marronne

Excellent news! Always good to get these lovely old machines going again

I meant to say a release agent but WD-40 came out ! We use Holtz Degrippant here in France which works a treat. Thanks for the extra info on WD-40 !! @mikesc Hope you get her un-stuck @Hoowzer. We have found that in the Singer 29Ks we've renovated, they get stuck at the head - it feels like the wheel but it's in the head. We've had some really stuck ones too - almost broken for parts, but we've managed to get them back - using Holtz Degrippant !!!

What we do to start is to squirt WD-40 or equivalent in all moving parts crevices, holes etc.. Others use a bath of various fluids like diesel to soak the whole machine. I'm sure you're going to get lots of different comments on diffetent techniques, everyone is so helpful. @Constabulary is an expert renovator of the old iron ladies on here and is always ready to share his tried and tested methods

So glad you got this sorted @vanessaFrance. Thanks for sharing. Particularly useful for me as like you and @mikesc, I'm in France too and it could be useful for future dealings - you never know.

Hello Vanessa Sorry to hear about this - I can only imagine how you feel!. I'm in France (based in Orne, Normandy). I'm into the vintage bourrellier and sellier leather machines but should I come across anyone looking for a more modern one, I'll tell them to watch out! There is an English leatherworker chap in Brittany I think, who is also on this forum but his username escapes me for the moment. I shall follow your post, it would be interesting to hear about the distributor's reaction/response.

Same knot, different name Nice little video - easier to follow than my pic above

I think a form of turk's head is used as the scout woggle in the UK. For info, I use a piece of PVC pipe to do my pineapple knots on and then slide it over whatever. So much easier that way. :)

Another great restoration. Really great that you share all your machines on the forum

Typed the last post on my phone in bright sunlight ! Hopefully there won't be typo in this post lol Here's a pic of how to do the knot. The leather strap on the brow band is just cut in two and the knot done at the start of the split and so it'll act like a button. The knot can be doubled, following the original strand which gives it a fuller "4 strand" look but it is only done with 2. It resembles the diamond knot on the rope halters - the one under the chin. I use this knot on keyrings. The one below is in paracord.

At last, a auestion i can answer as braiding and knots are my thing! This is a 2 strand knife lanyard knot. Looks complex but pretty easy to do. I'll post a pic ftom my knot book

Hello We recently bought a hand-made western saddle for my husband and his horse. It had one previous owner, it was made for him as a gift about 15 years ago. The saddle has been stored inside but not cleaned or oiled regularly, certainly not in the last 10 years I reckon. The leather is as stiff as a board - you have to fight with the fender to get the stirrup on the horn lol The leather is a beautiful light caramel colour and it has some scratches and gouges here and there. The shearling may also have to be replaced as the wool is starting to come off in places. Interestingly, the saddle comes out darker in the photo On my own saddle I use leather conditioner, NF oil and glycerine soap. However, knowing that NF oil can darken leather over time, we are wondering if there are any other oils that can be used on leather that will preserve the original colour on the new saddle. Also, what products are available to restore the leather from the scratches and gouges (they almost look like mousey teeth-marks!) - are there fillers or the like? The same as you can get for wood? We've recently restored a McClellan saddle which was also "stiff as a board" but we didn't mind the colour darkening so we used NF oil. Look forward to any help, tips or advice that you can give us We're in France so we may not be able to get hold of some of the products a lot of you may use in the US :( Thanks in advance :)

Hi. I braid horsehair bracelets etc and I also shampoo/washing up liquid and hang on the line, but that is pre-braiding. Washing then steaming is obe way but also have you thought about ceramic hair straighteners? I've had great success with some stubbornly curly horse hair! I've even used the spray lotion that goes with the straighteners.

Oh wow! I'd be right there too but I'm on the wrong side of the pond too. Good luck with the sale.

It's similar to my Claes Atlas saddler's machine (virtually identical to an Adler II) which I paid 100 euros for - with original table and treadle (now have two - they're breeding). @Constabulary helped a lot with info and I see he's already posted. I found quite a bit of info on French blogs for my machine but nothing in the UK or US, except on here.

Hello To continue this very interesting topic of cobbler's machines and emblems/coats of arms ... we recently purchased this handsome gentlemen in France for restoration. It looks like a Durkopp 17 but the bobbin winder is completely different - fixed higher up the stand and with its own gear wheel. Also, a gear wheel is visible to the left of the balance wheel, which does not seem to feature in the Durkopp 17 range. There are no names nor decals - only faint traces of leaves. We can find no serial number - just "35" stamped on a small square plate on the head of the machine. It also has a boat shuttle with the hook mechanism for drawing in the top thread. The crest is interesting - clearly Bielefeld with the castle and chevron shield and also Schmidt with the big S but it looks like there is a D and C in the shield on the eagle's chest. So what is it we are wondering? @Constabulary or @shoepatcher - with your combined encyclopaedia of machines do you have an idea? I hope I've described it enough to help ... along with photos. Thanks

Brilliant! Thanks for the info Wizcrafts

Just dug out the needle that came with the Atlas and put it under the magnifying glass - it's a METWAR 200. Is that sounding about right for the machine?

Amazing! What a transformation. The Adler is like the Atlas twin!

Did you manage to find your manual Constabulary? I'm looking for needles (harpoons) for her now - they measure 7cm from tip of shank to top of eye and are approx 2mm diameter. I've seen that there are some Leo Lammertz needles around on the internet - someone trying to sell a pack of 10 for 30 euros ! Does anyone have any suggestions/recommendations?

Thanks everyone. I eventually purchased a really good condition Singer 29k58 and a German Claes Atlas machine which needs some renovation but is a beast of a machine especially for heavy duty leather work. It has 8cm harpoons for needles! Which I'm trying to find at the moment - I have one but would like to have a stock! The posts by Matt S and Wizcrafts on deciphering numbers on needle packets is a real help to understanding the different systems. A pic of my Atlas is below. She's oiled and is turning. The inside is remarkably clean considering she's been in a barn for years. She desperately needs some TLC. Looking fwd to getting her up and running properly. May re-do the japanning on the bed but will certainly be leaving the decals on the stand alone - just gentle cleaning and polishing. Some of her metal bits have responded well already! This machine is not well know in the US nor in the UK. I'm in France (but I'm English and she's German :/ ) Looking for a nice bit of wood for a table and proper Atlas treadle irons - someone put her on a Singer treadle. She was used on a Trotter's Yard here in France to make and repair harnesses for the horses.

Hello Can you help me? I'm looking at getting a 1950s Singer 15-32. There doesn"' seem to be much information about it on the internet apart from that it is the more robust sister to the Tailor's Singer 31-15. I want to work on horse gear - thick canvas, horse rugs, 1/4 wool felt and soft bag leather. I have read that it will cope admirably - is this the case? Would very much appreciate any advice and opinions on the 31-32 and also the 31-15. Also, if anyone knows of any info on line anywhere ...... Many thanks