Art

Bob, If you ask one question at a time, you will get better response. I you go to a couple of shows and do a lot of listening and some asking, touching and looking, you will learn. If you do a project, and work with the leather, you will learn more. Don't be afraid to buy something new and try to use it. At a show, pick up samples from W&C and Hermann Oak. Deal with advertisers at the top of the screen like Springfield Leather, Sheridan Leather Outfitters, Zack White, and RJF until you learn to identify and judge quality. Art

Muir & McDonald Tannery; RIP. They used Douglas Fir bark for tanning. In the US we have Wickett and Craig and Hermann Oak. I don't think either uses Oak. J & FJ Baker in England uses Oak and a "long tanning" process. This leather is pricey but superb. J R Leather in Germany also makes good product thay is more available in the U.S. I use Baker and JR for some things, but for most things veg, I use Wickett & Craig. Art

The tighter you turn, the longer your stitch length will be in relation to a straight line of stitching. Your leather is moving faster. You can minimize this by only turning the leather when the machine is feeding (needle down and moving rearward). Move the leather only when the machine will let you. If you turn when there is a foot down, you will get wonky stitching. It just takes practice, remember, guide the leather, don't force it. Like Ferg said, going slow helps this. BTW, like any well designed machine, a quality sewing machine will do the same thing going fast or going slow. So, you can throw away the motor and turn it over by hand from now on if that's what you want, same stitch, generally no better or worse. Art

check pinned in Leather Sewing Machines forum. Art

It is pretty simple; you use what you got. When you buy, you get the highest quality you can for as much as you are willing to spend. You can spend $50 or so for a CSO Harrison, or a Dewey Peters, Weaver (Danny Marlin), Gomph-Hackbarth, and others for under $100 and get a good usable knife when sharp. I don't know if Lonnie still has any of the GH knives, but they were made of D2 and preformed nicely. When sharp, they all cut leather. It is the owner's job to keep them usefully sharp. There are custom knives from a little over $100 to around $250 that also will get the job done. They all have plus and minus points, but they cut leather very nicely. I have had Buchman knives for years and use them all the time, one angled head, 2 1/2 inch knife he made for me because I complained about skiving my knuckles with one of his big head knives is my favorite and most used knives. Dozier knives are also a favorite. The Knipper makes excellent skiving knives, so good in fact that I seldom use my skiving machine anymore. His knives also look very good, good craftsmanship and finish work. I have two old Harrison CSOs, #70 and #71 I think. I've had these about 25 years now, and they took quite a beating when I got them, they look like s--t and still cut leather as well as anything when they are sharp, but when they were all there was, they sure worked, and let's face it, I got my $40 out of each. I take these out occasionally and give them some TLC (tender loving care, not Tandy Leather Conglomerate), sharpen them up and use them just to let them know we're still friends. So whatever you get (even a box cutter), learn to sharpen it (using the best of today's available methods), use it, and keep it sharp. Now my new Leatherworker motto: For heaven's sakes pilgrim, make yourself a strop! Art

And Jerry is just fun to talk to, he is also a craftsman, so you get a lot of info if you ask him how to do something. Art

Yes, call Cobra Steve and ask nicely for the DVD. Now very seldom does someone knock out the feed timing, usually just the hook timing. So. Put feed leaver in middle. Without thread take the needle all the way down and up 1/8 to 1/4 inch and loosen the bolt for the clamp for the hookshaft on the mainshaft rod, set the hook so it is just intercepting the scarf of the needle and retighten the clamping bolt. That should get you going. Steve can give you more exact measurements. If you need to retime everything, what the hell did you do to it? No panic, it just takes a while, and the DVD. Art

Stain first, buff the residual dye product off, dry, must be dry, and the treat with Montana Pitchblend. Art

After coloring the work, treat with Montana Pitchblend Paste or Pecard's. Apply to both sides if you want and let soak in thoroughly. If the leather is dry and takes up the treatment overnight, you can try a second treatment. This will give a good amount of water protection but still will allow the leather to breathe. Art

