Cumberland Highpower

Most of those are pretty valid and on the money points. I got into leatherworking mainly as you said I felt like it was an easy money maker and I wanted a few things. There was a learning curve, but a holster isn't the RD-180. I'd say the learning curve for myself was about a week of full time experimenting and some fine tune skill honing over a year or so. I think the big mistake that newcomers make is that they want to make "Custom" holsters, one customer at a time. There's no money in that. Maybe pocket money, but it's allot of frustration and annoyance and it's almost impossible to read someone else's mind 100%. The customer ends up never being fully happy. There are some pretty successful custom makers out there, but they're a rarity and a good few of them live on some kind of backup income like SS, Army Pension/VA Disability, Oil Royalties, etc. My approach was to make a few lines of holsters that were inspired by big name makers or of my own design and look for retailers who would sell them under their name. If they sold they sold, if not, not. Cheap models always sold the best, about 10x better.

Are you certain you're using the right needles? A needle too short or too long can give you the illusion of being out of time. Might sound like a silly suggestion but sometimes could be the case? Just look over the mechanisms, you should be able to "see" what the problem is with a little careful analysis.

Sewing machines are simple machines and anything can be fixed. It's probably just a timing or adjustment problem rather than a parts one. I don't think that machine can handle much sole work, if any? I think most buy them for things like sewing patches on jackets and shoe upper repair work in 4/5oz or less shoe leather. Positioner on a shoe patcher might be not worth the effort, you'd be better off just to set it up to run slow. Positioners are more for speedy production machines and a patcher isn't really one. Slow sewing design w/small bobbin.

I'd have to agree with that! 25 years ago I didn't have a choice, and didn't see it that way. I made a living making holsters for over a decade, and looking back, was pretty good money. I started with $200 and a 90 day loan against my 10 year old VW Golf (bought a stitcher). I made ALLOT of holsters of all types, mainly on contract. I rarely make holsters now and keep looking for something that just requires pushing a big red button. CNC, etc! LOL.

I like that answer. Sometimes my die maker is amazed by all the residual pencil marks, arcs, curves, lines and intersects he finds all over the cardstock. I tried to learn Fusion 360 and partly have, but I'd just as soon use an old way of doing something than to sit for hour/s doing that.

I bet that hurt... in 20 years I've only been bitten really good once. It was with one of my little machines that I use allot. What got me? The new "silent" ISM servo I had installed on it. I went to flip the thread out from under the feet with my finger and right then it decided to put the needle down. (had been fiddling with the positioner and didn't have it secured. Drove the needle right through my finger, clean through the bone and out the bottom. I was running 138 thread so I did have a heavy needle in it-But I'm surprised it didn't break/shatter.

I'm curious, what's the most popular weight or weights of Rawhide "Mauls" used for leatherwork? I've never actually used one until recently, mainly just used hammers and mallets made from hard rubber/plastic or wood. Just curiosity mainly, I used one for the first time at a friends place to whack a punch. Not the svelte classy type you see in leatherworker catalogs with the leather handles, but rather a more industrial rig with what looked like an ash handle but having the same head design as any other leather maul. I'd say I found it pretty effective, yet a bit clumsy?! A little intrigued all the same, might like to add a couple to our tools.

I'm just as guilty as you. On the grinder guards I had a bit of repentance though. A family friend was using a large angle grinder with cut off wheels (and no guard) and the disc exploded. He actually lost part of 2 fingers.....After that I at least use a guard when using cut off wheels, and leather gloves! LOL

If you're just working by yourself you don't want guards/wires in your way. It's bad enough sometimes with all the mechanisms of the feet blocking your view/work. If you have employees, I'd probably go that route though. Just what you need to start your day, an OSHA visit over a minor injury/hospital visit. If someone is injured and they find out they'll cite you for every possible and even questionable violation in your shop, including the needle guards you removed from your presser feet. I've been told they'll negotiate down to a lower amount, but they'll always want to start with as high a dollar amount as possible for leverage. I hate to say it Digit, but America is a nanny state too. We're overtaxed, overregulated and overwatched. It's just hidden a little better and the general public is a bit more on the naïve side of life compared to the average European.

