alfredleatherworks

Oh, this is good info! Thank you! I'm not a welder...I can weld, but only about as good as it takes to patch a fence on a horse pasture (it'll hold but it isn't pretty). I'm not going to even try to mend this myself. I'm going to talk to some local welders who can do it right. Knowing (now) to ask about brazing instead of welding is a huge help. I do have a copy of the manual (digital format). I need to contact Eli about needles and see what parts he may have. I'd like to see about a few extra bobbins. I've also thought about the printed copy that Ewe sells. As for not oiling the "part that should never be oiled" I will make sure not to oil it. These are good resources! I'll be hiring a professional to do the repair. My skills with welding are...rudimentary at best.

So... I have picked up the sewing machine and it is in such good repair! I'm excited to get it up and running. I've got to renovate my workshop anyway, and I'll be reinforcing the floor (it's a wood joist floor) in the process. For now, the machine (and all the rest of my leather shop) are going into a local climate-controlled storage unit. The machine came with a package of needles (labeled "Pearson 5"), and the bobbin winder. The needles appear to be original stock needles, but I could be wrong. The bobbin winder needs some repair, but I think I can get a TIG-welder to fix it up for me. I've attached some pictures for reference.

I have emailed him to chat about what size I need for which thread size and I’ll probably be ordering a bunch. I plan to use this machine quite regularly.

I’m not familiar with the machine you had, but the Landis #1 also uses the 331 system needles. I’m in the process of tracking those down and buying stock in them, lol. I live on a horse ranch and do a lot of heavy harness and tack work so I am very excited about my new machine!

I was always taught that if there are metal moving parts, you oil them. Goes for more than just sewing machines, lol. I’ll make sure to check on the linkages and moving parts on the pedals and I’ll oil them while I’m down there.

Amazing information! Thank you so much!

Thank you!

I have just been given a Landis No. 1 Regular Lock Stitch Wax Thread Sewing Machine as an early Christmas gift, and I’ll be picking it up on Wednesday. I’m reading through the forum right now on all the Landis-related posts. So far I’m learning a lot, but I am looking for the original needle type name/designation so I can keep an eye out for them (hopefully). I was trying to help a gentleman sell his father’s Landis #1 for the past few months (because I didn’t have the money for it myself) and he just walked into my shop to say, “Merry Christmas, have a sewing machine!” I’m still kinda in shock, lol. I’m about to go back to reading old posts about the machine, but if anyone wants to let me know anything in particular feel free to comment. Also, the pictures attached are of the machine as it is right now.

On the sample card they sent me (image attached) they have a 0.02" (0.5mm), 0.03" (0.8mm), and 0.04" (1mm) thread size with 21 different colors currently. Also attached is a closeup image of the three thread sizes. I feel like the Maine Thread braided threads look and feel like a high-quality alternative option to Tiger Thread. My Tiger Thread is all packed up in my tool bag in the car so I'll try to get a picture of the Maine Thread sample card and some of my Tiger Thread side-by-side tomorrow and upload it for y'all.

I have not tried the Main Thread braided thread yet, though their twisted thread is all I used to use. I currently use the braided thread I get through Maker's Leather Supply here in Texas, and from the reviews I'm seeing here I might just stick with that. It's pretty dang close to Tiger thread from my experience. I had high hopes for Main Thread coming out with a new line of flat braided threads because I love their twisted threads so much...but if they are more round then flat that doesn't help me any. I do recommend MLS braided thread though.

I still draw my patterns out on paper with a pencil (example in the image attached). That being said, once I have my patterns drawn up I usually use the computer scanner and Adobe Illustrator to convert my patterns to printable files for ease of storage and reprinting. Some patterns I use a lot then get transferred to either bag stiffener board or (soon, I hope) acrylic. I grew up with computers, know how to use multiple drafting software programs, and probably could do the whole thing on the laptop...but I actually enjoy drawing things out with an old-school drafting set. For complex designs having a mold/mannequin and a lot of extra paper or fabric helps depending on the project you're attempting to design.

Hello, everyone! My name is Riley and I am the proprietor of Alfred Leatherworks! I've been a member of this forum since 2014, however it seems I have never formally introduced myself here. I am a disabled Air Force veteran, having spent seven years in the USAF as an intelligence analyst. Since leaving the military I have had a somewhat difficult time readjusting to civilian life, however in 2015 I began using my Post 9/11 GI Bill to work towards a business degree. In December 2018 I graduated from Texas A&M University San Antonio with my bachelors of business in business administration with a focus in marketing. My goals regarding my presence on this forum are to network, chat with other people who are as passionate about leather as me, to learn new tips and tricks, and to occasionally offer some advice and answers to other folks. I began working with leather as a small child in my father's taxidermy shop. He often had people bring in a whole deer and only ask for the antlers on a plaque back. The surplus of deerskin led to him learning to work with leather (and me getting an awesome deerskin backpack for school!), and by that I began to learn because if he was in the shop I was out there too..."helping", lol. I got in the way a lot, I'm sure, but I learned to love helping him make wallets, bags, backpacks, and all sorts of other neat things. Years later, while in the military, I found out a mentor of mine was also a saddler and I began spending a lot of time in his shop learning from him. I would never, at this point, call myself a professional saddler, but I can certainly do repair work at this point. After leaving the service I found another leather working mentor, this time specializing in leather garments, accessories, and leather quilting (apparently, a big deal in some parts of the world). I have a rather varied bit of leather crafting training, and more than a few years of "dabbling" and "hobby-crafting". As time has gone on I have chosen to try and start up a full-time leather shop as an enjoyable way to spend my day and earn some supplemental income since my disability stipend only goes so far.

Thanks for those videos! They were really informative!

OK, that has to be one of the coolest things I've watched in a while. Thanks for sharing that! I just might have to try this soon!

Thanks, Thor! The seat I'll be fixing/restoring is a Mustang seat. I'm still researching how best to do it. I love the seat, but the vinyl has cracked in several places, and torn in another (nearly a 4-inch long split). It's also my daily driver, as I don't have a car...so I've got to figure out how to do this as efficiently as possible. Your advice is much appreciated!