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Hi Brian. Just looked at the Hightex site and there's no mention of the 246 or any model with that kind of reverse lever. Is it a US thing? Where can one buy a 246 in the UK?

Before you try a dark dye, why not try dappling it all over with a very light dye applied with an art sponge or similar. You have absolutely nothing to lose. I hesitate to mention that I recently had to wash some veg tan with very hot water and dish detergent (4 times) to get the neetsfoot oil out of it. You'll have to re- wet mould but maybe better than re-doing the piece.

I suspect you're unwittingly favouring one side slightly when tightening. Apart from that I always work from each end toward the middle when punching so any discrepancy is hidden in the middle.

Looks good to me even though flowers don't do it for me. well done.

I was only saying yesterday that I thought Ivan was pretty good. After trying a cheap wooden strap cutter that bit me a few times because of the exposed blade I bought an Ivan and it was like chalk and cheese and the blade is enclosed. I bought a very nice Ivan crew punch on Monday and as well as looking good it was sharp from the get go.

Update! Four times was the charm. Here's the offending pieces after 4 very hot baths and a coat of Resolene. Here's the (almost) finished pouch.

Days/weeks haha. No chance. It's just two small pieces and it wouldn't have taken that long to do em over but it had become a thing now otherwise I'd have gone with Dwight. After a bath in seriously hot water and fairy liquid (Dawn) I tipped some dark brown water away and I thought I'd cracked it. I hastened the drying with a hair dryer and there was not much difference. 3 similar baths later, with each one throwing away brown water has them drying on paper towels. Will try again tomorrow.

Thanks Scott but it's been two days now and I've use half a large size kitchen towel and it's still coming off. I've even rubbed a coat of thinners over it and it's still coming through. Have I ever learned a lesson here. Read somewhere that a scrub in hot water might do it. have to drill out some rivets but it's useless like it is. I'll let you know.

I'm halfway through a foragers bag and the leather components are around 4oz veg tan. After dyeing I planned to Resolene the top side and thought I'd treat it to some neetsfoot oil. Not wanting to mess with the top side because of the Resolene, I applied some oil to the back side. It made it's way to the top side in double quick time and now the dye is "alive" again. I know it would be a waste of time trying to put Resolene on it now. Is there anything to be done?

This is an issue that I've been fighting with for a while now. I think eyelet/grommet is interchangeable. I think eyelets have splits on the top of the shank to help the foldover and are used where the foldover side isn't seen because they aren't pretty whereas a grommet with a washer is neater when viewed from either side. Washers can be used with eyelets also. What you need to watch out for is the mismatch you often find in the sizes. I have a Green Machine and several dies (about £18 apiece and each only does one size). I have1000s of eyelets/grommets but it's amazing how many won't fit any of the dies i.e. some of the so called 8mm w/gs won't fit my 8mm die because they're coming out at 7 or 7.5mm. The biggest problem I find is the length of the shank. Most w/gs are made for thin stuff like fabric or tarpaulins which are useless for going through 1/2 layers of veg tan. One last point (for info only), to fill in some of the sizes I haven't got, I recently bought three manual setters from Ebay. Each came with a hole punch, and the two part setter and a few eyelets. the exit hole in the side of the setters (all three) were razor sharp and I cut my thumb open on first use. The seller refunded my money and didn't even ask for them back because no doubt he knew he couldn't sell them so why waste money on the shipping.

https://fb.watch/d7y_GHxKRV/

https://www.facebook.com/reel/394911472552524?fs=e&s=cl Sorry guys. Doesn't seem to be working.

For those who like to hand sew without holes. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNaqJh06dQs

I always thought the flexible chopping boards I use were silicone and the harder plastic ones were HDPE. I was fortunate enough to be given two offcuts from a clicker press bed by one of my suppliers, one is around 1 1/2 inches and the other is around 3 inches. Apparently they buy them this thick and then plane the top off when they get worn.

When you say European style, are you talking hole punches or slit chisels?

Me too.

At a guess I'd say the feed roller isn't close enough and looking at the repetitions of the chew ups you might have a piece of leather stuck on the feed roller so every revolution you get a different skive thickness at that point. Looks like you started off slow and then went faster.

Try putting this into Google. leatherworker.net ; Singer 29U172 Our search engine has nowhere near the power of Goole.

Great work Suzelle! I'm guessing you're really familiar With Cechaflo on the Tube?

Sorry mate. I didn't realise it was riveted. My very first build was a Dieselpunkro satchel and the handle was just stitched. even when I was doing it I knew it could be better and it's haunted me ever since.

I could've written this myself. Finding someone to part with £300 plus isn't easy. Is why I don't do bags that take that amount of time anymore and those that I do make I make as easy as possible by using templates and dies. Excellent job on the bag. That closer takes me back to boating days, it's similar to a Pelican Hook which is sort of upside down and uses a ring that slides over it to stop it opening. If I were to nitpick - I'd like to see bullet loops for the handles coming up from holes in the top from a single piece of leather that's sandwiched between the top flap and the reinforcing bar. I always think that if the first row of stitches fail the rest will follow.

Another little tip for the Arbor Press. I take the collar off from the left hand side. It's been off since I've had the press. When I want to raise or lower the ram I just hold the ram where I want it with my hand, slide out the bit that has the handle in it and slide it back in after repositioning the handle. Never once has it even looked like coming out without the collar.

You don't have to spend lotsa money to do this stuff on the scale that most of us are putting out. Here's a couple of tips for us cheapskates. This is in progress. I've made several like this using home made clicker dies like this. I used a cheap 1 ton Arbor press by putting a steel plate on top and walking it around the press. And another thing that no one mentions is this type of die is the most economical on leather. With those that are inset into wood you can't see to get as close to the edge as possible so more wastage. This next bit is about your initial question along with a short video to show the sort of thing you can do with rule steel shapes. I don't do video and I've just knocked this up because it shows what can be done much better than words can.

What size limit (if any) or do I have to go elsewhere and post a link?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233745544654?_trkparms=ispr%3D1&hash=item366c51f5ce:g:eokAAOSwnfpfhsa~&amdata=enc%3AAQAGAAAA4DvDhcB3dKuemZ8TsxJzq11V3rXhQJK87eGDcS1hJ%2FqmSog4AUn1EvStpWEmCSE%2Fdi1I8PF9HgqiUoK7IRrKbo1yQz%2BBpmKdEEqM6clxtO%2Bhrr5KBWagfX9D5JbU9pspyNS%2B4IBC%2BYXArwJoqbjp2FfRw942tg0VZnGL48%2FY9WUnwYe%2FQkGhm%2BiS3xeuZhdlUM1aIi6G%2F8WO2nn8d2u4QvNm2W1opbAyYH52Ywvit85bQWYMSUtY7SVu1KlUFbC0wOgoyC8WsAx9yO0DSwioTqQcKbwLEfOKeVcZusw66JTO|tkp%3ABFBM6NKtpoNg