billybopp

I'm pretty sure that all such labels that used to be on machines from the factory have been crowded out by the ones that the lawyers make them put on. You know the kind "Stop machine before changing needle". " Do not put fingers beneath needle while sewing". "Machine will not sew without thread". " Thread must be purchased separately". "Power must be on before operating". But seriously ... GREAT idea for these labels! Bil

There is an excellent article on finishing edges here on LWN. Finishing Edges Bill

I don't know anything about this either, but agree that it looks really cool! I'd love to see some more pictures .. It might be fun to try to make something similar! Bill

I don't have a pattern for gloves, but ..... For those long runs of hand-stitching, I've found that athletic tape is a good solution. I wrap fingertips to help prevent awl and needle pokes somewhat, and wrap pinkies where the thread rubs as you pull to tighten. Be sure to use cloth tape rather than the plastic finish type, as it has a good bit more grip for pulling needles. It also has the advantage of being clean and fresh every time you use it, as well as being cheap and effective. Bill

I'd add to what Colt said .. When your brush is fully loaded with dye, use it more away from the cut marks and as it dries out a little move toward the edges. That will help to prevent "dye creep". Bill

A good rule of thumb for thinning substances to airbrush is about the consistency of whole milk. Eco flow and resolene can be diluted with water, I use filtered water, but distilled water might be a better choice. I don't know what you'd use to thin neatsfoot oil, but it's not TOO thick as it is, so might work straight from the bottle. I've never tried it, tho. Bill

As with most things, there are trade-offs here. The "artist" compressors (Paasche/Badger/HF Kit) run relatively quiet, but they also do not flow a lot of air, and do not have tanks to help even out that airflow. Artist airbrushes don' t need a lot of airflow .. but for maximum versatility, I'd go for a compressor with a tank every time AND one that has airflow(CFM) to support more than just an artist brush. Covering a large area of leather with an artist's brush is a pain, and you'll do better with a touch up gun for that purpose but it will require more airflow. Match the compressor to the tool that uses the most air. About the only way to know how noisy a compressor is is to try them out and see. For airbrushes, I've used Paasche for many years and love them. The H series single action work well for a lot of things, and can be set up to cover a decent area if that's what you're looking for. The VL series double action brushes allow much more control, but a little more time to master. The VLs also offer multiple tip/needle/nozzle combinations for differing flow and coverage area. My go-to is the VL because of its versatility. Badger and some of the others probably offer many of the same options. If you go for a VL, pay attention to which tip/needle/nozzle comes with it! Other must-haves include a GOOD respirator, because you do not want to breath in paint/dye/whatever. Goggles or some sort of eye protection are needed as well since anything you're likely to spray isn't good for eyes, or even your glasses (scraping paint from lenses sucks!). An in-line moisture trap is just about a necessity. It will remove any moisture that the main trap doesn't (it's kind of surprising how much at times). Some good to have items include extra nozzle sets if your airbrush uses 'em. A better pressure regulator than the one that's on the compressor itself. A stand of some sort for your airbrush. Extra bottles with both spray caps and storage caps in several different sizes. You'll want to keep one bottle just for cleaning out the airbrush after using it. If you'll be spraying indoors, an airbrush cleaner can be very useful http://www.amazon.com/GotHobby-Airbrush-Cleaning-Clean-Holder/dp/B00KS1II96/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1464557091&sr=8-6&keywords=airbrush+cleaner. A spray booth is also a good idea .. Even if its only a big cardboard box and a window fan! Quick disconnect fittings sized for the output of your compressor as well as for the smaller airbrush hose are terribly handy. An ultrasonic cleaner is also quite useful for keeping your airbrush clean is a good thing (and useful for other things as well). Skip the little bristle brushes that everybody likes to sell with airbrushes. They are less than useless since they often shed bristles that can cause problems. Pantyhose/knee highs are pretty useful as are small funnels for filtering stuff as you fill your containers. There's a lot of info there ... and hopefully some food for thought!! Bill

Thanks again, Jeff! Bill

Thanks!! Good to know! Bill

Kinda curious, is the Mando really a whole lot better? Worth the price difference? Bill

Many find that "I can make that for less than $150" ends up being far more expensive. It's also far more addicting, frustrating, satisfying and fun! I've never made a holster, but make lots of other things, so I can't give you any specific direction on that. JLSleather (above post) has been exceptionally kind in offering free holster patterns that many here have used with great success, so that could be a great starting point for you. The best resources to learn from will depend on how you learn best! There are some great books, videos and threads here on LWN. Some books to look out for include Al Stohlman's "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather" available to buy at Tandy stores, and in electronic format in the link at the left. You'll find a number of other decent books at Tandy stores, and their leathercraft library. There are also a lot of videos available on Youtube and elsewhere. Some are very brief and cover only the basics, others more complete, and some just plain long-winded. You'll quickly figure out which is which. Some worth a look include Tandy's videos, Ian Atkinson, Nigel Armitage, Springfield Leather ... And as mentioned above, one link tends to lead to another .. You never really know what you'll find. For leather and tool suppliers, you'll find some great stuff at the top of the page here at LWN, at Tandy, and many other places(depending on where you live, some may be better for you than others). Hope that helps! Bill

Thanks! I knew that somebody here could shed some light on the matter.

