Go2Tex

So, I come into the shop this morning first thing and look at the strap I stitched last night. Oh jeeze, what a way to start the day. The stitches were all locked at the top. This sort of thing used to happen a lot but hadn't happened for quite a while. Just every once in a while, for no good reason, the thread tension gets wacky and either ends up laying on the bottom, which is more common, or ends up on the top. It was a fairly thin strap but it shouldn't have made a difference. So, I messed with the top tension and it was already fairly loose. The problem persisted. The more I messed, the worse it got. Then, the stitches started going crooked and looking loose and almost like the thread was being split. I changed needles, smaller, then larger. Things just got worse. Finally, I decided to pull the shuttle out and have a look at the bobbin thread tension spring. It was as tight as it could be. I've never been able to stitch with it any other way. I use 277 on top and 207 on the bottom. Well, I remove both screws and the tension spring plate, clean it all up, put it back on and I notice that there is just too much room and almost no tension on the thread with the screw all the way in. I can still push the plate down with my finger. I decided to put a washer under the screw and then ended up putting a spring under the screw and tightened it down. Then I finally got some tension on the thread! I can't believe this is correct. 207 is not the smallest thread that I could use on this machine. Did I get a bad bobbin thread tension spring, or what? Anyhow, long story short, I put it all back together and it worked a lot better. At least the thread was locking in the middle of the leather again but it was decidedly not straight. The stitches were angled. According to the manual, this indicates the needle is too large. Nope. Didn't work. Finally, I just stitched some holes with no thread and noticed that the danm needle wasn't straight. I'm using those awl type needles, 794S I think. I straightened it up, and viola'! Half a day wasted!

Are you sure you don't have Liberal confused with Libertarian? I can see 5000 ranchers being somewhat Libertarian, independent, self sufficient, distrustful of government, live and let live but don't tread on me, a bit reclusive, honest, hard working, patriotic. That does NOT describe Liberals by any stretch. If you consider yourself a Liberal, then maybe you mostly are, I don't know. I'll take your word for it. So maybe not all self described "Liberals" want to take our guns away. But everyone trying to take them away IS certainly a Liberal or worse.

Yeah, excellent background dye job. Quite attractive. I'm wondering what your stitching set-up is. Thread and needle, etc. I'm also interested in how you put those straps on the spurs. As for messing up someone's boots with a spur strap rivet or something...... heh, anyone that wears spurs probably isn't too concerned about a little rub mark. The barnyard "atmosphere" , trail dust, horse sweat, tree limbs , bar stools or whatever else one's boots come in contact with will surely hide them.

They look great and if indeed there is a market for them, I'd get myself a clicker set-up and bang 'em out big time.

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

I wouldn't carry open. I don't want the bad guys to know I have one. It's called the element of surprise.

The problem is, sometimes that works and sometimes it don't. Sometimes you just get dark with no highlights. It depends on the leather.

And I think my point is, maybe you aren't really a Liberal. Oh and by the way, better not be bragging about how many guns you have because the Liberals running the government right now are working their little Liberal fingers to the bone trying to make them all illegal.

Sounds like you were talking to a wind-up doll. Pull the string and she says, "guns are evil". Then her head spins around and green stuff blows out of her sweet little mouth.

Liberals who own guns.... brings up all sorts of issues. Sounds schizophrenic if you ask me. It's like God fearing good ol' boy conservatives who vote Democrat just because their Daddy did. sheesh.....

Ditto all the above.... and I see you got those billets curving the correct way.

Ah well heck, if you want a class on sewing, just come on down here for a week or so and pay me $600 and I'll teach you exactly how NOT to do it. I got a lot of experience at it.

Yes, I know. Every town has a dog club and a shooting club and a brewery. I was involved in Schutzhund for many years and visited Deutschland to attend the Deutscheshaeferhunde Siegershau and Bundesleistungs Siegershau. But that was many many years ago.

Alright alright...'nuf said. Ya shamed me into it. heheh

Dog School in Bavaria? I know of one dog school.... die Zollhundeschule?

