Tree Reaper

Contact them, they have some available now and are making other dies to fit the Tandy press. http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRESS-DIE-LEATHER-PUNCH-HOLDER-SET-FITS-ANDYS-PRESS-SUPERIOR-COSTS-LESS/141212867759?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20131017132637%26meid%3D8191004145983462613%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D20131017132637%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D271539584551

Check with BLACK RIVER LASERThey are making dies for these machines now. I bought a set dies from Ohio Travel Bag along with the bench die holder and the adapter for the upper die and it works.

clinch stud or clinch pin.

You can use green masking tape, half on and half off the back of the leather then tape the half off down to your surface.

I have this machine, it's very versatile and dependable. It will require adjustment as will any other machine,don't freak out when it happens, just ask for help. I'm very happy with my CB4500.

I use the thinner made for the specific brand of contact cement I'm using.

A block plane would likely suffice. I use one for belts and it works great but you need to know how to sharpen the blade or get someone in the business of sharpening to put an edge on it. If you start with a little larger piece and tack the edges down then a sander will also work.

Nice work! You can buy escutcheons for decoration and rivet them on. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Brass-Art-Nouveau-Deco-Drawer-Wide-Keyhole-Escutcheon-Furniture-Hardware-2-5-B-/221455334763?pt=Architectural_Garden&hash=item338fc43d6b

I contacted him about two weeks ago for buckles and tips, he was going to put the tips on his web site but I never could find them. I'll try again next week.

Mark; You can copy an existing case, make a case out of two halves from a pattern or make it using a front and a flat back then when you have both sides stitched together, wet mold it. Kevin.

Even a machine without a motor can be hand cranked and made to work just to punch holes without thread. Having the presser foot is a big plus for holding the material down when extracting the needle.

Thanks Bob, that's a little too far south from where I'm headed but I'll check out Tundra in Hamilton, Ontario.

I know Tandy is in Grand Rapids but I'm wondering if there's a leather craft/supply store near Saginaw or Port Huron Michigan?

For sewing it might be time to consider a sewing machine.

Can you drill it and use rivets?

The socket has the spring. http://snaps.dotfasteners.com/ImgMedium/94-12205.JPG

Put it in a vise with leather jaws and clamp it tight to the two sides of leather. Sometimes skiving is required. If you use pliers it will have little dents all the way down.

Can you glue the pieces together along the edge and just poke your awl through where ever you want the holes?

Hello juliabis; I doubt if you'll find that stamp as it isn't common and may have been a special run for a specific manufacture. Some choices would be trace the design and carve it , send the tracing out and have the stamp made or send the leather out and have it done with a laser all dependent on your budget. Kevin.

I take the belts down with the plane and finish them with a drum sander in a drill press. If you want more of a taper just take more material off in the area you want thinner and finish by sanding. I'll start off with the bade barely touching and when it stops removing material I'll drop it down just a little more and keep planing until I have the thickness I want.

I use a block plane.

Nice and clean, good job!

Thicker leather will give you shorter spi.

There's a difference between cutting a straight piece of leather and a square piece. I use a framing square to mark the leather and then measure diagonally corner to corner, if the measurements are the same from both corner measurements then the piece is square. A straight cut is just done using a straight edge.

They can be a pain to get right every time without the use of a proper press.