ramrod

absolutely stunning! what a great imagination and a perfect execution. very nicely done. you made a great use of colors and texture. it reminds me of an old comic book. what would be cool is if you did several others in this style that, when put together, would make a complete picture. just a thought.

you did a great job on this, jim. thank you for the hard work. it saves the rest of us a lot of time and trouble. i won't tell you the number of belts i've made that were way too small.

i saw a video (or read) where someone said that singers can be fixed with hand tools - a hammer and straight slot screwdrivers - but you can't buy a singer screw in a hardware store. ironic. it seems thread sizes are a proprietory secret.

i can't say for sure, but it's most likely a veg tan cow. perhaps it was burnished with something like a piece of glass to get it smooth and a bit harder. when that desk was made. they had only veg tan leather - and most likely cow. edit - now that i think about it, horse could have been used also. it's very smooth and has a firm hand to it.

i bought some pigskin from tandy a while back. it's veg tanned and is very close to suede. i lined the last belt i made with it just for the reason you describe. it doesn't slip. i've made several belts with suede lining. yes, it might have to be roughed up from time to time, but it really grabs on. another thing i've noticed about wearing a belt - it often comes down to just how many belt loops are on your pants. i knoe for a fact that the newer levi's come with only five (??!!) loops. now, how cheap is that? there is just too much distance between loops to make your belt keep from riding up over your waistline. i have an older pair of levi's that has eight loops. just right. so now, when i get a new pair (i buy all of my jeans from ebay - cheapre, preworn, washed and broken in) i will take some loops off of my older jeans and add them to my new ones. yes, a bit off topic, but i think it's a bit relavent to belt comfort. it's not always the belt that's the problem.

i would mix them - and i have. i made a beautiful pair of riding chaps for a friend. it was all hand sewn except for the zippers running down each side. those were machine stitched. i figured with such long, straight runs, i could do it in less than two minutes if machine sewn. after that, it was all by hand. if i had to do it over again, i would make them the same way. what a time saver, and there is no compromise in quality. i made sure to let the client know what i had done.

i'd love to see what you made, but my computer won't download that file extension. could you post pics on this thread?

very cool! i would love to make one of these - just not for me. you certainly wouldn't need any stiffener with 8-9 oz leather.

if it were close by and available, $75 is fair. even if the parts aren't available right away - or they have to be fabricated, it's still a useable piece of machinery. better to use it than have it at the bottom of a lake.

way to go, uwe. but that first link is the copy i already have. you're right about the gray scale. way too much contrast in those manuals. i wish i had a pristine copy. i'd be happy to donate. looks like i'll be googling this one.

i'm at 10 spi for watch straps. 12 would be a bit tight for me, but i'll bet it would look good.

i'm in the same boat as you. i've just been looking through my ahem...."service manual." it looks like the copier was on it's last leg. but i'll +1 your request....does anyone have a readable copy that we can use?

you did a great job on that strap. nice and clean. yeah - you'll want a better watch now. you can't fail with a seiko auto. they're the honda of the watch world. run forever.

the burnisher motor is a great idea.

ok, now that THAT bit of controVersy is over, we might just add: never again! how could you? oh yeah - you needed the money. it's allowed. ONCE. very cool idea. and what a monster.

excellent! it's clear now. i've been casting on occasion and didn't realize what it was. excellent post, grmnsplx. thank you

this is very close to my method, too. occasionally, i will have a run if stitches that are less than desireable - i just don't let it get too far before i pull them out and start over. now, i'm a bit embarrassed by this question as i have sewn leather for about 15 years. but what is "casting the thread"? i know i've heard of the term before, but never really got it. also, what is the value of tying a know with each stitch?

hey butch, yes, i'd love to get this pattern. tkramsey@gmail.com ......thank you.

i use a crazy sharp wood chisel. 1/2" wide for more control.

when i made a vest years ago, i glued it only at the edges - such as the bottom and the arm holes and then did decorative lacing at all edges to hold it. it acts like stitching to hold the liner, but gives it a finished decorative look as well. it's a lot of work, but the end result is very nice. short of doing it that way, you might glue the edges and roll the leather over top of it and run a stitch through it. kind of like a rolled edge on a wallet.

well, if you don't have a skiving knife, you could use a wood chisel. it should be extremely sharp.

LOL...i'm such an idiot (bangs head on desk). that's actually what i meant. seems there are more bronze watches on the market lately. it's on my list. thanks for that buckle link, jwallace. i've been looking for a site to buy some. sweet! a seiko diver. are you on the SCWF site?

that is a great detail - using rawhide to reinforce the handles. they will last forever doing it that way. you did a very nice job on this project. great details.

etienne - you can glue up the strap on both sides and it will not always be stiff. you don't need anything to "slide past" anything else. one thing i've noticed is that iwerks and jonasbo put only one or three holes in the strap. i use one in mine. that's all i need. i'm not gonna grow or shrink so tht the strap won't fit. nice watches guys....i'm in love with the speedmasters.and breitling is on my list also....the makara is brass? sweet!