mikesc

You could maybe re-rig them ( both machines ) to have reverse operation done via a foot pedal pulling on a lever system that passes through the table to the frame base near the floor, or follows the same path but uses a chain ? A lot of machines ( many Pfaffs) have variations on reverse being operated that way..as does one of my Singers and also my Juki ( not a LU 563 ) a DLU 490-4..You might have to route the lever or chain through the table in front of the machine ( and attach it to the hand operated reverse lever ) in case routing it behind the machine ( as is more usual ) would mean it fouling the knee lift system..It ought to be "do-able" with a pedal, some hinges or pivots, a bit of sheet metal, or some brackets, or some chain and a few bolts..and some drilling.. HTH :) Edited... kgg types waaay faster than I do ..:) Bicycle brake cable , a pedal and some bent metal and a few drill holes..I have something that I built like that under my Singer 33U to vary the bight ( zig-zag stitch width ) while the machine is sewing, for "freehand" embroidery , via foot pedal as opposed to via knee lift..much more precise by foot pedal..and no risk of cramps in the thigh of the leg that would be doing the constant knee pushing..

Well I went back and unlinked my links, explained what I did, and why..and then lost my post while I was editing it.. :((( OK..Fixed the links properly..now they link out like they should..except that they are not "no follow" ( it's the IPS system is set up to make all links "no follow" in case Google wouldn't like it )..Maybe I can manually make them "no follow" too..Off to test.. Edited yet again to add...Hah..The IPS forum software makes all links "no follow" automatically..even when I didn't..so they are..and all is well.. :)

Personally..I use the kind of "soft soap" that is sold to mechanics for cleaning their hands..The kind without the "micro abrasives" as they just get into the water supply and eventually into the fish..and I don't want to eat them in the fish I eat..I live less than a quarter mile from the beach..Fishing villages to either side of us.. Of those that you mention.. Only one "kerosene", has any definition as to "what it actually is" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerosene the others are "cleaners" which could mean they have anything in them, or mixtures of anythings.. That is my point..petroleum is a defined product, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petroleum You probably mean some sort of derivative from petroleum ? ,, but which one ..which, ( maybe ) by itself, will not "etch" paint,( "petroleum" will though , which is why you'd wipe crude oil, or "petroleum" off your paintwork ) but what gets put into the "cleaners" with it may well "etch", what they put in with the petroleum derivative doesn't have to "etch", but might..and "cleaners" or any "brand name" doesn't tell you what they put in there.. it ( for almost any version of "it" ) almost certainly is not available in France ( and maybe not in the UK, where the OP is ) that is why when you said "greased lightning" , my immediate thought was, what if the OP can't get that where he is, what if anyone reading that is not in the USA ( or maybe in California* can't get "whatever" either, better to ( if you know the ingredients ) to say..( What I use is called "this", where I live, which contains this, and this and this etc, and the "active degreasing agents are " this part and that part etc ) That lets anyone know what they need to be looking for if they cannot get the "brand".. I agree completely..:) Many things that you can get ( and frequently very cheaply ) are perfectly safe, and efficient, and I'd love to be able to get them here in France or elsewhere in Europe..I import stuff from all over..Whenever the freight or the customs doesn't make it prohibitive, or whenever the Customs are not going to impound it just "because".. Again, I agree completely..But reading the MSDs for greased lightning, there are less harmful ( to "you" and to "the machine" ) things ( some of which I suggested ) that will degrease a machine perfectly well..and if you know for example that washing soda is Sodium Carbonate then you can go to the drugstore and look for it..whereas if I'd said " look for St Marc"** ( which is the biggest by far brand name for what it is sold as in France, you'd likely not find it, unless you lived in France..or maybe Quebec )..Windscreen cleaner ( or the various brands of windshield bug remover ) are usually just Isopropyl alcohol ( makes a good cleaner, don't drink it )..the anti-freeze that they add into it ( in a much smaller percentage than they put in the anti-freeze that goes into your car radiator ) to keep it from freezing in the winter is usually ethylene glycol.. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethylene_glycol You don't want to drink it, nor leave it ( or any spills of it even a drip ) where your kids or your pets can get any..a very small amount can make them very ill or dead...especially if they have any pre-existing kidney or liver problems..Pets will tend to lick at drips of it ( because it has a sugary taste ) as will kids.. **pronounced san mar

Rhinestones ( even the Swarovskis ) are available with heat setting glue on the flat ( back side ) you'll need a heated setting "pen like" tool to set / stick them..( it holds the "stone" in various shaped "heads" depending on the "stone" shape with the glue side facing down ) they'll stay on* , if the leather is degreased ( wiped with acetone ) first in all the areas that the stones are supposed to stick.. Like Matt S says..Chrome tan is likely to be more successful than veg tan.. *some will always come off eventually with wear and use..you pay more for the more sparkly ones, and the ones with better adhesive..you can buy the stones in strips and shapes and sheets for applying with larger heated tools and heated presses.

