Northmount

Depends on the thickness and quality of the leather. Light weight low quality leather will definitely need doubling up. 8-9 oz minimum should be adequate for a single layer. With the type of attachment to the legs that is shown in the tutorials, I would double up the corners to improve the durability, resist stretching if it gets damp, etc. Have you done a search here for photos and examples? There have been a number of camp stool threads here. Tom

You have a couple options, one is to purchase from one of the suppliers listed in the top of this page banners. I purchased from Ron at http://shop.raphaelsewing.com/ in Montreal and had it dropped at the curb in front of my house. If you locate the machine you want, the cart will estimate shipping for you. The machine will be set up for the type of sewing you want to do if you work with him. Another is to check http://www.leightons.ca/catalog-general.html located east of Red Deer. John has new and used machines. Also check out WIz's post to see a number of modifications that are made to machines to make them suitable for leather. This post http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=49955&hl=+leather%20+machine#entry317799 is specific to a 441, but gives you some idea of what needs to be done to a machine. Tom

Cut oversize, glue the seams together, trim to size, then do your stitching. Tom

There have been posts about tooling rough out. Do a search and see what you find. Most contact cements soften when heated. (That's how you remove laminates without damaging the surface they are glued to.) You should do a test to see how it behaves. Glue a couple pieces together, flesh side to flesh side, press it down tight so you get good adhesion all across. I use a roller. Leave an edge unglued so you can get some leverage to try pulling it apart. Leave sit after gluing for a few days. The cement continues to cure for a few days and adhesion improves. Then try heating with a heat gun and see how much it softens and if you can pull it apart. Don't need to heat so hot that the leather shrivels up. By testing, you will know how it is going to behave. (If you have an oven with a low enough minimum temperature setting, you can use it and have a better idea of the temperatures you are dealing with.) Tom

Do a search here for burnisher and adapter and motor and see what you get. There was a thread running here for a while on building or converting a motor to a burnisher. Parts and sources were listed. Tom

Read post number 127 Tom

Lots of great work! I think your wallets would look nicer with some thin lining leather on the inside of the wallet back instead of the flesh side showing. Just an added finishing touch. Very interesting goggles. Tom

Try badger air brush bottles. Also, for most bottles or jars, cover with plastic wrap before putting the lid on. You can also push the wrap down into the bottle to displace air and reduce evaporation. The wrap also helps keep lids from freezing to the bottle. Tom

Thicker thread takes more space so is harder to pull up, unless you go to a larger needle size. Scott is on the right track. Typically, thread balling up on the bottom is not enough top tension. But there can be other causes. And it is easy to try out. Keep track of your adjustments and you can go back to the original settings with your original needle and thread combination. Tom

Increase your top tension to pull the knot higher into the leather. Tom

Read up some of the threads here about the Tippmann. Some hate it, some have learned its quirks and do well with it. As production demand increased, they have moved up the powered machines. Another thing I notice is the older cast iron frame is much preferred over the aluminum version. So check it out so you are aware of what you are getting into before you purchase. Good luck with which ever direction you go. Tom

A v gouge see http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/site-search-results.aspx?sectionpath=3&processor=content&p_keyword=Gouge Tom

Applying, rubbing with the dauber is dissolving the previous layer(s) of satin sheen. It's not allowing it to build up in layers. Try spraying the finish on in light layers using either an airbrush or the prevo stuff from Tandy. You can do two or three layers a few minutes apart. Then let dry for overnight and do some more layers. We are going to have to get used to water based stuff since alcohol and other solvents are rated hazardous products and require special shipping. I was told that a 4 oz bottle of Fiebings dye will have a $35 hazardous shipping surcharge. So the Tandy manager here says in 18 months, they will no longer carry Fiebings products! So stock up now or buy larger sizes/quantities to reduce the unit cost for the surcharge. Not good news. Tom

Cheap rotary punches are just that, cheaply made. You want something with solid handles, not just formed from sheet metal. Solid, like a good pair of pliers. Rotary punches are handy, but can not reach very far into a project. If you have lots of punching to do, your hands will tire quickly. Solid drive punches, even with interchangeable tubes are better for a lot of your work. So get a set of drive punches, and save up for a good rotary punch later. $30 to 50 will get a good rotary punch. I've wrecked the cheap ones and pinched the palm of my hand when the handles collapse on 8 oz hard temper leather. Blood blisters are never nice! Tom

Dilute your dye first before applying it. Build up the colour in layers. Always try it out on a piece of the same leather as the projects due to the colour shift you will get with the leather's colour. Start with maybe 1 part dye to 5 parts thinner. Can dilute even further if needed. Tom

Doesn't stink as much, so people that are sensitive to chemical solvent smells find it much easier to cope with. Tom

Diameter of the top edge where the top of the belt rides, in other words outside diameter. Tom

I'd still try re-shaping it some. Just can't remove the stretch very well. Making a male and female mold may help if you have the time and some basic wood working equipment. Cut your leather pieces oversize before molding. Then you can trim off the excess and square things up some. Tom

Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines ... As noted. See banner ads at the top of this page. Refresh until you get Toledo ... Bob Kovar, also known as Cowboy Bob on this forum. Tom

Great first project. As you say, things will improve as you try more ideas and get lots of practice. Most importantly, have fun doing it. Tom

Clutch takes a lot of practice to be able to feather it so it slips the right amount for the speed you want to go. So, yes a servo is a big help. Digital servos (no brushes) have some programming options. Analog servos (brush type) aren't programmable (generally). Brush type, you need to check the brushes periodically. The more you use the machine, the more often they need checked. If you are sewing thick leather, you might want to consider a servo with 3:1 built in gear reduction. Will have more torque available at lower speeds. Something like the SewPro at Toledo Industrial Sewing machines. This will help if you need really slow for some of your work. If you need slower yet, add a speed reducer pulley. I did both on my machine. 3:1 at the servo, and 3:1 at the speed reducer pulley, so have 9:1 reduction. The machine will do from 3 seconds for 1 stitch to somewhere around 200-300 stitches per minute. Good for a slow guy like me. HP or wattage should be at least as large as the clutch motor (unless you add speed reducers). The clutch motor has some momentum to get the machine moving. Servo starts from zero. Tom

Either, as long as you aren't pulling the needle too. Depends on what you are sewing as to where you can hold onto the thread. Tom

Can't get back to flat, but you can stretch and adjust the shape if you dampen the leather. (if you heat dried, baked the leather, no can do) Make a plug the shape you want the inside of the case to be like, dampen the leather and force the plug in. Might want to wrap the plug with plastic wrap. Tom

Thanks. Always enjoy reviewing old books. The download is 3.8 MB. Downloaded here in just a few seconds. Thought that seems strange, opened the file and it's all there. Thanks again. Tom

Do a search for "John Barton" He makes exquisite cases. This search http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=core&module=search&section=search&do=search&fromsearch=1 turned up 33 posts, some asking the same questions. There is loads of info and photos here. Tom