bikermutt07

What a nice violet color.

If sub-standard is the standard, why do better? Then perhaps we should just quit playing with overpriced leather products and give China their do props for satisfying the consumer's needs.

Wow. Being from the south I haven't run across any Amish. So, I have always been of the mindset that they did awesome work. Thanks for the heads up.

Ok. I'm going to have to chime in on the illegal alien issue. Because there is an issue that has been overlooked for pretty much my entire working career. Now I understand and agree with everyone's input about lazier and lazier generations of Americans that think they are only supposed to be paid because they were gracious enough to show up. I get it, I've seen it, I've paid for it. This is a different note. What never gets addressed is skilled trades. Craftsmen who put their time in to learn a trade. Spent years learning how to construct something with pride, not because of what you're paid, but because you want to do it right. They way you were taught. Because, because your name is on it and you are proud of it. I grew up and live in the south. I have worked skilled labor in one form or another in the last 23 years. I have worked hand in hand with illegal aliens. I want you to grasp this from someone with first hand experience. Yes, illegal aliens will work hard. You get enough of them in one place long enough and you see a trend. I experienced this in my early twenties. I was the only white guy working on a crew of about twelve in a steel mill shut down. My foreman was a Mexican american. He was friends with my older brother and I wanted to make sure I impressed him. I busted tail every night (7-12s). I had to keep up with the Mexicans. After the first week I realized, these guys were taking turns working hard. 6 of them would hide and the other 6 were getting the job done. The next night? They switched. Over and over every night and I had to keep up with all of them or I'd be the lazy white boy. I kept up. I have seen large groups of them make demands on cost plus jobs to get their way or they were all leaving. Nothing will make a project manager fold faster than 30 hands (probably billing a 150 a man per hour) leaving at once. I got sidetracked with those two examples. In all my time I have seen very few illegal aliens who actually brought talent, pride, and craftsmanship to the table. They slap stuff together and call it done. Trust me I have had to fix so many things in punchlists do to illegal aliens. Now to my real point. You can't compete with "skilled" labor prices of illegal aliens. Why? Because they all live together. They will have 3-5 families living in one rent house splitting bills and all working at the same place. I have measured houses for flooring for landlords before. I was led to each bedroom where a different keyed padlock was removed so I could measure. You add all that on top of not paying taxes, sharing the same vehicle, and receiving benefits no one in America can compete. Now for the real point. Now you may see what the problem is...... In 1981, my dad was a commercial carpenter making $19.00 an hour. That was good money back then. He was a decent carpenter. I'm gonna toot my own horn and say I'm a really good carpenter. 35 years later and I have never made 19.00 an hour as a carpenter. Never. Skilled trades in the south, at least, haven't had a raise in 35 years. Is this making sense now? It's not just minimum wage jobs they are just taking from lazy slobs at the burger joint. They have their own little private union and they take jobs from skilled craftsmen, because they the have numbers to fill the slots. This is why a lot of people have problems with illegal aliens. This is the problem you never hear about. Now as for a little perspective. One of my best friends in grade school was an illegal alien. My ex-wife is a west Texas Mexican. My firstborn son is half texmex. And yes I have worked with some illegals that have talent. I don't hate anyone, I just want the problem addressed and understood.

Excellent job. Now it's ready for another 70 years. Can you enlighten us newbies on this machine? Sewing thickness, capabilities, and what not? Oh and most of all.......how does it sew?

Looking good, and welcome back.

On the topic of cheap junk, I would like to add..... I don't think the younger people even consider items for repair. The marketing, as Tink pointed out, have been pushing the new next best hoopla for so long that I don't think people even know what cheap is anymore. They have no inclinations that they are buying something that is designed to fall apart. Designed to not be repairable. I remember when the I phones first came out. I asked the salesman "how do you remove the battery?" "oh, you can't remove the battery", he says. "Well, I'm not buying something that I can't replace the battery in". The thing is, can we come back? I think the auto industry certainly can. I think the tech industry could. Other industries maybe not? You know Germany never really stopped producing their fine quality items?

I have been experimenting with diluting spirit dyes with water. As far as a finish goes I just use Aussie with beeswax. It gives a decent shine and is supposed to somewhat waterproof the item. Sounds like finish to me. Here are a few examples. I think the colors turned out nice. 50/50 fiebings spirit dye and tap water.

The whole thing looks great. I was just really taken aback by the engraving.

That is really cool. I don't care that you didn't carve it, it is still awesome.

The paint looks great. The page on your site has pictures over the text. So, we can't see prices.

Looks really good. The flow of the piece is really nice. I'm no tooler so I don't have anything to add.

They mentioned only having a dozen of them made up and I haven't seen them on anyone else's site. That leads me to believe it was done locally. But, it's only a guess.

Well Maxx, it is a custom paint job. They mention each one being unique. And at 400 dollars for a custom paint job, it is plenty reasonable. I imagine this is something that that particular Dallas distributor is outsourcing locally. In the south custom pinstriping is pretty popular with the rat rod community. It's not too far into left field to imagine some of those folks being into leather work. They like to do things themselves and love odd embellishments. So, I can see why this is being offered.

See, I thought it looked pretty cool. And while I can totally understand the price point of custom work. I wouldn't throw another 400 dollars at a machine that already costs well over 2 grand. Not that it's not worth it, it is. It just isn't to me. But I stand behind the statement that it's cool looking.

Nice job.

Thanks for posting the link. I don't have an answer for you, but I'm glad there is a cowboy dealer within driving distance of me.

Welcome to the forum. Good luck.

It hums pretty fast. Just haven't had anytime at the bench the last few weeks.

That's a really great looking bag. Nice job.

Wow, I can't imagine anything in Maine being four hours away from somewhere else in Maine...... Learn something new everyday.

Even Tandy's h.o. is a crap shoot. I bought a side from them before I knew what I was looking for and it is pretty terrible wrinkles, bug bites and scars. If you are stuck to just ordering online, I think probably anybody can beat their quality and pricing.

What does the 886 look like? Sorry, after rereading the title, I don't have one. Good luck.

The motor burnisher I bought has a 1/2 and 5/8 bushing installed in it. I already have mine set up on an old Jacuzzi pump motor. I was just thinking your servo motor would be an easy fix for speed control at a reasonable price. But as things stand today I can't afford to pay attention. So, it was mostly pipe dreaming.

14 mm isn't cool. Dang. Thanks Bob.