and the back. About 1/2" to 3/4". It's easier to use extra length and width up front until you gain more experience with your specific projects and style and have to trim excess off than it is to stretch a piece that is too short. Tom