Sturme

I like my boss. They can be fussy at times so I spent a while practicing on it and tweaking before I did my first project. I will tell you that is more for heavier leather. and the stitches very in size depending on the thickness of leather (there is an adjustment for it though). as for price, I spent a bit over 2 grand for it and a mess of accessories. its about 25 pounds verses the weight of a powered machine. and very portable being hand powered. As for thinner leather, I have sewn 4oz leather with it. However I do wish the stitching on the back looked a bit better but I cant complain. If you do get one, take the time to get to know the machine, how it reacts to different thickness of leather, various needles and thread sizes. I also recommend getting the bench they sell at Tippmann to mount it on, it makes a difference having it mounted properly. Lastly if money is tight, think about shipping a 25 lb machine verses a heavier powered one. if you have any questions, let me know. I will try to help you.

this may sound odd, but lubricated thread?

actually, after you sew the bottom, saddle stitch the elastic and the leather of one edge a couple stitches, then go to the other edge same side and stitch it up a few stitches, keep alternating. your elastic will still be stretchy in between. do the same doe the other side. I should have explain previously in more detail, sorry

sew the bottom completely like you want it. saddle stitch both edges of a side at the same time, repeat for the other side maybe?

ooops, I didn't see round needle, that's most likely a lot of your issue.

there are many who use the boss that say that bobbin tension should be about a pound of tension, but usually I have found it to be a bit less. and its hard to gauge by just pulling the bobbin thread. you can use a trigger pull gauge to test that if needed. I would try backing off the bobbin tension a bit and adjust the thread tension to compensate and bull the stitch up into the leather. make sure your need is set properly also. have you looked at your stitch length? cause a short stitch can cause that effect also. if that fails, it might be worth calling tippmann, the support they have is great, and can walk you through a variety of fixes

if its the bass, its on ebay http://www.ebay.com/itm/Discontinued-Midas-Detailed-Jumping-Fish-1-Leather-Stamp-Tool-8206-/161233070021?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item258a3d67c5

any chance you can post a pic of the back? also what is the needle and tread size your using?

thank you. And I agree with you about checking your tension. Right after I set up the Boss, I spent nearly a hour adjusting the bobbin tension on it with 9 oz. scrap leather. it was way to tight an breaking thread.

Let me know if you decide to sell them, I am interested in one

just a bit over 2100.00 dollars. but that got a lot of accessories to go with it, and a couple spools of thread and extra needles

I have been self employed for decades, And I can honestly say that I use a CPA. Any tax question at any time I can call him on. and he really makes my financial side pretty painless. In general it does cost a bit more. But it is well worth it for the peace of mind and lack of hassle.

I am going to be sewing a holster on it this weekend. I di have to adjust me bobbin tension it was way to tight. from what I am reading that is one issue that a lot of people are having. its just an adjustment issue, and lots of practice. also pay attention to how you wind your bobbins. that will save you some trouble. the tippmann does have a learning curve, but if you take your time, do some research on any issues, they work well from my limited experience.

I went to Ft Wayne this past weekend an bought my new tippann boss, cobblers bench, accessory pack, flatbed and light, couple other little things. After a lot of thought decided the tippmann was right for me for portability and other reasons. they gave me nice little demonstration, and some Q&A time. they were really nice.

I am in Indiana an hour south of Indy, give me a shout and I might be able to help you out a bit

I had this issue, then I switched to a cork backed ruler, and a head knife. I really feel the head knife made a huge difference. main thing is to keep your head knife sharp, and read up on proper usage of it.

thanks for the quick replies.

there are a lot of people here who bash tandy. but to be honest, they are pretty helpful. and if you want to get started then I would recommend one of these kits. it will teach you the basics. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/starter-sets/55502-00.aspx http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/home/department/starter-sets/55509-00.aspx

Leather likes to stretch, what is the best cut of leather to help prevent stretching?

I would recommend on looking into these: http://www.bighousedaddy.com/custom_western_boot_making.htm http://www.bighousedaddy.com/camping_boot_patterns.htm they will give you some good advice and tips

that looks like a metal hole punch, wouldn't it leave leather fibers around the back, not cutting a clean hole?

cant find you on there.

I would stitch the wool to a piece of leather and use it as an insert, reason being is its replaceable, and can be pulled out of the moc to air out or even dry if it gets wet.

ok, make the collar with 2 layers of leather, find some wide plastic strapping (looks woven, used in packaging in strapping shipped good to pallets) sandwich in between the leather, sew the leather together so the strapping is held into place and wont show ( gluing the strapping and leather will help while sewing). I always sew on either side of the rivets of strength. the leather wont stretch, and will be reinforced.

Your best bet is a white acrylic paint. and put a clear sealer coat over the white, you might need multiple coats of the sealer to maintain the white though http://springfieldleather.com/23140/Paint%2CAngelus-White-1oz/ http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/searchresults/2602-08.aspx http://springfieldleather.com/23135/Paint%2CWhite%2C2oz/