arashikage

If you want to make sneaker you should look for a postbed machine with a roller foot. This is the best machine to make shoe uppers with. I was able to get a Cowboy 810 for $375 at auction. But usually most used post beds are going to be around $500 - $750 used. Depending on the sneaker style you will still need to stitch the sidewall of the sole to the upper by hand. But it's very doable. If you follow JBF Customs on Insta, he started with a patcher sewing machine. You can use one of them but the bobbin is small and needs refilled to finish most shoes so you may not get the cleanest look. Or you have to think ahead about when you might run out of thread.. A used patcher can be had between $275 - $500

The spec you will need to look into is what is the max run time before cool is needed. So a cheap laser may not be the best route if you are looking for something that can run half a day to all day long. For example, I have heard and read that the GlowForge Basic can only run a couple hours before needing a cool down. But the GlowForge Pro can run all day long. So depending on your volume, it can totally be a viable solution to ramp up production.

Start with a used machine. The 810 models are the cheaper ones because they do not have a gear driven wheel. See if there is a sewing machine dealer near you and ask what they have available. Granted i got mine at auction but only paid $375 for a Cowboy 810. There's a facebook group called "Leather Tools for Sale" that has had post beds listed off and on. The Singer postbed model i was thinking of is the 51W.

For one, the bobbin size. The 29 does not have a big enough bobbin to do a pair of shoes. Second, the wheel provides constant pressure on the work and provides better control. Another, is you can change stitch per inch much easier on a post bed. I’m not sure you can change the number of stitches on all 29 models. Typically, different styles of shoes have a different stitch count. My Cowboy 810 can do 5 - 21 SPI, I believe. I recommend checking out Marcell Mrsan’s channel. He mostly does shoes but the same principles apply in upper making.

If you are wanting to make shoes / boots then a post bed to stitch the uppers and lining is the way to go. Examples: Cowboy 810 or 8810, Cobra 8810, Adler 888 or something along those lines. You can attach the welt by hand and hand stitch the sole. Or stitch the welt by hand and guy an outsole stitcher, like Wiz mentioned, to attach the sole. Not sure how much room you have or budget you have.

Are you using a colored creme or the neutral creme? If you are using a neutral it's not going to restore the color lost from wear.

@blacktip I am interested. I will send a DM.

I'm looking for a manual for a Landis 36 Lockstitch McKay. There doesn't seem to be much out there. I haven't heard back from Landis so I figured I would ask here. Thanks.

The piece I got from Springfield did the same thing. Part of it got stuck between the flaps of the shipping box and left an oil stain. I took it out and placed it on a couple of rolls of leather that were wrapped in paper and the shark left a small oil stain on the paper. I haven't worked with it yet so not sure about sealing or if it's just a temporary thing.

@MikeRock got ya. I thought you weren't wanting to support Weaver at all. I understand now.

Do you know who your Amish supply chain is? Weaver deals heavily with the Amish community so there may be a chance it's still Weaver.

I have a magnetic one and it works fine for my work. The magnet is pretty strong and as long as you don't apply too much pressure it doesn't move. It usually removes my bobbin cover with it when I try to take it off.

Have you asked any of the local shoe/boot repair shops? Coming from a family that runs one, we have fixed a lot more things than just shoes. And we have never seen leather workers as competition. If you're in Texas there may be a saddle shop that can restore it.

I would also recommend shears / tin-snips. An additional suggestion would be to sand/grind down where you want the stitch line to go. Knocking down the pearls will make it less likely that the needle/chisels bounce off.

Amazing work! I might have to try something like that with my Cowboy 810.

First thing I thought of. Great start! I don't know if it will help but Tandy has a free hat pattern pack.Might be able to get some ideas out of it. https://www.leathercraftlibrary.com/product/1210/2662-leather-hat-pattern-pak

Here's how we moved the last two we bought: Lift up one end, stick some small pipes (1" - 1.5") under that end. They have to be thick enough that they don't collapse under the weight. They also have to be wider than the machine. Put an appliance cart under the other end. Start pushing. Pull the last pipe and put it back in the front. Continue as needed. Once at the trailer ramp keep the pipe going as far as you can. Then place another hand cart under the front. It takes some finagling but keep the pipes under it once in the trailer so it can be maneuvered as needed.

I use Barge All Purpose Original or Petronio's Master All-Purpose Cement.

@Azurela it will certainly sew the areas in the first pic. Unfortunately it will not do the rubber of the sole. Even a stiff leather sole would be too much for it. And like Ferg said an outsole stitcher is a giant and heavy machine and definitely not designed for home use. However if you could find something like a "Junker and Ruh sd28" that would work for what you want to do. I'm not sure of their availability in Bulgaria though.

These machines are best suited for sewing lighter things like shoe uppers, bags, & hats. It would not be a good choice for sewing soles. What material are you using and how thick?

Like BigSioux said, for consistency you would need a band knife cutter. I have a 6" Sutton crank splitter that I can easily get down to 2oz but I have to start with at least an 8-9oz piece. If I try splitting 4oz to 2 it will essentially stall out and not feed. I can appreciate the idea of wanting to use what you have and have things match but it may not be financially the best choice. I have heard good things as far as getting consistent splitting with something like a Cobra Class 14 but like JLS said, that's an almost $3k machine. Going to take a lot of wallets to recoup that.

So I had never heard of this type of knife until yesterday when Youtube recommended a video on how they're made. In the video the maker inserts a wooden mold of the knife into the sheath and then proceeds to make most of the lines with a dull knife. If you have an old junk knife you could dull it or if you have a bone folder with a sharp-ish edge you could use that. The video is https://youtu.be/BLnqr6IGVgs The sheath making starts around 11:08 if you're interested.

You will need to be careful if you use a rasp. A fine rasp might work but you're more likely to chunk out the crepe if you use a course one. Any sort of electric sander with a medium to fine grit would work. If you are doing it by hand the best tool to use is a curved lip shoe knife, often just referred to as simply "lip knife." It's what chrisash mentioned above. I see you are in the UK but here is a stateside site that carries them. https://sorrellnotionsandfindings.com/product/lip-knife/ You should be able to find one on your side of the pond though. The top of the blade has a bend in it so it doesn't harm the upper while trimming. If using a regular knife you run a greater risk in nicking the upper.

@Donkeykong I'm in Berea. Weaver doesn't tend to advertise the sale until it's closer. Even then it's not the best. But it will be June 17th & 18th, 2020. Wednesday they sell materials like leather, roping, webbing, etc. And Thursday is machines and hand tools. The sale is in the parking lot of the warehouse. The store is basically right beside it but the address to the store is Millersburg, I think. It's just outside of Wooster though.

@AmericanPatrol this post is almost 10 years old. wleverington04 hasn't been back on since April of 2010. It's most likely a dead post.