Art

Most Kip I have seen is 2.5 to 3oz, like Hidehouse Sonoma. I have a skin somewhere that is 4oz or a little better that I got from Siegel years ago, but it was natural. Art

I have two of those I got from Springfield Leather. We use them when we are doing serious production work making the same thing over and over and doing a lot of gluing. As production slows down (we do things that don't require constant trips to the pot), we use the screw plastic ones we got again from Springfield. For Rubber Cement (acid free paper cement) we use amber glass bottles we got once upon a moon from Best-Test, I have since seen them make plastic ones, and can't be sure they still make the glass ones. The bottles seem a little easier to use occasionally, you can pour in a little thinner and shake them up. Not so with the Alco pot, well, I haven't tried anyway. Art

Hi Krista, There is a BrahamaWeb thread currently running about this. You should also contact http://www.bioplastics.us and have them send you samples and instructions on how to work it. Art

I don't think you will get much of a sales pitch on here, but you should call the three machine guys at the top of the page and talk to all of them. I have one of those Sailrite machines of the LZ variety that used to ride in the back of the van when I did canvas work. They made life better as they were light, ran on an inverter, and would hold up in that type of work. It was also a hobby and I didn't run it 8 hours a day. It would not stand up very long doing dog collars or really any work over 4oz veg for very long. I wouldn't run much more than garment weight through it more than occasionally. The Sailrite is however the best of that ilk, some of the others are really bad on QC. There's plastic in them there machines. If you want to make a lot of collars, get a real machine from a real Brick and Mortar Dealer, like the advertisers at the top of the page. They set up the machines for leather and while this might sound like marketing hype, it isn't. The local sewing machine shops and the eBay guys don't know how to set up for veg tan leather, Steve, Bob, and Ronnie know how and do a good job of it. Art

Springfield Leather. Art

Thanks Jeff, Art

So you work it like leather, you punch holes instead of burning them like you do on webbing? How about skiving for a buckle, will it run through a bell skiver? The plastic seals and stabilizes the webbing so you don't need to melt it where you cut or punch it? Art

Anything I should know before I try this stuff out? Art

Hi Steve, My No.9 has two settings on the needle bar for the two systems. How is Wickenburg? Art

Ralph, I'll try to give you an answer till Bob can fill you in. Yes the cap screw that secures the hookshaft (shuttleshaft) is at the bottom of the crank riser. The feed should be set to zero and the needle taken down to bottom and raised 3/16 inch (sorry no mm), there the tip of the shuttle should meet the scarf of the needle. Adjust the shuttle so and tighten the capscrew and you have timed the shuttle. If the timing was set correctly in the first place, I would have just adjusted the new needle system to the shuttle. Then I would have marked the needle bar for the new system. Maybe it is a little late for that now. I think I would go through the whole system timing procedure now as the feed may or may not be in time. Art

Weaver has a few colors in the big sizes, not sure if red is one of them. They often have things that are not in the catalog, so I would call and talk to Vern. Art

A Boss is a great machine, but for belts? not too much. The Boss is expensive, but after you buy the optional stuff, it is the price of a decent cylinder arm with all the goodies. When you said sheaths, I said ok, but when you say belts, you need a little electricity in your life. After the first belt, you say whew, that was fun, after the tenth one it will be oh ghod, not again. Dealers at top of page, call all of them, talk about it. Art

As you go down from size 207, the availability of more than the basic 4 colors increases. There is some better (not much) color availability in Dacron Polyester thread in 92 and 138. Maybe you can get one of the Sewing machine dealers to order what you want on their next order. Red thread in big sizes can sit a long time on the shelf, Brown, Black, White, Sand or Straw, and Off-White in big sizes turn pretty rapidly. Art

I have 8 (at least) Cobra machines, I haven't had a lick of trouble with any of them. I have a Class 18 I use all the time, I mean a lot. Keep the oil wicks full and it just purrs. Art

Go to one of the shows and try them on for size. One test drive is worth a thousand words. Wickenburg this weekend and Sheridan in May. Art

When you start sewing, hold your threads for the first couple of stitches. If you are going to back tack your stitches to lock the threads, hold the tails to the side so they don't get tangled. If you get the video with it, watch it first, then watch it again until you get to the timing part, don't try any of that for a while (hopefully never). Check all screws (exposed) and make sure everything is tight. Have someone there to help with assembly or have two additional arms with requisite musculature installed. Don't fuss with the tensions too much, chasing tension will drive a beginner nuts. Once you get it assembled, call Steve and have him walk you through a little learning, it won't take long and Steve can run you through if everything is set right. Art

True Aaron, The only option that is reasonable today is to buy quality tools from the start. This will pretty well destroy your wallet (but you will be able to MAKE a nice wallet). Buy only the tools you need to complete a project. For newcomers, ask here, we know who makes good tools and where you can get them. Be very careful on eBay, things are not always what they appear to be. If they say it's Gomph, check the wording carefully, it usually isn't. Just buy what you need when you need it. Art

How many of these things do you need? Art

Hi Chris, I use Montana Pitchblend paste, 2 coats if necessary. I follow that (after dry, 1-2 days) with Leather Balm with Atom Wax, again 1 or 2 coats and buff. I used to use Pecard's but the MPB is all natural and worked as well, so I went in that direction unless I know someone is allergic to propolis. Art

Hi Chris, I have seen canvas, not seen felt, or if I have I have assumed it was canvas. Two different levels of abrasion, sometimes the canvas/felt might have been loaded with an abrasive and the leather just oiled and naked. I have used the diamond paste that came with the tormek and it works very well, a little more expensive than the block of green rouge I recommended. Art

Hi Rob, I will preface this by saying I do not know about the new Barge, I gave up on it. You can thin Master and Colle de Cologne down till they will spray with a larger tip. I remember when I first started, I used to get Barge in tubes, that stuff was thick and awful, and I thought there had to be a better way. I asked a cobbler about it and he laughed. He told me to make it as thin as I liked, I could always paint on a second coat if I wanted, just let them dry 10-15 minutes between and after. I add enough thinner in the glue pot so it doesn't cling to the brush, it come right off, no goops or globs, just streams off and drips. That is how I prefer it, some might like it thicker. With it thinner, it will soak into the leather a little more and might require a second coat. After you put the cs on and let it dry, you can see if you have a good coat, it will go hard and shiny, if it is dull re-coat it. When you start using accelerators things get a little different. Art

I think you still might be short of a Campbell. You really don't NEED it, you have the Union Lock, they lay down a beautiful stitch. Art

Try here. You can always call them and/or send them an email with the pic. Ray the sourcing guy has been around forever and can find it for you. Art

The 145 (and it's brothers) is a fine flatbed. For your application, I would recommend a cylinder arm like the Pfaff 335. There are also good clones of that model by TaKing, the 335N and the 735N (heavier machine). The Pfaff 335 is also a great binding machine; TaKing makes it in binding machines too. Art

You'll have to tell us what kind of buffer. Is it a finisher (sole grinder, sander, and buffer sections all in one 11 foot machine)? If a buffer, does it have the sole iron section and heater? Whole finishers go for "please take it out of here" to 2 for $500 (one was a parts machine). Some folks sell 31-15s to newbie bootmakers for $300 or more. Most times they are very available and sell in the $100 to $300 range. Watch the condition. Art