Northmount

If you are sewing 8 oz (1/8") and over, up to 3/8", get the speed reduction pulleys as part of the package. Tom

Generally rubber cement (Elmers and others generally found in stationery stores) here is only used for temporary gluing. For permanent gluing, suggest using contact cement. Either hydrocarbon solvent based (often in a red can) or latex water based (often in a green can). A lot depends on your tolerance for strong smelling solvents. There are lots of threads here about contact cement and proper usage. Tom

If the needle is too small, the top tension can't pull the knot up in thick hard leather. Try a larger needle versus your thread size. Also try lubricated thread. Tom

I have a Techsew 2700. Got it about 3 years ago. No problems other than learning to set the tension with changes in leather. That goes for all machines. Tom

A search of these forums using the search function in the upper right of your screen, looking for tangleboss brings up 16 threads. The sixth one down may answer your question. Tom

I should have said 3/32". So just under 1/8". 3/16" is usually too long! Tom

A sharp close up pic of the rivets may help us determine what the problem is. If the rivet is cut too short, there won't be enough material to hold the burr down. If you smash the rivet down hard with a couple blows, it won't look great either. Usually bends the post and doesn't leave enough above the burr to deform over the burr. I use a ball peen hammer to gently deform the post working sort of circular around the post. Gentle taps. I cut the post so it protrudes about 3/16" through the burr. I use a diagonal cutters, or end cutter to nip off the excess. I have used Tandy's rivet setter too (it works okay), but generally go back to the way my dad showed me over 50 years ago. Tom

Help wanted is like the classified ads in the newspaper. So I moved your post to leather sewing machines. Hopefully this will get you the responses you are soliciting. Posts made in help wanted require moderator's approval before they can be seen by the rest of the users. This post will likely inherit the same behaviour. Tom

Old timers have used a lot of different things for bearings. Oak blocks lubricated with tallow. Wood blocks lined with bacon rind. Tom

You can read the amps (current) and the volts from the motor nameplate. As above, you can determine Watts from that. and 746 Watts = 1 hp. For an older motor, use a power factor of 0,6. Newer, use 0.75. The motor nameplate will also tell you if it is 3 phase. If no mention of 3 phase, it is single phase. So all you need to do to compare motors and their wattage or hp, it's a simple substitution of the values into the formulas. That is something like grade 6 or 7 math. You asked a specfic question and I answered with the specifics. I ihave no way of knowing your level of understanding of math or electricity. Tom Hope this helps with the comparisons you are trying to do and understand.

You need to match the needle size to the thread you are using. 23 is lots to big, makes a big hole, so hard for you to get the tension set right. Smaller hole will require more top tension. See this chart You will also find that the needle goes through the leather easier and won't stall out so easily. On some machines, it is common to help get moving by turning the hand wheel. Depends where you are on the stroke to some extent too. Tom

Moved your post to "how do I do that". Help wanted is like help wanted in the newspaper classifieds. Posts started in help wanted require moderator's approval before they can be seen by others. That property may carry over into the new area so replies will likely have to be approved as well. Tom

I moved your post to "how do I do that". Help wanted is more related to hiring someone. It also requires moderator approval for each post. Chances are that this thread will still require approval for each post because of the area it was initially posted in. Tom

Put the knife right on the line, bring the ruler over to it, and parallel to how you see the line. Make sure you have enough light on that edge of the ruler to see clearly, not working in a shadow. If you have on good eye, and one not so good, arrange your work and lighting to take advantage of the good eye. Tom

You can also bury the ends of the thread between the layers of the strap. Tom

You can bury the items in cornstarch or kitty litter or floor-dry and allow it to absorb the excess oil. Might take several days, may have to shake it up to put new absorbent against the leather. Searches here for over oiling, neatsfoot oil, etc. will lead you to similar information. Tom

White PVA is flexible. Yellow PVA used by woodworkers is not. Yellow glue used on leather, you will hear it crack every time you bend the article, until all the possible bend lines have been bent. Then it will be quiet! Tom

If the top tension is set very tight, and is hard to pull through the thread path, try using a larger needle size. It will make a larger hole and you can reduce the top tension accordingly. Tom

If you haven't checked already, look at your settings on the left side of your new content page. Check forums and set the time period you wish see. Otherwise I would tend to say it's your browser. I use the latest version of FireFox and don't have this problem (unless I accidentally changed the settings as noted). Tom

Try more top thread tension, also see if the check spring is working. Tom

Thin slabs need to be adequately supported. If for example, the ends are resting on the support, but the middle is slightly above the support, it will crack with repeated hammering. Other than that, a good solid sturdy bench under most any thickness of slab will work. Portable is nice, which goes against using 3 or 4 inch thick slabs. But it depends on your work area and what you have at hand to work with. Eventually, people move towards a good solid bench under a 1" or thicker slab. Steel plate certainly does the job too. Maybe it needs to be waxed or sealed to ensure the leather doesn't pick up any iron, or will turn blue/black due to the reaction with tannin in the leather. I definitely wouldn't leave a damp piece of vegtan on bare steel. Tom

Could be interested, but where are you located? Price, location, shipping and any duties or brokerage have to be considered. Tom

Here is an upload of Eric's latest file as a PDF. 2D-3D stamps.pdf Tom

Gold foil/leaf doesn't fade. Sometimes may oxidize or tarnish, making it darker and less brilliant. Where it is getting faint is due to some abrasion or wear as it is rubbing off. There is a possibility that there was not good adhesion in this area during the original work. But more likely, a spot where someone always placed their elbows or whatever. Tom

Welcome to the forum. When you dampen tooled leather to manipulate it for molding, or anything else, you will lose tooling definition. Depending on what you are making, you may be able to mold it first, then tool with a block of wood, or part of your mold to support the tooling surface. Did you know you can search the forums to find previous threads with lots of discussion and experience? The search bar is at the top right of the page. Try searching for tooling and molding, or molded, etc. If you don't like the search engine here, the use google search and append "site:leatherworker.net" after your search string. It's faster and you will likely get more hits. It limits your search to this site. Tom