Northmount

If you have 2 full time jobs, you need to drop one, or cut it back while you have your health, sanity, and your family. Would be really nice to keep all three. CTG

I filled out their online application about a month ago. Then I saw posts about not being available in Canada, so figured I wouldn't get any trial subscription. Just picked up the mail, and guess what? There is a copy of Shop Talk. I had added a comment on their online form asking about being able to get the trial subscription in Canada, but hadn't heard back. Much appreciated to be able to see what it is like before purchasing a subscription. CTG

Logically, heel down AND needle down would release clutch (applying brake). Heel down would continue sewing until the above are both satisfied (logical AND). He also has a link to lift the presser foot. This is not difficult to do completely mechanically. Just using mechanical rods, levers, bellcrank and cam. Predates fancy electronic positioning. Chances are you could search and find the patent for the system.

This would not be too hard to do mechanically. Just need to have a feedback arm from the hand wheel or a cam that releases the clutch, applying the brake with the needle down. We tend to think nowadays that everything has to be electronic or microprocessor controlled. I used to work on mechanical accounting machines that we programmed mechanically to do things like multiply the mill rate by the assessed value to determine the tax, print it on the ledger card plus statement, plus total up the day's run. There are a lot of mechanical marvels from years gone by that we don't remember and give credit for. Even things like mileage counters used on covered wagons as people moved west 150 odd years ago. CTG

Some models of sewing machines have a needle positioning system on them. As you see in the video, his positioning system is set for needle down. He doesn't have to crank it by hand to stop where he wants it. Search for needle positioning here and in Google. One of the banner ads here advertises needle positioning for their machine. Very nice addition for a high volume production shop. CTG

Take a look at Will Ghormley

Application method makes a big difference too! If you are applying the finish, whether you use an applicator like sheep's wool, or your fingers, to rub the finish into the surface, you will dissolve and spread the dye. Even waterborne finishes can lift waterbourne dyes. Try spraying the finish on in very light coats. Light coats don't crack as easily either. There are many threads on dyeing and application of finishes. Do a search and you will be surprised at the number. Comments include buffing the dyed item 24 hours after applying the dye, so it is really dry, to remove any unabsorbed dye from the surface. Also what finishes to use and how to apply. CTG

There is a post somewhere here that has a number of photos and details where a person was experimenting with making their own rawhide maul. A 1" diameter bolt is expensive overkill. 3/8" should be plenty. Your handle and rawhide will make it plenty rigid. I think they used rawhide dog chews as the source for the rawhide. Since you have nice quiet evenings next to the campfire, I'll let you do the search! I'm lazy. Should be a fun project. I have thought about it too. Have to get a couple other projects done first. CTG

Like Chavez, put the granite on top a thick cushion to get a better working height when on your knees. Or at a table, add a good sturdy foam cushion about 2" thick between the table and the granite.

Thank you. Most appreciated Chancey. CTG

You only have about 10 minutes to edit a post. You will need to get a moderator or such to change it. Damage is likely done already, you are now on a list that gets sold over and over, and spreads worldwide. Get ready to set up a new email account and close the old. I went back to an old email address that I hadn't used for over 10 years. The next day I had some spam. So the list I was on had been circulating amongst the evil cyber spammers for 10 plus years. CTG

Also look at a couple other recent threads. Starting CTG

Are you using lubricated thread? If not, try it. Oil on the tension plates was probably lubricating your thread. Lubricated thread makes it easier for the needle to punch through, and helps with pulling the thread up. There are some other posts on LW about lubricated thread. CTG

Just a note about making sure the hinge sides of the 8 oz cover are perfect 90 degrees. If they aren't, then the hinges will be askew and the binder will not sit squarely when placed on edge, standing up. Also to reiterate, use a straight edge to keep the bottom edges all lined up and parts square during assembly and glue up. Enjoy. CTG So how many occupants are living in the doghouse tonight? CTG

I didn't skive that thin, just reduced the thickness to about half for the 3 oz and near a third in the 8 oz. I think you would have a hard time making a 'splice' like joint, and keeping everything lined up. Plus for sewing, I think you want to have enough 'land' on both sides of the stitch. If you skive too thin, there's no room for slips which usually happen to me. CTG

