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DoubleC

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Posts posted by DoubleC

  3. Posted · Report reply

    I have one I'm sitting here looking at an electronic one that I got from sew-classic with other parts that I didn't use, ended up putting my old one back on. I told her I was returning this one. I think I will for sure now and get one of Bob's. Yeah the one button foot controllers are hard to use, especially since I know 10 times more about the machines than I do sewing :-)

    I guess I like the little bugger, especially after all the time I put into rebuilding the motor and associated gears.

    I recently started a Singer (or sewing machine) anonymous :-) SMA...there's three of us so far, another one here and a girl in California who bought two of my machines, wanna join? You acted last time like you just as soon kick yours to the curb as look at it, but you didn't fool me. I've seen you have different machines for sale on here, but not that one since I've been a member. You can admit it, the minute you touch one of these black iron and usually tons of rust Singers, and cussing bring it back to usefulness you're addicted :-) Seriously it is hard Wiz because you realize you just gave usefulness for another 100 years to something that was headed to a scrap heap. Try that with one of these plastic things that pass for sewing machines these days. The 15-91 is inelegant, short, squat, plain decals, and usually has chips and clear coat loss because they WERE used so much. They remind me of Halflingers next to a beautiful black Percheron. Anyone can BUY a machine, bringing it back from near extinction feels totally different!

  4. Posted · Report reply

    My Singer 15-91 sews about the same as yours does on leather. It is okay up to about 1/8 to 3/16 inch, then it gets very hard to penetrate additional layers or feed them without dragging down the stitch length. It only uses thin #69 thread (11 pound test). I did try to use a #20 needle and #138 thread in mine and almost blew up the motor.

    You can buy a solid state control pedal that will give you much better control of the motor. I got mine from Toledo Industrial Sewing Machines. I had to wire it up, but from what I read from you, wiring a pedal won't be a problem.

    BTW: I bought my 15-91 from a local Salvation Army store for $75.00 plus tax. I now have about $175 in it, after buying replacement parts, an even-feed foot and the solid state pedal.

    I know Wiz, you mentioned what you had in it. Why don't you sell it hon since you don't use it? You could that price any day of the week out of it. I'd line every wall in my house with them if I could :-) Once I got the tension right I was able to go from material to material with an 80 needle and quilting thread. OK, I didn't do this earlier because I thought, oh Cheryl who cares, but I have to show you before and after pics if you'll indulge me. I'll talk to Bob about the foot (nice job on his website, now put an order form of some sort on there please?)

  5. Posted · Report reply

    I can't believe it's been almost a month since I started this thread. I sold all but the 15-91 and just got it put back together today after a complete overhaul. New wiring, cleaned inside and out, new oil and grease, and when I hooked everything up I didn't get a Bride of Frankenstein 'do' and that made me really happy. We had a few burps and balks starting out while the grease got distributed and I got all the tensions set right. According to the manual once I did it would work for about any material with only changing the tension of the foot. Manual was right, I've sewn chintz, cotton, suede and leather with it tonight using a regular (size 80, not my 100s) needle and quilting thread. Right now with the machine, shipping and supplies and shipping I have around $100.00 in it, and check out what I finally worked up the nerve to try. Now if I can just learn to sew :-) I'm not bragging honestly, I'm just so happy to have a machine I could afford that will handle what I throw at it. For someone that can't afford a $2000.00 machine yet, I would recommend this to anyone. The thing that's the hardest for me right now is using the pedal because this has automatic feed, I mean WAY auto and he doesn't take directions from anybody and doesn't want help feeding the material so I'm 2 feet past where I want to guide it a little different before I remember to take my foot off the pedal. That's why I played with one of my conchos so I had to stop, turn the concho, start, etc. I don't have any idea about these four layers people always show sewing on these when they're trying to sell one. I can't think why I'd WANT to sew four layers, would hope I eventually can get it right in ONE but it will sew regular veg tanned leather although I picked pieces that weren't too thick to play around with it. From the sellers I've met and talked to on eBay I think these are easy to pick up still at garage and yard sales.

  8. Posted · Report reply

    You could try to apply it with a brush or something starting from center and let it wick out to the edges of the eye. Just take it slow and easy and see what happens. I have no experience with it but it sounds like a good idea to me. :)

    Oh that's a really cool idea. I never thought about trying that. I have an unpainted eye right here and have the vinegaroon already made so I'll see how that works. Work my way in slow. I love the color this stuff makes things but didn't want to ruin the whole thing. Thanks AGAIN Allen :-)

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Thanks Allen. I have a cabinet in my bedroom/workshop and I can roll it up and put it in there which will keep it out of the light. It's just a small piece, big to me though :-) And it will take me at least a month I imagine as pokey as I am to use it. I wouldn't have thought of rolling the flesh side in or keeping it out of the sun though. Cheryl

  12. Posted · Report reply

    I am getting my first big (to me) piece of veg tanned leather and it will probably take me at least a month to use it. Before a friend sent me large scraps that fit in a Medium priority mail box so that's where I left it. This is a 4' square piece (ok, quit with the howls, snickers and giggles :-) but I don't know if I should stand it up or lay it down. Thanks, Cheryl

  15. Posted · Report reply

    I did a crossbody style purse using some upholstry leather and ostrich leg. Learned the hard way that you should check the conditioner you plan on using on your purse in an inconspicuous place of your ostrich or you risk losing all the colour. :dunno: Fortunately I was able to save it but it no longer has the depth of colour it once had.

