TinkerTailor

If you look at the picture, that shaft coming out of the motor is about 2mm wider and then steps down. I think they turned then down for some reason, perhaps due to poor original finish or to use up a bunch of pullys with incorrect center holes with the keyways already cut..

I use jb weld to fix bicycle frames that have loose headset cups. I use basically the same technique. Never thought of doing it here. Nice one.

My guess is that you haven't put enough force on it. By the looks of the tiny circle on the top, the rivet shaft is barely deforming. It needs to mushroom out inside the cap to hold the rivet on. Try to go back in with your setter and hit it a few more times harder and see if this helps. This will also cause the rest of the cap to deform into the shape of the rivet set. The backside usually has a small divet but the cap side is nice for me. Also, steel rivets will need more force than solid brass ones.

If by g series, you mean a machine with a g in front of the serial number, Put that machine back into the museum and get a leather machine. That one will cause you nothing but headache trying to get it to do what it wasnt designed to do. Contrary to ebay seller ads, these are not leather machines and were designed for general tailoring with cloth. I have 3 of those machines and a white rotary. The white will do heavier and thicker but it has a max lift of 5/16 " or so. Yours is the same. There are plenty of cheaper industrials from several brands that will sew up to 1/2 inch out there. They get less common the bigger thread you need to use, and the stiffer the material. 2 layers of upholstery leather and some foam? Shouldn't be too hard to find. Singer did make boatloads of different models of industrial machines. Most won't suit your purposes as industrial machines tend to be quite specialized. A singer 98-3 is for stitching automotive tire treads while a 98k is a 3/4 size budget home machine Check this page: http://ismacs.net/singer_sewing_machine_company/singer-sewing-machines-for-manufacturing-purposes.html Do some research on here, someone has already tried similar and found a solution. Incidently, there is a guy right now that is sewing the plywood door cards for an MG td with a singer 111g155 in this thread: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=66962&hl=door

Check with boat and marine supply places. Those things are all over boats. Usually stainless or brass.

Not on a saddle, but i have removed the tongue of a belt buckle and used it as a dee when i couldn't find a square one big enough. Here is a grainy blurry photo of what i did.: edit: That one rivet bugs me every time i take a picture, but you can barely see it in person. Posting this photo reminded me to replace it.

I have noticed that when the post of one side isn't rolled over enough it can prevent the full closing of the snap and the proper engagement of the spring. This happens with hand setting on thinner materials predominately, as the post is just too long but can happen with machines too if the pressure is too low or there is too much post in there to squish down. First step is to go back in with the setter and wack it a few more times per side. If this does not work, Replace the snap, but cut a little off the post with a dremel or something before setting it. If this works, order your snaps with a shorter post. You may run into the same problem with the other snaps suggested.

3/4 inch?? 3/4 inches is 12 layers of leather at 4 oz. I am a little confused how you are getting seams that thick. That bottom corner is done inside out, and each seam is 2 layers, and 4 layers at the overlap between the front and back, in the middle of the seam. If you need to, sew as close as you can to the 4 layer bit and hand stitch the last inch or so.

I sometimes will use a stitch groover at the backside of the fold to encourage it to go straight, and then case the leather from the backside and force the fold. Let it dry folded, and then sew. Binder clips are your freind. Make up some leather strip pads so they don't mark. I sometimes use veg-retan chrome tanned hot stuffed latigo that is very stiff and is how i did this at full thickness 4-5 oz: Sorry for the blur, you get the idea, its the only pic i have of this detail.

This is a great step for rusty but electrolysis can be hampered by greasy surfaces. Also makes the electrolyte dirty and nasty way faster, partly because oils float but electrolyzed metal oxides sink. I would actually soak it, wash it, and then either electro-zap it or dunk in evaporust. That stuff actually works pretty good. It does not offgas hydrogen like electrolysis, which can be a problem if it build up in a small space.

Hit "more reply options", and there is a button to add attachments at the bottom of the msg edit screen. Upload pics there, as many as you want provided the total is under 1.46mb per post. Once you add them once, they appear in your my media button, allowing you to add them to future posts. You can attach small pdf as well, lots of stuff. I dont think the site will show previews of photos hosted elsewhere, but you can link to them and many do. If you do it right, it will show the youtube video window in a post as well. The forum software is pretty good, but kinda quirky at the same time. Don't even bother with the built in search, its as useful as boobs on a boar. Use google. site:leatherworker.net (search)

I use a 4 lb 10 inch handle drilling hammer. And yes, i use a steel hammer on my punches. If you hit straight, they don't mushroom as much and a little grinding will take care of it when it gets out of hand every couple months/years. I don't, however, do it like you sissys do. I just put the leather on my thigh and flex, harder than granite.....Clean punch every time.

Rust is never good, but plenty of old machines are fine. Some look rusty, but really are not at all. They just have a thick layer of dust and old oil that has turned to cement everywhere. This crap can be very abrasive. Moving the machine while it is there can cause huge damage to bearing surfaces. Spray on lubes do not have the contact time that is required to loosen this stuff. The only choice is the dip........If you do work like this frequently, having dip buckets are the way to go. I have an icecream bucket with a spaghetti strainer in it full of degreaser for soaking small parts. If you spray it on its gone, if you dip it, the fluid last much longer. You just leave whatever in the bucket and reuse it until it is real nasty, then take to disposal. Back in the day i used to get poorly painted plastic model cars at garage sales and thrift stores and then soak them in brake fluid for a couple weeks to take off the paint, worked great. Repainted them up nice. Didn't work on glue thumbprints on the windows though....

