Art

Hi Tracy, I got some samples of leather from Tandy at the Ft. Worth IFoLG show that were excellent. Just really good veg tan. I think they called it "Royal Meadow" but I can't be sure; they were quite proud of it. I looked through all of their sample pieces and they were very consistent, so much so that I could not select pieces that were better than others. Nevertheless, I will not buy leather from Tandy unless I go there and inspect it. If they can provide that grade consistently though it should work very well for them. It is comparable in price to the best USA tooling leathers, about $7 or so a foot (reseller price), so no real bargain, but you should expect to pay for quality. Art

Hi Ed, You won't find anything on a Pfaff is free. Some parts will cost as much as you paid for the machine. The good news they seldom break unless really abused. The 130 is just a little sewing machine, nothing special for leatherwork and 3/8 foot lift would be a generous specification. Pfaff also doesn't use the same anything as anyone else. Needle system for 130 is DBx130B and sometimes MTX133, Schmetz and Organ will have them, go with the Schmetz if you can. Art

Hi Tim, That's not the only thing. If you buy from a repackager (they buy thread on the monstrous spools and split it down to pound or fractional pound sizes), it makes a difference how they wind it on the spool, I have seen cases where simply turning the spool over made all the difference in sewing (it stopped a kinking problem). Some folks pay the thread off the spool like a home sewing machine and it actually makes a difference which side it comes off. This all comes from how the spool was put up. Art

Hi Tim, In my machines, Eddington always has more drag than Coats. Black and Burgandy have more drag than white. I lube everything in the bigger sizes (207 up) which seems to even the field a little. Nobody likes to throw a $20 spool of thread. All thread is definitely not the same so adjusting is necessary. The big users buy in lots so it's not a problem for them. Even the sizes are just general suggestions, and often the colors are too. Wait till you go to an auction and there are 20 or 30 spools of thread in a lot and you can't resist so you buy it for $4, none of it is labeled and it all sews differently. I've narrowed my stock down somewhat, White, Brown or shades thereof. Black, natural/straw and linen are about it in Linhanyl nylon for up to 138 and Coats poly for 207 to 512. The Linhanyl is a buy right now from Artisan for $12 a pound, Coats almost always is $18-$20. The Linhanyl and Coats are pretty tight layed, I keep the Eddington because it is wound a little looser and is better for reproduction work if I don't use the linen on the Campbell. Art

Hi Tim, When problems show up suddenly, it is usually something simple. Take all thread out of the machine, clean and oil it. Blow out to bobbin case and race and re-oil it, use an inspection mirror and light and just check everything. Follow each thread path and make sure there is nothing to hang up on, this includes burrs and sharp edges. Put a new needle in the machine and re thread it. Try and thread the same way you did before. Pay attention to the way the thread is coming off the spool as this can change tension drastically. Now when you have everything clean and smooth, sew off and adjust tension as you would normally. If you see top on the bottom increase top tension, if you see bobbin thread on the top decrease top tension. If top tension is too loose when you get the lock right, you will need to increase the bobbin tension some, but do this as a last resort. It doesn't take more than 15 min to 30 min to clean, reset, and inspect the whole machine. In the canvas trade they run with the same thread like forever and never do anything (including oil) except change bobbins (mostly pre-filled). The machine starts acting funny and they go bonkers and start adjusting without thinking and then I get a call. Generally, all I do is what I said above, strip it, inspect it, oil it, new needle, new bobbin, check timing (rarely a problem, about 10% of the time), re-thread, sew off and adjust. ZigZag machines for sails are more of a problem as there is more to go wrong, but the upholstery and leather trades rarely have those machines or problems. When something goes wrong, just go back to the basics. Art

Hi Randy, If you can get Photoshop for $80 definitely get it, I think that is cheaper than the academic price. There is another program called Gimp which is a very good and very free editor. It has a fairly steep learning curve, but Photoshop is not the easiest thing to learn either. Photoshop has become the standard of the art industry along with Illustrator (they run well on Mac and Intel) so you can't go wrong there. If you want to try Gimp, look here. http://www.gimp.org/windows/ Art

It is so cold that..... Al Gore stopped talking about "global warming" and burned his peace prize. Art

Ok...heard these today, It was so cold that.... Richard Simmons started wearing pants! It was so cold that.... A Flasher rushed up to a woman outside building 4 and DESCRIBED himself. Art

Hi Bill, All wool felt is not cheap, the ultra density stuff they order from who knows where, but f-1 and lower felts are roll goods that they sell by the yard. If you go to Brownell's or one of the auto finishing sites you can buy felt polishing wheels, I think a six by 1" medium wheel costs around $36. So it sounds like the price from Aetna was much better. BTW, John is now using leather wheels to do edges, my felt ones haven't worn out yet (they seem to be getting better) so I haven't tried them yet. You build them like the felt wheels except from veg tan. Art

