toxo

Nice. As someone said a long time ago, "As ye sow, so shall ye reap".

Please help me out here Brian. There seems to be something wrong with the clutch mechanism. Maybe somethings missing but I can't stop the sharpening stone turning and I can't get my head around the way the clutch is supposed to work. You can see in one of the pics that a pin or something is sheared off.

Having just bought a used machine I've been researching a lot and apparently the stones with more grip are more likely to grab the waste. Mine has the neoprene (yellow) one that's been abused and I will replace it but for now I took some emery paper to it in order to even it out and it seems to be working well.

More tweaking today. The safety guard was way too high for the leather to climb once it left the blade so I bashed it a bit so it can work by feeding it in rather than waste an inch so I can pull it. still some work to be done and pieces to replace but it's working as it should. Most of this afternoon was taken up by the vacuum system. There's a sort of elbow by the blade and I'm not sure which way it should be pointing. There isn't much room in there. I think I'll end up cutting the elbow off at the table level unless someone tells me different. The other frustrating thing about the vacuum is that it doesn't come on if using the skiver at low speed.. There's a chain connecting to the treadle and I tried various links to no avail. One link is on all the time, the next one up doesn't start the vacuum at low speed. I think the answer is gonna be some sort of airline switch.

After cleaning it up a bit I started to put it back together. The safety guard over the bell knife was severely out of shape and was was actually touching the blade in places. A few clumps with a hammer got it in reasonable shape. The drive belt was much too loose so sorted that. There is only two presser feet one 1 inch and one 2 inch. they both have a severe sloped profile which I think is unusual. The waste bag had foam in it so maybe the sloped feet is for foam. I gingerly switched it on and tried a piece of leather. The feed roller is smooth and slightly out of shape so I helped it along with hardly any force and blow me down it did a very nice skive first time. I'm proper made up.

OK, spent most of the day looking for air line connectors if one was the right type it was the wrong thread. I was determined to find out if the vacuum system worked. Ended up having to bodge it. Eventually got some air into it via the compressor by the back door and an airline going up the stairs. This is the vacuum pump. Don't know what's inside it yet. Nothing happening at all. Looked everywhere for a switch of some sort, Nothing. Was beginning to think it might be blocked up and then I noticed this under the table top. That spring is on the end of a lever and goes down to the treadle. Pressed the treadle and away it went. I was so happy. Felt a proper nana for not spotting it earlier. Good suction too. Don't know if there's a spark arrester in there somewhere. If not just have to make sure the sharpening stone is well clear when in use. Better pics later when I've cleared everything up.

Nicely done. And practical as well. He'll love it.

OK, a bitter sweet day. The seller wanted £750, I offered £600 and he accepted. When I got there today to pick it up (£30 in fuel) I found a machine that had seen better days and didn't work. The belt that operates the sharpening stone was de-laminating in various places but it did sharpen the blade. The feed roller was smooth - looks like someone drove it into the blade, and wasn't turning. Turns out the linkage that turns the feed roller was missing. found it in the drawer, looks like the pins at each end were too short so I'm guessing wasn't staying in place. Wasn't able to assess the vacuum system because no air available. A couple of more minor things need attention. All in all it needs some TLC but should be able to bring it back for very little cost. He sensed I was about to walk so we got to haggling and in the end I paid him £350 which I'm happy with. Will clean it up and take some pics tomorrow and try to get some air to the vacuum.

Great info as usual Brian. On the vacuum side, you got me thinking about sparks in the bag. Maybe it has an air driven impeller to avoid that. Thinking about the feed roller, I've noticed there are different types, is there a preference for thinner leather? The one I'm getting was apparently used by an upholstery firm so should be ok. Also I watched one video that said the carborundum feed stone is used to take the burrs off the inside of the knife, that's not right is it?

Is why I'm buying this one. Doing it by hand is time consuming, inconsistent and easy to make a mistake especially on soft chrome tan.

Thanks Brian. I plan on picking it up on Tuesday. There are a lot of 801 vids on YT but they don't seem to go beyond the basics. For example the angle of the sharpen as the stone wears down or doesn't it matter? I don't suppose it'll come with a stone dresser. Thanks for the link. Looks like spares are not hard to find. The only reference I can find for the "Eagle" brand is in London so that might be good. I'll call them tomorrow. Hopefully they'll have some info on the vacuum side. It won't be getting a lot of use so maybe a cheap compressor will be a cheaper option than changing to an electric motor.

