toxo

I was driving in the countryside late one night when I broke down. I don't know much about cars and after poking and prodding under the bonnet for about ten minutes I couldn't get the thing started. After scratching my head for another five minutes a voice came out of nowhere and said "Try the points". I was startled because there wasn't a living thing in sight except for a white horse looking at me over a field gate about 3 yards away. Thinking I might have imagined it I took no notice and had another prod and a poke.. "Try the points" rang out again and again there was no one there. Thinking I had nothing to lose I looked at the points and found the distributer cap was loose. After fixing it the car started first time and off I went. About a mile further on there was a nice looking country pub and I pulled in for a pint. I told the barman about what had just happened and the voice coming out of nowhere. He said "Was there by any chance a white horse in the field?". Actually there was " I said. "Well you were really really lucky" he said. "why do you say that" said I. He said, "Cos the black one knows nothing about motor cars".

I'm struggling to find polyester thread up to Tkt 20 and colours. Am I missing something here? Is it only bonded nylon in the bigger sizes and brighter colours?

There are other types. Here's another. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Leather-Hand-Single-Stitch-Sew-Sewing-Awl-Tool-Needle-Stitching-With-Thread-LD/184122417342?hash=item2ade8d20be:g:HmIAAOSwyupa3sNz

Just when I think I'm beginning to get a handle on this stuff!!! Another curve ball. You just like to fry my brain don'tcha Folker!

That's either a fantastic typo or a very clever goat on line 7. . Nice to see Phil and I hope you're passing your knowledge on.

Love it. Well done.

Good to see you still have the spirit after all that. Well done.

Well done! Something that will be treasured.

I can't increase the size of the image! Is it because it becomes pixelated or something? I'll try increasing the size before importing to the laser. Re: Using the laser to make clicker dies, my laser laser doesn't look like cutting anywhere deep enough for the rule steel. I ordered the steel with a view to cutting the groove with my electric fret saw and so ordered the 1.05mm rather than the 0.71mm but it turns out it's a scroll saw and the cut looks to be around 0.5mm . It's going to be interesting.

Just what I didn't want to hear dikman. I'll try to get it going with some larger needles. It lays down a lovely top stitch.

Very nice and imaginative.

2nd go at this. Was almost ready to pull the trigger and it switched to another page and it all went away. My mistake Wiz. It's the hand thread thats waxed. I've got lots of thread but no labels on most of em. I always try to buy Tkt20 polyester. I f I can't get the colour i'll go with bonded nylon. They're all happy with needles fro 110 to 140. I always do the slidey down the 45 degrees thing but this stuff seems much thicker, probably because it's flat and braided. Definitely won't slide on a 140. As soon as you cut it, even at an angle it frays. Some wax on the end tames it down. I'll get some bigger needles to try but I don't want to damage the machine. Here's the stuff I bought. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Tkt20s-Polyester-Braid-3000m-Confil-A-L-Paul-Heavy-Thick-Strong-Braided-Thread/261546882618?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&var=560421492047&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Thanks Tom.

Hi Bob, This is Alan next door. I’m sorry buddy, but I have a confession to make to you. I've been riddled with guilt these past few months and have been trying to pluck up the courage to tell you to your face, but I am at least now telling in text as I can’t live with myself a moment longer without your knowing. The truth is I have been sharing your wife, day and night when you're not around. In fact, probably more than you. I haven’t been getting it at home recently, but that's no excuse, I know. The temptation was just too much.... I can no longer live with the guilt and I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies and forgive me. I promise that it won't happen again. Please come up with a fee for usage, and I'll pay you. Regards, Alan. THE ACTIONS Bob, feeling insulted and betrayed, grabbed his gun, and shot his neighbour dead. He returned home where he poured himself a stiff drink and sat down on the sofa. He took out his phone where he saw he has a subsequent message from his neighbour: THE SECOND MESSAGE Hi Bob, This is Alan next door again. Sorry about the slight typo on my last text. I expect you worked it out anyway, but as I’m sure you noticed that my Auto correct changed ‘Wi-Fi’ To ‘Wife’. Technology hey?!? Hope you saw the funny side of that. Regards, Alan.

