Art

Hi Andy, The No.9 WILL sew an inch and even more, It Won't go backwards. Art

The 6 and it's brethern (No.9 and Classic) are very good machines for harnesswork. I love my No.9 and we joke around here that it is my portable. They are needle feed jump foot machines and very simple. Depending on the machine, they will have a linear or rotary shuttle. Good simple machines. The Pearson is more available in the UK, Oz, and Canada, and quite pricey here (US), No.9s are more available here and you can buy the Classic new, none will come cheap. I had a 6/6 (Ferdco) but I didn't keep it. Art

Hi Ed, The mauls used to be made by Barry King, and may still be, but I don't know for sure, just call Barry and order one. I think the mallets were made by Barry too, and all that stuff is replaceable. Art

Most of the 7-33s came stock with these "Monster" balance wheels on them, so if the motors of the day couldn't do it, the operator has some real mechanical advantage and could help. Most of the ones I have seen were painted "Navy" gray, if you find a black one it may be older. Some like the 33 had alternating feet and some of the other models had the "vibrating" presser foot, the alternating is better. If you find a 97-10 it will have a "jump" foot like the 900-B and the No.9. I know the "stand" for the 97-10 weighed at least twice what the machine did, and it was surely no lightweight, just the motor assembly weighed more than a Juki 441 head. Good luck in your quest for Big Iron. Art

Welcome to Leatherworker.net When using a straight edge to guide the knife, I use a utility knife, but generally I make a line and then cut the line with a head knife. For Tight inside curves a clicker knife works very well and a punch of the correct radius works even better. The rotary tools are of for straights and big radius outside curves, but you usually have so much blade in the cut that it is hard to turn. A well sharpened and buffed or stropped utility knife can be a thing of beauty also. Art

Hi Hvl, It depends on the model, but if tight they are a very very very good Stitcher for heavy work, no reverse, but still one of the best threaded needle stitchers ever; I think the 7-33 was probably the best of them. The majority of them were used during WWII for tentwork, back when they used real canvas and a lot of it. I've seen them with one or two needles and with and without pullers. They are about the heaviest duty machine ever made and the ones with pullers were real brutes. The only drawback is they were flatbed only. While you are onto big machines, the 97-10 was a real good machine also, and it is a cylinder arm, not a flatbed. Art

And you could run around to the other side and have a Left handed machine! Art

Hi Lielien, The bayonet you are speaking of is not the one used on and provided with the AK-47 or the AKM, they were shorter and had different method of butt attachment. However, there is a version used with the AK-47 by the Eastern Block countries that it is TRYING to resemble, however the butt attachment and the quasi guard are all wrong. It might fit an AKM, but with the long rod on the AK-47, I'm not too sure. The AK-47 and the AKM are very similar and a lot of stuff interchanges, and they both used either the Type 1 or Type 2 bayonet. The Eastern block long bayonet had a butt that curved up and attached around the barrel and I don't see that on yours. The Short bayonets had Bakelite or Polymer handles (depending on age) and were dark brown, light brown, or black. The short and long styles were HRC 50-52 and the AK-74 were a point higher. Originals are often demilled by grinding the butt attachment tang off, they won't stay on a rifle. Original ones often have an arrow and triangle mark on them. The one pictured seems a cheap imitation. I have never seen CCCP AK-47 on any Soviet bayonet. Oh, by the way, most scabbards were steel and the attachments were leather. Art

Hi Randy, As you have found out, part names are important when talking machines. The needle bar is a rod that the needle fits into and by which the needle is propelled up and down. On smaller machines this bar or rod may be adjustable for length and this adjustment is used to time the needle - shuttle/hook relationship. On larger machines this is not usually the case and timing is done by adjusting the shuttle position. The inside presser foot is generally the foot with a hole or slot in it and often the aforementioned skeg on the bottom rear. This part usually attaches to it's own bar or rod and is actuated independently of the needle bar and is also spring tensioned. The purpose of the inside foot is to stabilize the work, assist somewhat (but not much) in the needle feed operation, and to keep the work from flagging as the needle goes down and up. The skeg serves the function of pushing the completed stitch down into the work and additionally similar to a boat causing the stitch to run straight without a lot of operator input. This is only really necessary at high speed, where the operator reaction time might be a lot slower than the machine. Removing the skeg will not cause many problems because of the machine speed we use in leatherwork. When removing this skeg, go slowly with hand tools and relieve any sharp or even semi-sharp edges you might generate (pay attention to side/bottom junctions) and then polish with crocus or a buffer, the smoother, the less chance of marking. Art

