480volt

Having owned a 1941 1/2-ton WC closed cab and a 1953 M-37, I can definitely say that they don't have bells and whistles, and if they did, the bells and whistles would have grease zerks, bronze bushings and would be waterproof.

Old Singer (and other) industrials pop up constantly on CL where I am located, if you educate yourself on machines adequate to the task and you are patient, you should find something. Around here, walking foot machines seem to get offered for around 600-800, Singer 31-15 & 31-20 machines seem to go for 200. As Wiz said, they virtually always have clutch motors that you need to slow down or put on a servo motor.

You can also email Douglas Tools: dsctools@rangeweb.net

Bob makes two sizes of awl, slim and regular. I've only used the slim, in the haft that he also makes. If you have small hands, you may need a shorter handle, such as the one made by Barry King. Bob's awl blades are works of art, sharp and mirror polished right out of the tube.

In my opinion, if you want the best, buy Vergez Blanchard. About as expensive as it gets, but RML generally has them in stock and ships in a day or so. These are beautifully made, but they are pricking irons, not chisels, and are not meant to be driven all the way through the work. I like the look of 7 tpi for a lot of what I do.

I second watching Nigel Armitage's tutorials. If you want to get really refined looking stitches on any thickness of leather, than learn how to use a pricking iron and awl. It does take a heck of a lot of repetition to get good at it.

Just my 2c worth of input, sounds like an interesting project from a design and fabrication standpoint. However, I have a tool bag from Occidental, and when it's fully loaded and slung cross-body it's a bastard to carry for any length of time, partly from sheer weight and partly because the width of the bag puts the center of gravity far from your body. Really kills the back after a while. If you drop the PS2, the laptop and associated stuff in a Trader Joe's bag and sling it over a shoulder for a while, does the weight feel practical to carry? Then again, my tool bag serves primarily to corral up my hand tools in one place, and isn't intended to be carried constantly.

With an iPhone, I email pictures from the camera roll to myself, using the "medium" image size, then save them back to the camera roll. This reduces them enough to post.

Why not try and straighten it? You can hardly make it any worse. Any idea of how force was applied to the shaft to bend it in the first place?

We use the cheap, blue camping pads from wallmart as a source for medium density foam for LARP weapon construction. Comes about 5/8" thick.

I don't groove for my stitching as I prefer the slanted, more European style look. I would however, groove or hammer down heavy stitching on the back of an unlined vambrace worn directly against the forearm.

Bob Douglas makes very good awl blades and hafts, and many other tools as well. Not cheap, but extremely well made.

I never, ever question what shows up on the doorstep, and she didn't bat an eye when 3000 lbs of Gorton vertical mill showed up in the garage

Perfect, thanks for the photos Sandy. Ken

I don't groove for stitching at all, unless there is a reason the stitches must be recessed.

You should look into regional variations of Walpurgisnacht, but I think, much like Halloween, anything goes. The theater company we work with has costumed the three witches for MacBeth several times, never, ever with the pointy hat, warty face Disney look. Our designer's ideas have ranged from the fantastical to more like Medieval Bag Lady. Women considered witches in the Middle Ages would likely have been poor, old women with no family left, barely surviving on the fringes and viewed with suspicion by others. That said, I don't think you could go wrong with a belt made of found materials, and a leather belt pouch.

I personally don't own a splitter, but if I were looking for one I would probably get an old one through Bruce Johnson. He will have cleaned it up and sharpened the blade, likely better than the factory. That said, a splitter is kind of a major purchase for someone just starting out, unless you know you are going to do projects that require it. If you really do want to spend the money on a new Osborne, be aware that you will almost certainly have to sharpen the blade right out of the box.

Can one of you Pearson owners post a few pictures of the top and back of your machine? The vast majority of posted photos are taken from the front, which does not show the drive mechanism.

If you are restoring for a collector, I wouldn't alter the finish much if at all. If you're restoring as a user, I would use the old case as a pattern and make a new one. What kind of camera is it?

Do you recall the type of wood? Lignum Vitae has the reputation of being the hardest of hardwoods, so hard that it was the preferred shaft bearing material for ships for a century and is still used for some hydroelectric turbine bearings. I take your point that what is being struck is a factor in lifespan.

I've always wanted to try a lignum vitae maul, an old one made when the wood was commonly available. Anyone have experience with one?

Now that I'm home, this is a front view of the standard foot. Looks like it would be straightforward to machine a new mounting plate to shift the foot to the left or right.

I've never had the opportunity to talk to someone who had had both a #9 and a Pearson. What advantages does the Pearson have?

The reason why there is little information out there and no aftermarket support is that the whole production run of ASE #9s was about 400 units, followed by 60 Classics made by Tony Luberto. I recently acquired a #9 and assumed I'd just machine a left and right toe foot out of solid at some point. Wouldn't have to be elaborate as it's just a jump foot. Moderator Art has a #9, if he has the left and right toe feet, maybe he would post a photo.

If the machine can't be rewired to a different voltage, you may be able to use a buck-boost transformer in front of it.