toxo

Welcome neighbour from Chatham, Kent. There are a few of us on here though not many. Ask away Ian, that's what forums are for.

I've found that finding the right size head/shaft/colour can be a bit of a challenge. I have thousands of the things and it always takes a while to get sorted. The most important bit is the shaft length. If it's too long it will just bend and the top cap will end up some distance away from the bottom cap. I've found shaft length just protruding above the leather surface is about right. Firmness of the leather can also play a part, soft leather will allow a slightly shorter shaft because the top cap will sink into the surface.

Just listed this on Ebay for anyone making their own dies. 3pt CLICKER DIE RULE STEEL FOR MAKING DIES FOR CUTTING LEATHER | eBay

A 1 ton Arbor press does all I need in the way of em/debossing. My regular "handle" is longer than the standard one and if that's not enough I put a longer tube over that. Of course the size of the stamp comes into it but before spending more money I'll dampen the leather to get a deeper impression, or if you make sure it doesn't move you can walk around it as has been mentioned already. If your stamps are brass you can heat them up some which will "brand" the leather or most other things also which will give a nice deeper impression with much more contrast.

I know it's been asked before but I can't find it. Anyone got the answer, How?

We don't go as strong for big knives over here but you gotta love the quality of that one. Well done.

Thanks Matt. There's nothing like 1st hand knowledge.

OK guys, here's where I am. I spoke initially to Tysew and potentially, they will deliver the Tysew 3001-C and take away both the Durkopp 239 flatbed and the Adler 69 in part exchange. I was getting quite excited about getting the whole job done so easily but then @Matt S mentioned "moderate quality Chinese clone" which made me think again. I found Juki 246 and the 3141, both within budget but each with compromises and now i'm leaning towards the original deal again because; Getting a new machine and getting rid of the other two on the same day is really appealing. Comes with a 12 month guarantee It won't be getting any heavy usage Both Geordie and Harry Rogers (YouTube) use them (maybe because of sponsorship?) And have featured them on Y/T. What's holding me back slightly is wanting to do wallets eventually and I don't know if the Tysew can get down that far. Will one of Brians @RockyAussie needle plate doohickkies fit this machine? Would this be a big mistake guys? Talk to me please

Thanks Matt. To be honest I rarely sew bigger than 2.4/3mm leather but just trying to get a look at what's out there. A 2 inch cylinder doesn't worry me either. I've just had a look at Geordies Tysew, they're just up the road from you so I can drive over there if necessary. It looks like a capable machine with large bobbin and affordable. Couldn't justify the 246 on my output. Take a look, what do you think? @Northmount Why didn't I think of that? I have a great brain but it's completely linear. Can't think sideways. Can't do a cryptic crossword to save my life. Thank you. Tysew TY-3600C-1 Cylinder Arm Walking Foot Needle Feed - TY-3600C-1 -

Thinking about upgrading my Adler 69. Can you guys please tell me what cylinder arm options I have in the UK that have a bigger bobbin, will easily sew 2 layers of 6/8mm veg tan and preferably has a lock on the reverse?

This dual belt sander arrived today from Germany. A week earlier than expected. All seems well. Will update when I've had a play, with maybe a short video. Once I've sorted which grits are best I'll probably buy on the roll cos all the offerings seem to be mixed.

Or to be sure (without a template) maybe leave the outside (folding piece) over long and cut it to size when folded over.

Having just bought a buffing wheel thingy, what compound blocks are we all using and for what purpose?

IIRC you can apply solvent to silicone sealant to achieve a similar result.

This is what attracted me to this sander. Because there's no steel behind the belt there's more leeway when doing curves. there is a selection of belt grits and there's a felt one which I'm thinking will be good for burnishing. Also, the speed is adjustable.