Northmount

Hey guys, When calculating ratios, pulley diameter or circumference will work out to the same answer, if you carry enough decimal places. The 2 pi cancels out in your calculation, leaving just the diameter. (2 pi divided by 2 pi = 1) You would also get the same answer using radius. No advanced math required. Now if you are calculating belt speeds or linear velocity at the rim of the pulley, then you need to use circumference and the pulley speed. Tom

WOW!!! Tom

For the most part, water based stuff should not be allowed to freeze. Check what solvent or thinner is used, if it is water, then it's water based. Latex type paints, glues ... unless the manufacturer says otherwise. Some don't tell you, so take the fall back position. Don't freeze. Tom

Substitute warm rather than hot water in the post above. Too hot will make the leather hard, and hotter yet will cause it to shrivel up to an ugly mess. Tom

Hi Hannah, welcome to the forum. I have purchased from Techsew and had the machine delivered to the curb in front of my house, pulled the boxes and stand off the pallet, took them inside, assembled it and had the machine running within 2 hours. PM me if you want more info or want to see the 2700 cylinder arm machine. You could try it out with some 69 thread. Tom

Here are threads I found. I see they were using granite floor tiles. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=19730&page=2#entry164360 post 21 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=29661&hl=%2Bfloor+%2Btile#entry187327 post 9 This one used vinyl tile. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=41000&hl=%2Bfloor+%2Btile#entry255306 post 12 Tom

It's only one cm thick. Chances are it would break before long. I think you need at least 1", 2.5 cm thick. Talk to some of your friends, may be able to get one of them to help you get a slab. There are also 3", 7.5 cm thick granite surface plate that machinists use for checking flatness. Just looked up one here, 12x18x3", 35.6 kg, $45 CAN. You might be able to get one of those delivered for a good price if you find a source close to you. Tandy here has 12x12x1" slab. Check your local price and shipping. Tom Edit. Another option is to get 3 or 4 of the thin slabs and glue the together. Make sure they are glued true with each other, or a few hits and the top one will break. Ceramic floor tiles are another option to glue together. There is another thread here somewhere about that.

There is another thread here somewhere that says leaving the belt loose lets you slow the machine by using your hand as a brake against the hand wheel. Good for going slower around corners, but I would need three hands to do that! If you loosen the belt tension, you should be able to get back to the way it was operating. I suspect the slippage allowed slower starts too. Tom

Supposedly in India or there abouts. There was another thread about tanned human hide a few months ago. I think there was more information in that thread. Tom

They don't have to be cogged type. Try to make sure you get the right width. Sometimes auto parts stores don't have narrow enough width. Tom

If you want to just remove the stains, try cleaning first followed by bleaching it with oxalic acid. Then add oils to condition it, and add what ever finish you want. If you want to keep his name (which I'm sure you do), keep the bleach away from that part. Tom

Looks like we are all going blind! Hope the blindness is only temporary. Tom

Slicking after tooling would destroy your tooling. Have slicked leather to remove accidental impressions. Also to improve the surface on cheap leather. Tom

Remember that if you lift the presser foot too high, you release your top tension. So the bobbin thread will lie flat on the bottom. Tom

For any fuel burning appliance, lamps included, remember you need ventilation. Too many accidents in colder weather resulting in asphyxiation. Stay safe. Tom

Yes, the green one in the video is what I was thinking of. Bought one about a year ago. Works great. But these can be fire hazard if not looked after properly. A friendly neighbour is a good idea. Pay him a few bucks, or make something for him. Tom

The old Coleman lamps with a mantel that use white gas produce a lot of light. Some heat too. Need to be very careful to keep combustible materials away, and inflammable solvent fumes too. LED battery powered lamps are better than the older battery lamps. Generators are noisy and need refuelling, oil changes, etc. So battery lamps seem to be best. Tom

eransh10, that would be photo-engraving, an etching process. A resist is photographically applied to the base metal used, then acid etched to remove the background material. Makes nice clean images, but no 3D effect. Tom

Several times I have had people hold an item up to their nose that has just been finished with a lacquer type finish and say how much they love the smell of the leather. All they can smell at that point is the lacquer and solvents. I have had leather with a real bad smell, almost sickening. Had to treat it with saddle soap, work the soap in with water, rinse it off well, and leave it to dry and air out for a few days. So when someone says they love the smell of leather, I always wonder what they are really smelling. Maybe a wet dog with some lacquer spray in the air would be perfect for some. I really think for some people, it's all in their head. For others, they know the real smell of leather, not just the finish or wax. Tom

See this thread http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=59404&hl= Tom

Good to see you back here. Seat looks really great. Tom

Roses are amongst my favourites. Nice job. Tom

Yes. Start with 50/50 and test it with your leather and setup. Adjust as needed. Tom

The welt doesn't need to extend around the spine of the book. Just go as far as the edge of the inside pockets. Though I haven't used a welt on a book cover, it would look nice and keep the outside flatter. Tom

With no belt, it should turn easily. If you have it belted to a motor, depress the pedal slightly to release the motor brake. Tom