TwinOaks

Head to the local Walmart, hardware dept., and pick up a quart of Weldwood Contact Cement. If you're particularly VOC sensitive, Lowe's sells a low VOC version that uses some sort of latex as the primary bonding agent. I use the red can Weldwood on my holsters, and once it's been applied, the leather starts peeling apart before the glue. It's possible to tear it up, but I've been really happy with it. BTW, you can get a quart of the stuff for at or just a little more than a tube of the Barge. It's also available in a small (same size as Elmer's rubber cement) jar, that has a brush-in-the-bottle lid.

If a person was particularly fond, or perhaps extremely proficient with a whip, then having a belt that can duplicate the action of the whip ensures they always have one. In the first case, it may be a style statement, in the latter case, it's an easily concealed tool or weapon. Notice that the thickness of the belt tapers, mimicking the taper of a whip handle. Cool idea, IMO.

Call Kevin at Springfield Leather and tell him what you are making. I think you'll probably end up with some chrome-tan under the name Chap Leather.

Welcome to Leatherworker.net, you've found the best site on the entire internet. Your progress is evident in the evolution of your holsters- they're getting a better "flow" to them. A little more work on neatness of cuts, and in particular....edges. Look closely at work you'd like to emulate, and you'll see that the edges are all finished. You're off to a good start, and there's tons of info here to help you progress in your new hobby.

Advised against a toro 3k? I guess the really important question to ask is "what are you wanting to sew?" That is critical when discussing what kind of machine you might want to get.

Thoughts? Sure. Are you stating that the Aerostitch is new to the market or you are? I ask b/c the Aerostitch has been around for a while, and AFAIK, was discontinued by Tippmann. You can still get them as rebuilt/reconditioned machines, in the ballpark of $1500-$1800 (last I looked). It's a pneumatically driven sewing machine with roughly the same abilities as the Boss. There's a bit more throat clearance on them too. It's an interesting design, but seems to be kind of a 'solution in search of a problem'. I like the simplicity involved, but that's negated by the need to have an air compressor to run it. For the money, you can be in a Toro 3000, or Cobra class 3 for a little more. With the advancements in the electric machines and the current prices, it's a tough call. The Aero- has some nifty speed adjustments that beat the snot out of an AC motor which needs to run at full speed and have the flywheel palmed for control. With the new machines, set up specifically for leather, CRAWLING speed is as simple as turning a speed adjustment knob on the DC motor, and reverse is a spring loaded lever. There is an advantage in the needle feed/ jump foot design - IF - it's a square feed mechanism. That means the needle moves straight down, straight back, straight up, and straight forward. The result is a very uniform stitch length that isn't effected as badly as a pendulum motion (read as 'more round than square') when transitioning between various leather thicknesses. Now are you going to be transitioning thicknesses a lot? If not, you might be better served with one of the new models. Would I buy one? Yeah, I would, if the price was such that I just couldn't say no (If you can get one for $400, I'm your new best friend!!!!). I've got an air compressor, and I can build a sound box to keep it quiet, plus a place to set it up. But at the prices I've seen them advertised, I'd be more inclined to go with a newer machine just because of the warranty and support available.

Yes, you can use the dry lube. I have used it several times and like the results. Since I ran out of the Remdry, I tried some dry lube from Lowes. This one is a 'dry' lube only in the aspect that the solvent evaporates quickly. It leaves behind a waxy residue that accumulates on the weapon....I much preferred the Remdry.

Bienvenidos a Leatherworker.net!

Hi and Welcome to Leatherworker.net! Restrooms are down the hall, fresh coffee as soon as Johanna gets here, and don't eat the donuts. There's a plethora of things that can be used for home made dyes, etc. One of my favorites is vinegaroon/vinegar black. It's a compound of rustable metal and vinegar. Chemically, it's ferric acetate and it reacts to the tannins in the leather, turning the leather black- and it won't rub off. There's also been some experimentation using walnuts to make a brown. I should also note that depending on the tannage of the leather, it can also get a bit 'blue'. For common items, you can use tea and coffee to make a wash for the leather. For a finish, olive oil can be used in place of neatsfoot, oil and paraffin wax can be melted together then brushed on (or dipped) for a hard water repellant finish, natural beeswax is good, and if you like acrylic finishes, you can use acrylic floor polish (U.S. brand "Mop & Glo"). Really there's more than I can remember at the moment, so keep checking this thread as other members chime in with other suggestions. Leatheroo is one of our Aussie members and may be able to suggest some items, by name, that are available locally for you. We're glad you found us, pull up a stool and stay a while.

More power to him! That's a great reminder to never quit dreaming up crazy ideas.

please do! I'm giving you an asnswer based on edumacated guessin'. And I've dripped the brew where it wasn't supposed to be....

Depending on the sprayer, if you can pour it, you can spray it- the issue is that the vinegaroon isn't like a dye where you can fade the coverage. With a really weak compound, you might get some fading, but as the 'roon ages, it will likely get a bit stronger. Once it's at a certain level......if it hits veg-tan, it gets black. Or gray, or sometimes blue...... the point is that 'roon causes a chemical reaction inside the leather. Have you considered spraying the fade with dye, then using 'roon as an edge only application? I think there's still some risk of the compound leeching through the core of the leather and possibly getting some spotting. It would all depend on the particular piece of leather and how much it wicks the brew through it.

