DoubleC

Thanks Cheryl, I have a lot to learn still as you can see but I'm having so much fun. sorry took so long to respond, hours all mixed up. That's a night latch design Twin Oaks showed me way back when where you pull the leather through slits in itself, similar to a mystery braid but just one slit. I'll take a close up of it and post it later. Told me it was used when castles were guarded around the hand and saddle so if a guard dozed off he didn't fall off his horse!

First project on the Cobra. Cross Body Bag with Night Latch strap. Things I learned. First, a lesson I relearn daily.....try to be smarter than the project. I didn't think about putting the D rings on until after I'd sewn the sides of the bag. Even a cobra will not change the direction it sews. No matter how nicely you ask. Do not put your fingers in the area of the presser feet. If you do? DON'T drop the presser feet. If you want the machine to sew forward it's most helpful that you don't have it in reverse. Last? When all else fails blame the tension. Seriously first thing besides curly qs I've sewn on the machine.

Bob I can't say enough good things about it. I found out second time I watched the video I had it threaded wrong and it was STILL sewing good. I've sewn soft italian leather and 10 oz veg tanned doubled over and it did both with no problem. I just really love it.

I'm still practicing, haven't done a real job yet. Cobra Steve says it has a learning curve of 2 hours. Maybe if you're a savant, but I'm not, LOL. I agree absolutely with bro Tim, they are huge in person. I'm still afraid of mine a little. Not because they are so big but of messing something up. I've never had something like this new and so nice.

Thanks Steve. Cheryl

Yeah Keenan it is more of a bone color, really pretty with the wood top and brown stand I never have spare cash so can't let that stop you. Space however......thing truly is an elegant beast.

ADOLS, LOL. I'm having a ball with it Bryan!!!!! LOL Bonnie, your EPS Computerized embroidery machine and others, ragged lot they are How ARE you?

I think so too!!! Cheryl

Thanks Brian. Cheryl

What can I say about something this beautiful? I'll let the pictures talk! Cheryl

I sew interiors with my treadle and hand crank singers (27, 128) and have sewn guitar strap linings on etc. If you're not sewing 8 hours a day 7 days a week they'll do the job, seriously. I just bought a cobra 4 and have no intention of getting rid of my 27 and 128 Cheryl

hey I used it full strength when I first started No dumb questions!!!!!

Did you water the acrylics down before applying? If you do you won't get a 'paint' feel to them. I just painted a yellow full moon a while back and it turned out nice. Cheryl

Beautiful work, Cheryl

Mikey these are so cool!!!

I recently did a wallet that was inlaid and had a carved full moon on it http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=galleryℑ=21025 I used cova or similar colors on the moon, may have been angelus. You need to start with you paint watered down and build to a color you like so it won't look plastic. I never use paint full strength for that reason. As you add watered down paint on top of other paint it will work more like a dye in texture and also give you the color you want. I have never colored an entire belt that way so it will be tedious. But it will work. Cheryl

Hi Mark. Get a hand skiver (which may be the tool you found) and 'skive' off some of the leather on the back to make it bend easier. http://springfieldleather.com/24773/Beveler%2CSafety/ This is what I've used for two years. Hope this helps, Cheryl

RT Beautiful job. Cheryl

Christofer we have several threads on here on both. What do you want to repair? Just hand bags? You need to learn some basic skills before you can do either really. I'll be happy to help you with specific questions if I can. Cheryl

Thanks Ian, I'm pretty excited about it. I got a great deal on a Cobra 4 because it's white. A factory mistake. I can't wait until it gets here. I'm glad you had a relaxing day and hope you are happy and relaxed about your decision. Cheryl

Lan these are good questions you're asking yourself and ones 95% of us struggle with all the time. I just jumped in head first into the murky waters of buying a sewing machine that hasn't arrived yet because I can't keep up. Yet my profits to date don't really justify such a purchase. I'm gambling that my profits will increase with it in order to pay for it. I sell at the local farmer's market twice a week and sell very little premade stuff so the majority of my business comes from custom orders. So while it keeps things interesting there's also a learning curve every week. To illustrate I'm currently working on recovering a chair and a woman ask me to make her some 3/8th " purse straps to replace some that were plastic and broke. The purse probably didn't cost what I had to charge to replace them for her. To make it worse where we sell is practically in Walmart's parking lot LOL. I had a guy show me a 16.00 wallet he got there and asked me if I could duplicate it......for 16.00. I'm still chuckling about that although that may not have been my best customer service I've provided. But you know only you can answer these questions for yourself. All businesses I think deal with a poor supply occasionally and that should just be written into your equation when you look at your business plan. Supplies are going to arrive late, damaged, different than what you expected. Customers are going to expect more when they buy hand made rather than less because the Chinese stuff 'looks good' even though we know it's not going to last. I'm replicating a Chines belt right now that's giving me fits on the embossed design it has on it. I can't get it to scan straight and it's going to need taped to the belt when I do to get it on without it sliding. I've been asking myself some of these questions recently because I am slow and I want everything perfect as I can get it when the customer gets it back. I wish I could answer them for you but I can't answer them for myself. Good luck. Cheryl

absolutely gorgeous.....Cheryl

Hi CW. I built a messenger bag a while back http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=galleryℑ=17299 I had no experience in this either. I used a priority mail box, seriously to draw the lines on the leather and get the shape right. I guess I'm kinda a 'try it and see if it works' instead of pattern person. I used chrome tanned on the outside and the inside on both the gusset and the bag is an embossed veg tanned for stability so it's not too floppy. I also used the veg tanned as pockets for folders, etc. I really beat mine up, take it every where, over load it with stuff and it's holding up well. You can see I left my flap the way it came from the supplier. I cut the front panel using the rectangular large priority mail box as a pattern. This would work well for you too. Then I cut the back even to the priority mail box and left it longer and used the excess for the flap. I cut two pieces of veg tanned the size of the box and also a smaller rectangular piece I put under the flap to reinforce where the suitcase handle is. I cut a 4" gusset out of pig for the outside and the same veg for the inside. I glued all the edges together, veg to pig, veg to chrome and started sewing the gusset on. I had to make some modifications as I went along but since it was for me I didn't mind. You could do the same with any kind of leather. If you're going to use all veg tanned use maybe 6 oz for the main body and then 3-4 oz for the pockets inside. Also if you want an outside pocket be sure and cut that and sew it on the back or gusset, where some people put them, before you construct the bag. If you're putting it on the gusset, you can start sewing the gusset to either the front or back and then still have room to line it up and sew the pocket on the gusset before the bag gets difficult to work with. If you want a flap on the pocket this is the time to sew it too. The bag will be the back of your pocket of course. I put a sliding foam filled shoulder protector on mine. If you want that just make sure you make it up before attaching the second side of the strap. This is probably more information than you wanted, LOL but the main thing is to work it out on paper first so you don't forget any steps and have to undo anything. After you list every thing you need to have to do it, make sketches of the finished project so you can remember where you wanted what! I hope this helped. Cheryl

those are really cool! Cheryl

Son279 you can use as many types of leather imaginable just about for belts and wallets. A good place to start is veg tanned, but I made a bison calf wallet, and you can use oil tanned leather to make belts too. The oil tanned will be dyed already, the veg tanned probably not. You don't need a sewing machine to start, everything can be hand sewed and is much cheaper than starting out with a machine. The possibilities are endless so the advice you've been given above is very good. Make some wallets and belts for friends and family to practice. Use your own wallet to see how they are put together, your own belt to decide what you want to use for belts. I hope this helps, Cheryl