mrdabeetle

I opened up the machine and the set screw on the timing shaft has moved a couple of millimeters. (marks can be seen where it has been moved) I moved it back into the deepest mark made by the set screw and tested a scrap of 6oz. veg tan. It stitched perfectly, so I tried stitching the garment leather again and it stitched fine until I got to where the leather is folded over where seams join and it skips stitches again. It isn't birdnesting anymore, but it is skipping stitches.

Needle size is 18/110. Thread is Z69 nylon. I'll take a look at the machine again and see if I can give you more accurate info.

I'm using a Singer Heavy Duty 4452. I'm making a leather bodice. It has been sewing perfectly for the 4oz. outer leather, but when I try to sew the 1oz. lining, the thread starts birdnesting on the bobbin side and ripping at the needle eye. I've tried adjusting the tension. I've changed the needle to a new one. I have checked the bobbin orientation and re-threaded the machine. The only other thing I can think of is the timing, but the needle seems to be in the right place when looking through the bobbin case. I've been sewing stage costumes for 10 years, but don't do much machine sewing leather. Please help if you know what I'm not seeing. I've been fighting this thing all day and the project is overdue.

Not exactly the same thing, but with some modifications, this should work. http://myinnerneedtocreate.blogspot.com/2011/05/handmade-mei-tai-baby-carrier.html

These are from 'The art of making leather cases vol. 2' by Al Stohlman. There are several different methods of doing this depending on the style of bag. I suggest buying these books from Tandy. They are very helpful for learning construction techniques.

This is the inside of a spaulder. All of the plates cascade off of leather straps that run vertically on the inside. The breastplate is attached to the 'body' plate on the outside using a short buckled strap with a few holes for adjustment spaced 1/4" apart in the front and a short riveted strap in the back. The chest and back are buckled on the outside like in this pic. As for scaling the armor, these are for a generic proportioned male. Parts can be altered to fit. You will need to do a poster print, leaving the scale at 100% (not fit to page) as seen below.

I save my dry dye applicators for this specific purpose. When you brush the dry applicator onto a freshly died piece, the fresh dye pulls the color from the dry one. I quickly blend the color using the wet applicator and it makes a nice aged look.

Here is an updated link to the patterns. I apologize for the wait. I've been busy.

The corners of the flap where the stitching creates the belt loops need to be reinforced. These are stress points and cause the leather to rip away from the stitches. When the belt forces the loops to curve around the body, those points will start to tear. A single rivet will prevent the rip or you can stitch a teardrop shape on the ends to spread the stress. If you use leather lace instead of thread, this is not an issue at all because the lace will stretch where the thread will not. I know that it sounds like I have nothing good to say, but managing stress points will greatly improve the longevity of your products. You have made a very accurate historical pouch. Thank you for sharing your work.

We don't see much upholstery type stuff here. Thanks for sharing!

The tan pigment has lots of yellow in it. It will mellow over time. Great looking case!

The only thing that would make this better is if the hardware all matched. You can get the antique brass snap hooks from hardwareelf.com and sometimes on etsy.com and Tandy sells the antique brass rivets in several sizes. Craft shops often have them with scrap-booking stuff. I hate to sound like I'm being mean, but the mismatched finish on the hardware takes away from the impeccable quality of the carving and coloring.

I think it would look better stitched. You would need to part the fur to keep it from getting caught in the thread and dragged through the holes. It would certainly last longer stitched. I never use glue as a permanent solution. I always use glue to temporarily hold the parts in place before stitching and/or riveting. As the leather ages and the item flexes with use, the fibers loosen and glue will eventually come away from the leather. Glue is fine for shoes because the sole wears and gets replaced. That's my two cents. You can test the glue method on some scrap. If it works for you, go for it. There are some videos on youtube where shoemakers use glue. Watch the way they rough the surface to allow the glue to bind better. This makes a world of difference. Good luck to you and I hope you find/create a method that works best for you.

Shapeways has a 2d to 3d print option that can create a 3d image from a silhouette. I made a makers mark stamp for less than $10 including shipping. When it wears out or breaks, I can just have another printed and shipped.

To get straight stitching holes in garment leathers, apply masking tape or painters tape to the edge of the leather <FLESH SIDE ONLY!>. Scribe a stitching line where you would like your stitch to go. Using a lacing/thonging chisel, punch the holes along the line. Remove the tape, and you are ready to stitch. Ignore the crooked magnet snap, I fixed it later I also use masking tape and a scribed line when I am hand cutting long strips of garment leather for flogger falls or straps. I hope this is useful to someone.