    I just noticed your purse, and wanted to tell you how nice I thought it was. Plus tell you thanks for probably saving me a lot of work and disappointment. I'm getting ready to work with exotics for the first time and wouldn't have thought to put a finish on a small place first to check for color. Cheryl

  16. Posted · Report reply

    And Sarah, some of the things you just need to practice. I imagine most of us have made the same mistake you did on this in our beginnings (I'm still beginning and still make these kind of mistakes). Also you learn through practice how to turn your mistakes into something new. With this? I'd get another piece of leather, dye it black to match the design you made, and lace it to the top to extend it to the right length AND make it look like you intended to do it that way all along. Want to really fancy it up? Make the same design on the second piece only smaller and make it brown to match the other brown, then dye the rest black. When you do these types of things for yourself you can climb out of the box and turn them into something that isn't a mistake. That's the great thing about a hobby vs. business. So do all of the above too and have fun. Cheryl

  17. Posted · Report reply

    Sylvia I have followed this thread recently starting at the beginning and up to here. I finally had enough money to order some leather and that may seem odd but I have been using the scraps given me months ago up until now except for my conchos. A nice young man called me back from SLC thinking I wanted him to cut me out a guitar strap when what I wanted was him to put a straight edge on one side so I could use my strap cutter. This is going to be my first (still remember what that was like back what seems like 10 years ago now?) and I'm already a nervous wreck about the belt holes from this. I ordered a separate strap at 1 & 1/2" they had on sale for $5.00 and I think it's maybe 60 inches so I have some wiggle room there for the adjusting strap but I would never have guessed it would be so hard to make belt holes even after seeing your pictures. I don't have any templates like you said are getting you by now, so the only thing I can think of doing is measuring, then clamping my actual belt I wear on my hold line and hope for the best since I'll have enough strap to make several tries. I can't afford to get anything like that now because at the last minute remembered I was going to need an oblong punch and man are THOSE expensive. Was 40 some bucks I hadn't counted on. Anyway, I'm going to try my best to have fun with it because I decided to do it so I could use different skills than my eyes and rhythm beads allow for. I try and practice other things to at least keep the little skill I have now and I'm setting aside time to do the dragon challenge this month so I can carve and bevel some. Anyway looks like from all you have discussed here I'm going to need a lot of luck getting the belt holes right. This has been a great thread. c

  20. Posted · Report reply

    OMG, I take the worst pictures in the world and just YESTERDAY took my old digital with me to my voc counselor meeting and I had someone else use it so I could see if I needed a tripod only or a new camera AND tripod (very shaky hands) and I have been on this forum months and never noticed this specialty. As you see I'm however the queen of run-on sentences. I feel like a light bulb went off, pun intended. I have two bazillion questions.

  22. Posted · Report reply

    Hi Shooter. I came to this forum looking for Katass and found a beautiful example by you. AND found katass. I'm getting some of the small pieces of exotics from SLC and I'm going to make my first guitar strap PLUS use my first exotic. I asked a friend if she'd ever done inlay and she sent me in search of katass, and I found your overlay instead. I'm going to look for his inlays too but at least I know this is an option that can look beautiful. And yours does, it's really beautiful. Cheryl

  23. Posted · Report reply

    I want to make my dog an 'eye' collar, thought I'd let her advertise for me because everyone always wants to pet her. She's a mix spaniel/blue tick coon hound and is mostly silver and black, with just a little brown. I wanted to do the eyes vinegaroon black but with the eyeball brown as usual. I'll post one of my eyes and also her. I made some vinegaroon and love it as black since it's such a hard color to work with and keep ON anything. I was going to do the connecting pieces of the leather silver with translucent acrylic paint. If block or resist won't work, I guess I can reverse the design. Thanks Cheryl.

    Skadi and Eye below.

  24. Posted · Report reply

    thats how i do my edges, just not sure if it worked on gator and other materials

    Well DUH Cheryl, I never thought about you running it clear to the edge. I just ordered a bag of the SLC pieces of different exotic leathers and they're described as being pretty small so I had planned to maybe just inlay some on my strap. Sorry ouch, I'm out of my league because this will be a first for me. Cheryl

  25. Posted · Report reply

    just got my artisan toro 4000, want to make a few guitar straps.

    is it possible to stitch these on the machine? also how do i slick the edges and make a nice professional product, i will be using this same technique for belts and other items i assume so is there somewhere to get pointers or a book so i don't have to keep bothering you guys this week lol

    Hey ouch, I was going to ask about exotic inlays on a guitar strap too. But I can tell you where to get the best edge advice you'll ever get. Go to 'how do I do that' and Read Bobby Park's (Hidepounder) tutorial on edge finishing. Follow it and it will look more profession than you'll ever think something could. Cheryl

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