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Wanted to make a cover for one of my knives but this is the first time I've asked my new machine to sew some thickness and I can't get it right. This is hard thick veg tan and I'm wondering if I'm asking too much of it. Top looks ok but I can't get the bottom to match. Apologies for the bad pics. Had to downgrade them to get them all on. This is softer leather. Not perfect but better. Tension discs and using 20s thread and a 120 needle. Have adjusted top and bottom tensions . Have lowered the check spring. Am I missing something?

Trust me, it won't slip. Turned out the bolt was too long. A more direct pull had the end of the bolt hitting the table and I wasn't about to dismantle it again. It works fine as it is and needle down as well, yes! Time to make something. I can feel a Hobo patchwork bag coming on.

Great minds think alike. Can't access photos from phone for some reason.

If you're serious I can point you to everything you need. I did do a post about a year ago detailing what you need and where to get it. You might do a search for "Rule Steel".

Pics not very good, video even worse but it shows the necessary. I tried to wrap the cable around the bolt in nan effort to leave everything in place so it could all be reinstated in the future but it's already got slightly loose so I'll have to do that bit again but it does work.

Welcome @CreativeName From the UK. You'll find the selling part a bit of a learning curve because there are so many variables but, hopefully you'll enjoy the journey.

Had another go at the needle positioner yesterday and I think I've got it to stop down. Don't mind wheeling it up so I'll leave it there. Sourced a longer shaft for the knee lift. Had to keep it at 11mm in order to keep the knuckles which meant having to order two 12mm pillow blocks/bearings cos I could find any 11mm. Not a problem cos they have set screws to clamp the shaft. Hopefully will get here today or tomorrow.

Exactly that.

I think discounting clicker is a mistake. A die doesn't have to be expensive. Doesn't have to be for a repeating project either. It can be extremely useful for part of a project though. I make em with a wood core, my most recent I showed in my patchwork post. Now I can cut lots of patches in no time. It would take hours to cut 50 patches by hand. Don't need an expensive press either. Before I got mine I used a 1 ton arbor press.

I moved the wire rope to the furthest back hole. The fulcrum screw was a bitch to undo but I got it. It wasn't that. I unscrewed the top P/F tension screw to the max. All done has made it a bit lighter but juddery where it's binding on something. The angle of the rope going through the table is not excessive. I think it might just need wearing in. It's perfectly usable especially now that it's a bit easier, will be even better when I install the knee lift. This is my first new machine and discounting the old Durkopp 239, the first with the elliptical feed dogs. My Adler 69 is an excellent machine but the linear feed dogs sometimes made it challenging where I asked too much of it. This new machine is working like it's supposed to with no dramas at all. I look forward to using it now. Just have to sort out the needle positioner and along with the knee lift I'll be an even happier bunny.

I'm liking my LS341/2750 clone more and more. I'm hating the pedal lift with a vengeance though. One of my "benches" is an old Singer table with the motor and knee lift still in situ. Yes, I determined to rob the knee lift for the new machine but when I got under it yesterday I found the rods went through the oil tray instead of individual pillow blocks. So I'll be off to the engineers very soon. I've found the pedal lift to be very hard so I'll probably install a spring somewhere to assist the knee. If anyone wants the clutch motor they can have it for free. It was a bit whiney when I got it a few years ago so I replaced the bearings so it purrs now. Make a good motor for a project.

I agree it's easier from a tube but for smaller jobs I'm reaching for the basting/double sided tape more and more. It's even less messy and quick. You don't have to wait for "tacky". I found a bit of Cechaflo @ 9.52 mins. Binding a floor mat - Car upholstery (youtube.com)

That's cheating Fred. I must say it's easy to use from a tube but I was thinking more of a pouring version. I normally buy from my leather place who pour it into jam/coffee jars and it's good stuff but I find I'm having to "liven" it up every now and then with solvent. I use one of these which makes it last longer. Plastic Leather Craft Non-Spill Glue Pot Cement Keeper Anti Evaporation 1L 1.5L | eBay I keep meaning to ask Cechaflo what he uses because it always seems so nice to use.

