TwinOaks
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Posts posted by TwinOaks
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1 AND 2 AND 3 control the tension....which controls where the knot is. I'll explain....
The tension on the bobbin should be pretty close to 'right' if the machine was set up by a dealer. It just controls how tightly the bobbin tries to hold onto the thread. The hook grabs the loop of your top thread (when the needle is rising) and wraps it around the bobbin. Then, the take up arm - the silver arm in the long slot facing the camera - pulls UP on the thread. When it does that, it's pulling on BOTH the thread that's in the leather and from the thread that's on the spool. So, 1 controls the thread from the spool, 2 controls the thread in the stitch. They should be fairly close to the same so that while the knot (formed when the top thread is wrapped around the bobbin) is being pulled up and into the leather, enough thread for the next knot is being pulled from the spool. If 1 is less than 2, you'll simply pull thread from the spool and never pull the knot into the leather. If 1 is more than 2, you'll pull the knot through the leather....unless you increase 3. Having 3 too tight might be what's causing the cuts in the leather. So....adjust 3 so that it has about a pound of smooth tension when you pull thread directly from it.(remember it should be close to 'right' from the factory) then adjust 1 and 2 at the same time so that the bottom thread and knot are pulled into the leather, but not so far that it pulls through to the top.
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You'll likely want to stay in the 2-3oz range for most types of vests or heavy jackets. Light jackets would be even thinner. Chaps...yeah, you'll want heavier leather for that. Look for "deer tanned" or some other chrome tanned leather for garments, and call (not online order) the distributor you're purchasing from and tell them what you're wanting to do. A person you talk to *should* know enough about the leather to give you a suggestion.
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ABC3,
If you are going to use your customer's logo, be sure to get LEGAL permission....essentially, REQUIRE the customer to sign a contract that allows you to use their logo. I know, it sounds silly to have to do so, but it's a lot better than getting sued down the road somewhere.
Also, if the logo is for ONLY that one customer, you should absolutely pass the cost of the logo on to that customer.
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First of all, welcome to Leatherworker.net!
Your experience of leathers having varying thicknesses/ firmness is called the 'hand' or the 'temper' of the leather, and is a result of the tanning process. It's something you either pick, or ask for when ordering.
Ounces of leather directly equates to 64th's of an inch of leather, i.e. 4oz = 4/64ths". From there, it's just a English to metric conversion.
Most projects can be made with veg-tanned leather, but sometimes you'll want "bag" or "chap" leather, which is chrome tanned and much softer. Please note that any type of case or sheath for metal items should use veg-tan, as the chromium salts used in chrome tanned leather can cause corrosion.
As for locals near you....put up a post with your location in the title....such as "anyone near ________" , then give it a little while for people to see it. We've got members on every continent (maybe not Antarctica).
When you order your leather, try to call and talk to a person and tell them what your project will be. That way that person can make some recommendations for what they have available.
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When you get a machine, be sure to get the adjustable speed motor and speed reducer. That allows the machine to have plenty of torque to punch through the leather but still sew at just a crawl. Start off slow, maybe 1 stitch per second, using scraps as mentioned. Within a short period of time, you'll be waiting on the machine to hurry up and make the next stitch. Then you can increase the speed a little bit, and pretty soon you'll be sewing at a reasonable rate.
When I first got my Boss (hand powered stitcher) I was methodically checking the placement of each stitch. Then I learned to trust the machine to do the stitching while I did the guiding, and now I just get in position and start sewing. The same thing applies to the motorized machines....go slow until you're comfortable, then start speeding up. To specifically answer your question....you should be able to be at a reasonable sewing speed in 1-3 days. Mostly, you'll be learning to let the machine do the work.
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Rats.
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You simply tuck it under the existing laces...or, pull tighter than the rest of the lace, trim flush on the back side, then tease the end back into the hole a little bit. As long as you don't tell anybody......you can use a drop of super glue to keep the end nicely tucked away.
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If it's caused by the position of your hand, then THAT is what needs to change. I re-purposed a gel wrist support from a computer desk, and added a leather pad to the back of it. Before buying anything, see if raising your forearm up a few inches (put a couple of books or magazines down) changes anything.
Re: your question "..Is there a Pen type?" The answer is YES. Unfortunately, until I get either some production assistance, or another day job so I can buy another lathe.....production is on hold for the moment. The knife is dubbed "The Squirrel Pen", and consists of a barrel which is held like a pen/stylus, and the blade can freely rotate 360 degrees. It can NOT replace a standard swivel knife, but for many of the cuts it would work just fine. I designed (with input from member Shtoink) and prototyped it on a manual lathe, and sent out two of them to be tested. I'll check to see if one of them is still available if you like.
ETA: Yes, it will be available. You can PM me if you would like to try it out.
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Those look like some sort of furniture tack. Or maybe just 'spots'. If you're looking to exactly reproduce the sheath, then sure, go ahead and use them, but they aren't what *should* be used there. There are better choices if you want to reinforce the sheath.
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Yes there is a difference! For hobby store acrylics, get the best they have, not the cheap $1/bottle stuff. Apply in thinned layers to build up your color. If you have a way to get it or need it badly enough to pay higher shipping, call Springfield Leather and order the Angelus paints.
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You are having entirely too much fun with your mill. You should immediately ship it to me.
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They **shouldn't** effect dyeing, but this leather appears to be problematic. If you haven't already done so, I suggest wiping down the surface with rubbing alcohol or some other cleaner (acetone, denatured alcohol, etc.) as it's possible that the surface of the leather has a finish on it. Even if it doesn't, wiping down will help clean off all the fingerprint oils, smudges, etc....which WILL affect the dyeing.