MSDS..to answer my own question above..re "what is in it" http://es.greased-lightning.com/Multi-Purpose_Cleaner/Greased-Lightning-Multi-Purpose-MSDS.pdf So "fun stuff" if any splashes get in your eyes, nose mouth, or if you have even slightly sensitive skin..and don't smoke near it.. Nothing in there that you can't find separately in any old style drugstore..apart from the (2-methoxymethylethoxy)propanol 34590-94-8 Amongst the rest of what is in there..well if you are looking for a water based degreaser..one of the ingredients is our old friend SODIUM HYDROXIDE..( in CAPS BECAUSE ) you also know it as caustic soda.. A milder degreaser ( still want to keep it out of your eyes though ) would be "washing soda" or Sodium carbonate.. Which I think you can get pretty much in Drugstores or their equivalents anywhere in the word..in crystals in a 1 kilo packet for less than $5.00 of your "local money"..and 1KG makes a lot of degreaser..wear gloves anyway..it makes your skin feel "soapy" when you mix it with water, that soapyness is it slightly attacking your skin, it is a mild Alkali..don't drink it, snort it, inject it, nor get it in your eyes..and don't let the kids , nor the animals play with it.. Or ..you could use the stuff that you can buy to get the grease of your alloy wheels and car paintwork*..Goes by many many names..is pretty much the same ( in the non "pro use only versions" as what gets sold as Universal floor cleaner, or similar names ( like you'd use to clean your kitchen floor with ) will also work..Don't let the kids drink it ( it isn't as bad as caustic soda, but it won't do them any good, and keep it out of your eyes ) ..also the bug removers that are sold as screen wash for the car will degrease most things without damaging the paintwork, as long as you don't leave them on over night.. A gallon of windscreen cleaner ( not the ones with the anti-freeze additives, which are slightly corrosive, even for your car's paintwork , and again are bad for your eyes etc ) costs just a couple of dollars wherever in the world you are ..and can be used to clean your house windows, without leaving smears, cheaper than the stuff that they sell you to clean your house windows ( in the house cleaning products aisle ) without smears.. The safer ( relative term that that is ) ones, are the ones that say to store them at between 5°C and 25°C..any storage requirements marked as "store over over 5°C ( or whatever equivalent "steam" scale you use )"..means that there are no anti-freeze additives.. Anti-freeze type products are bad for you to contact or to ingest.. *Some of these are dangerous, ( most places will not let you buy the dangerous ones, as they contain an ingredient that can used to make GHB, actually your system makes it using what is in some of them to provide the precursor compounds ) , don't experiment, not everyone wakes up..some of those who do, do not wake up the same..ever again..

It.."greased lightning" ..being a brand name for ( "who knows what is actually in it mixture" ) may well not be available in the UK ( where the OP's profile says they are from ) nor anywhere outside of the USA.. That is the problem with recommendations which are "branded" products, not everything is available everywhere, and what is in a "brand name" can vary from place to place..and from time to time..witness the numerous threads here about what is in ( at any one time Tandy "pro dye" or whatever they are calling it this week in whichever state they are selling it ) ..Chemistry is Chemistry, brand names are just marketing, packaging and woo.. What does the MSDS say is in it..? That is all that counts..and 99 times out of a 100 what is in a "brand name" ( the actual "active ingredient(s) can be found much cheaper, and more widespreadly available..without the"brand name" wrapper and packaging..

"Help wanted" seems to be a strange place to post this.."help wanted" is always something of a "misnomer", catches out a lot of people that I've seen.. Perhaps a passing mod can move it to a thread of it's own elsewhere..maybe that you'd need to create a "member" account for that to be possible ? If you didn't already..

What's that ..Cheap Roo skins..Have they fallen in the well ? ;-)

What is meant by "spirit"..in "spirit based cleaner".. Before we know that..no advice is "safe"..

Ha..That is clever..thank you for the supplementary post, especially for the photos :)

Here ? They are just "sort of spread out amongst the various threads over time".. Better a review / reviews by actual users ( like the members here ) than by someone who may be an "affiliate" ..or who is getting paid by Google per people who view their "review" videos ?

