blue duck

Anything can be used as a stiffener or a stay. It all depends on the look you are after and the quality of your product. For example, you can use the cereal box, but it will not hold up. Felt, foam, leather, bontex/texon, interfacing, etc. can be used and work well depending on application. Sometimes the look you want will dictate the stay, but it might require a different approach to construction as well.

@shoepatcher and @dikman Thank you kindly. Taking the head off hadn't occurred to me. But of course makes sense. And lots of horse pads and dog blankets because it has to travel over the worst 50 miles of paved road in the country. Cheers

I am going to look at a cobra tomorrow. If I end up with it, can it be transported laying down in the pick up? Was worried about the oil leaking out of the machine. We've got an ugly storm and crummy roads, so would like to get it under the tonneau cover. He also has a np10 skiver, so guess I should ask the same of it.

@DavidR1990 As you said you normally buy, I will just let you know that it is a pattern by maker leather supply. However, if you are looking to start pattern drafting, might I suggest starting with something simpler and work up to this. Building a good pattern is a chore in itself. Oh I just seen you are in Germany. MLS is in Texas USA

Morning all, Far from an expert, but those are Baculites. We have them all over the hell creek formation in Montana. Kids love to find dinosaur parts.

Hi Don. Thanks for all the work you have put into this.

Nice. Thanks.

I was trying to think of the company name yesterday. It was Angelus. They have colored shoe waxes. But neutral will work as well, if you're not trying to get more color. A long time ago I read of using a paste wax for cars. Which if you get a quality one it has carnuba wax. Good luck. I'd like to see it when you're done.

I am sure someone has more and better information, but here is what I do. Orion Calf has a system that is made specifically for crust. I dye, depending on the look you want, using a dauber, sponge, even paint brush. It takes dye a bit differently than veg tan, but similar enough not to worry about it. There are no oil's really left in crust. So next add I add 100% neatsfoot oil, light even coat. Then add a coat of their wax. Using a glass slicker I burnish like crazy. Then buff with the soft rag. Let dry between each step. But, (there's always a but right) my understanding is they are no longer in business. So when I run out of their product I am going to try using a good quality die by another manufacturer. And a shoe type wax for finish. All that said, it will only give you a place to start. Practice and trial and error are what will get you there. Use some of the edges or soft spots to try it out.

That is really nice.

Far from a color expert, but have you tried adding white to your red instead of diluting it? I have used Orion calf's pink and it works well. However I think they may be out of business. So that probably won't help much.

@Wizcrafts that was an great thread / sewing explanation. Thanks for taking the time.

@HughMungis I don't know if you are still calling folks, but you might try University of Alaska Fairbanks. They seem to have a very active native cultural department. They do quite a few workshops for the community on different historical subjects. Perhaps they could help you out or point you in the right direction.

Also, you will not be able to get a bright yellow with dye. You can certainly get a more even dye job with the above tips, but unless you use paint, the color will be close to what you have.

@woto if you can post a picture it will help us see your problems. But, I doubt soaking it will help. More than likely make it worse.

A couple more ideas. Hammer down your stitch line. That will help the edges a bit as well. And see if you can get the stitching closer to the edge. But the bag is looking good.

@Chux you might try looking for 'bontex'. They are the same. It is a special paper /cardboard made for bags and shoes. It comes in many thicknesses, depending on what you want it to do.

Perhaps try a different stitch. I have used a 'baseball' stitch with good results.

Good Morning All! I would like to thank you all for your advice. I have spent hours/days and tried everything you all suggested. Between each change, I would check if it corrected the problem. So at this point I can't tell if it is still catching (original problem). After all of this was completed, it appears to work when just hand wheeling it. But when I put any material to actually sew, it now won't make a stitch. It appears to me that the loop is not being made at the bottom of the stroke, but just barely under the material, too late and too high for the hook to catch. Take the material out and watch it, it makes the loop, catches it just fine. So I am sure open to further suggestions. 1. Checked to make sure thread was correct twist. Also changed spools. 2. Changed needle sizes. 3. Bypassed thread guide on needle bar. 4. Actually didn't mess with the bobbin tension, as that seemed okay. 5. Looked up @Uwe and re-timed according to his video. @Wizcrafts you were right the timing did appear retarded. 6. Wiz was also correct about the check spring, it was very tight. The screw was also bottomed out to the far right. The top tension always seemed tight, but got a good stitch out of it. I think this was my problem here instead of the tension discs themselves. @suzelle The work was done quite awhile ago. Yes they also replaced the whole tension unit. I can't find any branding on it. The bobbin thread never seemed to be a problem as far as I could tell. I had never really looked and seen the difference in the replacement unit, until this started happening. It really only caught my attention as it seemed that is where it would grab. Thank you all again.

@ljk Thank you very much. I found Uwe's site and will double check my machine against it. But what I noticed more than anything was the needle guard. It is the same as my old one. But Uwe also offers service by Skype. Great option. @toxoThank you. I will try the larger needle, but feels/sounds like it is catching. The top tension has always seemed to tight to me, but without it the stitch is terrible to the point of useless. So that may be the next problem to look at.

Still trying to sort this out. (Birthday present is going to be late :{ , oh well) So when I said I could feel it grab, right where this 90* spot on the needle guard is where it seems to be. I had this replaced by an campbell bosworth in tx and they returned the original with the machine. The two seem quite different. The original is one piece and the edges are rounded and flowing. The replacement is, well not. The split is large enough for thread to go between. You can see quite clearly how different they are. So it makes me question if it is even a correct replacement. Ideas and or opinions? Do you think it a good idea or possiblity to change them around? Or does this even seem like it could be the culprit? I would gladly pay for the repair, but nothing is close, which is why I sent it to Texas the first time. Shipping right now is insane though, so can't do that.

Yes I do. Haven't looked that part it in years though. But I have it out looking for answers, so I will make sure. Thanks. Edit: So are you looking for a manual?

Good Afternoon Folks~ As you can see in the pics, I am having problems with the top thread fraying/breaking. This is on a Singer 111-155, Organ Needles 120/19, Top thread #92, Bobbin thread #69. I have rethreaded, changed bobbins, new needle, oiled, tried different leather/fabric, the usual that occured to me. It will sometimes run 20" before it happens and sometimes only 2". I thought the hook was the culprit-polished it up, didn't appear to have burrs. Checked the hole around feed dog, can't see/feel anything. I then spent hours trying to replicate problem to document it and found that the upper thread would go to the wrong side of the hook when going around the bobbin. (I hope I have the right terms here). You can feel it when it happens. If you look to the right side at the top the bobbin latch, you can see where it has gone in between instead of over. I can't figure out the why of it though, much less how to fix it. Then again, it could be something else completely and this is just the result. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. If you need more pics or info, please let me know. Thank you for your time. Kathi

This is great! Even got some trash on his horns. Was it one of his? Quite a project.

Have you called Beiler's?