What's our favourite glue that stays fluid even after infrequent use?

On FB. Ideal for someone who likes making stuff shiny again. (1) Marketplace – Leather workers / saddlers / cobblers tool | Facebook

Bought a pair of these. They're doing the job and have enough flexibility. Thanks guys.

TV sports commentators, especially the BBC. Usually they're experts at their sport but no consideration is taken for the rest of us that just happen to catch something that might be interesting and don't have a scooby doo what's going on. It would be great if one of the commentators was a novice and asked basic questions of the expert so we all know what's going on. I tuned into the paralympics the other day and if you were lucky someone might say "This is the mens GK or XY category ???? No mention about what makes up that category, what these athletes are dealing with. I watched a cycle race in the velodrome where one guy with one leg was racing against a guy with two legs???

I'm halfway down a rabbit hole! Ever since I've been doing leather stuff I've been drawn to patchwork. It lends itself to many design and colour combinations, can have great impact and can use those pieces of leather that are just too small for something bigger. Trouble is I'm not a lover of those rough edge overlap seams. I like decorative seams like the French seam where a contrasting thread can really pop. A way to combine the two has escaped me until now. I decided to re visit patchwork this week and I think I've made progress. The problem has always been the bulk of four layers of leather where they cross. Being an ex engineer I don't know why the idea of a mitred joint didn't occur to me before. I cut up some old leather and had a play. Had no idea how hard it would be getting all the angles the same else they won't line up. This is the first attempt, cutting the shapes by hand. It kinda worked but I found that the stitching line is important to avoid the bunching up in the middle. If the seam allowance is too small you'll end up with a hole in the middle. I decided to make this cutting die. It was better but I couldn't get it perfect with the tools I have. This was better but still not right. Still bunching in the middle. Almost there. I shortened the seam allowance and no hole in the middle. Bear in mind those decorative stitches won't be done until after any lining is put in and those stitches will go through all. Remember, this was just to prove a theory. Any and all advice will be very welcome.

Fed up with the little cuts and nicks, especially if doing one that's a bit tricky. Remember I don't have one of those fancy machines that make it easy. I remember reading about a kind of chain mail glove that was an arm and a leg. If I have to bite a bullet I will (before someone tells me it's not a cheap hobby) but a quick search trawls up some cut resistant gloves. They're quite cheap and seeing I might make a die once in six months I'm wondering if they'll do. I don't need a slicing protection. It's just a handling thing. So I'm asking you guys if someone can recommend something please. I am probably gonna order something for tomorrow so I can get on but it would be good to have something that I know will work.

Never was a truer word said.

I have a few thin black skins that I think are goatskin. Even has the white line on the flesh side. It's very soft but it tears easily. Is this Nappa? If not what is Nappa? And what do I have?

Not to distract from your thread but here's an extension of my engine block story but it is about welding cast, aluminium this time. My "office" was a large ex blacksmith type forge. Covered in dust and cobwebs, it had a whole wall off pigeon holes that were full of stuff that hadn't been touched for years. An Aladdins cave for me because some were full of all types of arc welding rods which I could experiment with (I was quite young at this time and very much learning) including cutting rods, dissimilar metal rods, stainless, aluminium etc. One day a tanker came in and I was asked to have a go at the ladder along the top that had broken a couple of welds. I told the foreman that I'd never done it and he just said "Have a go", I found some rods that were half as long again as a normal welding rod, got up there and cleaned up the area . Then I found out why the rods were much longer than normal. (I'm sat here laughing now at the memory). As soon as I started it took about five seconds for the rod to burn down completely. With the thing being so long to say it was difficult would be an understatement. I did eventually get it done but it wasn't pretty. Just another one of life's stories.

People often think they've done it but they don't notice that hairline crack running alongside the weld that tells you that the crack has just moved from where it was to where it is now.

Wow! All questions answered even if it does take 7 years.

If nothing else, dampen the leather slightly and squeeze between couple of boards with some clamps will get you out of trouble.