Art

32" Length when you add the Broadhead, 31" for Target? 4-6" Stick out So I guess 25-26 inches interior Fletchings do not need to be protected, neither do plastic or turkey feathers. Of course your design and mileage may vary. You will have to convert the above to metric. Art

Hi Scott, Let's hear a little bit about what kind of work you do and maybe what you are planning for the future. Art

Hi Ray, Yes Arrows vary in length depending on the archer. They can be from around 28" to 34" long generally, depending on the draw of the bow and the archer. I stand 6'1" and use a 31" or 32" arrow. Generally five or six are enough for hunting, target archers may use more. Blunt heads are used for birds and small game. Bullet heads or target heads are used for targets. Broadheads are used for hunting large game. The arrow should me matched to the draw length and the weight of the bow. The holes (if present) are the size of the arrowhead (that varies also). The idea of keeping the arrows apart is to not spook the game. Sometimes you can rattle arrows on release if they are not held apart. Quivers are usually over shoulder for hunting and hip for target. Everything else is optional, don't forget to put wood, plastic, cork or a combination at the bottom of the quiver. Art

Well, Mine is an SR-2, not from Ferdco and it is 9", 5", and about 2.5", but I don't know anything about sewing machines. Art

Allbrands sells the Ferdco SR-2 for $129. Art

And don't nip any off until you set the burr washer, the ends are tapered so the washer goes on easily. Get the 1" for your app. Art

I generally only buy 1" or 3/4", you set the burr on them then nip them off to 1/8", then peen them over. Art

Hi Buster, A lot of the problems I see with any "standard" sewing machine for leatherwork is being able to climb over various thicknesses of leather. If you have to save-up and spend $2200 on a machine that will do just about everything for your leather projects and that you will own forever, then that is not too much to ask. With even heavy duty standard machines, the needle selections are not really geared to sewing leather, heavy canvas and upholstery or garment leathers maybe, but not real leather. The folks importing machines to specifically sew leather generally change out the parts that sew fabric for new parts that sew leather; some do this better than others. Some of the old machines are built like tanks and can handle the load, but will never give you the stitch using heavy thread on heavy leather that a modern leather sewing machine will. You need a good walking foot, needle feed sewing machine to do your work that uses a needle system that has leather points available. Art

Hi Jim, The newer Tandy modeling tools are great, not as good as "the tool" by Peter Main, Barry King's modeling tools are good also. If you are looking for stamping tools then the 15 piece starter set by Ellis Barnes for less than $150 is an excellent deal, tools are excellent and available, and for double what you would pay at Tandy they are 10 times the tool. Nevertheless, the Tandy tools are OK, and for ones you use infrequently the cost is a lot better. I like Bob Beard's swivel knives and blades, but the ones from Chuck Smith, Henley, Zalasek, Barry King will all serve well. Barry King also makes a good Maul, a little pricey but excellent. Art

Hi Josh, Do you mean this: http://www.leatherworker.net/suppliers.htm Art

New motors and controls will do the job. As there aren't a lot of controls in those two pieces this shouldn't be too costly. The other less intrusive option is to employ a Variable Frequency Drive for each machine. These are somewhat pricey, but not terribly so, and are a lot cleaner (read less work) conversion. If you have big costly motors and controls, then the VFD is really more cost effective. There are also fixed frequency devices, but the prices may be close to identical (same parts inside, just no buttons). Art

Hi Lisa, If drilling leather was the proper method, then you would see sewing machines with drills instead of needles. When you drill, you remove some of the leather, so that hole is not going to close around the thread and hold and protect it. That being said, I started that way, and I know a lot of folks who still do it that way, and hey, their work looks good. You might not want to do that on something you are entering in a guild competition though. Art

Hi Lisa, You can use them pretty much wherever you want, as a decorative or strength component. There are different types, like burr rivets which are a strength component and often used where glue won't do, such as in-skirt rigging hardware. Strength wise, I would say Brass Burr Rivets, Copper Burr Rivets, Tubular rivets with washers, Tubular rivets without washers, Tubular rivets with caps, then Jiffy Rivets. Pop (blind)Rivets go in there somewhere between Tubular and Jiffy. Of course a rivet is a whole lot better with glue backing it up. Art

I have a quart of yellow that I've used maybe an 1/8th of in 10 years. I cut it over 50% with DEA, often a lot more. Fiebing's dyes are typically over strength, and I have to cut browns back a lot. But Yellow has always been too much. I like to cut most dyes back, except maybe black, if you cut back too far, you can always keep applying till the color is dark enough. Art

