Mark842

For A Harley owner with large ape Hanger handlebars..Grip and lever cover set with 72" of hanging fringe. yes, you read that right..6' hanging fringe. Customer loved the way they looked but it turned out he could not use the lever covers because as the bike accelerated and the fringe caught the air it would start to apply his brakes and pull in the clutch. Could have been a form of Darwinism...

I have an American Rotary brand phase converter running two 25 Ton clickers at the same time for 4+ years. They are still available on eBay for under $400 with free shipping for the 5HP model.

On most machines I think the entire machine is built to use a certain range. Go over that range and you won't have physical clearance for the thread to travel around the bobbin and catch the hook. You may not be able to use a needle larger enough to suit a larger thread size without fraying the thread. Then consider the internal moving parts are built to handle the intended thickness of material and thread. If your 227R is like my 229R there is a little button that will release, kind of like a mechanical circuit breaker, and it will stop your machine from turning if you attempt to sew something to heavy. I'm sure others will come along that can give you better answers but bottom line is you can't make one machine do it all.

I might have missed this. I thought the question was whether a machine stitched item could be called hand made. Calling it hand made is different than calling it hand stitched if it was done by machine and I would have issue with that too.

The biggest difference is the 1000 is brushless. That alone is worth the extra money IMO if you will use it a lot.

The keeper should be oriented so the belt enters the keeper with the direction of the bevel so the belt will be easier to put through and will lay flatter.

The market will dictate what an item will sell for. After years in this industry I've found that 75% of our customers know little to nothing about leather. They wouldn't be able to tell the difference between a high dollar hide from H.A.A.S. and a piece of naugahyde if they were holding it. Out of the 25% that would, the only time it seems that anyone notices the stitching is if it is terrible or great looking decorative stitching. There are even less that could identify the difference between a hand sewn saddle stitch and a machine made lock stitch by sight, and even less that would know why the hand sewn saddle stitch is stronger. To the original question, I think its fine to say a product is handmade if it is sewn by machine. It's just not hand sewn. Semantics and opinions. I've learned hard lessons over the years in this business about different manufacturing methods, advertising, and what the customer wants and needs. The easiest way to sum it up is that Harbor Freight exists because not everyone needs a Snapon tool for every job and a lot of people just can't afford the snap on tool. If you have built up your reputation you can be the Snapon quality guy and make a great living selling higher end high dollar products but it is very hard to be the new guy on the block and be the Snapon quality guy. Not saying it can't be done. Back when I started my business I started it with ideas of making my items using better leather, thread, etc. making them stronger and more elaborate than the competition. My business fell on it's face and I started over again with the business model of selling quality simple items that could sold for relatively low prices. Things started selling and after awhile I started adding in some of the higher end items. Been going nearly 40 years now with a second generation getting ready to take the reins and one of the biggest lessons I'm trying to pass on is there are a million really cool products I want to make and I like to make, unfortunately only a handful of those items will become popular with customers and turn into a great selling item. Right after that happens is when the competition starts knocking off your design...but thats another story and I'm rambling!

Just another thought on this if you have not figured it out... is your thread getting oil on it?

probably a lot to that. I never saw the need to try one like the weaver or an osbourne metal type cause the wood one always did a good job for me. Wasn't till I started needing 10-20 straps a day that I gave up on it and bought a Cobra strap cutting machine. Only time I use the wooden one now is if I just need one strap and I don't feel like moving the blades on the Cobra.

I agree with Jaymack. Get one of these stamp makers to make you a stamp out of Delrin or similar so you can just stamp the whole thing in one shot and be done. https://www.google.com/search?q=delrin+leather+stamps&client=firefox-b-1&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiK6Pv0_IXZAhVI22MKHR7FBDgQ_AUICygC&biw=1536&bih=733

I'll admit I rarely if ever use draw gauges anymore as I have a strap cutting machine but my experience, for whatever its worth, is I always had the best luck with the El Cheapo wood draw gauges that you can pick up for cheap. They are a super simple design and they must be nearly indestructible because the old tandy one I have in my shop is probably 30 years old.

