Fiddlegirl89

I learned braiding from Bruce Grant's Encyclopedia of Rawhide and Leather braiding...he has instructions for several round braids in there.

I listed a few extra tools of mine on Ebay, if anyone's interested. The draw gauges are Osbornes, and I don't know what the knives are...got them at a local "antique" shop. I just need to get rid of the tools I don't need. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320738766696&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320738768240&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=320738772347&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

I'll be sewing dog leashes...the thickest section will be 4 layers (skived a bit) of the 6/7 oz latigo leather. My motor is a 115v...is this good or bad? In addition to getting the thing to run correctly without breaking the thread after 4 stitches, I have a question about the guide. I want to sew very close to the edge of the leather, but when I move the guide over as far as possible, it's still sewing way too far from the edge. That's with the guide butted all the way up against the sewing foot. What can I do about that? Thanks!

I found the model numbers...it's a K767 990001. There is also this: 767-FA-373. I googled this sewing machine and found one for sale...the original price was $8500 and they had knocked it down to $3000. I paid $800 for this one, including delivery... So, either I got a really, really good deal, or I got what I paid for!!! (Or the other website was crazy, I guess...)

Hi! I have an Adler that I know absolutely nothing about and I desperately need help! The story is, I was working with this guy and he found it and bought it for me...he said it was what I needed for what I was making, but I have no knowledge of leather sewing machines in the least. I'll be sewing 6/7 oz and 8/9 oz leather...most of the time, 2 layers of the 6/7 oz.. I have seen that there are numbers after the Adlers folks metion on here, but I don't have that in the paperwork that came with it...will those numbers be on the machine and do I need to find them? Today was the first day I've tried to work with the machine. I did get it threaded (good grief!) by following the piece of thread the guy he got it from had left in. I followed the directions on the paperwork for winding and threading the bobbin, and I'm pretty sure I did that right. However, when I go to sew with it, it will sew maybe 4 or 5 stitches, and then everything binds up and the belt starts slipping on the lower pulley. The paperwork I have on the machine is pretty sparse..it tell how to thread the bobbin and adjust the tension, but since I don't know anything about sewing, I'm unsure as to how to tell when/if the tension needs adjusting... There is no trouble-shooting info in the paperwork either. I'm pretty lost! Can anyone help?! Thanks!

Well, in the past couple of weeks, I've been a little too Ebay-happy! The way I figure, I can get tools that look a little rough and clean them up. So, that's what I did/am doing! So far, I've gotten a round knife, mallet, another fid, and 3 draw gauges. The draw gauges are where I went a little crazy...! Here are a few pictures of 2 of the draw gauges. I don't have pictures of the third that I bought from Ebay...just got it today and I haven't cleaned it up at all. The all metal draw gauge was one I found at a local antique shop for a steal. Before/mid-cleaning... I didn't get a lot of pictures before I shined them up nicely. So here they are all cleaned up. I was able to get all the rulers shined up nicely as well. They look a LOT better than they did when I got them! \ Anyway, I'm excited about getting the tools I need, and I'm loving these tools already! It's been great to have all of the gauges here, so I can decide which one feels best for me. My plan is to decide for good which one I want to keep and turn around and sell the others. These are all C.S. Osborne, marked with the Newark, NJ stamp. The third draw gauge (the one I received today) is rosewood and silver, with the silver running down the middle. I'm going to celan it up and get pictues of it as well, but I'm not keeping it...I think I've decided to keep the more coppery looking one of the two above. (The second picture up^ and the one in the middle in the picture of all three.) What do you think...am I crazy?! That's what my family thinks.... Thanks so much for y'all's help!

It's not just the picture...I noticed that as well!

Here are pictures of my two bevelers. The one with lighter handle is a #2 that I bought a long time ago from Tandy. The one with the darker handle (silver working end) is the one I'm having trouble with...it just won't take anything off. Do you think maybe it just needs to be sharpened? I still can't find any numberings or markings on it at all. I didn't buy this one...someone bought it for me. Looking at both ends side by side, it looks to me like the silver one is actually bigger, in which case it should do what I need it to do! So, what do you think?