I lay out a full size pattern. First photo shows only one side and spine. I layout what I want for a spine to fit the space on the full layout as in photo 2. The front and back pieces go only to the 'hinge'. The spine overlaps onto the front and back covers. The cover and spine are 8 oz. The edges of all pieces are skived before any glueup and sewing in order to reduce the thickness. I also use a stiffener for the front, back and spine. It is cut to leave about 1/2" clearance from the cover stitching and hinge. The lining for the binder is cut to match the front and back. Lining for the spiine is rectangular only, does not extend to the scalloped edges. Cut everything about 1/4" or so oversize. After tooling the front, spine and back (and applying dye, antique, and at least a light coat of a finish to protect against little dabs of glue that happen), I trim the bottom edge perfectly straight as well as the bottom spine edge. Trim the hinge edges of the front and back to perfect 90 degree angle. I clamp a long straight edge to the bench, position the cover front, spine and back along the straight edge to make sure they fit, the spine is centered, etc. Skive the edges for all pieces, then glue all the 8 oz pieces together. Then I trim the top edge perfectly straight, mark out my stitch line for the spine to front and back covers and sew. Then I gouge out the hinge area to about 1/2 the leather thickness about 3/8" wide. Then glue the stiffener in place. You might want to skive the edges of the stiffeners first. I then layout the lining (3 oz) similarly to what I did with the 8 oz. Skive the edges, align with the straight edge, make sure it fits with the 8 oz cover. Make any small adjustments needed, glueup, then sew the liner front, spine and back together. Now you should have 2 full size covers, the 8 oz, and the 3oz liner. Hopefully you have left a little extra on the sides and top of the liner. Place the 8 oz cover face down along the straight edge. Begin gluing the liner in place starting at the spine. It may help to lightly dampen the hinge areas for both the cover and liner so they will bend and conform a little easier. As you work your way to the front and back covers (1 side at a time) work the liner into the gouged out hinge area. Bend the cover up at the hinge a little. So in effect, the liner will be slightly shorter than the cover, and tend to want to hold the binder closed a little. Finish gluing it all together. Trim the edges, burnish, etc. Mark you stitching lines and sew it together. You will get some wrinkles on the inside of the hinge. While the glue is still soft, you can work on the wrinkles to straighten them out so they look neater. You will not get rid of them. Add any additional finish coats, mark, punch and install the metal rings. I used 1/2 of a Chicago Screw, a nickle plated 8-32 oval screw and an upholstery type trim washer to attach the rings. Glue the screw threads so they don't unscrew over time. Because of the shape of the rings, I had to add a spacer under the rings so they could open fully otherwise they were limited by the spine. The last 2 photos are a finished product for the Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park visitors centre. The dimensions were limited by the display table, else it would be nice to add and extra 1/2" width to the front and back covers. So if you can read my measurements, add some width. The park is located on the west outskirts of Calgary, stretches about 15 miles along the river to Cochrane. It is a working ranch that includes the original townsite of Glenbow, several other buildings ruins, and includes several old ranches and homesteads. The binder will have the stories of the original settlers in the area. The brands on the front and spine were registered by the original ranches and settlers in the area. So the binder is supposed to look a little like the period the park represents. Hope this helps you and others, and that you may have found the previous paragraph interesting. CTG

Thicker thread needs more top tension to pull the thread up into the leather. Just because the thread is thicker doesn't make the top tension increase enough to do it. You have to add more top tension. If the leather is thicker, and you want to pull the thread (knot) further up into the leather, guess what. You need to increase the top tension a little more. Don't start fiddling around with the bobbin tension unless you absolutely need to. Then follow the manufacturer's instructions with how much force is required to pull the thread through the bobbin tension spring. There are other threads/posts on LW about setting bobbin tension. These tension settings, the reasoning behind them are common sense if you look at what you are trying to do with the position of the knot. Larger hole, easier to pull into, harder leather, harder to pull into, etc. CTG

Remember that family is very important. If other things have to take a back seat for some period of time, so be it. You do need to focus on something. Spreading yourself too thin on too many things doesn't work. You won't be good at any of them, where otherwise you could be really great at 1 or 2 things. Good luck with whatever field you decide to choose as your main focus. CTG

You are just getting started! Like others have already mentioned, take a step back and do something else you enjoy. Get out and do a few things with family and or friends. Change of scenery is almost as good as a rest. If you are a perfectionist, you need to back off and not be so hard on yourself. Depression and discouragement are linked pretty close together. Steps you can take to reduce depression are to get enough exercise. Going for a half hour walk each day gets some of those brain chemicals we need working. Get up in good time each day. Go to bed before you are worn out and exhausted. There is an old saying, early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise. There is a lot of truth in it. For your leather work ... Is there someone near your location that can be a mentor? Books, video, forums, etc. are all good sources of help, but watching someone work and working with them can be a bigger help. Take a class or two if you are in an area where they are available. Another option is to get a friend interested in leather work so you can work together and share ideas and help each other. If critiques are hard to take (which is true for many people), don't ask for critique. I have heard the comment from various counsellors and advisors that there is no such thing as constructive criticism. We do need to learn what we need to do to improve, but be careful with how you ask and who you ask for critiques. I come from a family of perfectionists. So know how it can affect a person. A simple example is how we take something a child has done and show them what they should have done. After a few times, the child won't show off their work, become depressed, and may even quit trying. If you have problems in this area, go get some counseling from church or other counsellors you trust. It is good to talk about your problems, but don't focus on them. If you have trouble talking about your problems, you need to find a person you can trust to talk to. Someone that recognizes they mostly need to be a listening ear, and that they can't fix you. You make your own changes when you decide to. I hope there is something in my rambling that you can use and are able to go onward and upward. Now go for a walk. CTG

About the same thing as Chicago rivets.

I think the experts here could use a few photos of what is happening. Start with how you have the machine threaded. Cycle the machine by hand taking a sequence of photos. Sew along the edge of the leather with the bobin cover off so the bobin and hook are visible as the hook tries to grab the loop by the needle. Get in close and well focused. Resize your photos to about 800x600 pixels so you can get them in your post. Also check the direction the thread comes off the bobin spool and through the tension spring and compare it to the manual. Correct direction may not seem logical to you. It got me before! Lots of ordinary household machines get thrown in the junk because of this. CTG

I'm not a saddle maker, but I have what I hope is a clarifying question/comment. I know there are at least 2 types of rubber cement out there. The stationery store type that peels off very easily, and more durable stuff that really sticks and holds like Tanner's Bond Barge Rubber Cement. I have to (want to) assume that you are refering to the Tanner's Bond or equivalent rather than the stuff people use to mount photos in a scrap book. CTG

It's osteo-arthritis in c4/c5/c6 and probably also in the shoulders, elbows, knees. No cures, just pain management. Also keep moving or it will get to the point I can't move. So I'm what you might call a real pain in the neck! I thought someone might suggest a noose around the neck to support it. Thanks anyhow. Proper ergonomics does help, and getting up to do something else every so often helps too. Just as well my work area is spread out in 2 rooms in the house plus in the garage ... and stairs in between. CTG

Or try this make your own from another current thread in case you haven't seen it.

You can also get 1/4" and even smaller tubing as well, so you aren't stuck with large diameter rivets/grommets if you want smaller. CTG