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I didn't want to tag this onto the sewing machine accidents post so I'll say it here. Many years ago an engineering pal told me about the day when when a 1 1/2 inch by 12 inch grindstone came loose at full speed. It whizzed around the workshop 3 times causing much damage before coming to a stop such was the inertia. My worst nightmare accident is getting a tie caught in one of those. You wouldn't be able to stop it in time. Makes me shiver. Is why ties are banned.

My dogs (only two left now) won't leave my side even when sitting on the loo they have little beds at my feet. This goes for the project room as well and once or twice one of em has trod on the pedal, fortunately at a safe time. I know I should find a way to stop this happening. If I kept them out of the room they would howl the place down.

Thanks Chuck. I'm ok generally, just the old stuff like underactive thyroid/kidneys etc. This scan and that scan. Most of it I can handle in a breeze but probably because that throat cancer in 2000 left my throat like a mouse's EARhole, that camers down my throat was worse than a bitch. Afterward my BP went up to 257. Had to sit there till it went down but at least he said he didn't find anything too dramatic. As for my Millie, what a little soldier she was. Always drawing the short straw including Pyometra? when she was young. Couldn't watch the light going out of her eyes little by little any more. Was feeling guilty today because I found myself with extra time because I didn't have to look after her any more. I know most dog lovers go through this at one time or another but doesn't make it any easier does it. Thanks again Chuck. Appreciate it. Thanks Darren.

After listening to you guys I have to be thankful that the hospital is just 20mins away. Just as well cos I've had a couple weeks of it, the latest was a camera down my throat, through my stomach and into my bowel. I'm brave says I, don't need sedation. My God. After 20 mins of gagging and coughing and worse( can't say more else @Northmount will tell me off.) Never again. That was the day before yesterday. Yesterday I put my dog to sleep. Getting old sucks.

As a soon to be 76yr old Brit, I was forced to change after getting used to imperial. Probably a bit more au fait with metric than you guys but I still get confused sometimes but no-one can deny it's easier to mess with units of 10 than it is with 12 etc.

Not to mention that it could be exactly the same machine. There will always be the issue of after sales service or maybe the lack out it. When I bought my machine I tried to eliminate any problems that might arise by asking many questions and asking for videos to be doubly sure and making sure to order a flatbed and extra bobbins. One thing that pleased me was the option of self oiling. Always felt guilty in the past that I might not have oiled enough.

I think we're getting to the point where all the clones are merging into the same machine. Don't know the specs re needle/thread size but be aware that this price is for head only. Table, motor etc will be extra as will the shipping.

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Let me start by saying my machine doesn't get an awful amount of use. The short answer is no but that's because I haven't tried. I usually use it on a slow setting and I find it easy to get the needle where I want it with small movements of the pedal or the handwheel. Maybe I'll have another go at it sometime later but at the moment I've other stuff on my plate including a very poorly dog. I will say that I'm impressed with the machine. I've just stitched both sides of a 60 inch strap on 20 and it didn't bat an eyelid. Can't say that of other machines in the past.

Since setting up my machine I've got it working so I can use it easily and so haven't look at the finer details but I have to say something that's on my mind before I forget it. If you take the cover off the normal NPS there are two serrated discs and they have gaps in them which stops the motor. You can get the needle where you want it and then turn the disc to suit. One disc for needle up and one disc for needle down. I used this method for a long time until I got this new one which has a speed reducer. What I've said here doesn't seem to work with speed reducers but if yours doesn't have one it might be worth a look.

When I bought my JL341 I had a direct contact with the factory or that's what I assumed. Every time I wanted something confirmed they would send me a video, for example same hole stitching in reverse. mine also came with a speed reducer under the table I hated the pedal lift so changed it to a knee lift. Can post pics if you want although I think I covered it all a while ago.

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Just a suggestion, On the next one you might try putting the front panel OVER the gusset. Of course it's personal choice but this would give a more rounded look and open the interior rather than closing it.

It's not a matter of measurement. You must use your eyes along with some trial and error on some scrap. Is the feed stone shape in sync with the bell or does it need to go left/right a touch? Whilst you're down there, is the gap between the bell and the bottom of the presser foot even? Ensure that the up/down lever is down. Now run that piece of scrap through adjusting the up/down knob on the top until you get the depth you're looking for. Once all that is sorted you can worry about leaning the presser foot one way or the other. All this is really easy on thick leather, sometimes nigh on impossible on thin leather especially chrome tan. Sometimes the pressure on the stone makes a difference, ie another notch more or less on the hook spring thing. I'm taking as given a sharp bell with no burrs.

Not what I mean Keith. Read the football analogy.

Didn't describe it properly Wiz. Can't think of a decent example now I need one but say you have two curved pieces that are not together say laying flat and opposite each other. So imagine the two curves that are going away from each other. When hand stitching the two pieces will, stitch by stitch, bring the two pieces together to give a more complex shape. Ha! thought of something. Imagine four quarters of a football and you want to butt stitch two of them together to form a hemisphere. Not overlapping, butt stitched. Hand sewing will gradually get it done. The only way I can see machining is to maybe skive both pieces and overlap but how do you maintain the stitch line? Glue and clip I suppose but hard to clip when the two pieces aren't together yet. Probably making no sense at all.

When hand sewing on a curve the individual stitches will gradually pull the leather around some quite sharp corners. Has anyone found a consistent way to do it with a machine?

Don't really understand your question. With normal burr/rove rivets (they have many names) after you snug down the roves you cut off what's left.

I understood not one word of this post. Please explain what a "breaster" cone is and what's it's purpose. Thanks.

There was a post recently about different types of acrylic paint. Can someone point me to it please?

Sorry, this doesn't answer your question but I have to get things down whilst I think of them. Must've been addressed before but there must be a case here for making an exact plaster mould of your foot and casting it in resin right?

Are the extra holes on the right hand pattern? Because they don't look the same to me. The center of the right hand holes might be in line with the edge of the holes on the left. That might account for it.

I'll throw this in cos I'm bored. I think it was Cechaflo that showed how you can create a snazzy looking stitch by using a contrasting thread in the bobbin and deliberately slacking off on the tension to get alternate colours on top. Has anyone tried this?

OMG. OK. A man says to the doctor one minute I feel like a wigwam and the next I feel like a teepee. The doctor said you're two tents.

Chinese dustman knocks on the door of a house. A bronzed hunk of a man answers and the dustman says Where you bin? The man says, I've been in Hawaii, do you like my tan? Dustman says Naw naw naw, where you wheelie bin? The man says ok I lied, I've been on the sunbed.