Art

It always occured to me that way. I use a screw creaser to put a groove in the grain the sew in the grove. That being said, I haven't seen many seams fail either way. Art

Hi Ed, For Dies, try Heather Kinnick at Texas Custom Dies. Good Job, Fast, Reasonable price (will beat Tippman and Weaver usually). 888-755-9025. Art

Ok, csmeja is Cheryl Smeja 30 Doty Street Mineral Point, WI 53565. (608) 987-3607. Give her a call, she might know who made it. I was going to recommend her as a point of contact anyway. Art

Oh yeah, He's French , Spanish, or Italian. Where is it displayed? Art

The easiest and best way is to ask the artist to teach you how to do this. Then come and tell us. I would expect to pay for the class. Art

Yep, used to give those out with every gunbelt telling them to apply every year or so. Folks would be back every 3 or 4 weeks needing another container. They were applying every week. With Pecard's, you definately can get too much of a good thing, so I stopped giving it away and tell them to bring it back every year so I can check the stitching. Once a year is all you need unless you are out in the sun and elements every day and then maybe twice a year. Same way with saddles, they want to use Lexol on them every week, and I keep telling them the saddle will fall apart if they keep oiling it like that. Maybe that is why the synthetic saddles are so popular, you can oil the hell out of them without a lot of problems (although maybe they should be using Armor All instead of Lexol). Art

Does anyone know why they call that stuff Saddle Lac? I have seen it used once on a show saddle and you would need seat belts to stay on. I am not a proponent of high gloss on leather and use Bag Kote or at most Tan Kote on most things or just oil (saddle, neatsfoot), usually finishing with Pecards for protection. Also a little Leather Balm with Atom Wax is welcome anytime. I guess I don't use anything that hasn't been around for at least 20 years. Art

Hi K, I think that is called an American Straight Needle machine. You see them occasionally, but not like the Campbell, Randall, Champion, or Landis #3 or #16. If it is an American Straight Needle, it will have a throat of about 3" which kind of limits its use somewhat. If you are going to use it a lot, use linen thread as it will cause less wear than nylon or poly. Campbell-Bosworth may have info on the machine, and might have manuals. They can also make parts if needed. This is old iron with nobody supporting it anymore, which could be a headache, then again it could run longer than you do. If in the right mood, I might pay $500 for it, but then be careful, it could be a lot to pay for something that holds down the back corner of the shop. I have seen them priced as high as $1,500, and maybe they are worth that, but not to me. If you are new to stitching machines, the Artisan 3000 would be a good place to put that money. Ron at FERDCO will also know more about these machines. Art

Hi Regis, Can't say for sure without knowing what is causing the allergy, however Gum Tragacanth is natural and is an adequate finish and flexible. Two or three thin coats are preferrable to one heavy one. Art

Hi Wayne, Tan Kote and Bag Kote are not water resistant. Pecards: http://www.pecard.com/store.php?crn=213&rn...ion=show_detail Aussie: Aussie Leather Conditioner 15 oz. 2199-00 A special conditioner formulated with beeswax and developed to soften, preserve and waterproof leather in temperature extremes. Use on boots, saddles, tack, belts and shoes. You can get this from Tandy. I like Pecards better than Aussie, but that is just me. Art

Hi Wayne, After the band dries, rub it vigirously with a clean cloth to get any leftover dye off. Trim and finish the edges with water and bone or however you do it. You can optionally at this time gum the flesh side and when that dries go over the whole thing with Pecards, or Aussie, let it dry in warm place a day or two then do it again. This will be waterproof and still breathe and is flexable. Buff the Pecards finish with a soft brush to bring up a little shine. Art

I use horsehide a lot but have used veg tan and haircell printed chrome tan with no problems. I have found nothing that will prevent wear on the blueing, if it worrys you get stainless although that will burndish in wear areas with time. If you carry and use (even for practice), wear will occur, if that bothers you, leave it in the box. Art