You .... CLEANED the shop?!?!?!? What were you thinking?!?!?!?!?!? Nice looking knife rig.

Head knives, and Skivers, and punches........and just a little alone time with the POS.

56, I hope your planning on lacing with that awl, because that's what it's sized for. The awl blade is way too large for standard stitching. I don't know if a standard awl blade will fit in the haft, but you might get lucky.

Is that what I need for all my left handed holsters?

Either yes, or you have the wrong customer base. As I've read on here: If you get all the jobs you bid, you're charging too little, if you get none, you're charging too much. I suggest developing a few shortcuts. Have some "pattern packs" available as standard fare, complete with 'craft-aid' style stencils. That should help with the layout time, and if you have a customer wanting a completely original piece, show them the cost. If they're willing to pay it, you've got a $600 belt customer. If they balk, drop back down to something you already have drawn up. I looked at the belts you have on your website and, yes, they're nice. But if you don't have a customer base willing to pay for it, then you either drop prices, drop products, or find new clientele.

Look to the top of the page at the ads- these are some of the common suppliers for leather rated sewing machines. Also, we have an entire section dedicated to leather sewing machines, just scroll down from the main forum page. There's more info there than I can type in two days, and it can answer some specific questions about the various machines' capabilities. For your options, you can go manual (Tippmann Boss, or Luberto's Cub series), or powered (everything else). You might luck out and find a Boss for around a grand, but for most everything else, $1500 is gonna be about the least you'll spend....for a used model. If you're looking to make money at this, go ahead and plan for about $3000 to spend on a machine. Get more machine than you think you'll need- there's currently only about 200-400 dollar difference between the short and long arms....spend the extra money for the extra capacity. Call the suppliers, call more than one. The phone numbers are typically listed on their websites, so give them a call and tell them what you'll be making. There's a few minor differences between the 'clones', and what you can expect from them, and first person Q&A beats reading it in a forum. While your checking out the machines, look at things like thread and replacement needles. Avoid the antique "industrial" machines on ebay, just stick to what's recommende here- It's a collective knowledge base, and we'll try to steer you right.

The finish rarely determines the texture of the leather as far as the wrinkly appearance of the seat. You may find a textured leather like that in the upholstery leathers- kinda looks like mission grain pig to me. Also,because of the way the "stamp" looks..... that seat looks like vinyl to me.

Hi and welcome to Leatherworker.net from the Alabama coast. We're glad you found our little corner of the internet. There's lots of members, both amateurs and professionals, who'll be happy to help with any questions you might have. Ask away, and enjoy one of the friendliest sites on the 'net.

build a jig with a slot the thickness of the belt/strap blanks, measure the slot to find the center and install a blade that protrudes into the slot the depth you want to cut. draw the strap/belt through the slot while keeping the to-be-split edge against the 'bottom' of the slot. That should produce the results you want.

Computer hung up when I went to insert the link, and I got sidetracked on other things (honey-do-list). Here's the link to the video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMwXZYaJGBE&feature=related. My rant about not giving motor info is directed towards the servo motor in question. I think even the old clutch motor on my viking would probably out perform a 1/10 hp ac servo, run with a loose belt.

RANT ON: Hi everyone, This morning I spent some time browsing the web and doing some research. I found a youtube vid promoting the MC-SCR system for their sewing machines. The jist of the video is that their MC-SCR is the cat's meow of sewing machine motors- ESPECIALLY if you need slow speed control....and servo motors suck eggs. They demonstrated this by showing a SERVO MOTOR , running at slow speed, that had such low torque that a single finger placed on the pulley could (and did) stop the motor's rotation. The motor was then demonstrated on a 111, with direct drive. Then the whole shebang was contrasted showing their MC-SCR. Guess which one performed best. I'd like to point out a few things about the video for folks who are researching leather sewing machine components. First, the video NEVER states whether the servo motor in question is a DC or AC motor. In fact, the motor plate is never seen, which kinda prevents the viewer from having some critical info. Second, they are running on a direct drive to the (small-ish) balance wheel on the 111 with what looks like a frayed bungee cord. Most of the machines advertised here as "leather sewing machine" have some sort of speed reducer (which increases torque), and the major two -Artisan and Cobra- specify DC motors, which makes a huge difference. I ask that some of our sewing machine experts chime in on the design differences, and also our members that own and use the DC motors on their machines. I've seen the old Artisan video showing dang slow sewing on what looked like about 16 oz of leather. I get really frustrated seeing this type of advertising, where the information isn't so much wrong, just incredibly incomplete, and it encourages the wrong impression by an uninformed person. Any one else? rant off

Wiz, doesn't that 2500 have only a lower feed dog mechanism for movement? I'm sure the design would be great for a lot of things where a needle feed isn't necessary but with anything that has grain side showing on both sides of a project, is it gonna leave tracks on the backside of any leather sewn?

The pedal is connected to the motor via some kind of linkage. All you'd be doing is moving the linkage from one motor to another when the motor gets replaced. You may have to adjust the length of the chain, depending on the positioning of the motor's switch, but the pedal should be the same.