Northmount

Very nice work. Welcome to the forum. Tom

It would take an awfull lot of hemp. No or next to no cannabis in hemp. That's why you see it being cultivated legally again. Tom

As JLS says, use copper or brass nails. Iron nails in vegtan leather will turn black due to the tannin and iron chemical action. I prefer molds and clamps. Tom

Are the zippers just difficult to pull, or something else. If you rub some beeswax on the zipper, it will help make it much easier to pull the slider back and forth. As usual, very nice work. Tom

The machine in the ebay ad link above does not have reverse, so one with reverse would likely sell for a little higher price, my guess, maybe worth a $100 more, at least to me. Tom

Tandy sells embossed cow hide. What are you looking for specifically, and what part of the world are you in? Knowing that, someone is more likely to be able to give you more and better feedback. Kind of sounds like you are from Germany according to your username. Tom

Pictures, serial number, etc would be a great help for people that want to be able to help you. Tom

Take a look at this thread Tom

The brake shoe is inside the outer end of the motor, same end your linkage hooks up to. There are a couple threads about it somewhere here. Do a search, or as Wizcrafts, a member here. Since a number of photos haven't been revived yet since the software upgrade, the older threads may not show enough of what you need to see. Tom

Are you using a spool or a cone of thread. Cones are usually setup to pull the thread vertically off the top of the cone, not having to turn the cone. ANd yes, if a spool adds more resistance, it increases the top tension. Tension needs to be consistent. Sounds like you need to reduce the bottom tension. Go slow, little adjustments each time. Tom

Top tension pulls the knots up, bottom tension pulls the knots down. Too much bottom tension or not enough top tension will leave the bottom thread laying on the bottom, not being pulled up into the leather. Doesn't matter what type of lockstitch sewing machine you are using. They work on the same principles. The two tensions have to be balanced against each other. There should be some tension on the shuttle thread, but easy to pull, and smooth. I would first increase the top tension some more, unless it is difficult to pull the top thread through the tension assembly. Tom

Really nice bag! For the Consew, sounds like it its the motor brake. Either remove the brake shoe, or press the peddle just enough to release the brake, but not hard enough to start the motor. For the Cobra, there is (should be) an adjustment for how far the presser feet can drop. I will let someone else describe how to fix as I don't have a Cobra. Tom

Look for a switch on the power converter. Check its manual. Check for a fuse. Check there is power at your plugin. Try another plugin. Then get your electrician friend to come over if it still doesn't work. Tom

You are not the only one seeing this problem as you can tell from recent posts. With the recent site upgrade, attachments have become detached. Johanna is working on reattaching all files. PM Anvas (above) and he may be able to send you the file. Tom

Welcome to the addiction er Forum. Show us some photos if you have some, brag about your work or ask for critique and help. Tom

Dried up oil varnish due to not using sewing machine oil? If so there are a couple other threads about cleaning up the mess. Some machines have seized completely. Try a search, should be able to find them. Tom

Go for a 5/8" barrel. Like it a lot better, and I don't have large hands. Tom

Further note to above: Since this was supplied for USA use, it must be a universal motor so can run on AC or DC. And it was apparently running for you. 125 VDC is very unusual, and more dangerous than AC. Coming into contact with DC draws you in, cannot let go. AC tends to bounce or throw you off. Your 300 watt converter should work just fine. Tom

Your motor label says it is DC, that's direct current. Unless it is a universal series wound motor, it won't run properly on AC, alternating current. Your power converter/supply needs to match voltage and type of current. It also needs to exceed the power or wattage demand of the motor so it won't be overloaded. 1 horsepower = 746 watts, so 1/10 HP = 74.6 watts. Your converter should be 230 VAC input, 125 VDC output, capable of supplying 100 watts, allows some margin so is not running fully loaded. Tom See next post.

In Tim's post a couple above this, the type of finger saddle makes a huge difference in the feel and comfort using a swivel knife. Note the left 4 swivel knives saddles. Rounded to fit in the curve of your finger instead of a piece of rolled flat stock. Long time ago, I made a leather cover for mine to stop the irritation of the square shape. Also, for me, I like a larger diameter barrel. Easier to hold, easier to twist with better control. The one I like the best has a 5/8" diameter barrel. And I don't have large hands. If you get a chance to try out different saddles and barrel diameter, do it. Will save a few bucks, and you'll be happier with a swivel knife that fits your hand. Tom

Sketch out a rough draft of what you want to see, then take a look at different font and alphabet patterns to see which comes close to what you have in mind. If you are good with a computer graphics program, you can try overlaying images captured from various sources to see what it looks like instead of doing a lot of hand sketching. I have scanned a few alphabet patterns so I can copy single letters at a time, size them, rotate them and overlay on top of the main object. Tom

Dwight's comment about shaping the fold around a small dowel makes a lot of difference. It's the real secret of the process. If bent back tight with nothing inside the fold, the outside fibers are really being stretched. Had the same thing happen on a wallet a while back. It's important to avoid folding and pressing as if it was a piece of paper. Tom

The site is just going through a complete upgrade, so have patience with its behavior for a bit. Lots of great information and people here. Thanks for adding your location to your profile. Tom

Still lots of glitches being worked on. These ones have been reported. Tom

Last time the OP was on the site was 8 Dec 2013. Not too likely that this is available or that you will get a response. Tom