Hi Everyone, I have made a deal with the Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal to give Leatherworker.net a rebate for each new subscription by members of Leatherworker.net. I don't know how many of you get the magazine, but it is a good read and is chock full of vendor information and also contains several projects, usually including full size patterns. So when subscribing or re-upping to the LC&SJ, please mention you are a member here at Leatherworker.net and you want us to get credit for it. Then let me know you did it! Art

Hi Greg, Do you saddlemakers make them from scratch or do you buy them and cover them? Art

First, the Osbornes sell for around $40 or less and are they are usually made of about 1073. They are not rock hard as you suggest, in fact if they are too hard, you will break off the tips as you are using them all the time and if you cut into your cutting surface and try to turn, you can break them. In my experience 1095 is a bit red short and is the devil to forge, however if you have a lot of experience with it you can probably conquer that. On the newer thin designs (usually a stainless) that you can treat to HRC 60 and above, you have to be careful of breakage. I am always interested in adding to my collection. Art

Here's a couple of pics of the #50, maybe the discussion can start from there. Art

There is a show, Boot and Saddlemakers Roundup in Wichita Falls Tx in October, and also one in Indiana (IFoLG show) in October. There is one in Wickenburg AZ in March and in Sheridan WY in May. You are within driving distance of a couple of them. If you are new to leatherworking, any of these will put you in sensory overload, especially Sheridan. They are great opportunities to spend money and to find things you never knew existed. If you read this forum, a lot of question will be answered, but don't be afraid to ask if you have specific questions. Art

It also teaches teamwork, something no sane government would want to break out in the populous. Art

It would be good to just go back as far as you can and read the posts here in the leather sewing machines forum. Then you need to attend one of the leather shows where they will be displayed and demoed. Where are you located? Art

Hi Ed, I expect there will be a lot more after Wickenburg, I will keep the board posted about their progress. Art

Hi Bob, The sewing machine business has changes over the last decade or two and things are often not what they seem, claim, or happen to be. I can think of only one or two machines currently being made in the U.S.A., The Classic comes to mind. The Germans are not making machines either, Pfaff is kinda gone, and Adler is Chinese, some are assembled in Europe, but the parts are Chinese. Juki, Consew, and Mitsubishi go both ways, some machines are exclusively Chinese and some are Hybrids, few are all Japanese. But... Some of the Chinese machines are pretty good, some are just good, and some are awful. They are hard to tell apart because they knock-off each others designs (well, anybody's really) at the drop of a chopstick, and they all buy and sell parts to each other, and it goes on and on. Then their are enterprises that buy stuff from everybody and assemble it into their own line. They are in a time of rogue capitalism over there and companies may be making dolls and trinkets one day, and sewing machines the next, and nowhere to be found in a month or two. The industrial sewing machine business in the U.S. is strictly import. For the leather business there are some modifications to the machines, but it consists of 3-5 sewing parts and a 1/2 hour at most of labor. Motors, speed reducers, tables/stands, belts, and heads. You really have to find a supplier who knows what to have manufactured and by whom over there, and how to service it after the sale. Harbor Freight may not be the choice for a leather sewing machine, but if you can service yourself, then maybe. If you want a name, there is a new distributor under the machine name Cobra, who will be selling at Wickenburg and most shows thereafter. I know where his machines come from and can tell you they are excellent, his knowledge and service are second to none. I have not heard a complaint about Neel's machines although I haven't seen any either, folks that have them seem to love them. The Consew 206 RB (no numbers afterward) was I think the last of the Japanese 206s. Real nice machine but the later Chinese ones are pretty good too. The Juki 1541 is a fantastic machine. I've seen Tacsew 111s and 563s in canvas and upholstery shops and they run them hard (no speed reducers for those guys) and not too many problems. Bottom line, buy from someone you know or on a solid recomendation. Art

The Fed has been steadily pumping cheap money into the economy, which is by and far the best way to stimulate the economy. It will work, it just takes a little time, sometimes more than a little, to get the engine going again. This stimulus plan is just a big Red Herring, it may get the credit when we come out of all of this, but it is basically just an "opportunity" to spend on political projects, it really won't help the economy, just increase the debt. Art

Most of the stainless snaps come from DOT (Scovill also, DOTs parent company). There are several ways to buy direct from DOT or Scovill, it is a little tedious because of all the part numbers, but it can be done. You may find that it is far easier to get Ligne 24 snaps than Ligne 20 in stainless steel. The boating industry settled on 24s years ago and everyone seems to have followed along. Art