How does one "bevel" an O ring ?..I would have thought that their cross section was a circle ..like made from round cross sectional wire ? Saying this because right here in front of me I have both a 2" and a 3" stainless steel "O" ring..not a "bevel" ( inside or outside ) in sight.. Not saying they don't exist..but I'm intrigued..:)

Sure..I can order it from Amazon ( depending upon who is the shipper ) but one cannot actually walk into a shop here and buy it.. That supplier ( in your link )..$7.97 before shipping.. But..with shipping + VAT ( at 20% ) on the item and ( again 20% on the shipping) plus whatever "customs" want to charge as tarif ( plus again 20% on the tarif ) gives me ....about $30.00..( or upwards ) probably even worse if I lived in OZ..or NZ or similar.. Some things ( even those made here ) are really ridiculously cheaper in the USA compared to here.."silicone mold making materials" made by French companies here ( like Aventis ) for example..I can buy them 3 times cheaper in the USA, than I can here..But..the shipping cost to here is the killer.. :(( And yet..sometimes it works the other way .. A f'rincestance ( applies to another of my businesses )..I can buy ball bearings in the USA..at under $20.00 per 1000..here ( imported from the USA via the UK and then onwards to France ..they are $2.50 each..yes that is each ball bearing..for the same size ) ..fortunately I only pay $30.. basic shipping before taxes ( at 20% ) to have them shipped for 1000 units from the USA to here directly )..Shipping used 501's from the USA direct to here ( even by air ) ( 1000 units per time ) is still worth my while to do ..compared to what they would cost me here "used".. With a little "couture" work..to them..I can sell them at waaaay more than I pay for them.. The retail price of a pair of genuine 501's ( or other Levi models ) in the USA..is less than the wholesale price that their distributors have to pay here ..and waaay less than the price that their exclusive shops have to pay the official distributors here for them.. 501 "cut" 14 oz ( non Levi branded ) denim jeans cost less than $5.00 each out of the old Levi factories that they had in China..Which is still probably a little more than Walmart are paying for them "landed".. Leather vests 3mm Cowhide or Buffalo, no faults, 4 pockets..sold in the USA..marked "American made" ( which they are not, but the labels are shipped separately ) ..I can get for less than $17.00 each..( they would not be coming from the USA ) you pay in the USA upwards of $45.00 for them, from some of your most famous leather apparel retailers ( online and "mall" ) ..and in some cases upto $100.00.. What we all pay for anything depends on where we are, what we know, who we know.. etc.. BTW..Just to be clear..I "can" get...( I I wanted ) but I do not want, nor have I ever sold goods that claim to be from somewhere that they are not, nor that claim to be something that they are not.. Genuine PU leather ( just read the Aliexpress , Alibaba or Ebay or Amazon ads ) is the bane of leather workers everywhere..

Precisely..

@LatigoAmigo Good idea..I have a heat press , large plateau ..about 50cm by 50cm ( Tee shirt transfer press , another of my past businesses ).. But I cannot get "Heat Bond" and similar systems here ( France, maybe they are available in Paris, but I always import my "needs" directly from "wherever" , so as to avoid the huge mark up applied by the importers here ) at all , unless I import it.. May even be worth cutting the "heat bond" into a stencil to do the same ?.. I know that if there were many pieces to be done it would be worth printing ( via silk screen ) the exact "heat activated glue " transfer areas, like we used to do with decorative foil or "strass"* elements, like Swarovski ( speeling ? ) do ( or for "holographic foils ) in fashion ( leather and or textile ) work. *I can't remember the English word for Strass ( which is actually the German word anyway ) Funnily enough, I was shopping with my wife today and noticed that the "Strass" look is coming back ( big time, all the major fashion ( non-couture brands ) into women's fashions here ( 12 to 50 year old market )..might break out some "heat machines" and strike while the iron is hot and sparkly**.. **Could not resist the pun..just for Dikman ;)

Spray glue..in aerosol form..3M do one that only needs to be sprayed onto the veg tan.. If you want to be extra sure..spray heavy onto the reverse side of the veg tan, then quickly ( while the glue is still wet ) place it onto the base ( where it will be..) lift it off again ( leaving a "glue print" on what will be the base ) ..Allow both veg tan and base to dry..replace the veg tan exactly on top of the "glue print" on the base. ..Use a roller to press it down.. HTH :) Or..trace your filigree piece onto light cardboard..cut out the "negative" parts ( with a scalpel or exacto )..that will give you a "stencil" that is exactly like your filigree piece, but "negative"..place it onto the base..spray the contact adhesive through it onto the base..that will give you a "contact glue" print exactly like your filigree piece, spray the back ( easy to forget , make sure it is the back ) of your filigree piece with contact adhesive..then align the two and press them together, with a roller if needed..

