Sonydaze

Please don't feel bad, we all try to comment to the best of our knowledge.

Uwe makes a very well designed table for the Pfaff 335. I have one from him and it is great.

Do you have a name and contact info for the new die maker?

Weaver Leather has #9 rivets & burrs for $11.25 - 13.24 per pound .. price depends on quantity. I would call Scovill on the grommets. http://www.scovill.com/ Pricing on items like these are very quantity driven.

That is a unfortunate, Zlatko was great to deal with. Have you found a different source yet?

I too assumed that it was the crank handle.... the Landis 30 is not the same there. I have the American model LS440 (the model number is on the lower backside of the body). If you like, I can take some pictures and a tracing of the adjusting handle. If you get it machined out of aluminum, the cost shouldn't be overly expensive. These machines seem to sell for $600 - $1000, so it is likely worth fixing.

I hope someone will prove me wrong, but I don't think parts have been available for a long time. If the shaft is the same size, you may be able to get a handle for a Landis model 30... they are very simular (and use the same blade).

Wet leather may not be a good idea for your skiver. It can cause rust and some leathers will release chemicals that are not metal friendly. Reading this thread may help: http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/73087-skiving-machine-woes/

+1 on Ecomony Die. http://economydiemakers.ca/index.htm

I have the same Consew skiver. It can skive/split up to 2" wide. For wider items, you can do more than one pass. Having the machine well sharpened and properly adjusted makes a large difference on how well it works. If you do a search, you should find some threads on how to properly set up these skivers. You don't say how thin you are trying to go, but you can reliably take strap leather down to garment leather thickness. If the strap leather is too thick or too hard, you may have to skive it twice to get it down to where you want.

I agree with #RockyAussie. The new Cobra machine is only $200 more than the asking price on the used machine you are looking at. The Cobra can cut up to 20" wide (vs. 12") and comes with 15 knives as well as multiple size spacers. http://www.leathermachineco.com/product/cobra-ak-20-leather-strap-cutting-machine/ In Canada, rotary knives cost $13/ea, spacers are $18/ea and the bottom roller costs about $85. If you have to buy a bunch of different spacers for different widths and new knives, it can ad up. As well with a new machine you should have both warranty and dealer support. If you are buying a new machine, put some thought into what all widths you need to cut. You will likely get a better price on a package deal rather than going back for extras later.

I have the same machine, mine is labelled by Michel Simard, a eastern Canadian supplier. The machines are made in Italy and are well made. They can set up with 110, 220 single or 220 triple phase motors. I put a 400 watt servo motor (110 volt) on mine (for control-ability) and it works well. I paid less than a thousand for mine (used) with lots of different spacers and blades. The one I have also has a bit of a table off the back to guide the straps out a bit. $2000 sounds like a lot of money for it. Here is the same machine set up by Campbell Randal: https://campbell-randall.com/product/r300301-strip-cutting-machines-1 I haven't used any other similar machines for comparison, but I am very happy with mine.

I use quilting rulers a lot. They help hold softer leathers straight while cutting compared to a 1 or 2" wide rule. 6" x 24" and 3" x 18" I use the most. I also have a few 8 1/2" x 24" and 4" x 36" ones that come in handy. Use a rotary cutter, for best results. I like the 60mm ones. It can cut thought thicker leather and because of the greater circumference of the blade, they stay sharp longer.

If it is tanned in USA, because of NAFTA, there should be no duty charged. GST will be applicable and depending on how you ship it, there may be brokerage charges. I really avoid using UPS on bringing things to Canada, they always prove to be stupidly expensive. If the shipment is small enough, I like to use USPS.

Visually and sewing with them, they are difficult to tell apart. The polyester thread should be used if your product is going to be in the sun a lot as it resists uv damage better.

Lonsdale Leather in Vancouver carries a selection of exotic leathers. http://www.lonsdaleleather.com/

With most Japanese machines the stitch settings correspond to the length of each stitch in millimeters, not how many stitches per inch. If 5 stitches give you about 1" of sewing when set at 5, it seems to be working correctly.

I have just started to experiment with vacuum molding. I have gotten pretty good results with this kind of bag: https://www.veneersupplies.com/categories/Vacuum__Press__Items/Vacuum__Bags/ Things will straighten out a bit while drying.

That's how I thread my Artisan 441 clone. (and how the manual shows it)

Hence the joy of a properly setup servo motor... sew the speed that the job demands. I sew more and more belts on my 441 clone (and belts aren't getting shorter..) Sewing down the length of it is easy to guide so it's pedal to the metal, however sewing the tip of the belt is very visible when being worn and the servo allows me to get a stitch at a time if I want. End of the day, I still want to get each item completed as quickly as possible.

I agree, watching your machine amble down the easy parts to sew is a waste of time. I can't envision someone wanting to pay more for your product just because you sewed it really slow.

Servo motors usually come with a bit of a hardware assortment for holding the sensor from moving. Maybe talk to your dealer? It is also preferable to fix the sensor to the head vs. the table as it makes it simpler to be able to flip the head back when required.

If the positioner sensor moves around, the needle will change where it stops. It should be fixed so it doesn't move.

I have bought from them several times and always with good results. They have proven very helpful at figuring things out.

Aside from sharpening , I try to use them equally in both directions. This kind of hones one edge when you are cutting with the opposite edge.