Northmount

Ferg is right on the money. Tom

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) doesn't darken leather as much as neatsfoot oil. As you already likely know, oil conditions, isn't really a finish. Lacquers work. I kind of like waxes since it can be reapplied and buffed easily. Kind of feeds the leather to help keep it supple. Tom

You don't want to put the larger pulley on the motor. It will make the machine go faster and reduce the torque you need to punch through the leather. If you can't get leather under the presser foot, the machine is not right for your job. Tom

Really great work, and cute kid too! Tom

Look up saddle stitching. Don't need a machine for small runs like this. There is currently a thread http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=47365#entry300617 here about it. Several more too if you search for them Tom

At these low concentrations, the leather basically neutralizes the acid. You can rinse off if you wish. Chief's mix works well. Tom

I bought a Techsew 2700 from Ron at Raphael Sewing, see ads at top of page or http://shop.raphaelsewing.com/ about 1.5 years ago. They are located in Montreal. Shipping was about $300 to my door (Calgary). Several other heavier machines are available. Prices and shipping are online so you can check them out and see what the machine you need costs, plus the shipping cost. Buying in Canada, there is no exchange, customs duties, or brokerage charge. Ron's support is great too. Machine was well packed, easy to setup and ready to run. Tom

Welcome. There are a number of Albertans here. Tom

200 C for 20 minutes sounds like your leather will be a shriveled up blob. Leather gets hard with heat, and the longer it is heated and higher temperature, it loses its moisture and oils. Try an experiment, just put a piece of leather scrap in the oven and see what happens! Tom

There is a video for a clutch on a Singer 111W155. Yours may be somewhat similar. It is in post #90 in this thread http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=43582&st=90. It has some good info for those that really want or have to delve into the insides. You may find the whole thread interesting too. Tom

Pretty nice. I like the 2 tone. Lots of stitching there, hard for me to tell if it was machine or hand. In either case, really nice job. Tom

Follow Cheryl's link above and refine the search to line drawings. Under the bing search bar, there is "Type". Pick it and select line drawing. Then you can use the line drawing for the pattern, and reference the photos while tooling it. Tom

The logo may be hot stamped, burned into the leather. Tom

There was something rattling around in the back of my mind ... finally realized what it was. Johnny Cash, Ring of Fire. Now you really have to do it! Tom

Why not flames in circles? Tom

Here is a link to some ideas. There are commercial products out there to do the job. Some are listed in the link. http://lifehacker.com/5897807/how-to-remove-rust-from-old-tools You can find may more ideas and methods using Google. You can even use electrolysis to reverse the action of the rust. Except for electrolysis, I would stay away from water. That's what causes the rust to start with. Be wary of any method that involves a lot of scratching like wire brush, emery paper etc. It depends where it is on the tool. Adding scratches to the face of a stamp, or abrading the pattern is not something you want to do. Brass brushes generally won't damage steel surfaces since the brass is soft. Be cautious of strong acids and other chemicals. With all the different rust removal methods out there, think about what the results are that you want, use some common sense, and you should be able to reclaim these tools without causing further problems. Tom

Looks really great! How does the tab fit in? Another picture might help me see how you fit the tab to close it. Thanks Tom

I have to agree. Very inspiring. Now to try something similar here! Tom

You don't want to use any dye that includes red. Brown includes red. To get a lighter colour, you have to bleach colour out of it. Tom

Looking good. If you shorten the liner a little more, it won't bunch up as much in the middle when folded. But the downside of that is it won't lay flat when open. At a guess, I'd take another 1/8" to 1/4" off the length of the liner. Since this is only from a photo, it's hard to tell how much it has bunched up, but you can tell better than I if you need to make any change. You do great work. Tom

Here are a few links that may help you with depth of field. Mostly, get more light on the subject if you can, but there is more to it that can be done. http://digital-photography-school.com/aperture http://digital-photography-school.com/a-deeper-look-into-depth-of-field http://digital-photography-school.com/overcoming-depth-of-field-problems-in-portraits Good luck on saddle #2. Tom

Try this http://www.tandyleatherfactory.ca/en-cad/search/searchresults/9132-01.aspx has a backing, somewhat resembles leather, but the backing helps with the fraying problem. They have black and brown. Tom

Great job. I like old furniture. It's a shame to see it get trashed. This is the way to go! Tom

Long way from North Dakota, so probably not the same clan. Tom

A little more information could be of help. What part of the world do you live in, or where the purse was purchased, down to at least the city and state? How long has it been in your possession, something to help with possibly determining a rough age or time period? Better photos would help too. Try about 800 pixels wide so we can see some detail. Adjust the contrast and mid tones to improve what we can see. I can find some info on Harkness, but won't spend the time if the locations don't compare. My grandmother was a Harkness. I think I can contact some of her family's descendants if the location fits. Tom