Art

Hi, Good machine, but you need to thread the needle on the side with the groove in it, not the scarf. You have it threaded backwards. It uses a 135x16 needle system for leather, which comes in various point styles and sizes. Art

Cobra Cowboy Art

Well, if they are steel, pick one up with a magnet, heat with a torch until they drop off the magnet into light oil to quench. Keep a lid for the oil in case it ignites. After they are cool, pick up with pliers and heat till it turns gold or blue and let cool normally. I'm driving blind here as I have no idea what steel they are made of. So you are on your own. Art

I meant Biscuits, the baking powder type we make over here and pour gravy over or any number of other uses. What do you call them in your neck of the woods? Art

I know it takes a minimum of 4 hours and a several parts to turn one into a leather sewing machine. I think the HF machine is a Singer 111 clone, figure on putting a reduction drive servo motor on it and some new smooth feet and such, then get the right needles for leather. Honestly, it is not the machine I would buy for holsters or gunbelts, but for lighter stuff, it will be ok, and if not, well it was free. Art

Damned French, how the hell did THEY conquer the English. It took over a Billion of our $ and a half a year for them to help the Libyans kill Gadaffi when a couple of hundred grand and a seal team could have done it in a week. Woops, it would have cost $14 Million if our boys had left a Pave Low chopper there in pieces. Why couldn't some of your SES boys have done it, the Brits always seem to do military things cheaper than us. Sorry, where I work they seem to leave the first six zeros off of reports and put "in millions of dollars" in very small type at the top of the column. Art

Ok, so what are the bisquits they have with Tea? Also do you have what we colonials call Biskits or properly, biscuits. This is confusing, try dinner and supper. Art

Ray, Sometimes I say "muffing" to keep from having to put $1 in the swear jar. The Salvation Army loves it every time I don't say "muffing". I've been doing leatherworking and shoemaking/reparing for years, the wife says she would rather have me "muffing around" in the shop than out chasing women. She does realize that I wouldn't know what to do with one if I caught it. Dog has the same problem with trash trucks. Art

Here is their catalog page with Barbour's Linen Thread, although I doubt it is Irish anymore. Art

In a word, NO. However there is considerable overlap between machines. Thread, hook, and needle size are the limiting factors. Don't expect a harness stitcher to do 46 thread and a 12 or 14 needle. I've never seen 12 needles in a 794 system and don't think they are made. Conversely, you won't see size 26 needles in a 135x16 system or a hook that will work on 346 thread. Like I said though, there is plenty of overlap in the 69 to 138 or 207 thread range. Some medium machines will do 207 and some won't. My best advice is to see Steve or Bob at one of the shows and let them explain it to you. Art

Hi Russ, I have a Highlead version of the 4000P (cylinder arm of the 4500) which IS set up for blankets etc. It does have aggressive feed dog and feet, not smooth. This is the way the machine is supplied by Highlead. My 4000P from Artisan has smooth feet, no feed dog, and a slotted plate. These modifications are usually provided by the distributor. You can modify the feed dog yourself by grinding the teeth smooth, or just knocking the tops off. That way it will feed a little better than a slotted plate and the hole in the feed dog will act as a needle guide. You'll still have to get some smooth feet from Artisan or Leather Machine Company (Cobra). Art

Who is the US Distributor? Art

Bruce, Sure she wasn't checking up on your life insurance policy? Art

Hi Bruce, Eliminate the yelling, screaming, and the mess. Buy some Yankee Wax, it is made by Renia and comes in a bunch of colors and neutral. Most shoe suppliers carry it, should be $3 a bar or so. Goes on hot with a burnishing iron well too. I use it after applying burnishing ink and letting it dry. Art

You get them from Sprenger in Germany, here is their catalog, page 12 of the pdf, item 7. Boy you should have seen the catalog when it was only in German. Art

Hi Ray, Beeswax melts at about 145F, you can take it further up but around 185F it will start to turn brown. I don't know what the boiling point is, but it's flashpoint is about 400F. To put it out, simply deprive it of oxygen and cut back on the heat, put a lid on it; it will go way brown by that time. I always use my mom's old electric turkey roaster set on medium then cut back to low. A candy thermometer is handy. I guess I'm saying don't take it over 170F. Art