For all the tool experts here: I often look around at round knives on eBay and elsewhere on the big bad internet, and often see round knives by CS Osborne, and occasionally other makers marked with an X, XX, or XXX. Does anybody have a clue what, if anything, those marks mean?? Bill

Looks like a variation of a "Dee" or "D" ring. Try using that to search. Weaver leather, Buckleguy, and other places might be worth a try. You might not find an exact match, but may find something similar. Bill

It's a very useful book. Can be found at Tandy leather stores, amazon, or in digital format on tandy's leathercraft library. Bill

You'll find a good description of how to make a leather cylinder in Al Stohlman's "The Art of Hand Sewing Leather". You just have to size it to the can that you're making for. Works great. I'm made dozens of them. Bill

I use Fiebings bar soap. Works great. Bill

If you go for an airbrush, I'd suggest getting an air compressor that's somewhat bigger than you need for an artist's airbrush. A bigger compressor and tank will run less often when airbrushing, it will provide additional air capacity for other purposes. In particular, get one that will support airflow for something like a touch-up paint gun. The compressor is pretty handy for pumping up tires, balls, etc .. air for cleaning the dust bunnies out of your computer, or clearing off surfaces ... painting things other than leather, so it's something that you can continue to use even if you decide against airbrushing leather. As you're shopping for a compressor, see if you can give them a quick try-out in-store. Some are MUCH quieter than others (if that's important to you). An artist's airbrush covers relatively small areas with great control, and is really great for much of what we do, but they aren't the best for covering larger areas. A touch-up gun requires greater airflow and works much better for larger areas .. say something like the size of a briefcase or larger (give or take). Check the airflow CFM against the biggest gun that you might buy and match with the compressor. A cheap airbrush is not a bad way to see if it's something you like, but you'll want to consider something better later on. I'm fond of the Paasche VL airbrushes for several reasons, but especially because you can buy different nozzles that will yield larger or smaller spray patterns. Some of the other manufacturers offer similar capabilities as well. Just something to think about. You want to give a bit of thought to ventilation, since much of what is sprays can damage your lungs, and potentially make a real mess of the surrounding areas. A paint booth is great for indoors if you do enough to justify it. A fan and a cardboard box in a window can make a poor man's paint booth too. I do my airbrushing outdoors, which is also a good option. There are a number of accessories you'll want to consider as well .. A good respirator is pretty much a necessity. A moisture trap is too ( I use two, the one that was included with the compressor, and an inline trap.) Quick disconnect air fittings are really nice to have. Several paint jars are also quite useful, even in several sizes. ( I keep one filled with a cleaning solution to help make clean up quicker.) A better air pressure regulator than the ones found on most compressors can be helpful, since they allow more precise pressure control. A rack/stand for your airbrush(es) can be quite useful. An ultrasonic cleaner is really useful, particularly if you will be shooting acrylic paints of finishes through your gun, and is darn useful for jewelry and other things!

Remember when Compaq portable computers were the size of a suitcase and twice as heavy? Lots of people travelled with them despite size ... Same thing with a sewing machine I'd guess. If you need portable, you need portable!

I use mine every time.

I have a similar ultrasonic that I use for cleaning airbrushes. Its awesome. My process after use is to first flush the airbrush with a mix of water, vinegar, and a drop of dish detergent. Then disassemble the airbrush and put in the ultrasonic with a little industrial "micro" cleaner. Drain the dirty water and rinse with clean water. So far no clogs! Bil

Does the problem child machine always have the same operator?

Something as hefty as a Cowboy would, if female, have to have a name like Helga from the East German Olympic weightlifting team.

A gear puller is a very handy tool to have around, and generally not very expensive. Check your local auto parts store. If you have some flat steel bar stock around, some nuts and bolts and a little ingenuity you can also make one that will be serviceable (I've had to make my own when I didn't have a gear puller that was large enough to do the job). It's really a very simple tool .. Just a screw jack when you come right down to it. Get a piece of bar stock that's somewhat longer than your wheel diameter, drill a hole in the center and put a long bolt through that is skinnier than the shaft diameter, and a nut between the bar and shaft. Further out on the bar, drill two holes just outside the wheel diameter (or even inside if it's an open wheel design), and put a long bolt through those holes. Cut a couple of smaller pieces of bar stock to act as the "ears" which will go between wheel and machine and put nuts on both sides of the small plates. Use two wrenches on the center bolt/nut .. One to hold the nut stationary and one to turn the bolt (or you can also optionally weld the nut in place or secure it somehow and use a single wrench). Voila, you have a home-made gear puller. I wish I could show a diagram of the above directions .. It's really much simpler than the directions .. Just hard to describe! Bill

Overhead projector film will work fine. Just be sure to get the right type for your printer. Inkjet film has a slight roughness on one side for ink to adhere to, and LaserJet and plain film are too smooth. LaserJet film tolerates the heat from a laser printer, while other types will melt into a very expensive mistake in a laser printer or copier. Inkjet and laser ohp films are cheaper than Tandy's film, but paper is far cheaper and works well for many situations. Bill