Well God help me, I've provisionally bought the second one. The seller knows nothing about it. What's the chances of the air system being just a switch that can be changed or will the vacuum not work without air? I won't be holding my breath on there being any accessories like extra feet (are they standard and will I need more than the standard one) If it has to have a compressor, what kind am I looking at bearing in mind it needs to be fairly quiet?

There's two on ebay at the moment. This one which looks like the basic with a clutch motor. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/284452986412?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D672e2d912e9f49aaacbf11707c7ead24%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D265437153878%26itm%3D284452986412%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Af4f61d19-5ad0-11ec-91c4-82881963cab4%7Cparentrq%3Aab97ff3d17d0a7b21ce5cb2efff15e97%7Ciid%3A1 And this one which is dearer with bells and whistles What do you think neighbour? Car won't do the first one unless I pay ulez I think the second one is outside. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/265437153878?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20160908105057%26meid%3D672e2d912e9f49aaacbf11707c7ead24%26pid%3D100675%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D15%26sd%3D265437153878%26itm%3D265437153878%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2380057&_trksid=p2380057.c100675.m4236&_trkparms=pageci%3Af4f61d19-5ad0-11ec-91c4-82881963cab4%7Cparentrq%3Aab97ff3d17d0a7b21ce5cb2efff15e97%7Ciid%3A1

Thanks Jimi. That's reasonable, they should last a while cos I won't be doing any production runs. Good link Sheila. I also looked at Harry Rogers on YT. They seem to do what they're supposed to do.

Can I assume the TY801/CB801/JS801 etc are all the same machine? There's a decent looking used one in my area for sale but I know nothing about them. Being a skeptical sort of chap whose only luck seems to be bad I'm imagining the knife being wore out and all sorts. How much would a new knife cost? I seem to vaguely remember that they're not cheap. Thanks guys

You can of course buy leather that's finished on both sides. Don't know what it's called and I only have scraps but here's a pic of each side. (apologies for the pics). This is thin - around 1mm and of medium temper.

Batchelors came through. The snaps are a smaller size and to get a cap in the bottom is very tight. I'll have to use a copper rivet type punch with the hole in it over the post to get it in. If it goes I don't think I'll be needing glue.

Thank you Fred for the offer but I have some on way from Batchelors in London. It's people like you that keeps me monitoring this forum.

I did think of something like that Fred , How did they hold up? I'll see what the smaller snaps look like when they arrive. Don't like Sam Browns much but my clicker die punches out the hole with the slit.

Thanks guys but my bases are not as nice as those Mike and I've just realised that I don't have the caps for the nickel ones. Just ordered some smaller ones and the missing caps. Was just trying to avoid using Sam Brown studs but for this project the studs will be the way to go.

Does anyone make snaps with a domed bottom for when the underside is seen?

The thread that started this is over a year old but here's my twopenn'orth. My 1 ton arbor press has a hole drilled in the bottom of the ram with a locking screw in the side. The hole is big enough to take most punches and stamps (It doesn't matter if the thinner ones are offset slightly). I also use it as a clicker press with a 10mm plate on top of the dies. It also has an aluminium block with three heaters in it that can be attached to the bottom of the ram for embossing/ hot embossing or hot foiling. I have a few sets of the cutting shapes that I use by just putting a flat magnet under the bottom of the ram with whatever shape I'm using just stuck on the magnet. I don't usually use thicker that 2.4mm leather so I don't have to use much pressure and I haven't seen any wear on the magnet. Sometimes the shape doesn't come up with the magnet but that's ok with me. I don't have a crew punch so pulling the shape out of the leather occasionally still beats punching two holes and cutting in between.

Spot on zulu.

The first time I used mine the threaded bit pulled out of the wood. Don't use it often but a "G" clamp holds it when I do. I still prefer it over the metal one that I bought later and just sits on the shelf.

I also don't fix the thread. When you fix the thread eventually the thread wears thin in places. Not fixing the thread means the "wear point" moves and the thread doesn't get frazzled.