You mention you might decide to not keep this machine. If you decide to sell let me know. Thanks! Mark

I wonder if an el cheapo glue eraser might work. They pull glue like Barge and the like off suede just fine. Like this... https://www.ebay.com/i/191294869055?chn=ps I know Walmart sells them too for about $5

I have no issues with quality on the Hermann Oak I get. As good as always.

There is a post on this forum that has a tutorial on letter stamping with Letterpress type. I've been purchasing and using letterpress type for leather for years. IMO the letter stamps made for the leather industry are garbage. Years ago I had build frames etc to hold them and still was not satisfied with the outcome. Foundry letterpress type can be found on eBay and will allow perfect text impressions. I simply build my words and tape them together with electrical tape. Just make sure you know the size if you purchase some font. They are sized in the printing trade by points and they are not consistent. Sometimes the points refer to the entire block the letter is on and sometimes the letter size on the block. I suggest always confirming the letter size. There are a ton of fonts and sizes available!

haha..nah I already have a few extra socials I use.

eBay fee's are 8 to 12% at most depending on category. Just saying for a potential buyer to do their due diligence. I trust the seller on eBay actually has the item over the craiglist ad. eBay seller has a track record of 30,000 sales on a venue that allows a buyer recourse if something goes wrong. Not to mention their price is far more realistic. If it's too good to be true....

be careful! one on eBay with the same exact picture for $1500. https://www.ebay.com/itm/KWIKPRINT-Model-64-Hot-Stamping-and-Leather-Embossing-Machine/401418567200?hash=item5d76693e20:g:BxoAAOSwyjJZ1~cH

I use Buzzardbaits' method whenever stamping or tooling. I use 2 mil packing tape and cover the back with a little hanging over the edges so it's easy to peel off when done. It also helps with not getting dye on the back of a project if you want it clean/undyed.

These work great....don't have to get them from tandy, just google glue eraser. They will quickly and easily remove the glue. https://www.tandyleather.com/en/product/heavy-duty-adhesive-eraser

What kind of leather are you planning to use. In my experience both of these work fairly well with some practice on veg tan and stiff leather and not worth a darn on soft or leather that will stretch.

And here in lies the problem. Every other person we talk to swears up and down that it is either cast or no way they are cast. As for trying to cast them myself, I'm already working 12-16 hours 6 days a week filling orders. I have no time or interest in learning how to cast pot metal or any other metal. I'm willing to pay someone to make them, just can't find the someone... Will be trying a lead that another forum member here recommended trying. Maybe I'll get lucky.

I have a pretty good collection of swivel knives. IMO that is an older Craftool knife. I'm saying that because of the 4 rings on the barrel. Looking at my collection that was on most of my Craftool knives have the 4 rings with the top and bottom being wider. I have several like this that are Craftool. I also have several Midas. On all of the Midas I have the top has a complete loop for your finger and the barrels are larger diameter. All this being said, I regularly find tools I never knew existed. Whether or not it is worth $50 is up to you. I have knives I use and knives I collect because I think they are cool looking. I think the price is fair.

Unfortunately this happens. 5-6 oz from one supplier or tannery rarely is the same thickness from another. Some suppliers vary so much hide to hide from the same tannery I won't use them. About the only think I can tell you is find one supplier you like that is fairly accurate and stick with them. On stuff that I need really accurate I will pay for the hide to be split to exactly what I need.

For myself, standard manufacturing, clicking and machine sewing and basketweave type stamping I pay myself $25 an hour. I've been doing it a while so i can get a lot done in an hour. Free hand type tooling for one off designs are done by one of my employees who is far more skilled that I and is very experienced. We either negotiate flat rate or we calculate an estimated time and figure it at $100 per hour.