The Pfaff 1245 is a different machine than the 1425. Art

Hi Russ, I believe the 4500P is the Highlead version of the 4500R. The Highlead version is built like a tank, for factory use, but the other version is also very heavy duty and will last a leatherworker forever if properly maintained. You probably cannot get the 4500P from Artisan any longer and as far as I know (Artisan please correct me if I am wrong) they are exploring other opportunities at the present. If you want that type of machine, you should check here. Art

I had a Nakagima 280L and it was one of my better upholstery machines. I sold it to a car upholsterer (trimmer) and he is still happy with it today. I assume the 380 is an upgraded model of that. There is a point to my madness. The DNU-1541 is also a good trimmer machine, but my point is they both use 111 feet, and 111 feet are really inexpensive compared to Pfaff, in comparison dirt cheap; and there are 111 feet to do darned near anything without putting them on the mill or taking a file to them. But they are cheap enough to carve them up if needed. Pfaff machines are great, I have two, but I use them with the feet they have, I tried to find a teflon or roller for my 142 and that was way more trouble than it was worth. The bobbins in the Pfaff are a little different also. You said you want to sew a couple more mm than 3/8 and THAT is really pushing 1/2" which is outside the medium frame machine, except for maybe the Pfaff 1245, but that would be using it at max capacity which will work, but you will get a little more wear. Maybe one of your machines should be a 441 clone, plenty of capacity but again nothing much in the way of special feet. Art

Hi Nick, Go here and ask Bruce to select a #2 and #3 Gomph round bottomed edger for you. Alternately, you can get good new ones from Bob Douglas, or my favorite Ron's Tools. For a groover, contact Vandy at Sheridan Leather Outfitters and get a Douglas Versa Groover, she also handles the Bob Douglas Tools line of edgers above. You won't find a better groover than the Versa Groover. You will need a bag punch for belt buckles and bullet loops so get a 5/8", 3/4", and a 1". Get these from Vandy or Bruce, links above. Get either Gomph or C.S.Osborne Newark. Tell them you are user not a collector. You are still going to have to cut a big holster slot on Buscadero gun belts and holster slots, they don't make punches that big that have narrow enough slots. Get an assortment of Belt Punches from Vandy, Oval punches are not really traditional for anything but harness. You will need something to burnish edges, please read the Hidepounder tutorial; it is gospel on the subject. Practice skiving with your Round Knife or get a skiving knife and practice, practice. Get a fitters hammer, from Vandy, and make sure it is polished to the Nth degree of smoothness on both ends. It will come in handy for closing up stitch lines and smoothing presser foot marks. Get a clicker knife (Vandy or Weaver) the one with the blue handle is the one I like. It will get places a head knife will never go. I know and have dealt with everyone I mention, they are safe to deal with over a long distance. The tools I have mentioned are not going to be cheap, but they won't let you down either. Art

No, it is the style of the bag, not the decoration. Briefcase, bookbag, saddlebags, are all Ok, even a computer over the shoulder bag nowadays, but NOT a purse or "man bag". I do prefer some to full decoration on saddles and holsters and gunbelts. Besides, what the hell do some of these guys put in those man bags? I know for a fact some of them wouldn't know what to do with a computer. I'm old school, spectacles, handkerchief, wallet, and watch. That's all I need. Art

If something broke, take it back to the seller and have him fix it. The thread guide on the needle bar is important, it causes the thread to ride in the thread groove on the needle. If the thread runs out of the groove, it can cause skipped stitches. In any instance, we need to know what machine, what needle, what thread, and whatever other information you have. you will definitely need a new part for the one you broke. I assume by clutch you mean the safety clutch, and it is either engaged or not, so that is probably not the problem. Art

Mine are for my chop, very small and extremely fine. I use them on harness leather (among other things) that is quite hard as well as regular tooling veg tan. I will print up something over the weekend and post it here. Jeff did a boy scout one for me and I made over 300 impressions into some really hard Tandy leather I had from 12 years ago, and the stamp still looks like the day it arrived. Jeff is a great person to work with and you should see some of his inlay work. Art

I have used the ones from Grey Ghost Graphics ever since the Butler IFoLG show 5 years ago and have had good wear. Art

I have a couple of Tandy ones that are made of Aluminum, they work very well on belt size pieces. However, on anything over 1.5" a plow works much better. I have a Blanchard plow I use for everything except very narrow stuff and my draw gauges and strap cutters collect a lot of dust. I used to keep a draw or strap cutter for all the different belt sizes so I didn't have to play with them, but the plow is just easy to adjust, leather lays flat on the bench when cutting too. Art