Hi Alua, You have to push in the little button/tab (more of a tab on the 545) or whatever that holds the pawl out of the groove, then rotate until the pawl goes back in the groove. It is on page 17 or 18 of the service manual. ja_1245_06-09_e.pdf ja_1245_06-09_d.pdf I've included both English and German manuals for the 1245, hope this helps. Art

If you want a test for real effalump (elephant), try and scratch it with a fingernail, elephant pretty much doesn't, cowhide print is toast. Art

Alua, Make sure there is not any thread in back of the hook or anywhere else binding the shafts. If the saftey clutch is tripped, you should be able to turn the hook fairly easily, then you just push the sc button and turn the machine backward to re-engage the sc. Art

Ferg, That needle is in correctly with the scarf on the right next to the hook, the thread groove is on the left, as is required, and the needle is threaded left to right. All correct. Art

Roje is pretty good, and Jerry van Amburg is good people. Art

Hi Wiz, A lot of the smaller Pfaff industrials use 134 (135x8). The DBx257 or the same by another system (DBx1, 16x87, 16x95, 16x257, 16x231, and 71x1) are used on Singers of light to medium weight. MUVA made some with 2mm shanks, but you'd have to get with Bob to find them. When it gets to old iron, you have to browse the catalogs to find something that might work. Art

Hi Bob, If he is using a 134 (I missed that) then indeed the needle is about 5mm too short and the mechanic lowered the needle bar to compensate. I think he is from Estonia, and I suspect that sewing machines and their care and feeding might not be as plentiful as here. I should not be suprised, as I have seen numerous instances of folks thinking the 134 and the 134-35 are the same needle. Nice to know the 134-35 crosses to the 135x16 and 135x17 as I have many different points and sizes in that, but only one or two in the 134-35. When Drognan first came on the board (and this was a while ago) he was asking about a busted thread guide on his new nachine, and I assumed it happened in shipping. Now everything kind of makes sense and the broken guide was probably from crashing the presser foot. I hope we haven't confused him with our discussion, but he really should get the needle/needlebar issue fixed. Art

Hi Darren, I have seen plenty of 31-15s with 34 needles in them, which is a scarfless version. I seldom see the Kilbowie versions here. The scarfless needles (16x1) were probably the originals made by Singer, all the modern needlemakers now make the 34 which is identical. So whomever was the first one to say 16x1 was the most correct. Art

Bob, I agree that maybe the needle bar could be raised up some (I think the presser foot was lifted in the pic you mention), but the correct system for this machine is 134-35 I think (well it looks like a Pfaff), so 134-35R for round point and 134-35LR for leather point? Art

22s are available, maybe 24s someplace. DBxF2 for leather point (16x257LR). This guy is as good as any, I've used him. Art

When running huge tensions, the top thread is very capable of lifting the leather despite the presser foot. This is why increasing presser foot pressure solved your problem a little bit. You now have to play with it a little and back off those high bobbin tensions, the top tensions will follow after you reduce the bobbin tension. Once you get the tensions right (lower than you now have) you can back off the presser foot pressure so you don't mark the leather as much. I can't think of any reason to set everything to maximum ++. Of course hard dense leather will really grab the needle so the high pf pressure might be the only course. Art

Ok, Those are Pfaff needles. I have heard of them working in the 31, but have never tried them myself. Art

Hi Darren, The DBx1 (Organ, Schmetz, and Gros Beckert) is a good fit for the 31-15. Do not use MUVA DBx1 as they are a little bigger in the shaft and don't fit well. The Singer 16x87 is the original needle for the 31-15 and surprisingly, there are a lot of them still around. I don't know if I would go modifying the 31-15 for a 135x16 when you can walk down the street and fall over DBx1s. But, in a pinch in the middle of nowhere, you do what you have to. Art

Hi Bill, Fiebing's Antique Paste. Art

Dritz or other stainless machine oil, it usually comes in a pull spout top. It is mostly mineral oil, and you can use that too, it is very cheap so there is no excuse for not oiling. Art

I use LBAW after I am done finishing and the piece is dry, not ever on naked leather. I'm guessing you could try a finish stripper like deglazer (small spot first, I have no idea what will happen). You might want to call Fiebing's customer service and see what they say. Art