Hi Jim, Spring Clips are not the greatest attachment method, even for IWB. Adrenaline will overcome most "clip on" attachment systems. I have personal experience on this one. I was the suprise target of an armed robbery where I brought out a fully holstered .45 Gold Cup. I had to use it as a club (damned effective but I'm sure the adrenaline was the real weapon). I don't think there is any clip system that is adequate for carry purposes other than the locking clip system for the molle gear like the Bianchi service holsters. Either sew it on or get one way snaps from DOT (Scovill). That being said, this might work with a belt that filled the clip: http://www.theclip.com/store/product.php?p...47&cat=0&page=1 Also if you sew or have a loop or slots, you can get the weapon closer into the body which is a plus for concealed carry. Art

Hi J, Two pieces of 6/7oz butted together. Skive one flesh side and one grain side and glue them together. One or two lines of stitching should put it together and keep the joint from lifting. Art

Hi Vince, First make sure the needle is in the machine correctly and threaded correctly, thread goes down the channel side and through the eye to the scarf side. Are the loops you see from the top thread? If you can pull out the top thread before pulling out the bobbin thread then you are not locking and this is usually caused by way too big a hole (needle) for the thread. The needle on the upstroke makes a loop that the hook catches when it passes the needle, the top thread has to be held in the hole by the size of the hole and the needle doesn't move the thread because there is a channel for the thread in the needle. A 120 needle is big enough for me to use 138 Coats poly or 92 nylon in my machine, I am sure something half the size of 69 is just laying in the channel and nothing is touching it. Also make sure you have left twist thread. So get some bigger thread 69, 92 or 138 bonded left or Z twist, preferrably poly. Next thing you need to check is that the loop is forming and the hook is going through the loop where the scarf is AND that the thread is going all the way around and releasing. They put special little fingers on machines that use big thread at about the 7:00 o'clock position to help with this; don't know if yours has that. This is called timing and if it doesn't catch the loop then it may need retimed. If it came with a 120 needle, then it probably wants 69 or 92 thread and that is probably what the bobbin tension was set for too. See if any of this helps, if not send pictures. Art

Hi Johanna, These are very handy around the shop, any shop. The tool is held in either hand (it is not a righty only tool) at about waist level when moving around the shop TO KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF THE WAY. Notice that it has adjustment for varying depth of penetration as some folks in the shop are more hard headed than others. These are bringing very high prices nowadays as the level of common sense in the shop and my patience has regressed over time. Art

About spirit dyes going away. I have noticed that Fiebing's LEATHERCOLORS product is only offered in 4oz sizes. This obviously targets a consumer market like Tandy does. It will take them some time to get a waterbased product to a point that it will satisfy an industrial user (this includes small leather businesses). Offerings now are to enable marketing small quantities to consumers under CA law (and probably other states soon). Penetration and durability are major concerns with water based dyes and some finishes along with application issues from an industrial perspective. I have found the Tandy One Step colors to be more of a wiping stain than a dye and REALLY not well suited to industrial application, so far, they don't spray well. Coverage is a lot on the dark side of the color specified and very time dependant. I don't have enough of it to try immersion (dipping). Remember that Tandy wants to satisfy a consumer who is more the crafter than the business. Their formulations will definately lean to the retail side; and this may be where the idea of spirit dyes going away came from. I found the One Step product from Tandy to have really suprising durability compared to other water based finishes which have had very little penetration and little durability. Top coats are a different story and there are some that work well, but they may need a little more time and development too. Right now, it is just easier, more dependable, and predictable to stay with the Pro Oil Dye from Fiebing, it just works. Right now there are any number of Fiebing distributors who will be happy to ship you quarts to 55 gal drums of product, even to you all in CA. I think all anyone is asking is that you use the product wisely and dispose of it properly. Art