Hi Azmal, Not Quite. When you login to the TLF/Tandy website, it will then quote 'your price" based on your level, but you have to be logged-in for this to happen. The flyers they send to resellers generally do not list all of the items. If you order through the website, your price level is applied to your purchases. The order goes to your nearest store and they fill it from stock. Art

Right now is 11pm on Saturday, I am having 3 fingers of Aberlour, a Speyside single malt. But most of the time it's coffee or diet pepsi. Art

Hi Kate, I have a box of knife edge bandsaw blades, they work great on leather, especially sole bends. Art

Artisan for thread, I like the Linhanyl nylon in the smaller sizes. Look in the suppliers directory on leatherworker.net for suppliers. Art

Hi Rickey, Pecard's for the finish, dyed or natural. Great Seat. Art

Hi Art, Big blocks of stainless should be normalized or annealed before machining, but when I have had to tackle heat treated stuff, I go to a company named Guhring for bits. I get bits and end mills from them that are made of micro fine carbide and coated with a multi-layers of titanium nitride and titanium aluminum nitride. These things are run at high speed and feed rates and without coolant (air jet cooling is ok though), this is opposite to what we learned for HSS bits. I haven't bought in a while and am sure they have improved even more. They also produce PCD (polycrystalline diamond) bits, but I have never wanted to drill a hole in carbide. Down side is the cost, an 1/8" jobber length bit costs around $50-$60, however will last thousands or holes in thin stainless, and they can be resharpened (by Guhring). Run 'em fast, no liquid, it is a little scary at first, especially when you are abusing the crud out of a $60 bit or $200 end mill. Don't do anything over HRC 90 (I'm serious), yes, I did type ninety. The folks at Guhring tech support are good too. Art

Well, who's going? I am -- get there late Thursday, leave later Sunday. Art

Hi Johanna, I am dedicated to the obliteration of spam in my lifetime. This just means that I must live forever. Can you imagine waking up in 2929 and the first thing you see when you open your email is SPAM, mind you, you ARE the last person on earth. Art

Hi Jammon, Size 46 or 69 should do fine, 46 will have a lot more colors available than 69. Art

Hi Azmal, A Singer 153w103 (or Consew 227 with R would be better) would go a long way but would not be good in the real heavy category; of course you could use your Boss for that. Art

Hi Raven, They made some long arm versions of the 61, but I would need more detailed pics to tell. Also the plate under the Singer Gold Seal will have the number on it. Art

Hi Azmal, Boss is made in America and built like a tank (as is everything Tippmann makes), they could sell it cheaper, but no real competition. You probably want the heavy duty machine like the Artisan 3000 as your seams may be kinda thick, especially if flat felling 8oz. The cylinder arm helps a lot in sewing any garment. For thin stuff, you may want to get a used machine later on like a singer 18 or 19 class or even a 153. The 3000 will sew practically anything and the 18, 19, or 153 will do the thinner stuff. Art

The model 29 was introduced around 1920, your serial number indicated manufacture in 1889. This would be considered an antique and you might want to ask in one of the the antique Singer collectors groups. Art

Hi Shirley, Yellow Jackets are of the same family as hornets and wasps. They look like a honey bee, but a little larger and no "fur". Around here (mid-Atlantic) they live in colonies in the ground, are right ornery, and can sting multiple times, are predatory insects and can bite (although I have only been stung by one...well more than one). They prey on other insects, and their much larger cousins (hornets) prey on them. They don't like tractors (or anyone driving one), which has made the advent of the pressurized cab a godsend. Art

His name is Buzz and he is a Yellow Jacket. The "other" Art

Hi Brad, Singer also has the CG "Commercial Grade" line of machines, the 550 and 590 look to be decent machines with a "fairly" powerful motor and a decent foot control for around $300 on sale, you have got to shop this one as the prices vary widely, it is a drop feed only machine, but the best new one I have seen in a while. It is a portable and would definitely fill the hole for an "on the road" machine although I still prefer the Sailrite walking foot machines. Art