I think it's called a beveler! I need the tool that rounds the edges of leather so that there isn't the sharp edge. My problem it, I have one that someone bought for me, but it isn't the right size...it doesn't take anything off. Or at least, not enough to be noticeable! I'll be using 6/7 ounce and 8/9 ounce latigo (making dog leashes.) Basically, I just want to take that corner off the leather. Especially on the handles of my leashes...it will make it feel much nicer if the edges are slightly rounded. I don't want to take a lot of leather off....just enough to be nice and rounded! So, can anyone tell me what size I need? Also, is there a way for me to tell which size I already have? I don't think there are any markings on it. Thanks!

For now, I'll just be punching...english points on the ends, and slits sometimes. I'd like to try my hand at tooling at some point, but I don't know how...yet. Not knowing how to do something doesn't usually stop me for too long, though! Thanks for the info! I see that you make Bible cases...my Dad has really been wanting to make Bible cases for a while. I made mine several years ago, but it isn't really any good. I'm the only one in the family who knows anything at all about leatherwork, and I don't know that much, so it's going to be interesting! I'm looking forward to figuring out how to make new things... I realize that the price on tools shouldn't be the big deal, because high quality is best...but, my budget for getting started again is pretty small, and I'd like to save as much for leather as I can. It will be a while before I'm selling enough to get out of the hole! So, for now, I'm trying to balance quality with price! Thanks again!

Ok...I didn't know what kind of mallet I had, but I found it after a bit of googling! It was the Osborne Split-Head Rawhide Mallet. I see it's pretty doggone expensive, so I guess my question is, is it worth it, or is there a more inexpensive option that would be just as good? Here's a link to an Osborne one for sale on Ebay: http://compare.ebay.com/like/120638552436?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar&rvr_id=228377816630&crlp=1_263602_309572&UA=%3F*I8&GUID=4676ccb412f0a0265297cd57ff691df4&itemid=120638552436&ff4=263602_309572 Maybe it would work to buy a more inexpensive one for now and upgrade later? And if so, can anyone recommend a good rawhide mallet? It would help if I knew anything about shopping for rawhide mallets...lol! I'm learning a lot as I go! Thanks!

Oh, I'm not wishing him ill at all. I'm just glad I don't have to deal with him! I do have a friend with a tack shop who orders from Weaver, so I'll look at that as well.

Thanks so much for the help and ideas, everyone! I couldn't find anything by Hale and Co on Ebay, but I started looking at tools there (hadn't thought of that before...I love Ebay!) and I'm going to spend so much money! I love older tools! As far as the brands I was using, I'm pretty sure they were Osbornes. The guy never talked much about where to find the tools...he made it sound a lot harder than I've found it to be. I already bid on a few tools...an Osborne round knife and an Osborne draw guage. They both look pretty rough, but I can clean them up and I think (or at least, my Dad and brother are sure) they'll look real spiffy by the time we're done with them! I looked at your tools, Mr. Johnson, and they are so impressive! The items I'm bidding on are some of the ones on your website, so I can't wait to get mine shiny and clean! Yeah...cold, and I've found a few other choice words to describe him, but...that's over now. Thanks again!

Thanks! I ordered a new can of white saddle soap, and I am LOVING it! The can I was using from was way too old...it was all dried up and clumpy. I didn't realize just how bad it was until I got the new! So, I think for now I'll stick with the saddle soap.

OK...for the past few months, I've been doing leatherwork for a guy who helped me out a lot in getting started. He bought me a bunch of high-quality tools, and the idea was for me to buy them from him when I started making a little money. Well, last week we had a nasty business split, and he came and took everything I haven't paid him for. So, now I am in need of a round knife, draw knife, an english point end punch, and a 1 1/2 inch straight slit punch. He said I'd never be able to find these at a high enough quality, but frankly, I don't believe him. He found them, somehow! My brother is a blacksmith, so he is looking into making the punches I need. That still leaves me needing the round knife and draw knife. Any ideas? I looked at Springfield, but I don't really know enough about choosing the tools. Can you help?! I am SO GLAD I bought the sewing machine as soon as he brought it to me!!!