Hi Vince, Juki will have them. Try: http://www.miamisewing.com/Page_2x.html Juki used Union Special heads on hemmers under the Juki Union Special label. If you just run it a lot the oil should go away. What size thread are you using and what needle? If these are changed from what it was originally running you will have tension problems. Remember these things are setup to do one thing, and very well thank you. A manual isn't going to help you much, it is a very straight forward sewing machine, but it would be nice to have. Do you really mean it isn't locking? That is a way different problem than tension. Try running a bigger needle to start (or smaller thread), I have seen this solve a whole lot of problems real fast, and make sure the needle is seated all the way. Art

Hi Holly, Curse of the leather or grament worker. The wife catches me stareing at something and says I am embarrasing her. And what's even worse, I AM looking at the leatherwork, not at her fill in the blank. Guys (and gals) appreciate my looking at and admiring the leather on their scooter, but don't be looking at someones chaps or halter or vest too hard or someone might get offended. Of course I ain't gonna say I was just lookin' at the leather, I say woaah man, sorry but you got one dynamite looking ole lady, I couldn't help myself. Most people understand that. Art

Hi Ed, Take a piece pf paper for a pattern and fold it in half. Place the crease on the right or the left (the center of the bottom of the flap will be at the crease) and then mark the bottom edge using a French Curve. The French Curve allows you to vary the radius of the curve to suit the job. I freehand draw what I want something to look like in pencil and then go back and make the curves with the French Curve to make the final pattern. Hold the pencil on one point of the hand drawing and slide the curve around till you find the radius that fits (or nearly fits) one part of the freehand and then draw that; then proceed on until you complete the line the way you want it. You may refine your drawing quite a bit before you get what you really want, but it doesn't take long and that is why they make erasers so big. Cut your pattern along the line and unfold it and you are done. Art

Hi Regis, I forgot to mention that you would want wool felt, they have something called polyester felt (now that's an oxymoron) that will melt if you get it too hot, that is NOT a good thing. Art

After it dries, put beeswax or some water based finish over it. I have a hard felt wheel with a groove in it which I use to get the beeswax hot so it kind of melts in. So the steps: Dampen the edges, this will lay the fibers down, Apply Edge Kote, Let Dry, Apply Beeswax to edge and to wheel, Buff till edge gets hot enough to melt the wax to smoothness. Another method: Dampen edge, slick with denim or antler tip (I use elk antler tip, any smooth bone works), apply gum tragacanth for natural finish, you can always slick some more, or apply one of the one step finishes in the color you want. Various and sundry combinations of the above seem to work also. Also, leather and wood at slow speed (1800 rpm or less) seem to work for buffing the edge, stainless might work but I haven't tried it. Art

Hi Ed, For snaps or gromets I generally use a press (Press-N-Snap or Snapmaster), but for eyelets or rivets I use a common tack hammer on a 33 lb anvil or a 20 lb or so bar of A2 tool steel. I can feel the rivet or eyelet setting better than with a maul. I have set a fair amount of rivets and eyelets with that little tack hammer and it doesn't seem to hurt the setting tools either. I think it is more important to have a good solid and heavy anvil when setting anything. I have a 4.5 lb maul master that is great for setting rivets and burrs and other times when persuasion becomes important, but for tooling, the 1 lb from Barry King and a 14oz from Duey Peters get the most use, but here again what is under the work is more important than the weight of the striking implement. Of course, I am a pretty big guy and if I want, I can make a 4oz can of tuna work if I have to. Art

Well, as long as it's not over oiled in the first place. Clean it up with Lexol ph Cleaner and water then if it can take oil, try Weaver 50-2144 rich brown oil stain to add to the oil. Try on a hidden spot first and don't over oil, no oil is preferrable to too much, you can always add oil, it is hard to take it away. Art

In a word, No. Is it over oiled? You don't strip oil and conditioner, you strip finish. If it is in "old" condition, then a good cleaning with Leather Amore or Lexol ph Cleaner would be in order, then you can assess if re-conditioning the saddle with Hide rejuvinator, Pecards, or some other conditioner might help. It is also important to assess if the saddle will be safe for use and what the problems are before trying to fix it. If the leather needs oil, then an oil dye could be added to conditioner or oil and you could get some color into it that way, your results may run the spectrm from great to blotchy. Art