Gump

Don't know if it's available stateside, but LePages Premium contact cement is the best available in Canada. It is relatively thin and absorbs well. Let it sit for ten mins. and press together firmly and your done, it won't come apart, so make sure its in the right place.

The Cowboy 3200 has a 10.5" arm and 1/2" capacity. The Toro 3200 has a 12" arm and 7/8" capacity. Both have stainless feet and will handle 415 thread. The Toro is a 441 clone, and except for arm length is the same basic machine as the Cobra, Cowboy, and Techsew machines, with most parts being interchangeable. New ,the Toro machine is about $600-$700 more than the Cobra 3200, which is not the same as the Toro 3200.

This is the same machine as the Cobra, Cowboy,Artisan Toro, etc. It is a clone of the 441 Juki. Don't see many complaints on them, so I guess that is a good sign.

I have tried to use Fiebings no.5 dye prep, and had terrible results also. It caused the dye to go all blotchy and not absorb at all in some places. The bottle doesn't say which type of dye it is for, and I use pro oil dye and spirit based dye and it doesn't work worth a damn. The ammonia smell is awful too.

Check out your local rubber supplier and ask for red sheet. It is a high density rubber that will give you long life(12 yrs and counting) and clean cuts. I am still using 2 sq.ft. that I bought 12 years ago, and no dull tools.

Knife handle rivets are quite long and don't have a very large head. The shortest I could find are 3/8" and a cap dia. of 1/4". The 3/4-1" have a 5/16" cap. In knife use they wedge into the hole in the tang. In leather use it will only be a friction fit and could work loose.

Be careful with Tandy punches, as they are not the size advertised. Some are as much as 1/8" shy of supposed size. As for sharpness, I have never seen a real sharp factory edge on any tool. Fine grit silicone paper and a small wooden dowell will take the grinding marks out of the inside of the punch and just polish up the outside.

That appears to be an oiltan hide about 4/5 oz. To check it, scratch it with your fingernail and the scratch should rub out with your finger, bringing the color back to original. Oiltan is used for boots and outdoor gear and should be available from any leather supplier.

Leatherwytch; You have Buckskin leather right there in Calgary. They have a large selection of hides in stock. I only wish they weren't 3000 miles away from me, so I could drop in for a look.

The old adage is "you can always dye it black" should definitely work in this case.

I personally don't like the USMC black, as it just doesn't work near as well as Fiebings Pro oil dye. But the problem you are having has to do with the hide more than the dye. I had one double shoulder from Tandy that gave me the same problem as you are having. I had to wash the hide with alcohol to get it to absorb the dye. The dye clearly didn't penetrate the leather on your projects. I returned a bottle of dye because I thought there was something wrong with it, but the replacement was the same. After washing with alcohol and dyeing, I used neatsfoot oil to replace oils removed by the alcohol. When dyeing with a dauber the dye should suck right into the leather until it reaches saturation, then pool slightly on the surface before absorbing. This should be enough to fully cover without having any serious rub off problems. Drying usually only takes a few hours, and then it can be buffed. Applying to much dye will only cause more rub off and stiffen the leather. As for sealing with anything, I usually only use neatsfoot oil on black projects and don't have any problems as long as water still beads on the surface. When water starts to absorb, then it is time to re-oil. I have 30year old knife sheaths that still look good.

When using a slack belt ,you must lay the blade almost flat against the belt. You are right that it is rounding over the fine edge and creating to much bevel angle. This is great for a butchers knife, going through soft meat that parts easily, but way to thick at the edge to cut dense leather easily.

Artisan Toro uses a table top mounted servo motor with remote actuater and seperate control box on their 441 clone. Don't know if they sell them seperate, but you can have a look to get some ideas.

For multiple layers, I prefer to use staples. I would think seam tape would be a lot of work to put a strip between each layer and still keep everything lined up.

Being from the area, I know exactly what you mean. But unfortunately Tandy is as good as it gets locally. Tundra leather in Ont. has a good selection of hides, but most tools are the same as Tandy. With our dollar in the toilet, shopping stateside will kill you. Minimum brokerage fees start around $27 for $100 worth of goods shipped and brokered through UPS. If you pay with a credit card, they will charge you a fee to exchange currencies. Paypal is a must for importing. So , basicly I buy Canadian whenever possible because the "savings" stateside aren't what they appear after shipping, brokerage, exchange fees and import duties on items not made in US. A lot of the time I can import from the UK cheaper than from US. So much for free trade, eh.

This machine does not have a walking foot setup. The 441 clones such as Cobra and Cowboy are twice the machine as this one.This machine also does not have reverse. Another problem is that the seller is an importer, and not a sewing machine dealer with expertise in repair and maintenance. There is good reason that this machine is so cheap.

Check around for a plastics/polymer supplier and ask for 'ultra high molecular weight' UHMW poly. It is used by stone masons to make their mauls, as it doesn't mushroom over the ends of chisels. I bought 2ft of 2" dia. for $12. It drills easily and can be cut with a hand saw or any wood cutting power tool.

11/64 is a number size 9. It is easier to order that screw as a #9-40 tpi. It would only be available from a dealer or a specialty bolt supplier.

Flip the machine back and check the belt and clutch assembly. It is possible to break a belt (but unlikely), and it is possible that the little spring that pushes the locking dog in place broke or came out of place. you can also check that the toothed wheel that the button engages is not just spinning free on the shaft.

There should be a button on the arm, press and hold it down while rotating the machine backwards until the button drops down then rotate forward until it clicks and the clutch should be reset.

Tundra Leather in Ontario has solid brass 3 3/4" Santa buckle for (ouch) $60 cdn.

For cost effectiveness I use methyl hydrate, 100% pure alcohol. It is available at any truck parts store as it is used to remove water from diesel fuel, and it sells for about $3 per quart.

I think you would have to allow for the thickness of the material going around the welting core as part of the overall dimension. I use poly foam welting that measures 3.75mm with outdoor vinyl and a 1/4" foot.

Well according to ISMACS, there is no 255 so it may be a 155. But looking at the specs, they are basicaly the same machine. The thing to look for is the one with reverse, unfortunately niether has reverse. The 165 has the longer needle system, making it more capable of sewing thicker materials, (3355/ 135 x 17). The 211 g 166 has reverse, and that is a serious plus. I have a 111 w 155 and it is built like a tank, but no reverse. Check out the ISMACS site for more info.

Since I posted earlier about the deal I got on an Artisan 3200, I have come to realize that they have no interest in their customers after the sale. Their ad said this machine was able to sew down to 6oz, as with most 441 clones. What they didn't mention is that you have to purchase a $90us feed dog with a smaller hole than the one the machine ships with, as the hole is so big that the upper foot will almost fit in the feed dog hole. The machine was sewn off but that is it. If I was not mechanicaly inclined I would have been cursing. Gump.