Hi Skip, I have seen models with all three. I don't know what they are shipping now. The bigger machines generally don't have the drop feed (although it installs easily buy putting in the dogs and a new needle plate). I am sure they can deliver it any way you want. Art

Hi Jeff, Most of the "felt" out there is polyester, not much good for higher heat apps. The stuff from Weaver is poly so there is probably a lot of it out there in the "horsey" world. The stuff from Aetna is real wool felt like you want. F-1 felt will be 95% wool (I had to cut this with a band saw if you want that density), and there are some grades called ultra density that are as hard as wood (you don't want these). F-3 will be about 85% wool and may still be what you need (I could cut this with a round punch, but I have a BIG maul 96oz). You can call Aetna Felt for more application info. 800-526-4451 is the last # I have for them, you will have to call to order. They have a Thomas Register Website at: http://aetnafelt.thomasnet.com/viewitems/f...?&forward=1 Not much help so call. Art

Hi Skip, To add to Bill's post, Feed Dogs are also called "Drop Feed" in the trade and Having Drop, Needle, and Walking feet is called "Unison Feed" these days. There is also a "Jump Foot" instead of walking foot in which the foot quickly lifts during the needle feed stroke; you rarely find the drop feed with this setup. The jump foot is an older technology. I think the Classic is the only new machine that still uses it. It does however work very well for harness work and most leatherwork in general. The Ferdinand 900 B was rigged this way and that is a really great machine. Art

Hi Tina, The 4700 is a flat bed machine, is that what you need? Also it is a drop feed walking foot machine which doesn't have needle feed. Could you tell us exactly what you will be stitching. Look at the 4500 if you want a flat bed, but there is also the 4000 LA-25 or the 4000R for cylinder arm machines. These machines DO have needle feed and walking foot and feed dogs (which can be removed and a needle slot plate installed for leather work). Of course the 4000P is the big heavy duty run it all day every day machine that uses size 138 up thread. You can talk with Artisan Dave here on leatherworker.net or call him or Steve at the Commerce facility and they can help you with selection. Art

Hi Wolf, A good machine for you might be a Singer 153W102 or even a 155. These machines generally sell with motor and stand for around $500, anything less than that is a good buy if condition is good and some have condition problems so be careful. Credit is of course a matter of your credit scores and ability to pay. I don't think any supplier wants to extend credit themselves, however it never hurts to try. For credit, your personal bank is always the best bet, they know you best and extend credit to customers with quick decisions, especially on small amounts. Art

For holster work you will be doubling the 9 oz to 18 and adding six to eight more for the welt. That is 24-26 oz of leather, and if you want a liner, you will have to add that. So you really need to do 1/2 inch of leather minimum. No inexpensive machine will do that kind of work for very long. Now if you look in the Marketplace section of leatherworker.net, you will find a union lockstitch for sale for $800 or so, that will definitely work and be quite an education at the same time. There are older Singers out there at the right price also. Art

If you are talking about a Singer 29-xx, a Adler 30 or a Pilgrim Patch machine then you are going in the wrong direction. They are always set up with 46 or 69 thread and once setup, you almost always leave them that way. You have to mess with them too much if you change anything. They are almost indispensable for sewing a patch on an arm of a jacket or a leg of pants, but you want a table if you do a lot of jacket backs. If you are thinking af a treadle machine with a treadle that rocks back and forth, those are not generally slow (hence powerful) enough for sewing heavier leather. Treadle machines that sew leather are usually pedal types and go a lot slower and generate more power. If you are in southern Tx, you might want to go over to Campbell Bosworth and ask them for a little advise. They probably won't have anything in your price range, but might be able to show you a few things and point you to an auction in your area. You haven't really told us what you are going to sew, so it is a little hard to give advice on machine selection; depending on what you want to do, a patch machine could be the right machine, but as a general purpose machine, not usually. There were treadle machines in the West and mid-West for sewing leather as early as the 1880s, these were monsters that took four strong men to move and will today bring 4 or 5 times (or more) what they cost new. Art

Hi Karins, The Singer 99-13 is more of less standard Singer home machine of the first half on the 20th century. I wouldn't recommend it for anything over 6-7oz thickness and definitely not continuous duty. This is mainly because of the motor. Similar machines are the Singer 201 or 66, Pfaff 300 series etc. The 99 takes 66 bobbins if you need them which there are plenty of. I am not endorsing these lighter machines for anything but light, occasional duty, the machines are reasonably strong and are all metal (not so contemporary machines), an upgrade would be a 99 with an upgraded bigger motor. I would expect you to pick up one of these for around $100 with cabinet, portable may be cheaper. The foot controls don't last forever either, expect to replace sometime. If you attend a Weaver or Smuckers consignment auction, you might come back with a gem. Take someone with you if you don't know machines. If you can get a Singer 31 you will be served well. Art

