Northmount

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

Many servo motors can be set to reverse the rotation direction. Use the same switch used to prgam the max speed. If you do a search here, you should be able to find the instructions that have been posted for some brands. Then you should be able to mount the servo motor using the same mounting holes, assuming yours was the standard configuration. Tom

First, check your needle to see if it is oriented correctly and threaded from the correct side. Tom

You can do the same as with hand stitching if you want. Leave tails long and thread a couple needles. Can tie and tuck. Can use super glue, but it darkens light leather. Can back-stitch at the start and at the end. The starting stitch gets trapped nicely. But the end still needs tied or glued or whatever to keep it from loosening. I pull on the bottom thread and pull the top thread through so both are on the bottom. If it will be hidden, a drop of super glue, if not, tie and use a machine needle to push the ends inside. All depends on appearance and what will be visible after. Tom

I did a search for moldy leather, got 17 results with several that don't apply, but here are 2 to look at http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=34385&hl=+moldy%20+leather#entry213634 http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=23063&hl=+moldy%20+leather#entry164878 You can find the others if you want more possibles. Hope this helps Tom