I believe part of the idea is the kerosene will soak into the pores of the cast iron, and both help get out the deep grease as well as protect it. Mostly i think it is that kerosene or diesel are both cheap solvents, so completely dunking a machine that is all gummed up and rusted is the least labour intensive and cheapest way to start a resto and loosen everything up without damaging anything, which can happen with blasting and pressure washing.

Are there any other markings on it? Numbers, symbols, dates?

I figured out a really easy removable limit stop to limit the upward travel of the arbor when doing repeat stamping, but is removable to change tools. If you take a piece of steel rod, like a screwdriver shaft, and place it in the teeth of the arbors rack below press head and hold it in there with a fat rubber band, it will stop the upward travel at whatever height you set it at. Also, be on the look out for boat/implement steering wheels for one that would fit to replace the handle on the press. May need to modify the wheel hub or make a hub adapter. If you are clever, you will leave the original hole for the bar accessable to re-insert the bar for leverage when you need it.

I wish I had a big enough shop to house an assistant. I TOTALLY respect your approach here, as the same approach has never done me wrong. It is the way it was done for centuries. I have got many jobs by walking in and saying "Try me for free for a day, If you like me, I'll see you tomorrow. The worst case scenario is you have someone to push a broom for nothing." I hope someone takes note of your ambition, sees it as an asset and offers you a job from day one. People who are willing to work for free to learn and to prove themselves make the BEST employees, and should be hired on the spot. People who are full of themselves and feel they must get paid for every output of energy are never good long term loyal employees

The last one is this: https://www.google.ca/patents/US380296?dq=mar+27+1888+randall&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjH85C6nMbJAhWQo4MKHQ3-DQ0Q6wEIHDAA here is the press: https://www.google.ca/patents/US405679?dq=randall+leather+clamp&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjh25fmncbJAhVSjoMKHWFmAT4Q6wEIODAE if you search google patents with the patent date and company name and you will find lotsa info. I tried to find that vise thing but it is hard without the date, and i can't see it in the photos.

I'm sure they are all useless, and are a hazard to have around due to sharp edges and tetanus. I am willing to help you out, and dispose of them for you. I will pay the shipping, just send them my way.......

Are you cutting the tail of the thread off so there is NONE sticking out the hole? It can cause the bobbin to act weird tension wise if it is hanging out. also, is the spring still in your bobbin case? I am assuming you have tried more than one bobbin, because a burr on one can cause it to hang up as well. Is the bobbin tension set screw locked down? When i got my machine, that set screw was missing and my bobbin tension would gradually back off until there was none. It was quite perplexing, however when it happened, i would be stitching along and slowly i would have loops forming on the top just like you. Sometimes it would happen fast. I would then back off top tension, get it almost right and it would come back. I chased this until i had no tension at all, and noticed the screw was not there......Techsew sent it out and i had it within days, and my tensions have been rock solid since.

That ever present hand shadow is no more. I also like that i van angle it just right to see those faint scribe lines while cutting. You can take the bases off and mount them anywhere. As well, being 5 volt dc, it is easy to put 3 or 4 into a fixture on one power supply. 5 volts is the same as usb power so transformers are everywhere. As 10 dollar lamps go, they are really robust as well. Youtube machinists have all figured out the hack potential of this light and they mount them to their machines.

When designing your apron, multiple piece designs may be preferable as large blemish free pieces are not plentiful without alot of waste or added cost. With multi-piece designs, you can place pieces around blemishes to minimize waste, and possibly use a lower grade of leather. I sometimes find great hides that have a hole in the middle or something for half price. With designs that have smaller pieces, no prob, just place them around the hole. With a one piece design, you would have a hole in the middle of the apron. Also, a full front apron with pockets will likely use well over a half a side of leather, which would make the leather cost per apron about the same as a cheap chinese fixed gear bike, another thing hipsters can't get enough of. You might get 4 small belt type aprons out of a side. I suggest leather and waxed canvas mix. It keeps material cost down and hipster level up. Did you hear the one about the hipster that burnt his mouth drinking coffee? He was doing it before it was cool...

Ever notice how many of the machines at miami sewing have the bottom half repainted and come without the table? I bet they are selling a bunch of machines that have flood damage. Garment districts are frequently near waterfronts and in flood areas and the southern US has had some nasty floods in the 15 years.... You also may have noticed they have 2 puritans, one at $1990 and one at $2450. Marked down from $11000 and $8500 respectively

You can use a vfd on your cowboy and would be much better than the chinese servo motors most use. You could lock the clutch and use any old 3 phase clutch motor this way am i right? Some of those motors are BEASTS. Those things are free around here. No-one has 3 phase and clutch is a swear word.... The sewing world has not embraced vfd like the machinist world it seems, though in theory it is likely the best way to go for a slow moving leather stitcher.

For sure. Any player as big as this would have had connections in the industry that for sure would have been offered equipment before the auction. There was a lot more stuff than is listed in this auction in that huge space. I bet an industrial sewing machine place has also picked over and bought all the machines worth refurbishing and re-selling. It may have been one of them that was grabbing extra parts off other machines for the machines they bought, hence the disarray of the machines that are left. As GottaKnow has stated, those cutting tables do look nice however..... what is that end grain butcher-block table......Than thing is cool. I may have to build one similar out of 4x4's to replace the thumpin stump.