RavenAus

Finally uncovered the serial number on this old girl, she was built between July and December 1912. F 3100 435

Hi Cem, I've not found a decent hole punch adaptor yet but I'm getting a metalworker friend to make one up for me that takes the standard size tubes, and has a hole for the waste to come out.If you know anyone who does metal lathe work you should be able to get it done , and a brass anvil is easy. http://www.sunriseimports.com.au/shop/eyelet-press-kits-accessories-c-8_1212/1x-heavy-duty-eyelet-press-setter-kits-include-eyelet-dies-p-45253.html - that's the Aussie importer near me, you may find someone closer though. I ordered my dies direct from China, takes a month or 2 to get here but the sets are between $10 and $20 USD

I got myself a similar one to the Goldstar one, here in Aus. One thing you have to watch is the snaps - the brand of snaps determines the dies you need, and Tandy snaps are a little different to some others, and I've already found some of the snaps I have from a different company are another size again for the die. As long as I buy the right snaps I'm fine, but for fancy snaps or the like, it's back to hand setting. Some companies will ask for details of the snaps to get the dies right, find one that does this and send them a set of your snaps for perfect dies.

Well, showed the customer and he loved it just as is, as the rivets go with his outfit lol, so I've dyed it, polished the flesh side where it shows, burnished the edges and will see how it looks in the morning when dried. I drew the pattern based on what I remembered from the Al Stohlman book - it's on pdf on my main pc but not on the laptop in the workshop - but I'm really pleased it turned out so well.

Ok, so living in a country with tight gun control laws means I don't really do holsters. This is the first one I've done to suit anything that didn't fire Nerf foam bullets! As it was the prototype I just riveted the thing together, the actual holster will be sewn, but it's the first one I've drawn a pattern for so I didn't want to waste the time on stitching if it wasn't going to fit! Wish I had sewn it now as the pattern worked perfectly. The gun is a toy derringer and will be part of my customers Steampunk costume. For the customers model I'll move the stitching line in a little to account for the rivet size, the actual size with the riveted seam is just about perfect, the gun slips in with a little 'click' when it goes home. No dye as yet and the holster is still damp. Critique please

How much do you actually have to disassemble to get the bell crank lever out? I'd prefer not to have to take the head off if I can avoid it - actually, I'd prefer not to dismantle mine at all lol but the stitch length does need fixing!

Do you have a link for College Sewing, Constabulary? I wouldn't mind a replacement lever for my 29k13 if they have a suitable one. *edit* My Google-Fu worked today! https://www.college-sewing.co.uk/82167-FEED-MOTION-BELL-CRANK-LEVER-SINGER-29K

Lots of clamps, or seam tape. It doesn't pin well

Hey Clicker, tried to send you an email but your inbox is full

The one thing I didn't like about this type was there's no backup to the glue, so you'd better be damn sure your bonds are good. I worry that over time the action of putting the cards in will cause the ribbon strip to come loose and you will end up losing the cards down the bottom

I've made one like that. Glue wide ribbon folds behind the card slots to stop them falling through.

10 hours, 11 if you take the New England highway, and that's without stops, for a machine from ebay... No telling what it's like or whether the seller has been honest, and no way of seeing it in action before committing to buy... Even I couldn't persuade my wife that's logical, acceptable or worthwhile - and gas here is averaging $140-$160 a litre too. Not going to happen.

I've looked for over a year and this is the only thing, even used, that is within my price range for at least the coming 2 years - so yeah, to me it is the Holy Grail. Whatever machines you have in the States, double the price for Aussie models. Which is why I'm asking, what do you, and what don't you, use it for?

Just got my new machine working right, and looking forward to some sewing, but I've not really used a leather machine before. What do you use yours for? What would you avoid doing with a patcher like the 29k? I'm already looking at holsters and maybe some soft leather bags & purses but I could use some ideas that will challenge me

Thanks Evo, I'll have a look through that Once the wife's calmed down from the cost of the thing I might start making noises about spares and such

Sorted it and got it working. The stitch length seems pretty reasonable considering there's 2 layers of 6oz-ish leather under it. The main reason is was spitting the dummy? The guy I bought it from had painted the needle plate so the leather wouldn't move under the foot. I sanded it off back to 600 grit and stropped it up a bit and the baby sews like a dream now :D

Hi there, I just got myself a new machine - well, new to me It's a Singer 29k13. There was a bit of rust and it needed a darned good oiling, but it seems to be going well. The only thing I'm stuck on is how to adjust the foot. I can't seem to figure out how to raise and lower the foot, and right now it's just barely pulling the leather through. I found a manual for a 29k4 but nothing for the k13, and it didn't really go into the foot much, can anyone point me in the right direction?

http://www.packerdirect.com.au/ I know they do ship internationally but no clue on how much it'd cost you.

Nice work! Did you make your pattern? I'm going to be doing Dark Ages re-enactment in the new year and this looks very interesting...

Gorgeous!

What does the min wage have to do with the fact that the same product here is nearly twice the price? Our cost of living is also much higher - you don't even want to know how much we pay for the crappy internet we get here, and as for petrol/gas... Yeah. Why should that equal a $2.6k machine costing $4.5k here?

I'd prefer to get it from someone on the same continent, at least, given the problems associated with servicing and repairs. I just don't understand why a product can cost almost double here than there.

I knew things in Australia cost more than they did in the States, especially electronics, but I was not expecting a $2k hike in price on a Cobra sewing machine. I was looking at the Class 4-P here - http://www.leathermachineco.com/product/cobra-class-4-p-premium-package/ - which is $2.6k US. Contacted the Aussie dealer, the same model with EPS, A$4,595.00 I just can't afford that. I was hoping to be able to raise enough from the next big event we're doing, but nah. Not for that. It'd cost less to buy the thing in the States and get it shipped! Except of course, most companies won't do that, since it'd directly affect their authorised dealer. Can anyone tell me why it's such a huge increase? Don't tell me shipping is that expensive, I've emigrated from England to Australia and it didn't cost a quarter of that to ship everything we owned!

Nice work

It's a lie, no leatherworker has money - unless they are on the way to the leather store! Nice work