Hi Ed, The ones I have seen come with dogs. I wouldn't call it a blanket foot like I have on my 4000P, but the one I have seen had a double toe foot on it. Don't know what they ship with now. There are a lot of 3000s here on the Forum, someone chime in. Art

Hi Colin, Just as a point of interest, because you are a knifemaker, that little old curmudgeon Bob Loveless (yes he is still alive) uses Artisan machines. Art

Hi Mike, GH, et al, I would never "trade up" to a harness stitcher from the 105; you need both. I don't have a lot of time to do leatherwork, maybe when I die; but right now I set machines up to do one thing. I seldom use the range that most machines can handle just because of setup time; I want to change thread and haul biscuits. I also have to contend with a better half that sews. I inherited a Singer 201 from my grandmother and was using it for some light work (or what I call light work), this was the 50th anniversary model with cabinet and every attachment Singer ever made. The wife starts using it for quilts (probably more what it was intended for) and I hear, "if you break that machine, I'll............". Ok, gives me an excuse to look for another machine ('till she commandeers it), and I like sewing machines and she knows it, some folks bring home cats or dogs (she'll do that), I bring home sewing and leatherworking machines (or have them delivered). Never give up the machine you have unless it is unusable for the task (or there are other political considerations), get an additional machine to do the new task. The ideal setup doesn't exist, but a heavy stitcher, a medium duty machine, and a well made straight stitch home machine will pretty much cover you. Always keep an eye out for deals and buy when the price is ridiculously low, if it is broke, make sure you know how to fix it and where to get the parts, offer very very low and let them get you up a bit on price. I have 2 machines I bought new, I would still buy them new because anything comparable is about the same price, the rest of my machines were bought used and at very good prices. If you are new to leather sewing machines, buy new and buy simple. A threaded straight needle machine is the best way to go in the range of 90% of the work you do. You can add more machines later, keeping your eye open for those deals I talked about earlier. Learn and understand every machine you buy, because ultimately, you the man, if it breaks, you're going to fix it, with maybe a little help from your friends at leatherworker.net. Art

My Dixons are about ten years old and look about the same. If you get one (Dixon screw crease) get the #1, the #2 is only good for laying sewer pipe. Art

Hi Ed, It is mostly PDMS, about the most common of the silicone oils. It can be used to oil everything from machinery to condoms. Check the MSDS for any tox info, but most likely there isn't any. Art

Contact Steven Siegel, if he doesn't have what you want he will know who in your area does. It is nice to have someone close to start, but it has to be a fairly large operation that handles whole hides, and those just aren't everywhere. It you start stocking a lot of stuff, be prepared for the walk-in trade if word gets around. Steve's email is ceo@siegelofca.com Art

Hi Ed, Anefil is their name for twisted multifiliment which is what Coats and Eddington are. If the thread is coming off the spool fuzzy, send it back, otherwise check the thread path or even thread tension, I have seen really heavy tensions pop the outer filiments and cause fuzziness. Minor color differneces can be expected from lot to lot, big variations I wouldn't be too happy with, although how many times do you see the top and the bottom side by side to make the comparison? If you want to check, sew the two threads in line 1/4 inch apart and compare, then try 1/2 inch. Then finish them as usual and see. Art

Hi Colin, If you are going to be doing a LOT of clothing using garment material, the 797 is just the trick, lederhosen the 797 can do and so can the 618, and the 3000. If you are doing holsters, the 797 won't do, the 618 can do small ones, but because of welt sizes and sewing next to pockets and bulges a cylinder arm is really necessary and the 3000 is the ticket. The 3000 will not sew garment leather well after sewing a holster welt without a few adjustments, but if you do a lot of 2-4oz stuff you can pick-up a Singer 15 or even a 31 cheap that you can leave set-up to do that. Even a Singer 66 or 201 can do that work, but not on a production everyday basis (motors won't handle it, the machines are plenty strong). A 3000 is a good first stitching machine, most anything you can get under the presser foot can be sewn, and the servo motors are easy to operate. The big machines are easy to work on and somewhat forgiving on adjustments, another plus for a first machine. Artisan is a good company servicewise also, and when there is a real problem with a machine, they step up. The Leather Sewing Machine Forum on Leatherworker.net is also a good resource, we have members who have everything from older needle and awl machines and threaded needle Singers to newer Artisan and Ferdco machines, and they are all just a mouse click away. Art