Art

The 153w101 and the 153w103 are the machines you want. These are needle feed walking foot machines that are a lot like the famed 111s. They also use 111 feet which are plentiful and come in many variations for different tasks. It will do pretty much what you want. Get a speed reducer and servo motor (there is one with the reducer in the motor that will handle that machine and is pretty much a bolt for bolt swap) and you will have just what you need. As always make sure the machine is tight. Art

Just go to a hobby store and get one, it won't be as impressive as those production units, but it will work. I have commercial irons that just come with a big tip that you machine to your specs, the tips screw on. Judging by the part number on one of tips in your pics, what you want or the parts at least are commercially available. Art

Don't know what you mean by a "good amount", 5 gal is a good amount to me, some folks a 55 gal drum might suffice, I have buddies who buy methyl methacrylate in 5500 gal batches. LCI in Dallas Texas may be able to help as they make a lot of private label leather coatings. Art

Hi Chris, This is the electric version of simple creasing tools (and shoemakers irons) that were heated over a little alcohol lamp and before that over a candle. They are used to smooth, burnish, and crease leather. What you see in the pictures is a custom electric tool for the production environment. Probably a 15 watt or so temperature limited heater (resistance goes up the hotter it gets). Art

Hi, Are these custom lasts or machinery lasts? Any metal plates? Plastic or Wood? Hinge? Hole Size for pin? Any Buildups? A few simple measurements will give us a little more info; Style Number? Size? High Instep? Low Instep? Mid? Ball? Length? Short Heel? Price? Art

Hi Brittany, I am not a big fan of unnecessary oiling. More than once a year is too much. I use Montana Pitchblend, it has mink oil in it. Even when something takes-up the oil quickly, I let it set for a day or two and make another assessment after the first oiling has distributed. Pecard's is very good too, this is another product that should not be overapplied. Too much oil can take the life out of leather, in arid climates, once a year is all you should need, in more humid climates, two or more years should be a rule of thumb. Art

Hi Jerry, I assume you are using the new tool, not the one that looks like it has an Allen wrench for a cutter. Wetting will of course make anything (leather) cut easier. Using the new tool, I can pretty much cut a groove to lay 277 in. This was using a dry piece of 15 year old Tandy leather; so it will definitely do the job. Place the tool about 60 degrees from horizontal and draw toward you. Art

Everywhere there is a shaft/bearing/toggle, you have to oil. Under covers, under the machine, in the head. I don't trust the automatic oilers on slow running machines so check there too. If it's rubbing on something, put a little oil in between, just a film is ok if done often enough. Just film the needle bar, but do it often, over oiling just drips on the work. Now big stitchers are like '48 pan heads (dad had one, and a Chief too), if oil isn't dripping a little on the garage floor, you ain't got enough. The jump foot on Campbells and 900 Bulls doesn't like any oil at all, results will not be optimal. Art

TB is not a contact cement, but holds better on oily leathers. Art

Hi ?, So you get one of the hides split or even both of them to do exactly what you want. W/C will also give you the split if you ask; there are maybe two more hides for other things. Don't worry too much about the oil in the hide, rough up where you apply the glue and use an Aliphatic resin (PVA) glue like Fiebing's Tanner's Bond. These glues work well with oily leather. Art

I have never seen or heard of one. I have read of the steam driven ones from the late 1800s, but haven't seen one or even pictures. I could recommend that you get in touch with a historian like D.A. Saguto to find out more. A trip to the Crispin Colloquy would be a good place to start. There are folks there who have devoted their lives to this. Art

Dan and ? I am sorta sure Lafert (Italian) makes single phase (50 or 60Hz) motors with some of the IEC frames. EIS is a major distributor for them here in the States. Dan, I think there is one in Houston and another in Harlingen. ?, they also have warehouses in Cincinnati and maybe Cleveland. Art

Hi Bo, I PMed you. Art

Look on the motor plate and get the NEMA Frame Size RPM ~ 1200 or 1800 or 3600 Horsepower Voltage and Phase Call Baldor and they will give you the motor number you need. Baldor may have a cross to your machine, just call them. Art

Hi Corey, Please do not put wax in your CB4500. At the most you should use silicone thread lube, but for most applications, you can bypass the lube pot especially when using Linhanyl or a similar threads. Another note, running a lube pot will increase your top tension so you may have to back off your machine tensions. I run lube pots on my Highlead machines, and very little top tension with 346 thread; I use zero tension on the faceplate tensioner. Silicone Thread Lube does not lock the stitches. Some of us do mix up our own thread lube, Lexol and hydraulic fluid is one magic mixture I have heard of and seems reasonable. Hydraulic fluid and sewing machine oil are basically mineral oil so I don't see a problem there. Again, this will not lock your stitches. Please forgeddaboudt da wax. Art

Hi Justin, In a word NO. That machine is a needle feed walking foot machine used in the canvas and upholstery trade. Keep it for the medium to small jobs using 69 to 138 thread. Get a 441 clone for saddle skirting and heavier leathers up to most harnesswork. Ask any dealer at the top of the page about a 441 clone. It will do anything you want for around $2600 with all the options. The machine you have will make belts, breast collars, saddle bags, and headstalls at the max, but not saddlework. The flatbed will also be a bit tricky for some work. The 441 is a cylinder arm machine that will do everything you want. Art

Hi, First of all I will preface by saying that you have to experiment with any new leather. That being said, you may be able to take some advice from the bootmaking trade. When skiving leather (soling leather) that has been compressed a lot (jacked hard) you wet the leather pretty thoroughly then skive. If you are just doing a small part, try soaking that portion in 50/50 isopropyl alcohol and water (most of it (isopropyl) is already 30% water so add about 20% more water). If you are doing light colored leather, water marking can be a problem, so try different things. Art

Last time I tidied up the shop, well, I couldn't find things for about a week (seems like it took about that much time for the shop to get untidy or shall we say normal again). Art

Do you still have the finisher and the 12 K? Art

Hi Terry, They are just trying to scare you (and a bunch of others I suspect) into buying something you don't need. Who needs a .cn or .aisa upper level domain anyway? It shouldn't affect what you have already. Art

Al, You and Steve have got to stop going to those spray tanning joints. Art

The price is right, take it. It won't sew much more than a couple pieces or 8 oz with 69 (some will sew 138) with a bobbin the size of squirrel nuts. But there are some things it will do that almost nothing else will. If you stick to it's limits and have a little patience setting it up, it should treat you well. Get it and give us a shout. Art

The Harrison NJ Osbornes are good knives, but cone dull out of the box. Get a Newark NJ CSO from Bruce Johnson, it will be better steel and sharp. Art

They were my first shot, don't carry them anymore. Thanks Art Thanks Blake, they didn't have them on their website, but I'll call tomorrow. Art

I am looking for a supplier for Blau Ring Lemonwood Shoe Pegs. Having a hard time finding them. Does anyone know of the company address in Germany, or a reliable supplier here. Thanks, Art