TinkerTailor

Most of the machines people use for leather work on this site are clones of machines made by companies like Juki, Pfaff, Singer, Adler etc. Many of the models are no longer available new. Good used ones command a premium (unless you are persistant, patient AND lucky), They are sometimes double the price of a new clone. I have seen used juki 441's for 4 and 5 grand. Well equipped clones start around 2500 bucks. Many have new counterparts with computers and built in navigation systems, and HUGE price tags to match ($10,000+ for a juki tsc-441). Btw, the real ones usually come with no accessories aside from what is bolted on the machine, and factory parts (if you can get them) range from just expensive to send in your first born carrying your arm and a leg expensive... There are several quality levels of clones. Tread really lightly on ebay. At the top of the screen are banner ads from clone sellers who many have had great experiences with because they service and support the machines, and they go over them to make sure they are good. There are a few(whole bunch) of threads about buying a machine and which one to choose for which purpose. Hair on hide only leads to one question, do you need a fur sewing machine? Probably not. I would avoid them if you can, This is a whole other catagory of sewing machine and is really a disappearing art. This then leaves any leather walking foot machine suitable depending on material weight and end product construction. Blanket feet (wider bigger, sometimes with teeth) can help control slippage of material when using sheepskin, furs, and felt etc.., so then it is only a question of what weight of hides do you see yourself working with? A flatbed is fine for most, however for bags a cylinder arm is handy, as it can be converted into a flatbed relatively easily, and some come with the attachment.

Stuff i can get is called neverstrand, it only comes in 6 cord. Made in sweden i thing. I can get it at a shoe supply place that also sells patcher and big boy sewing threads. The kind that make 441's look like home machines. Cheaper than ritza, and easier to find. VERY little info on it on the web.

Thanks all for the compliments. The skull is a belt buckle I used to wear alot back in my punk rock days. Used to get followed around tandy when i went there to get studs to put on my leather jacket.....

Here is how i do my stitched mason jars:

I can think of multiple ways to use that buckle on straps for bags. To heck with belts, i want those as closures on a messenger bag flap.......

I have been also on the hunt for years for a heelbar 2 prong buckle, non roller, brass and 1 3/4" to 2" square. Not the vertical rectangle of the tandy one. Other than the size issue, I think the rust issue comes from the inside of the roller, yours are probably much better quality, though i have not tried them yet. I had a brass one on a belt i wore for years, and i wore out the buckle. The brass is much thinner on the top where the dunlop is. You know, Dunlop disease, Its when yer belly dunlops over your belt.

The old finger pressure thread tension device....How deep is the thread groove in your thumb and finger?? For bobbin winders, there are other designs out there, which are great, well built, and work perfectly, however they were designed from a marketable product standpoint. Catalog parts in a repeatable design. Or a diy recipe. Buy this list of parts (or a kit), put together this way and you have your device. This is a good way to go for alot of people, and is a common maker scene methodology. When I designed mine, which i had in my head before the machine even arrived, i knew a couple things: -441 clones have different bobbin winding setups depending on brand. -Bobbin winders differ between machine batches within a brand -The bobbin winder drive design on a 441 clone is less than stellar. Adjustment is a pain. Mis-adjustment is more of a pain. - Even simple electronics are confusing for many, however if you can't figure out how to plug a home sewing machine motor in and make it turn, i can't help you. These were designed with the stereotypical 50's housewife in mind remember....... Because of these inconsistencies, flexibility and adaptability of the design was key. This design can be altered sooooo many ways to accommodate different machine architectures and artistic flairs. I think a lunchkit would be a cool option for the box...... I made this with a balsa box from the dollar store, an xacto knife, some glue, a drill and a few screws. The bobbin storage on top i cut pieces of dowel with wire cutters and glued them into holes. Hole for bobbin winder? hacked out with xacto. Motor and belt are your problem, I suggest craigslist or the thrift store. Sometimes whole machines are worth it for the motor and pedal. These motors make nice burnisher motors for diy burnishers for small items. Much quieter than a hunk of wood spinning in a dremel..... I have better tools and know better techniques, but this does not help the average crafter. Btw, this is how I covered the hole: And while test stitching, I made this little thread nipper sheath I screwed onto the machine where the bobbin thread guide was:

also, what he said.......we were posting at same time.......like i said i am not a leather airbrush expert. I do know 37 ways to skin a cat however.......

I am not an expert on airbrushing leather, but have sprayed some paint here and there...... I do know that most of the time you will be thinning out the dyes. Getting good fades is usually about a few thinned out washes as opposed to one shot. Doing it in multiple stages allows you to build up the look and is much more forgiving of spray pattern inconsistency and shaky wrist syndrome.

It seems that a few of us members, specifically Uwe and Dikman and myself have been independantly working on external bobbin winders simultaniously. I got my Techsew 5100 10 days ago and after I ran out the first bobbin and looked at the machine and realized that I would have to have 2 spools of every colour, or wind bobbins with the rest of the machine hammering away at thin air, wearing itself out to fill a bobbin.......There had to be a better way. I give you: Stand Alone Bobbin Winder Tinker Edition. Specs: All factory bobbin winder parts used unmodified. Can be returned to factory in 10 minutes. Stops when bobbin full. Hands free variable speed control High speed bobbin filling. Less than 10 seconds at full tilt with 207. Very inexpensive. Box cost 2 bux and the sewing machine motor and pedal was free. First thing i did was look to see how the factory bobbin winder was driven, as i wanted to utilize all of the factory bobbin winding parts. I found that the rubber o-ring tire was mounted on a round belt pully. I just so happened to have an external electric sewing machine motor, footpedal and a rubber roundbelt. I mounted the factory bobbin winder into a wooden box i got at the dollar store for 2 bux I think and then screwed the box to my machine table right next to the belt slot. I then mounted the sewing machine motor behind the machine head onto the tabletop making sure to get the belt tension right so the motor drives the winder properly, but the belt slacks off when the bobbin is full. The thread tensioner is on the back corner of the box. I mounted the thread guide to one of the screws on middle of the the thread stand. This really helps it fill nice to have this further away.Thread path is down from tree, through tensioner, up to stand, back down to bobbin. Gas pedal: Cover made from spraypaint lid, mason jar for oilcan and a scrap strap with loops for tools to hold it together.

