Art

Are you in 50Hz land? The motor sure is. It won't hurt much to run mechanical motors on 50 or 60Hz, generally only the speed differs (1450 for 50Hz and 1750 for 60Hz usually), but you sure want to run an electronic motor on the correct frequency. Used clutch motors aren't worth much $10-$20. Art

Hi Steve, Well, the 111 won't do it. If you want 207, then a machine like the Cobra Class 18 (Highlead 618 but set up for leather), or a Pfaff 1245 (again with smooth feet and leather setup) is what you want. The advantage of the Highlead (Cobra) is that it uses 111 feet and there are a gazillion of them out there for every persuasion, new, and cheap. Now, I am a Pfaff (Industrial) junkie and I would love to have a 1245, BUT, not a lot of feet out there and the parts are made of the new space age material, unobtanium, which is strong enough to wear out the credit limit on many credit cards. Nuff said. Since you are out in LA land, go over to Steve at the Leather Machine Company in Highland (I have no idea how far that might be from you) with a bunch of leather and try out a 618. Have fun. Art

Hi Steve, If it works, buy it! Good ole American made 111. They were built primarily for canvas and safety equipment (parachute harness etc.). Needle feed walking foot, will take 92/92 all day long and 138/138 usually. You'll probably have to slow her down some way for leatherwork, but the price is right if the machine is tight. Art

Hi Chuck, The brass hooks are always a little lighter duty than the black G.I. ones. The G.I. hooks are .1 inch in thickness and the nice shiny brass ones are .062 inch. They are relatively identical and fit the holes, the G.I. ones are a bear to get in and out of the holes on stiff veg tan, the brass ones are easier. Art

Hi Joel, If you are talking HO or WC (although I have not seen much in the way of shoulders from HO lately) the difference between A or 1 and B or 2 and AB (or 1.5?) is not a lot. If you have a ton of unusable leather out of an AB hide, I would call Kevin immediately, even if you have cut up the hide, call him. I would however, be using backs or sides to cut straps or belts, for any number of reasons, but a shoulder should be serviceable for belts. It is important to tell the vendor what you are expecting from the hide and it's use, and your experience level and expectations so they can pick the "right" hide for you. I expect 10% waste in a hide and sometimes when using shoulders I have bought at a good price I might experience 20% or more. I use shoulders for holsters and can pretty much work around any imperfections or put them in an "unseen" part like a skirt. With belts, you are pretty much all out front so you need good clean hides and your supplier needs to know that. Your leather supplier is just as important to the project as your skills are. Call Kevin. Art

Not after them damned ants I hope, the binder clips don't hurt nearly as much. Art

Hi Tom, Simply take what you have and make a new piece that is 1/2 inch bigger or take the one you have and make it 1/2 inch smaller. It is probably just a piece of rubber that is compressed by two end washers, you can get the parts from McMaster-Carr. If you have ever had a belt hit you when it breaks (always at the seam) you don't want to be glueing them up yourself. Art

Hi Tom, You can get them all day long in 2" and 3" but 2.5 is not readily available. You can have whatever size you want made up for you for an order of 500, maybe that is what Weaver did. I guess if you are the only supplier, you can pretty much charge what you want. Two and Threes . 4.5" are shelf orders though, and at about $5 or less. You might want to consider making yours into a 3 inch. Art

Not necessarily, In some circles, a 24 is the right size for 138. Art

Hi Eric, Is step 2 correct? Art

The Pfaff will run 92 thread all day long (till the bobbin runs out) at speeds that make women folk and little children run from the room in terror. With 138, it usually a matter of it will or it won't, most times it will at reasonable speeds. I have not seen a lot of success with 207 at any speed. The Consew machines are somewhat the same. The 153 is a 69 or 92 machine. The price on the 153 is a little dear for the head only. The Pfaff is a little high for head only too. The Consew flat bed is better price wise. The table cutout for all these machines is different. Call Ryan Neel or Bob Kovar and see if they have anything used like what you are looking for, they'll treat you right. If they don't have anything, cal David at Atlantic Sewing, he sell a LOT of used machines. Art

