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Art

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Everything posted by Art

  1. I'm not big on the Tandy kits or even buying all your tools at once. Get a good basic set of stamping tools from Lonnie, not a whole bunch of tools (only 16), but you can do a lot with them. You will need a good maul, and the Bear Man makes a good one as does Barry King. Use utility knives and maybe a clicker knife to start. Get edgers from Ron Edmonds, Bob Beard (a year's wait), Barry King, or Bob Douglas. Hole punches you can get used from Proleptic or Bob Douglas, or Mandy or Luke at Sheridan Outfitters. Buy as you need, I have every edger Ron makes, I mostly use two or three. You need to learn to sharpen and take care of your tools, and you should start with a utility knife; when you can get that scary screaming sharp and keep it that way, you might never want a head knife. You say "aren't those utility knife blades sharp right out of the box?" Well yes they are sharp like you cut cardboard with, but leatherwork sharp means sharp to a whole new level, and polished. Plan your project, what tools you will need, acquire them, sharpen them, then do the project. Eventually, you will have bought what you need. Art
  2. The wife sews Linhanyl 46 on the Class 18 all the time, no problems. She uses 2 wraps on the thread guides, just like I do with 138. She uses 15/95 or 16/100 needles, a 12/80 just seems a bit small. Not any bobbin tension adjustment either. Art
  3. Cobra Steve is Steve Tayrian of the Leather Machine Company out of Highland California. Cowboy Bob is Bob Kovar of Toledo Sewing Machine. http://www.leathermachineco.com Ad appears at top of page here Both have been in the business for a while. Both are honest and trustworthy and have good reputations here on leatherworker. Upholstery, shoes, and purses could easily be 3 different machines and with shoes, possibly 5 or 6. For upholstery, the Cobra Class 18 (Highlead 618 SC) is a great machine, a post or Cylinder arm like the Cobra Class 3 or 4 will do everything else up to saddles, saddle bags (M/C or horsey) and anything else from 6 oz to 56 oz (7/8"). Guys who do serious bootmaking use 2 and often 3 or 4 machines, but you may be able to accomplish it with just the 2 above. Steve is at the St. Louis IFoLG show right now, but will be back at the end of next week. If you need to talk to him right away, I have his cell. Look over his website and then call him with all of your questions. If you are near St. Louis, go to the show for some hands on time, it's free. Art
  4. For leatherwork, you want a machine with smooth feet, you generally don't get those with internet machines. Also Internet machines will probably not have a speed reducer or even a servo motor. These are things you want. Also, you can get Steve to throw in a magnetic guide and little stuff like that. As far as lube goes, you only need that when going fast as in the garment trade, where they simply soak the spools of thread in lube. Nylon or poly, your choice, Linhanyl and Coats make good thread, Eddington is good but looks a little different, again your choice. Most machines of this class use 111 feet, and there are hundreds of myriad variants, most fairly inexpensive. For decorative stitching, you need to keep the stitch length small, needle small, thread small (46 or 69, 46 better). The Cobra machines are made by the same company that makes the Mitsubishi machines, their quality is excellent, the best coming out of China. I have one of the Class 18 machines (618) and it hasn't missed a stitch, even with some abuse on my part. The wife uses it for quilting and loves it, so do her quilting buddies. They like the positive feed and that it will step over anything they can get under the feet. Steve is always there when you need him, although that will be seldom, he goes to shows, but is always on his cell (We've been out to dinner and he still takes calls). Art
  5. I get beeswax from a beekeeper and I wouldn't think of getting it for free, or even asking, or even taking if offered. I paid him 150 for a 40 lb block, because that is all he would take. That is probably the cheapest you will find. A 40 lb block lasts a long time, like about 10 years. Art
  6. No reason other than Montana Pitchblend tells you exactly what is in their product, Pecard's does not. I still have a half tub of Pecard's to use, so I will use it until used up. I have been doing one Pecard's and one Montana Pitchblend for a while, I'll let everyone know in a year or so if there is a difference. For M/C seats, I'm not worried about anti-microbial/fungal as they spend enough time in the UV to kill that stuff, but for holsters and horsey stuff, the anti-microbial properties of pine-tar and beeswax appeal to me. Art
  7. I have both Pecard's and MPB. I have used Pecard's for years and it is an excellent product. I bought the MPB on a whim, both the paste and the liquid and found both to be excellent. Wife says she is going to have the undertaker preserve me with whatever is left over. I use either product and usually coat twice (a light coats a couple of days apart) for now, I use the same product for each coat, haven't tried one coat Pecard's and one coat MPB. The MPB has a little smell (Pine) to it whereas the Pecard's is fairly neutral. Art
