ramrod

would you please send one my way, too? my email address is tkramsey@gmail.com thank you very much

i was told that you could even fashion an awl out of masonry nails, somtimes calld "cut nails". i don't have any on hand or else i'd try it. but i'm going to use a hex wrench on my next go around.

these are so cool! i love the patina on the leather. why can't i be smart enough to think of this? LOL you've got to keep us posted on how you're doing with these.

oh, not good. did you feed it all at once....or just skive a small amount at a time?

yup....it ain't fast no matter what. after i groove it, wheel it and make my holes, i can get what lizard gets - about 6 per minute. if you read stohlman's book, they say that speed will come with time. but i feel i'm faster if i punch the holes first. i'd like to pay homage to the old timers and punch the hole, stitch and repeat (while not dropping the needle) but i never taught myself that way. funny thing - when i punch all of the holes first, i thought that i was the ONLY one that did it that way.

lol..... i couldn't reply until now. i'm glad i returned to see all of the excitement. thanks to all for the replies. photoshutter - your's is what got me to post this thread. i'm really in need of one. i wonder if toledo bob has one?

yup, just like the title says. i need an adjustable material guide for a 211w155. i'm not sure if they are manufacturer specific or not. can someone help? thank you

i've noticed no one bit on this one. try posting it n the leather sewing machines section. it'll prolly get a response.

the one thing to keep in mind is that when you drill instead of use an awl, you're removing material from the leather with the drill bit. i personally don't like the thought of doing that. using an awl removes no material as it simply spreads the leather fibers aside.

you did a fantastic job on the attache. i like the rustic look. i can see why someone would want to pay to have one made. strictly as a presonal preference, i tend to not leave any flaps without some kind of stitching - just for visual interest. i like to run a row of stitches - strictly for decoration - around the leading edge of the flap. the only other thing i would do is to put a few sitches (along with the existing rivets) in the small pieces that hold the straps in place.

must be too busy to respond.

i think you're on the right track, mike. but what probably would have to be done is to wet form it, let it dry and then immerse it in hot a wax / rosin mix (or something similar) to get it to set as well as waterproof it at the same time.

i was fooling around and made a ring similar to that one. as soon as it got wet it was ruined. it completely collapsed. you've just inspired me to make another one. i actually never thought of waterproofiing it.

excellent idea.

if you are handy with a grinder and a drmel tool, you can make some very nice awl blades. i make mine out of roofing screws. they are quite hard and can still be worked quite well. i have several of differing lengths. all are very sharp. what i really need is some awl handles! i'm swimming in blades. david mentioned putting washers on the blade to get a consistent depth of penetration. i simply use my index fingertip to guage the depth. i keep it a fixed distance from the tip while using the awl. it works quite well - and it's free.

i used to think that the entire awl blade needed to be sharp. but others on this forum have written that only the point needs to be sharp - and crazy sharp at that! that's pretty much how mine is now. and if you think about it, it makes sense - you really just need the penetration from the point and the blade will naturally follow. i'm overstating the obvious here, but you probably can understand that it makes sense.

nice find! did they ship it to you?

i've never heard of them, but the horse is a beauty! complete with scars and everything. what a nice piece. BTW....the pics are a tad large - makes for hard viewing. you might want to resize to 640x480.

wow! another great thread. the scariest thing for me is the same as you jazz. it's making the leap to more complicated projects. graduating to more of a professional. the way i've been getting around that is: i'm finding that i'm leaving a LOT of projects incomplete. i've got them everywhere! my subconscience is telling me that if i never finish it, i can't screw it up. i gotta stop that. i've been at this for a dozen years now, i should start to become more comfortable with taking on more complicated jobs, but i'm not.

just spotted this thread. i think that tandy sells a very sharp pointed needle called a glovers needle. thinking out loud here....i wonder if the tip can be dulled on either sandpaper or a small grinding wheel? that might be the needle you're after.

i have a 1-591 that i bought 4 years ago. it is a beast - like doubleC said, no one told it it wasn't a leather machne. it is very capable if not a bit touchy to set up correctly (it's probably just me). i've since been given a 211g155 and i love it. i'm going to sell the 1591 someday. no need for it.

i'll do the same thing to the backside of copper rivets. they solder nicely to a nickel or wheat penny. i gotta try to do it to snaps. that is a great idea.

i use the weldwood contact cement. what i like to do is use the old can to work from. i'll buy a new can and pour about 1/8 of it into the old can and keep working out of the old one. it helps to keep the new can fresher by not opening it often. plus, if i do happen to leavve the lid open for too long, i've only ruined a tiny bit of glue. another thing....i keep using the old chip brush. it gets caked with glue and looks like it should be thrown out, bit if i keep reusing it, only the tip of the bristles will get soft from the new glue. it helps me to have more control over where the glue is applied if i have a stiffer brush.

i'm in the same boat as far as charging friends - i pretty much give everything away. if it's anything like a camera case i've made for myself, I would end up charging about 60 bucks....depending on who was buying.

i've used it. and the reason i did use it was because of the multitude of colors available. i didn't wax it nearly enough (looking baack on it) and didn't really like the stuff. it seemed to be "loose" and "fluffy" so i didn't feel like i got a decent stitch with it. loved the colors, tho.