And a lot easier than throwing in the whole Turner Broadcasting System. Art

Everyone is putting high importance on websites, and now shopping carts. It costs a pure fortune to get a website and shopping cart system up and running, and I only know one sitebuilder who has much experience in the leather business. Unfortunately, she can't do them all, and most business owners cannot afford the man hours to have one of their experienced people help the techie. So it will take a while for some of them to get things right. I would like to point out that the BEST cart system is right on your desk, the phone. I have used the cart systems a mere handful of times. A few of those times, I got a call the next day from a person at the store to check or clarify my order and I ended up speaking to the owner or manager to answer some additional questions. The leather world still uses the phone, the whole leather world, you will get more and better response from a phone call than you will ever get on a website. Yes, you can look at the pictures on a website, and generally shop, but where oh where will the shopping cart tell you that what you are buying is a piece of crap and will never do what you want it to. When you talk to Ron Stuhlman, Eric Edrich (Hidecrafter), Kevin Hopkins (Springfield Leather), Tim Cox (Zack White), you are talking to years and years of experience just there for the asking and taking, and who are truly interested in you having the best buying experience. When you don't use the phone, you are robbing yourself of the experience and product of many places that don't and probably never will have a website. There was a time in my younger years, when I would NEVER call someone cold for fear of wasting their time. That comfort level got better over time, but got absolutely reset when I had a store (Fishing, Hunting, Guns). I was happy to hear the phone ring. Every phone call was someone wanting something, even if I didn't have it, I gave out a name and number for them to get it, and to please tell him I gave you his number. I started getting calls from folks who were referred by the same guys I was referring. So then I understood a phone call is an opportunity on both ends of the line. So....., websites will come and go, be good, bad, ugly, or nonexistent, and generally support some percent of the business, but a pretty low percentage of it; use the phone, it is really really how this business works. Art

Hi Kenny, Start normally and hold your tails. Sew all the way around the letter and over a couple of the starting stitches making sure to keep the starting tails out of the way. Clip off (leave a couple inches) and pull the top starting and stopping tails to the bottom and tie off or clip or burn off and glue. I don't know what kind of a seamster you are, but if there is a lining, you can remove and reinstall it and get $20 or so more for the job. Art

Hi Ed, With old barge or Masters, If I didn't have a little gloss on the glue after 15 minutes, I would put on another coat and wait again and even on some thirsty leather a third coat. Art

Hi Jack, Edit is down at the bottom of your post, but it only works for a day, then a mod has to do it. Art

Jack, Please post prices, and what ever happened to the three cyclones you said you had and the pictures and prices for them. Art

Hi Chuck, Sometimes Siegel has them, where are you located and how many do you need? Art

Used to be Barge, then they changed it. Now Masters and/or Renia. I learned about Renia from a shoe guy, they have a bunch of different products, but many of them are for synthetics. Some of the Renia hardeners and primers work pretty good with Masters All Purpose too. Art

I would actually go to Melbourne to pick them up. It is one of the beautiful places in Oz. Really a diverse town. Art

Proper Spelling: Junker und Ruh Junker u. Ruh Junker & Ruh The lever operated Junker und Ruh Model SD28 leather stitcher was made in Karlsruhe, Germany, probably in the '30s or '40s and was used in the shoe repair trade. Not easy to find needles for them. Art

Hi Ed, Yes, Weaver, I went into the shop, took a Weaver brass decorative head Chicago Screw bottom and (D5038-SB-1/4 made in Taiwan) threaded a pan headed anodized 8-32 x 1/2 out of a MSC box into it, and it fit perfectly, not loose and not tight, all the way to the bottom of the Weaver screw. Art

Hi Ed, They (the ones that I have) are 8-32. Art

Hi, The 236w, introduced in the 50's I think, was a primary closing machine for shoes. Many of these are still used by custom shoemakers. Parts for these machines are somewhat available. Since both rollers are driven, you might find the belt for the upper one missing (you will have to replace it, well have to is relative, it will run without it, but not as well as with). Both belts might be there, but are old and glazed. In this case, get some of the black belt dressing from the automotive store and use a brush to coat the belts and let the dressing soak in overnight, put as much on as you can. The bobbin cage needs to be removed and everything cleaned out, you will find everything from little lace doilies of thread to broken off needle points. Adjustment for stitch length is a little tricky, there is a manual here: http://parts.singerco.com/IPinstManuals/236W.pdf Art

If you are just diluting the dye, try DEA. If you actually want to color neatsfoot oil, there are products made for that, call Weaver's and ask. Art