Northmount

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

#9 wire works better for your pickup. A little harder to twist up tight, but a fencing pliers usually does the job. Lasts a lot longer on country roads and trails! Tom

Thanks Bob. Great story. Tom

Take a look at this thread. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=43081&st=0 There are some other threads here to with good information. Use search. Tom

Lucky guy, to get Ann Sthoman's guidance. And, from a guy that can only wish to be able to make a saddle, you have done a great job. Also great mentoring comments to others. Tom

Yellow woodworking glue dries hard, not flexible. So when you bend the leather items glued with it, you will hear the glue cracking. White glue dries flexible. So will hold better where you expect flexing to take place. Woodworkers don't normally need their items to flex. Tom

Fantastic job. I can only wish to do that someday. For the photo #4, to get the whole photo in focus, you need to increase the depth of field by using smaller lens opening near f16 and longer exposure. The the horn and cantle can both be in focus. Tom

I assume you are pulling on the bottom thread and it pulls out easily. That would mean that the top tension needs to be increased to pull the bottom thread halfway up into the leather. The "knot" should be half way through the leather. Generally leave the bobbin tension alone. There are numerous threads here about adjusting tension, and if needed, how to adjust the bobbin tension. Do a search for these threads. You can pick up a lot of good info. Most sewing machine manuals (even domestic home machines) show what a lock-stitch is supposed to look like and how to adjust the tension. Make sure the top thread is threaded correctly for your machine. It seems to be a very common problem when people get a new machine, especially if they have little machine experience. Tom

Fantastic. Truly great work. Something many of us can only aspire to. And to a great cause. Tom

Great dye job! Tom

Very good job overall. Great dye work too! Truck looks just like it should. Tom

Very nice job. Quite challenging. Do you have a pattern and willing to share it? Or do up a tutorial? I'm sure there are a number of people here that would be up to the challenge. I had a look around and there are a few YouTube videos out there. Will have to watch a couple closely to see what I can pick up. Tom

Great start. Can't wait to see it finished. Tom

Also depends on the maximum size thread your bobbin will take. Tom

If sharpening in a drill press, keep the file moving, else you are likely to damage the file teeth. Wears out the couple teeth you are using when you hold it in one spot. Use a light touch. Tom

For the forums you like to visit frequently, depending on your browser, save each forum as a favourite or bookmark. Then you can hop from one to the other simply by clicking on the favourite or bookmark for that forum. If you want to see all the new content each day, click on "view new content" near the top right of the topic/thread you are reading. Settings for the time period are on the left side of the page when you pick new content. You can bookmark it too. Tom

I'm not a saddle maker so take this with a grain or two of salt. To be hurting your knees, you must be sitting in such a way to be twisting your knees. I assume the 4 hour rides are at a walk for the majority of the time. So that would say something about position and length of stirrup. Also should get a medic to check your knees for any deterioration. I know it doesn't take much twist to really hurt my knees now. I rarely rode with a saddle. Couldn't afford one when I was a kid. So it was bareback for several years. Haven't ridden for many years now. After riding bareback for so long, rode with a saddle one day and just about fell off at a full gallop. Had forgotten how! I was trying to ride like bareback and kicked my feet out of the stirrups, then they flopped all over and beat the heck out of my ankles. Didn't take long to realize what I had forgotten! Maybe it helps to be bow legged too! Tom

I think people will need to know where the pain is and what your fit is to be able to help with an answer or suggestion. Back, hips, knees, etc. Is there actual bruising? Have you been in an accident and have damaged joints, bones, ligaments? Are you short, tall, long body, short legs, heavy, slim, etc. It's so tempting to say something about a "pain in the ...". But I'll leave that for someone else. Tom

Plain belts, carved and tooled belts, embossed belts? Tell us the type of stuff you want to do. Providing the right details gets to the answer with information that is useful to you sooner. Tom

These guys are also answering many of your questions, even though you may not have bought a single thing from them. They also know what works best with real "leather" sewing machines and stand behind their equipment and provide the support you need. They are also very busy, so if you don't get an answer immediately, don't give up and wander off somewhere else. Phone calls help too. Tom

I replaced the servo on my 2700 with the SewSlow gear reduction unit from Bob. It helped a lot, but still wasn't slow enough for me. At the slowest speed, it couldn't punch through hard 8 - 10 oz leather. Added pulley speed reducer as well. Now I can go as slow as 3 seconds per stitch and still have the torque needed to punch through the same leather. Flat out is now a little slow with the servo pot turned up as fast as it will go, but it's fine for me. No trouble going around the point of a belt, just have to be a little patient going down the side. Tom