That's probably the correct way to do it.... I gathered up as much scrap metal as I could find, including steel wool, put it in the vinegar and left it sit for about a week..... yeah, I think it was strong enough. Took out the metal, and what was left of it, and dipped a piece of leather into the vinegar, which looked about as black as coffee by this time. Yep, worked like a charm. No acetone, alcohol or rinsing. Just oil.

hmmm... sounds like living under a dictatorship. Are you sure you didn't miss something in the news lately? heh heh, ..... like, Communist China invaded or something? Well, although Texas law considers one's vehicle like one's residence for the purpose of concealed carry, [Texas Penal Code Ch. 46.02(a)(2)] , I don't normally feel the need where I go. I almost never drive at night in bad neighborhoods or go to taverns or hang out at the local stop-n-rob. Interesting twist to it, though. The handgun must be concealed in your vehicle. [Ch.46.02(a-1)(1)]. However, I was shocked, SHOCKED I tell ya, when I moved down here and looked up the concealed carry license info. I couldn't believe how damn ridiculous it has become in a State that still believes it's a Republic.... Hell, it was easier and a lot cheaper in that Liberal bastian of Washington State! Which, by the way, was invaded by Communist China I believe.

Really nice work, there. Had to chuckle, though. Reminds me of that episode of Seinfeld when George had his wallet so full of receipts it was too big to carry in his pocket.

Very cool and very interesting. My mind is racing, thinking of where you could go with the idea. Like, hanging those straps from a walnut panel with a routed edge, like a trophy mount type deal. Or, cover the whole thing with carved leather. hmmm...... or, just hang those straps on your bed headboard or footboard.

Well yeah, it depends on what you mean by groove maker. It has a bent shaft with a groove at the end ground to the size bead you want to make. You run it down your cut line and it gives you a parallel line that you can cut, or just keep working the beader until you get your bead looking the way you want. It makes perfect beads. An edge groover slides along the edge of your leather piece and makes a single line, or I guess in a way, it makes a bead with the edge being the first line, like the Tandy adjustable one or the CS Osborne groover. I will use the CS Osborne edge groover to line my straps. I don't bevel the edge first, just get it moist enough to take the impression and hold it, and then work the groover up and down the edge of the strap as it dries. It will round the edge and put a fairly durable line down the edge of the strap. Here is a pic showing a bead made with Barry King's 1/8" beader:

Yeah, you need steep bevelers and or a push beader. Try Barry King tools.

Yup. That's pretty much the idea.

I'm still too cheap to buy clippers. But hey, ya gotta admit I do a pretty fair job with those scissors.

Yeah well, this is getting a bit off topic, but I always find it interesting how people label anything they don't agree with as "rude" unless it's sugar coated. Besides, bribery among public officials has become a way of life in this Country. What's so bad about that accusation? Heck, in Illinois it's like part of your resume to get elected. I think it's a requirement. Like not paying your taxes to be appointed to the President's cabinet. But, thanks for setting me straight on Sweden and I'm happy for ya.... Is there a national sales tax, local sales tax, property tax, car tax, carbon tax, business or corporate tax? I don't see how a country could manage it. Free health care and education for all, probably very generous unemployment benefits too, and partially free child care, excellent roads, and free school lunches!!! all for a few hundred bucks per month. Amazing! I'm afraid it all sounds too good to be true. Someone or some group is paying for it, and I'll just bet it's the upper income earners and/or businesses that are paying through the nose. All that stuff you're getting from mommy government is not free. Is Sweden sitting on huge oil reserves or something? Oh, I know, ... ski wax tax! Blonde hair dye tax? Lutefisk tax? Don't think you mentioned anything about a "right" to gun ownership in Sweden but at least it's nice to know that ya'll don't have to grease anyone's palms to get permission to buy one. I'm not so sure about the rest of Europe. I know that Germany is very restrictive, (not an urban legend but just fact). You MUST belong to a shooting club. And we all know how easy it is to get, let alone keep a gun in jolly old England these days....well, unless you're a criminal. Guess that's why bombs are the weapon of choice over there. Or is that also an urban legend? God only knows what the French require. I hear they have a lot of military surplus rifles available.... How about Italy? Right to own? Right to carry?......ok, besides the Mafia? One thing we do agree on is that things are getting to be about the same here as in Europe and frankly, it scares me to death. We are taxed to death and it's getting worse. We fought a revolution once to free ouselves of the Europeans and a tax rate of about 3% or something like that and it's now in total about 40% on average when you add it all up. It's tyranny, plain and simple. America has become a socialist country. It should be our worst nightmare and what do the voters do? They vote in a guy who admitted he was going to "spread the wealth". Can you say, Marxism?

Tedious ain't the word for it...... and I figure anything Rick did was a lot more work and a bit too unpredictable to be a practical solution at this point. I have a feeling what he did was started out with a black saddle and decided it needed some pizaz so he put the copper on and then went back and sprayed some black on the flower centers and leaves. Don't know, just a hunch.........