  8. Randy, When dad and I did the "bull roasts" the Rocky Mountain Oysters were something we got from a guy I went to school with's father, who was a meat packer. I know they were less than .25 a pound back in the late 60s. I just checked some prices, and it seems they have become quite a delicacy, running north of $5 a pound at the plant, run them up to about $7 after they get to a butcher; that is by the 20 lb box. Anything less than 20 lb and you are going to buy very expensive oysters, so you might want to do real oysters and beef sandwiches, you can always sell the leftover beef after the event for 7-10 a pound, but if you have leftover balls, you'll just have dog food. Good luck with it. Art
  9. 1 pound of bull testicles will usually feed 3 or 4 people 1 pan or tub of all-purpose flour 1 pan or tub of bread crumb and Parmesan cheese mix (half and half) 1 pan or tub of eggs, whipped with some milk or half and half mixed in Seasonings mix in a shaker (seasoning mixture made of equal amounts of salt, onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper and cayenne) Louisiana Hot Sauce for serving Cooking oil* Peanut oil, lard, or vegetable oil as a last resort 1. If you can't find them already cut and processed (they are available processed), split the tough skin-like muscle that surrounds each oyster lengthwise. Peel off and discard the skin. Slice lengthwise 1/4 thick. Either run through tenderizer once or pound with meat tenderizer. 2. Soak oysters in a pan with enough salt water to cover them for at least one hour (this takes out some of the blood). Drain. Rinse. 3. Soak oysters in a pan with enough milk to cover them for at least one hour (this takes out more of the blood and some of the saltiness). Drain. Rinse. 4. Lightly sprinkle seasoning mix on both sides of sliced oyster to taste. 5. Dredge each oyster into flour, then dip into egg mixture, and then dip into bread crumb/cheese mixture. 6. Place into hot cooking oil (375 or 400) and cook until golden brown or tender 160 internal (the longer they cook, the tougher they get). 7. Hot Sauce and Salt & Pepper on the tables. 8. Sell beer and sodas. Notes: * Most people won't eat them again (if you can get them to try them in the first place) if they had a bad first experience with over- or under-cooked mountain oysters. Practice will help eliminate bad experiences if you're doing it for a first time. You have to cook these to at least 160, because of all the handling and tenderizing, there is always a bacteria problem. * At these kind of functions, it is best to also cook off a couple of top rounds at 225 till they get to 130 (salt them well and put them in hotel pans to cook so that you collect the juice), then pull them and let them sit for 30 minutes. Then slice them on a slicer and put them on Kaiser rolls with Au Jus available and horseradish and mustard. I also make up "Tiger Sauce" as a lot of folks like that better than straight horseradish. * Advertise the above as a bull roast, you'll get better attendance. This is from dad's cookbook and notes from Shrine events. Also some of my comment from working with dad at the events. So blame dad not me. Art
  10. Either, but mainly the holster plate sometimes called a bag plate. Art
  11. The Bovie I have has replaceable tips so I don't think it is for single use. Maybe the newer ones are but if it had replaceable tips it is for multiple use. The ones I have seen in hospitals are fixed units with a cord that stay in the OR. Nowadays, instruments are sterile in bags, and I wouldn't expect very good results after running mine through the autoclave. In that way, single use yes, but they use them multiple times during a surgery to fix bleeders etc. Art
  12. Hi JH, They can be quite handy when sewing gussets into bags, but aren't absolutely necessary. The ones for the Cowboy don't fit the Toro or the Cobra. Art
  13. Then there is the electric cautery. Mine is a Bovie and they seem to be the largest player in the game and everyone calls them that no matter what the brand. Mine came from the Vet, new in the box for about $20. I've had it for years so it's not something new. It uses AA batteries and heats up in about 2 or three seconds. Works like a soldering iron but finer tip, tips are replaceable but I haven't needed a new one yet. It is about the size of a big pen. Tips get verrrryyyyy hot! Art
  14. Hi Tim, HO has always been a harder hide, even to the point of a little rawhide here and there, but lately it is getting a little harder. If they could get a real rawhide center all the way through, they would be the GO TO folks for stirrup billets. Wickett & Craig are a good tannery with minimum orders of 1 piece. Their product is produced from mostly Canadian packer crust and is really nice leather. Their custom department is really the best after Horween, and they are downright easy to work with. If you want a little harder hide, talk to them, if you want it butter soft they can do that too and most anywhere in between. Call them and ask for Matt, Linda, or Glenn. Take a look at a Louis Vitton bag, the leather is W&C. Art
  15. Hi Ed, Please make me one 16oz or so is ok. Let me know when and how to pay. Art
  16. Yes, generally and maybe. Some adjustment may be required for fit and presser foot height. Art
  17. The pictures in that auction show some 80 different tools. The buyer is going to be very unhappy with those results. If I were the buyer, I would be expecting, rightly, the tools shown in the pictures. Art