The 335 in your top photo looks like it's a clone based on a new type casting Pfaff.(I guess is obvious) I've no experience with "Typical" machines or many clones in general, but the Pfaff 335 is a pretty decent machine for some/most of the work you're looking to do. Most of the Pfaff 335 machines were set up for binding work, but not all. I'm guessing the Typical probably follows the same trend? Dont buy one set up for binding. I've owned Pfaff 335's and I could run 138 top and bottom, same with my Seiko LSC-8 machines. The narrow cylinder arm comes in handy sometimes, but being lazy would prefer the top loading bobbin. Some (many) of the top loaders use larger bobbins anyway and you'll probably like that. Might be a consideration and something ELSE to dwell on. I've done allot of really fine (beautiful) work on my Seiko LSC's...Some work that you might struggle to do on others, but I don't particularly love how the bobbin loads. In fact, I'll use other machines at times just so I can avoid having to reload bobbins. I'd still opt for the "Typical" 318 version (if it were me). But lots of good choices mentioned here.

Cutting the middle man out does seem to pay off sometimes. He's in Paraguay, so it looks like he's importing it to Miami, then forwarding it to Paraguay for an additional $540. That would but a head in a box to his door @ $1124. Then adding a table/motor. Probably some savings, but wonder if it's worth the gamble for someone who's just starting out or having limited funds they've saved up? I just assumed Paraguay had some hefty import taxes. Sounds like maybe it's not so bad?

For some reason I'd probably not go the Alibaba route. I see you're in Paraguay. Besides freight, what about import tariffs, and paperwork? Are they considerations? The cost is so low on the Alibaba unit, I wonder if you'd literally be getting what you pay for? (low) The one on Ali is also just a head.. A table/motor might $400-600 if you don't have one. Of course it might be the best deal in the end...But may not be. Your local dealer has machines in stock, ready to go. See if he'll negotiate? Sometimes a U shaped table is ok. for smaller goods like wallets/bands and some smaller bags it's not bad at all. It can give you a place to rest things as well as your left arm now and then. IT's a handicap for larger goods though.

I'd probably just buy this machine. I like the Singer/Seiko clones and this one has a reverse that's maybe easier to use (opinion). Don't know what size bobbin that "Typical" uses....So I'm guessing it's the "Typical" bobbin? Wonder if you have a little ability to negotiate with the merchant on price? When you ask for advice everyone has a different idea of what a machine should be used for. It's also pretty easy to spend someone else's money.... You can sew allot of various things on this machine. You can sew handbags and wallets on this machine no problem. watch bands also. A smaller diameter cylinder arm would be a plus on maybe an infrequent occasion, but this might be all you need? Heavy saddle work? No, but sounds like that's not your thing anyway. The 341 clones are a good choice but not necessary if it is more expensive. It's kinda like asking a farmer what tractor you should get to move hay? One would say a Ford, one a Deere and another a Kubota. The Deere and Kubota may have wet brakes and better hydraulics, but the Ford will move the hay bales around just the same-And for less money.

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I'd probably be willing to pay $300-500 for really good quality, high torque brushed servo that was a simple unit like that. Something bullet proof, easy to use and strong as an ox. Doesn't really have to be restricted to a "middle-priced" unit necessarily.

It looks to me that you've just drummed up a thread on this forum to make sales of what you already market, Right? You're asking for input on "designing" a new servo, yet debate every time someone mentions a point or suggestion contrary to what you're already marketing/selling. For example when a member suggests options for supply voltages, you just jump to market your "Kenedyne" motor as it's available in both. You should have said, that's a great idea, we'll incorporate that into the worlds best heavy servo motor that we're working on, maybe we'll make it a dual voltage, plug and play unit! If you're looking to design a servo for leatherworkers to use on heavy stitchers, follow our collective advice and be open minded. If you want to add all these features including a ridiculous "jog dial" you're not really going to get anywhere. ISM in the Republic of China already has the best servo going with all those "other" features we don't really need. The ISM SV-71 650w servo is around $300. I bought mine from College Sewing machine for 189GBP ($258). Those units are light years ahead of any of the lower cost PRC made units and not all that inferior to a Ho Hsing unit. Maybe I'm a little too skeptical, I don't know. It could be something innocent like a mistake in translation from English to Chinese, or maybe a cultural communication mismatch? The members here buy Servos for 2 reasons. 1) Better low speed control 2) Needle Positioning Those are the only major advantages they have over a clutch motor and yes, clutch motors are very much still a thing. They're nearly indestructible, basic, easy to adjust, and power machines along all day, every day. I actually like the faint hum they make, you know the machine is on. Yes, they do consume a little more power, but unless you have a shop floor with 100-+ machines running, it's not an issue. If you factor in maintenance/repair/replacement of burned units as well as electricity consumption over a 10 year span, servos could and probably do, carry a higher cost. I have 21 clutch motors operating on my shop floor, the oldest date on one is 1967, the newest is dated 1993. (Most all are made in Taiwan/ROC back when that wasn't really a great thing quality wise). I seriously doubt any brushless servo would last 30-50 years?

