garypl

Thanks Colt - look forward to seeing your pics of thread path! Gary

Colt - are you using regular bonded nylon thread? I have a lube pot, but have not used it. How did you route the thread through the pot without increasing the tension excessively? Do you see any benefit to using the lube pot unless you are sewing materials other than veg tan? Gary

Both look nice, bit l’ll have to agree with Mutt that black is the real thing! Gary

Email the pictures to yourself and this should reduce the size so you can post them here. Gary

I bought a roll of brown paper at Lowe’s for about $15 - it is 36” wide and there is quite a bit on the roll. It feels about the same as paper grocery bags, but a little thinner. I tear off a piece that is @15” long x 36” wide, fold it in half and use it to cover my granite surface while gluing and staining. When it gets nasty I flip it over to the clean side and depending on how bad it is I can sometimes turn it inside out and use it again. Gary

Nice job! What type leather and finish did you use? Gary

Exactly!

As I approach the corner and I see my stitch will be too far ahead of the corner, I slowly move the stitch lever toward reverse, but not all the way . You will see the foot move to the rear a bit - turn the fly wheel by hand and watch the tip of the needle. When you are close to the surface, do the final adjustment and then push the needle into the leather. Once it is set, you can go the rest of the way down and then lift the presser feet and rotate the leather 90 degrees. Gary mark a spot on a practice piece and sew to the spot, adjusting at the very end so you hit the spot dead on...

Nice looking strap! You can use Irfanview to resize on a PC or if you have pics on an iPad or iPhone, download the Imagesize app. Both very easy to use for resizing down to 640 x 480 or 800 x 600 for posting. Both programs are free. Gary

Yippi - are you referring to the locking set screw on the bobbin case that keeps the bobbin tension screw from moving? Gary

Thanks Tom - I will try adjusting the stitch length by hand - might be easier than fooling with the stitch length adjuster. Gary

I don’t know if I am doing it correctly or if this is what everyone means by handstretching the stitch, but I use the stitch length adjustment to position the stitch so it hits the point. Is this what you are referring to? Gary

I buy from Ohio Travel Bag. Here is a link to one of the clips they sell: https://ohiotravelbag.com/products/item/c02c7af2-f38d-46a9-8deb-e4455ac51def/P-2326 Better to find a supplier nearer to you, but this is one resource. They do ship internationally. Good luck! Gary

Looks well made and should give your friend many years of service! Gary

Welcome Winn! Nice job on the sheath. Please let us know construction details, I.e., type and weight of the leather, thread size, finish used, etc. Gary

Very nice work there Wedgetail. Clean lines! Gary

Ross, that’s exactly the same reason I was happy to find a circle template - always looking for lids to use to draw circles!

I saw the Windfire circle templates in this forum some time ago and they look really wel made, but oh they are pricey. I see how you can draw concentric circles by moving up or down one size, but how does it work when you have to skip a size or two? Nice feature is that you can probably cut leather using the template- can’t do that with the plastic model I bought. I figured for under $3 the plastic model would be worth a try and it seems to work quite well. Gary

You can just loosen the set screws and move the drive wheel a bit closer to the tire so it engages better. Mine still stops occasionally, but I just flip the bar on top of the bobbin winder up and back down and it normally starts right back up. Gary

If you want to just darken the background behind a raised carving, you can use dye or leather paint. I have used both with good results. Apply with a brush or for paint I use a small bottle with needle tip to get up close around the carving. Gary

When I handsew gussets I simply mark stitch lines on both pieces, then layout the holes with either an overstitcher, pricking chisel, or sometimes I just run the pieces through my unthreaded machine. Now you have two pieces of leather with holes spaced identically and the same distance from the edge. I don’t glue the gussets - just saddle stitch, so it’s easy to push the awl through the first hole, look for the second hole and slip the awl through, then use your needles. Works great! Gary

I’m planning a design that calls for concentric circles to create a border. I’ve been trying to figure out the best way to draw them. Went to Hobby Lobby today and while browsing around I found this circle drawing device that allows you to draw concentric circles up to 4” in diameter. Simply position the template, put a stylus in one of the holes and rotate the inner template. Move the stylus to another hole and draw another circle concentric with the first - simple and easy to get perfect results. With discount coupons I think the cost was about $2.80! Gary

Thanks for posting this link Floyd - this is a very clear manual for the 441 machine! Gary

My CB4500 stand looks identical to Forester's

From what I remember, if 51% or more of the product value is from parts and labor from the USA, you can consider it made in the USA for export purposes. Gary