  18. Hi Yuman, The 287 is marginally heavier than the 153, what we might call the next step up. It has a safety clutch which says someone is going to put something too big or hard in here. Big stitchers generally don't have a safety clutch usually because they have a rotary shuttle which would be harder to implement and would be tripping all the time. Stitchers like the Cobra Class 3 and 4, Consew 756 etc. are quite robust, whatever you can get under the foot (including sole bend) will be handled. The 277 would be good for wallets, chaps, etc. as long as you are using 46 or 69 thread, start using 138 and you might want to pre-wind a box of bobbins. Replace bobbins early and often. If you can get a great deal on it, build a table for it (make it into a flat bed) and use it as a wallet machine. Art
  19. Hi Yuman, I think you want to discount the 277 unless you have very tight work and you need the small arm. With the small arm, even with the horizontal hook, I suspect you will be changing bobbins like a NASCAR pit crew changes tires. These machines might run 207top/138bobbin but with the rotary hook I would expect not much larger. A "size or two over 207" would be 277 and 346 which I think is a lot over the mark for even the vertical rotary hook. I am pretty sure the design criteria of these machines is 138 and down. Also the self oilers are made for rated speeds, for leatherwork speeds I would be in there with an oil can every so often. For the 287, I would give $500 max, less depending on condition. For the 277, $400 max less depending on condition. Sew them off, your leather, your thread before buying. These are industrial workhorses, make sure they weren't "rode hard and put away wet". Art
  20. Hi Marty, So, you can buy either a Flat bed, a cylinder arm, or a post machine and you can have only one, period. One of each would definitely be the better solution and one of each in both the medium and large versions would be the best solution. But if you have got to have it all, you need to throw a patcher in there. Cobra Class 4 with needle positioning system. Heavy Duty Cylinder arm with Table (for flat work) Cobra Class 18 with needle positioning system Cobra Class 18 C special order cylinder arm machine Cobra Class 29 Patcher Cobra Class 88 or Class 51 Post Machine Cobra Class 55 a small boot top decorating machine that is great of wallets etc. The patcher and post machines are great machines for repair work. There are some repair jobs that a post can do without deconstructing a purse or other item, but with enough creativity, you can do it with a Class 18 flat bed if you have to. If someone wants you to sew a patch on a jacket sleeve and you don't have a patcher, turn it down or get out the hand-sewing kit. The real choice here is between the Class 18 C and the Class 4. You need to choose the maximum thread size you need. The Class 18 uses 46 to 207 and the Class 4 uses 138 (it will sew 69 but will need a little adjustment) to 415. Of course the amount of product you can get under the presser foot is different too. I've heard folks say you need a flat bed for belts, well it ain't so. Harness makers have been using cylinder arm (or needle and awl machines which are like big cylinder arms) for about ever. Once you learn to use a sewing machine, you can pretty much sew whatever you need to, sometimes it is a little easier with one machine or another, but you can get it done with what you have (not quite time to throw away the awl and harness needles though). Necessity is the mother of invention. After all that crud, Get a Class 4 and don't look back. Best machine, best dealer. Art
  21. Hi Wiz, It probably was a long time ago. I only use Barbour's (actually now a sub of Coats) and only seem to get it in white and very seldom black, usually in 3 through 8 cord with the majority left and some of the bigger stuff right. Thought you had lucked into a source, I liked the yellow/gold but haven't seen it in at least 10 years, probably since Coats bought them up. The yellow/gold is quite shocking when you see it on the spool, but looks natural when sewn. Art
  22. Wiz, Where did you get the 4-cord Linen that was yellow-gold in color? All I can find is black and white, and not a lot of black. You should use #1 needle and #1.5 awl for 4 cord to give you smaller holes when stitching 10-11-12 per inch. That's what Dan told me and it works like a champ on my Campbell. Art
  23. They use it here for Joint replacement (solid form) and it is interwoven into specialty ropes where they want stretch limited (yachting and parachuting come to mind). It will definitely replace PTFE in some uses as the cost of the UHMWPE is only about a third or less of PTFE. Only thing I would worry about is the heat factor, it comes apart at 300F but I wouldn't trust it over 200F. You probably won't test those in leatherwork except maybe welding gloves. Art
  24. A couple of hundred tops. I see a lot of them for $100-125. Art
  25. I've never seen a 138w102 with anything but twin needles and bobbins, usually 3/32 or 1/8 gauge for shoes. You can also swap out a 1725 rpm clutch motor for $50 or less, but a servo would be better, it might have the old exposed clutch on it already. Cleaned up and running with a smaller gauge (they could have up to 3/4 inch) maybe $300, maybe a lot less. It is not a rare bird so it's just a sewing machine. The 138w103 had a better set of hooks and could take larger thread. Art
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