On a standard size Adler 205 clone, the jog dial concept is a bit ridiculous to redundant. The handwheel is as close a reach as the jog dial when you're sitting in front of it. Adler has it on the 969 because the handwheel is a much further reach. A jog wheel on a standard machine is also a poor idea because of it's diameter. The handwheel is very large, and can afford a very fine control over the needle. The "long arm" machines you're mentioning (Such as the model below) with the extra front mechanical hand wheel are probably 1% of the heavy stitchers out there. I'd gamble most anyone with one of those is either set up with a heavy Clutch Motor, or a quality Efka or similar. I just pulled the first random long arm machine image I found with a Google search. As you can see this lower end Chinese machine looks like it's equipped with a either Ho Hsing servo or a close clone that's probably 5x the cost of a run of the mill Chinese brushless servo. I kinda doubt a $100-150 servo you're working on would be the right piece of that particular puzzle? I would maybe suggest not concentrating on that particular market? You're soliciting input from a forum of fairly competent people but It feels like you're debating the input? Is it that you've already designed the "perfect" servo and just haven't released it yet, and don't like what you read?

I think the Jog dial is pretty lame on a stitcher, unless you have a machine that's a mile's reach to the handwheel. LCD screen with multi function display/features is just as lame, confusing to new users and equally annoying to a seasoned one. So is the typical plastic Chinese made rocker switch/power switch that is good for about 25 cycles. What you need is a basic quality steel toggle switch on/off, a knob that you can twist for speed control (speed control only) and an option for a positioner needle up/down also controlled by basic toggle switches. (flip on, twist flip and done) Those features along with some serious low speed torque and you'd have it. An additional plus, would be one that can actually be compatible with a speed reducer and positioner at the same time and not throw an error at a 4:1 ratio. The problem with the modern programmable servos is that they're made to a price point and expected to function with a wide array of machines of various designs. Lots of functions can be a good thing, but most here that buy a "Cowboy" stitcher or something similar want simple, smooth, easy to use and lots of torque.

I think they were kinda standard across a few different machines back in the day. I have a couple Singer Post bed heads in the corner, and one is a WW machine. I think both have the same hinge system as yours. Might not be so hard to find as one could think? Wish I had some leads for you though.

When I bought my first Randall it belonged to a Jockey who did repairs down in Florida. He ran Barbours 4 cord...But not in Wax. He ran water in his lube pot. Apparently it worked. Stitching looked pretty decent and there was no residue of liquid wax or whatever. Of course that means the thread would be dry in the leather w/nothing to really protect it down the road. I never followed his advice other than just to try it out. On the UL's I run mostly nylon mostly in oil. On those machines there is a bit of a difference where the lock sets from nylon to poly. (stretch) but always works out well. What you need is 2 or 3 UL's...That way you can set one for Nylon, One for Poly and a spare for Linen if you run it sometimes! LOL

I have "one" piece of possibly solid evidence you might be able to use as a Rosetta Stone of sorts?. Solid being open to how you read into it...LOL I have a Randall with a serial just barely over 200 and someone scratched their initials and date into the machined surface front of the machine above the awl. Dec 23, 1913. I had the machine for 15 years before I noticed it under the patina. I'm guessing it's either an inspector at Randall?? or the original owner of the machine making his mark when he received it.

I've heard that for 25 years but I think it's mostly a myth? I've run hundreds of lbs of Nylon and Poly and everything is always 100%

We're making a small run of some antique type tooling. I find some of the rawhide pieces used are pretty thick. I may end up doubling up if I end up using 5/6. I looked over the link. I was surprised to see horse rawhide as well as goat. Up to this point I've never used a single piece of rawhide on anything, but have worked a very substantial amount of tanned leathers. So I can say I both "know" and "dont know" what I'm doing with confidence! LOL

What's the thickest/heaviest weight Rawhide out there? Bovine or something similar. Been looking for some really heavy sides/double shoulders but can't seem to find anything over 5/6oz....Would like to find something heavier. Any leads/ideas?

When my "work van" with a 3.6 Pentastar went out of warranty 10 years ago I started using 10w30/40. Was cheaper to buy as a generic than 5W-20. I've seen no negativity over the years and have 350k on it. No apparent decrease in fuel economy or hard starting in cold either. In a general sense it makes no difference in most applications.