480volt

Since I’m in the business, I notice when people start using electrical terminology incorrectly. What you get in US homes is single phase power, with the transformer winding between the two legs center-tapped to provide the neutral. As far as I know, actual two-phase power, which requires four wires, is used only in downtown Philadelphia, which has legacy buildings permanently wired that way. It’s supplied via Scott-T wired transformers, since no utility generates anything but three-phase. Look it up if you like, but you and I will never see one. Three and four-wire description means something very specific in the electrical industry: three-wire indicates a panel or equipment operating on three-phase with no neutral, therefore a single voltage, typically 208 or 480. Four-wire indicates the presence of a neutral, therefor two voltages: typically, 120-208 or 277-480. The ground is never considered as part of the set of conductors. But none of this has any bearing on the OPs question. The electronics on a piece of three-phase equipment will not be three-phase, and will typically have a transformer wired across two legs. If you’re going to use an RPC, you need to use the legs connected to the panel to feed the electronics. The derived third leg is not 120 degrees out of phase with the others, and this leads to odd, variable voltages when measuring against the other legs. You can correct the phase angle by adding capacitance, but since the correction varies with load, it might not be worth messing with. Three phase motors run just fine without any correction at all. Three phase motors are also reversible by swapping any two legs, so you would need to bump it to verify rotation, and still have the electronics on the correct legs. I really don’t like static converters as they are mainly a means to get a three phase motor running and don’t meaningfully supply the third phase. My own RPC is quiet compared to the tools it supplies, way quieter than my 111w-151 or ASE #9. The only balanced, true three phase source some one mentioned is a motor generator set, but that would be ridiculous just to get a sewing machine going. A VFD might work for the motor, but the electronics package is not going to like it. VFDs also control voltage and frequency by switching on and off rapidly, this produces a square wave not a sine wave, and motors rated for this are labeled “inverter duty”. Anyway, if the motor is not integral to the accessories, probably easier and cheaper to just buy a single phase motor for it. Otherwise I’d try an RPC. Then you can power a mill, a lathe, big drill press…

Lee Douglas has announced that she and Bob are retiring, and that any pending orders will be fulfilled. She also indicated that their associate Herb French might be available to continue production, but I don’t know if details are worked out. Those of you that sat on the fence about trying his superb tools and awl blades… well, that opportunity may be past. Great people to deal with, the tool quality was unmatched, and it’s sad to see another domestic supplier hang it up. I wish them all the best.

If they’re like this… I’ve set a few of these, I like them but they are difficult to work with. The post is short, good for maybe 10oz and still leave enough to peen over. The washer is not an interference fit like copper belt burrs, and the post isn’t tapered much anyway. You need to make something to support the head without damage. I’ve never used any of my setting tools on the post, just a ball peen hammer. The trick is solidly supporting the stud without damaging the finish. I’ve drilled a shallow hole in a copper plate and then beat in a sacrificial stud to clean up the fit, with good results. If I had to do a bunch, I’d buy a ball end mill with a similar radius and mill a hole deep enough to support the whole stud. You need to hold down the washer as you initially peen the post, and you’re never going to form a pretty, domed head- you just want to expand the post and then work the edges with the ball end of the hammer to round them over. You can also try substituting copper belt burrs, if you can find a size that will grip the post. I’ve used lots of brass round head rivets from RJ Leahy, using burrs I hand cut with a Whitney punch. In this case, a cheapo Tandy setting tool, placed upside down in a vise, supported the heads well.

Appreciate your foresight in doing this. Kudos to whoever gets the thankless task of moderating it.

If you can get the shaft out, some machine shops can use a process called EDM to disintegrate the broken Allen wrench and bolt. I don’t know the lower limit on bolt size that this can be done on, and the cost may be more than the part is worth. I’ve had it done a couple times over the years, typically because I broke off an easy out, and there was no alternative. Can’t hurt to get a quote.

Hi Kristina, thanks for the suggestion, I took a look at their site but I don’t think they have what I am looking for. Half tanned leather is only tanned on the exterior, the core remains rawhide. Said to wet form well and then become extremely stiff when it dries. It seems to be a Scandinavian product, or at least is the go-to material for Scandi knife sheaths.

Thanks for the link, I haven’t done any braiding more sophisticated than 4-5 strand for handles and straps, this looks inspirational for more complex work. Now if there were only more hours in a day...