Airbrush.

This may end up being like a diy bobbin winder showdown.......I have one I just built as well, but haven't photo'd much. Will do today. I need horse in the race....

This is the only way to go really. Its what the pros do: Project Wicked Cool Viking Helmet

The built in search here is not so good, for a better search, just use google and put this "site:leatherworker.net" in front of your search terms. Here is a link to thread on this site which is titled as " The Most Comprehensive Briefcase Tutorial In The World"

My father also has a saddle of unknown origin which is very similar and he has narrowed his down to mexico in the late 1800's-early 1900s if that helps much. That is on the opinions of 2 different old saddle makers he has shown it to. It was the swells that they dated it with if i remember the story right. Those swells really lock you in, His have the same thing. His also has quite a short seat and similar style tooling. The short seat pushes you up against the swells and makes it actually really comfortable and secure feeling. He has told me there was a time or two he kinda got stuck under the swells on top of a real nasty horse, and wished he had an ejection seat.... I am going from memory as i don't have pictures of the saddle in front of me. I will ask him again next time i talk to him.

Baseball stitch the skulls together and use them in a messenger bag flap. Cut out the good bits and stitch them into stuff as inlays. Cut the rest up into squares, punch holes in them and write prices on the back with sharpie, or stamp your makers mark over all the other crap...and make them brand tags.

If you are looking to copy a bag, It is always best to get the pattern from the maker. Some of the makers on this site also sell their patterns or give them away. There are lots of patterns and tutorials floating around here. Copying without permission is generally frowned upon. If you want to design your own unconventional funky bags that could stand alongside the bags on the site you posted, you are going to need to learn to draft patterns yourself. There are tutorials for that on here as well. Watch Arthur Porter's videos on youtube. Not much he hasnt covered in handbags.

It looks awesome, and should serve the machine well for years. It reminds me of the old guy who does not stop smiling cause he just got new teeth. The only thing is, my ocd can't handle the phillips.......Can't wait to see it stitch

All quality harness should have finished edges, as it is not about looks it is about water influx. Wet straps stretch and are weaker. They sealed the edges and creased them to prevent water from soaking in through the side. Unfinished harness would get destroyed in the rain. They used wayyy tougher stuff than beeswax. look at this recipe book from 1906: https://archive.org/details/manufacturelubr00brungoog Bevelling the edges does not need to be a full roundover. I would use a very small edger to keep the edge square but just remove the sharp corner. Then slick with gum trag or just beeswax. The slight darkening, reddish tone will complement the color of the front i think. If you do it this way, the full grain and color variation of the edge will still be visible, and it will look rugged but refined. A good leather craftsman bevels all exposed edges if possible, even if it is a tiny bevel. It may not change the look much but makes all the difference to the in the hand feel for the end user. The products we make are not just about looks but how they feel in the hand and how they work. Machinists deburr sharp edges on parts, woodworkers break edges to prevent splinters and to make the corner feel better, its how it is done.

I have seen many perfectly good old tools with ferrules replaced with thread lashing caked in shellac, wax or pitch. I have done it. It works pretty good. I have also done it with a copper wire wrap, really tight. Drill small holes in the wood at the ends to put the ends of the wire into and then coat the whole works in CA(Super)glue. If you need to remove it, acetone.

Here is a twisted rope with very fine thread at 12 or so spi if i remember correctly. It is the stitch attaching the leather to the waxed canvas on this dopp kit:: Here is some examples of the bar x stitch:

Like this? I used this stitch to join the waxed canvas top to the leather bottom on this dopp kit: Its 2 over on the front, 1 back on the back being careful that the needle comes back out under the loop from the previous stitch. The shorter the stitch length and the fatter the thread, the more rope like it is.

A gift goes a long way. Never know when you will have a project that needs a binder machine for that one thing, or just one bartack......

Super77/90 is great because you have great control over application rates, a light spray of either on both sides is semi-permanent, and can be repositioned before it sets. A heavy coat on both sides, followed by a light coat again just before the first loses its tack, wait until fully tack free, and put it together and it is stuck. Like foreverstuck. One of the hardest things to learn is the patience to wait long enough before putting parts together. Used to use it to vinyl and fabric cover subwoofer boxes and custom car electronic installations years ago. There was alot of stretching of materials into weird curves and cavitys with nothing but spray glue holding it on. Never fails if done right. Learned a few tricks. My favourite is spraying ANYTHING to turn it into a lint roller... Lightly dust pattern pieces to keep them in place, if the glue is barely tacky it wont stick to the leather. Use it to glue wet/dry sandpaper to glass to sharpen tools Some art supply stores sell spray can tips for grafitti artist that have lots of different spray patterns to control the glue better. There are different size stems on cans, can't remember which fits 3m.

Found on archive.org. Here you go: "Manufacture of lubricants, Shoe Polishes and Leather Dressings" published 1906. Be careful, this could lead you down a very deep rabbit hole...... Enjoy.