TwinOaks

That makes Cobra the closest to you.

With the exception of minor accessories, they are essentially the same base machine. There may be slight differences in the feet, the motors, and the little tweeks made inside the machine, but it'd be very hard to go wrong with any of them. Take a look at after sale support, total cost (including shipping), and customer reviews...then spend the money on the best value.

The tooling is off.....did you let the leather completely case before stamping? The impressions are very light which could be caused by the leather being too wet. Also, the tooling around the stems looks like it was done with a checkered pear shader, and that is the wrong tool for those places. The cut lines should be chased with a beveler first, then the background can be matted down. The lines themselves are something that I've had trouble with ....they should taper out at the end of each cut instead of being full depth. That's something that can only be learned through time and practice,

No one is making ruby blades as far as I know. They were offered as an alternative to steel, but these days, Ceramic blades have that function. There's also been a LOT of development of different types of steels used in blades. The steel used by Leather Wranglers is far superior to the steel used by Tandy in the 70's (and now). Essentially, if you found anyone that could work with the synthetic ruby, then they could make the blade....but no one that I know of is doing it for the leather industry. There's just better options that yield better results.

Awesome stuff, thanks Jim.

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Contact the dealers in the ads at the top of the page, and ask what they have in used machines. They may be able to help you get a machine (or two) without jumping directly to "new machine". Then, when you have your options laid out, choose the one that is offering the best machine for the money. Keep in mind that to sew leather, there are often slight modifications that should be performed on the machine such as swapping out the feed dogs and feet for smooth (or less aggressive) faced ones; it's commonly called a "leather package". You've already done the best first step - getting information. The most important thing I advise against is to NOT get a local machine and figure to do all the modifications yourself (unless you're a sewing machine mechanic). While I'm sure it would be an educational experience, leaving the initial set up to the dealers will save you money, time, and aggravation. ************ Best advice on picking a machine: Get more machine than you think you'll need.******************************* If you'll only be sewing lighter things like wallets on the smaller machine, you might expand your search parameters to include 'needle feed walking foot' machines, and 'roller foot' machines. If you've decided that two machines would be best, don't limit yourself in the 'medium' category. IIRC, the 227 and clones will handle 207 size thread as the max. If the machine isn't going to be used for light weight things (wallets), then go with the 3200 machine as it will handle the thicker threads as well- leave the small thread to the small machine. If you use it for bags, you can still drop down to 138/92 thread for those. For your lightweight machine...there's a LOT of older Consews, Adlers, Singers, Pfaffs and Jukis that would do the job very well, even if they don't have reverse...ask about those when calling a dealer. Even something like a Singer 111 would be adequate for most wallet work, and while not 'a dime a dozen', they're affordable.

Welcome to the forums! You've got great start and we're glad to have you with us

Nice find!

Unless it's been modified I think the Adler 69 tops out at 138 thread, which might be a bit small for the harness work. With either machine, you may want to look into changing out the motor and adding a reducer pulley (see this thread). For most harness work, the Adler 205 is a better choice - I know, not one of the machines you listed, but it's designed for the heavier threads.

Velcro strapping is one of the odd things I've got in the 'tool box'. It's adjustable in both length and will hold just about any reasonable pressure. Best of all, there are no mechanical parts that leave indentations or stains. Also: plastic folders for patterns, belt sander, drill press, an assortment of wood shapes, speed clamps, stainless steel drafting tools- triangles, compasses, rulers; multiple "corners" - anything from washers to paint can lids to get repeatable radii.

The downside to Chicago screws is that it's harder to hide the socket end between layers and still be able to tighten down on it. A t-nut won't spin because of the pointy little spurs holding it in place.

You don't need to pre-wet the steel wool at all- you're not after dissolved rust, you're after Ferric Acetate. If the steel wool was very clean to start with, and since you used distilled vinegar.... you may not have any yellowing, so don't let that be the determining factor. What you should look at is how the brew effects leather. If you dip a piece of veg-tan in it and nothing happens or happens very slowly....add more steel wool. The ideal ratio is when the steel has been dissolved and all the acid (vinegar is a 5-8% solution of acetic acid) has been used up. The easiest way to do that without a lot of chemical calculations is to just keep adding steel wool to the solution until it stops dissolving. The steel wool I used wasn't marketed for wood work, but it DID have a rust inhibitor on it - not soap like an S.O.S. pad - just something to protect the steel wool from ambient humidity. If adding a little more doesn't help, try burning it before adding it to the solution.

What Matt said.... that's about all it takes. However, if you'd like, I can go pick some up and sell them to you as "spacer kits" You can change up the type of head that the screw has to get differing degrees of Tacti-cool. A standard phillips head works fine, but if the customers are expecting "security bit torx head" screws....well, I don't think many of the local hardware stores carry those.

....bras, corsets, boustiers.....

Look for something called "Chap Leather". It's available in various weights, so measure the thickness of what you're repairing and convert to 64ths of an inch......i.e. 4/64ths=2/32=1/16th" = 4oz. That correlates to the leather thickness you need for the repair.

I think that any type of clothing would be best in chrome tanned, and you can add pieces or patches of tooled leather as needed. The CT won't harden or wet form like VT will, and the Ct is commonly drum dyed and struck through......in a nut shell, it wears better.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/186328841/copper-rivet-making-tool-makes-three?ref=market

Hello to all, and especially our new members. The Chat Room is alive and doing well, but there is something that needs to be addressed: While in the chat room, I and the regulars in there, have noticed a large number of members that 'enter' the chat room but never 'chat'. After a pre-set time period, they're 'auto-logged-out'. This has led to the discussion of WHY this happens. Johanna or some of the other Mod staff may be able to shed some light on this as a browser issue, but in the mean time....If you click on "Chat", and nothing seems to happen, please check for other windows on your computer. It seems that once or twice (different computers) clicking to enter the chat room not only opened a new tab, but a new window altogether. It's my supposition that for many of our new members, clicking chat opens a window behind the one you're actively viewing. This is supported by the sheer number of enter/no comment users that go through there. So, if you have clicked to enter Chat, but nothing happens, please take a second look on your desktop for a second tab or window. It may be forum settings, it may be browser, or even device settings (if you're using a tablet/phone/portable device). If you are getting in alright, but just don't want to talk....that's okay too - we have thick skin, wicked senses of humor, and aren't all that bothered by it. However, the CR is a handy way to get a fast response to questions, and most of us that frequent Chat are either long time members or at least well versed in this craft/trade. Stop on in, and join the madness conversation. Hope to see y'all in there, Mike

***Merged the two topics into one so all the comments are in the same place****

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