I hate to say it but it's the human model. We, as a race are severely flawed and when the choice is between me and them the choice for most people is me. There are even worse flaws. Why would someone destroy a bus shelter and then stand in the rain waiting for a bus? I went to the chemist the other day and as I approached the pharmacy counter, a young woman with a child in a buggy coughed onto her sleeve from around six inches. She was in a queue of what was potentially a line of vulnerable people. The other day I over ordered on dog mince from the butcher and didn't have room in the freezer. They were frozen and had to go in the fridge overnight. Next morning I wrapped up 4 kilos and put it out the front along with 2 kilos of a brand dog food that make my dogs stink with a sign saying what it was and please take me. I advertised it on face book and had people message me to ask where to pick it up. When I looked out it was already gone so I put a sold sign on FB. When I went to the door for the postman about 3 hours later I noticed some arsehole had tucked it out of sight, no doubt to collect later depriving someone else from getting it. People suck mate.

Thanks Mike. I was toying with the idea of using the laser to cut deep enough lines to insert the rule steel to make clicker dies but I don't think it's powerful enough and even if it is it would take many passes and be time consuming compared to cutting it out with my electric fretsaw plus there's no size limitation with the fretsaw.

Is it possibe to get my small laser to follow an ouline rather than the backward and forward thing that it does now? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7000mW-Offline-USB-Laser-DIY-Logo-Engraver-155x175mm-Cutter-Mark-Machine-/133260210802?hash=item1f06ed7272

Usually it's quite happy with Tkt20 waxed polyester but I bought a cone of Tkt 20s (?) braided polyester that isn't waxed and I'm struggling badly. I first found that I had to wax the end just to thread a needle because it frays so readily when cut. Being non waxed also means it's very limp. It feels very nice and soft and I'm sure it's very strong but it's quite flat and the first sign of trouble was when it was reluctant to go through the gap under the needle plate. It was essential to hold on tight to start and when I got it going the top stitch looked very good but underneath was a birds nest and a couple of times the machine jammed up.I ended up loosening the bobbin thread and tightening the top thread almost to complete lockdown and it did get better but the machine clearly doesn't like it. Can anything be done or do I just save it for the next machine?

It would seem the wooden block type are fairly easy to do, especially if you can cut the slots with the laser. I haven't tried my small laser on wood yet but i'm not holding my breath that it can cut deep enough. Even if not it seems simple enough to cut the shape with a fret/jigsaw all the way through and then glue/screw another board on the back. I have plenty of foam to push the leather out or simply bore a hole through the board. I'm not about to go overboard here. I'm only talking small bags/ wallet type stuff here that I can do with the arbor press. Not trying to get rich, just keeping the wolf away from the door and enjoy it at the same time. And of course we do love an experiment don't we. Check out those automatic machines. Laser cuts the channels then continous feed the steel through the machine, bends and cuts all in one go and it fits the slots perfectly.

For anyone else wanting die making stuff: https://www.partwell.com/die-makers-steel-rules Prices aren't bad either: Uni 23.80 2pt CF lengths - £0.94 per metre (100m box) Uni 23.80 3pt CF lengths - £1.36 per metre (60m box) Uni - refers to Universal cutting rule 23.80 - the height of the rule 2pt / 3pt - the thickness of the rule 2pt = 0.71mm, 3pt = 1.05mm CF - standard centre bevel rule

Welcome Wicky. If you need any advice this is the place to come.

Looks good to me Frodo. Well done

Getting to grips with any drawing software isn't easy so kudos for that.This has reminded me of something that's been sitting on my workbench for ages. It's a simple key fob that you can stand your phone on when watching something in the pub. This one didn't work but I think the concept is good. needs a press stud or something to hold it folded. Excuse the pic quality.

Thanks Chris. If you watch on youtube he gives the links to the suppliers.

There's a printers not two mins walk from me. Don't think "she" (6ft 5inches, built like a brick s**thouse, shoulders 5ft wide decided to "trans". We have to call her Zoe now) does any of that. She doesn't do a lot of what she used to but she might surprise me. If not she might be able to point me somewhere.