A quick question: If you put a drop of water on the surface of the leather, does it immediately soak in, or does it sit there for a short while? If it doesn't soak in right away, it's either: 1. not correctly tanned 2. not vegtan (bridle leather maybe?) 3. it has some sort of finish on the grain side.......or some combination of these.If the water does soak in quickly, it IS likely vegtan, and you will need to go with the full casing procedure, and bag it overnight.
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If you're only trying to keep the impressions (the outline of the letters) uncolored, then 'block dyeing' would be the way to go. If you're trying to keep the entire inside free of dye...then it's brush time. I also recommend putting liquid latex (aka masking fluid) in the areas you don't want dye.
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Re: sitting in the baking soda too long... Leather has a slightly acidic pH level. IIRC, it's what helps the leather resist rotting. If you over soak the leather in a soda bath, you can take it from 'slightly acidic' to 'alkaline', which usually results in the leather getting damaged much more quickly than it should.
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The neutralizing with a baking soda solution is going to be directly subjective to how strong the 'roon is. And, without chemical analysis of each batch, that's a guessing game. I've had a batch that went black instantly, and others that only went gray. And, with some leathers, I've gotten BLUE as a result.
The 'rinse' solution I've used is 3 TBS of soda to 2 pints of warm water. It's just a quick dip, not a soaking, but that will depend on how quickly the leather took the vinegaroon. Oiling IS needed because the chemical reaction inside the leather pushes some of the oils and waxes out of the hide. You may notice an immediate water repelling effect with the 'roon, and that's the oils/waxes sitting on the surface. Conditioning the leather pushes those back into the leather. Failure to do so led to one belt (mine) developing surface cracks in the grain side.
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Here's how I keep nylon or poly thread on the needle: Thread through the eye and feed enough through to get 2x past the point (just to have some working room). Take a lighter/match and lightly melt the end of the thread just so that it sticks together. Push the point of the needle through the thread, trying to pierce one of the cords. Then, feed the needle through the thread which makes a loop, and pull the loop down snug to the needle's eye. That gives you a thread that is locked onto the eye of the needle. Simply trim off any excess tail of thread and get to sewing.
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Welcome to the best site on the internet! As you can see, we a truly a global family of leatherworkers, and we're glad to have you with us.
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I think we'd like to see pics of the one that DIDN'T work out, too.
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In addition to the above comments, I'll caution you as follows: DO NOT try to burn designs into the leather. That type of leather can be 'hot stamped' and heat embossed, but those do not involve burning the leather fibers....or the chemicals that were used to make it and still reside in the leather. Burning the leather (aka pyrography) can produce hazardous fumes.
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That's as simple as severely drying the leather out with a chemical stripper...acetone is a good one...then flexing it, a LOT. Although you like it, it is commonly AVOIDED by most people. It may look pretty cool, but it's a result of the leather being improperly cared for. For a bracelet, I can see that the fiber integrity isn't a big deal, but the overall life of the product would suffer because of it.
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are you wanting a clean line or a fade? A clean line is best accomplished by masking off an area. A fade is done with either an airbrush, or multiple layers of diluted dye.
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I don't know your sewing machine experience, so please don't get offended if you already knew this: On your bobbin tension - there are TWO screws that need to be addressed. One is the tension, the other is the locking screw. The locking screw HAS to be loosened to adjust the Bobbin tension screw, then retightened. If you didn't do that, it's likely that the range of adjustment wasn't fully exploited.
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Cobra is offering one....http://www.leathermachineco.com/product/cobra-mp-burnisher/
Hope that helps, and congrats on the number of orders you have!
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there are several different types that are commonly used. Traditionally, a wax or lacquer finish is used as a final top coat. However, newer formulas sometimes are lacking, and people are much more aware of the dangers of VOCs. So, some people have moved entirely to friendlier chemicals. Here's a few of the things that are being used:
Supersheen
Resolene*
Neat-lac* / Wyosheen
Saddle lac*
Leather balm*
Carnuba cream
Tan Kote / Bag Kote
Sno-seal*
Shoe polish
parafin/beeswax/oil mixture
just oil
and...
There are some additional finishes in the Pro Water Stain that I haven't looked at yet.
They're used at different stages, sometimes more than once. For example, if you wanted to antique a piece, you'd seal the leather, apply the antique, remove the excess, then re-seal the leather. There are some that are better for waterproofing, some that are good for tack as oil will penetrate, but dirt and water dont....just gotta find the right finish for what you're doing.
Do These Parts Do What I Assume?
in Leather Sewing Machines
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While I haven't done much experimenting with multiple thread sizes (I'm only using two sizes) there are several members that have said that they can change thread size and NOT adjust the tensions at all. This is because despite the difference in thread size and the actual tension on the threads....the RATIO between the top and bottom tensions has stayed the same. On my Boss, I can run 277/277 or 277/207 with only change being 1/8th turn on the primary tensioner (closest to the needle) Or swap from 277/277 to 207/207 with no adjustments at all.....unless I change the thickness of leather.
example: for 277 thread, top and bottom, the bobbin is set at 1lb. the top tension is set at 1.3lbs, which lets the top thread pull the bobbin thread up.
If you drop down to size 96 thread, the tensions may be .6lb on the bottom and .9 on the top...but as long as the ratio remains the same, the stitch still looks good and functions as it should. ****I just plugged in arbitrary numbers, I don't know what the actual #s are****
Consider the thread without leather - it's simply getting the top tension to pull slightly more than the bottom tension in a set amount of space. The stronger the top tension is in comparison to the bottom tension, the more it will lift the knot in that set space. Now, when you add the leather, you are determining what that space is.