My machines and thread is / are covered too..thread cones are even covered in use.. Looks like Jimi's are too.. :).. I agree the design in the OP is simple..quick to make in wood or aluminium ( note the second i ;) or plastic , or a combination of all three.. But .."it" needs a "tweak" ..the thread spools need covering..

Dust / dirt trap..unless you are using a lot of each colour thread daily..dusty /dirty thread is not good..

Singer 211 has the same holes in the same place.

No..you need what you call an "Arbor Press"..cost you about £25.00 to £30.00.. try Screwfix etc .. HTH :) Rivet press will not give enough pressure..1/2 ton Arbor Press , or above ..will.. If you can afford it, get one that allows for maybe 2 ton , 3 ton or 5 ton or even 10 ton..each will be useful for many other things..

Yes..In a heartbeat..( they can be found cheaper, but "tested" is important if you want to be in production without delay(s) ) .. Sailrite Fabricator...Absolutely not.. It is like comparing a Mercedes..against a Trabant.. Yes..I've owned a few Mercedes, and driven more..and driven a few Trabants..owned a few Jukis, amongst other brands ( still have one Juki DLU 490-4 , not a LU 563 ) and other machines, mainly industrial Singers..and sewed ( if one can call it that ) , very briefly with a few Sailrights, which belonged to other people ) ..horrible ( very expensive for what they are ) nasty , rattly, clattery, imprecise, badly made things..

HTH https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/15122-how-to-post-pictures-on-lw/?page=2 Scroll down several posts and you will find a post with links to software and sites that you can use to reduce your file size. For some reason today, the forum SW won't give me the correct link to the specific post!!!

This^^^

1 Shot ( if it is the same "one shot" as used to be used as "synthetic signwriting enamel".. ) I have some in the atelier "outside" which as it is 02.22 here, I'm not going "outside" to check before tomorrow afternoon.. If it is the same..it is heavily pigmented ( used to be "lead based"* ) in oil "varnish" type base ..which means that it will go on via brush or airbrush, the pigment will "sit on the surface" rather than sink in, but will still be scratch and abrasion resistant, that is "resistant", not "proof".. To cover it ( as in gloss coating it ) avoid any "hot type" varnishes or top coats..cellulose based ones will make it blister and degrade it, , white spirit based ones will be OK, won't make the paint "blister", as will water based "acrylic type" top coats.. BUT..any paints and finishes, top coats, will not be original, and will not be "tested" and so should not be used in real fire-fighting situations, in case they react badly to heat, or catch fire etc. * really lead based...= bad for you. I might be confusing it with "bulletin" one shot..or it might be the same thing..my tins are over 30 years old..( I was / am, amongst many other things a "signwriter" old school, with "quill brushes", gold leafing et etc , faux bois, faux marbre etc, trompe l'oeil, airbrush decors etc , custom painter, antique finisher, patines, pinstriper, fine art and sculpture restorer, conservationist, sculptor, artist, associated skills ) ..

The thing is Fred..it is not available as a direct .pdf "link"..you have to "add to cart"..and to be able to "add to cart"..you have to "authorise " various tracking scripts..23 of them in total..whereas the " download as .PDF" "option"can be done without any requiring / using "scripts" needing any authorisation at all..and that would also make the page compliant with GDPR*..which ( as the page stands..it is not ..at all )..I enter the page using an EU identifiable IP address, and it offers me no "options" unless I already have all Javascript set to "allow"..by which time it is too late..and is already illegal " non compliant" for the page that you linked to to be set up the way it is.. *Non compliance with GDPR ( even if the website is not an EU hosted website, as long as it deals with EU citizens, ( even if at the time that they access it they may not be physically in the EU ) or those ( who may not be EU citizens ) whose IP address is in the EU at the time that they access "the site" ) risks a fine of upto 4% of gross annual turnover.. Easy to fix..( "code wise" ) GDPR "compliance" is very simple to implement..costs the webmaster nothing except coding their site's entry points very slightly differently..is even more secure from the webmaster's point of view too ..so ..if they don't, is just evidence of lazy ( or not having the technical coding ability, which can be the case of some independent webmasters, not all of whom are "coders" ) webmaster / webdev work..