I’m looking for a source for half tanned leather for a sword sheath replacement. A little bit of research turns up Roden in Michigan and Brisa Knifemaking in Finland as potential sources. Anyone order from them? Brisa seems to have no problem shipping to my location in California. My understanding of this material is it wet forms well, and then the rawhide core becomes very stiff when dried. Anyone here have hands-on experience working with it? Does it take dye similar to other veg tan? Any input would be appreciated.

It’d be a long shot, but you could ask Bruce Johnson if he has any parts that match. Hard to tell from an on-line photo, but the crack doesn’t appear recent. Is there enough material left to just use it as it is?

At some point, can’t say when, the activity feed started displaying “so and so changed their profile photo” Some of these user’s profiles say they haven’t visited since 2014. I don’t see any way to block it in settings. Obviously just a minor nuisance, but why does this happen?

Pictures?

There must be a few Tandy employees who frequent this website. Can any of you shed a little light on this situation without running afoul of a NDA?

Just to keep the terminology straight, it’s knurling on lathe turned pieces, done with a rotary knurling tool that displaces material and impresses a pattern. Checkering is done with a file and is a metal removal process.

This is not exactly what you’re asking but the knife on the right is a Henley bought at the beginning of 2018. The one on the left is from a Tandy beginner kit. Don’t remember what was specified regarding the knurling on the Henley, but it feels fine. I don’t own a Barry King.

I’m going to be a little more direct than LatigoAmigo. Maybe the “best” contributors (whatever that means) are busy, or haven’t logged in for a while, or didn’t want to answer questions that you could answer yourself with diligent searching. It astounds me that professionals, and I don’t mean people making side money selling holsters and stuff to their buddies, who are willing to share their time and techniques and talk openly about their businesses and marketing. If you just google “leatherworker marketing” you will find a thread that stretched over years discussing people’s approach to leatherwork as a business. So do your own legwork. If you can’t at least put that much effort into it, you surely aren’t going to make any money at this. I know I don’t, but I never intended to, so maybe my opinion is just more “crap”.

Going way, way off topic: A Cincinnati Bickford 21” Super Service square column drill showed up on CL close to me, for not much more than scrap price. I really had to talk myself down from buying it. Would have had to pay riggers to move it because I really wouldn’t be comfortable laying a 3000 lb machine on its side to get under the door header. Not to mention, I’ll never need a machine with a 60 rpm slow speed and MT 5 tooling. This picture is a similar machine in 28”

Don’t start collecting machine tools. The car winds up outside in no time

Thanks for the feedback, there’s not many that have that kind of range of heavy stitchers.

Sorry to go off topic but I gotta ask: which of those machines pulls the nicest stitch? Or is there really not much difference?

He’s a moderator on this board and he has a banner ad in the header, if you refresh enough times it will come up. Or google “Bruce Johnson leather” Great guy to work with.

Henley Manufacturing Co. (318) 631-3545 If you Google “Henley swivel knife” their site comes up - it’s hosted on a site called Tripod. I bought a knife from them a little over two years ago.

San Bruno store still has inventory. Not open at this time

I’ll stop by the local Tandy (San Bruno, California) on my way home from work Monday, and see if there is still product inside.

When the topic of old stitching/saddlers clams comes up, you will frequently hear the remark that “they sometimes used old barrel staves”. I have a quote from Salamans Dictionary of Leather-Working Tools that supports this and numerous claims from users on this site as well. The reality is, the radius of barrel staves is such that they would be mostly usable for flat goods and the geometry is awkward at best. It’s my understanding that English saddlers tend to have their clams upright at the bench and closed with a strap down to a stirrup, and other trades may use a clam held between their legs. I haven’t been successful finding photos or drawings of either, using staves. I may be tasked with making a clam authentic to mid-19th century London, and used by a member of the “deserving poor”. This would not be a shop with a “By Royal Appointment” kind of clientele, and reusing old barrel staves would make sense. I’m sure I could get away with virtually anything, since there isn’t much documentation to contradict me, but it would nice to find some visual supporting evidence.

The new Osborne’s I have bought all arrived needing sharpening and removal of scale/junk inside the barrel before using. I expected this and think the basic forging/heat treatment is ok. I have bought numerous Osborne punches from Bruce, and these always arrive polished and ready to go. Cheaper than buying them new from an Osborne retailer.