dikman

Welcome aboard. That's a very nice bonus. Best thing to do is read the manual (more than once) and get familiar with how it operates, watch the movement of the various parts and don't force anything if something feels like it's binding. Fun times ahead.

Todd, I'm curious about your process for making that stamp as I'm assuming you either scanned the logo or photographed it? How did you turn it into the .stl file?

I can see where the one on the right could work well, the curving edge should allow for an easier/smoother slicing action. I might have to pinch the idea.

Let's not forget the ego element, I find it very satisfying knowing that I know how to saddle-stitch something.

That line made me laugh! Good idea, some of those putty knives/scrapers are thinner than I could make a blade, I'll have to look into it.

Well, my efforts were not exactly a success. First leather I tried cracked at the fold for the pin. I then tried kangaroo leather as it is thin and tough, unfortunately it is still too thick, next I tried some chrome-tan as it's thinner but two different types proved to be too soft at the fold. I finally got a piece to stay in place around the pin but it has too much stretch to use as a watchband, I don't think buckle holes will last long. The problem, I finally realised, is the watch, it has recessed parts in the body where the pin/strap fits which severely limits the thickness of the band material. Probably why they use synthetics for all the bands for these I guess. Ah well, it was an interesting experiment. As I have a strap hanging off one side of the watch I'll use it as a fob/pocket watch instead. Me hats off to you, Jim of Calgary.

https://dn790008.ca.archive.org/0/items/TheAshleyBookOfKnots/the ashley book of knots.pdf Over 600 pages! That's a lot of knots.

That's some very nice work you do. I recently bought a sort-of-smart watch real cheap and needed a watchband for it so naturally it was going to be leather, after all, how hard could it be? Turns out it's easier making holsters!! These are fiddly little beggars to make.

Thanks Al, this has obviously been gnawing away at you for a while. I reckon ease of handwheeling with a speed reducer depends on the size of the handwheel. The smaller handwheel on many of the older machines might require more effort but my 4500 has a large handwheel and it can overcome the speed reducer pulleys without much trouble. I've replaced the small handwheel on older machines with a large pulley and found it much easier to handwheel.

My thoughts, find the fittings you want to use, preferably a brand that has lots of different choices to allow for future needs, then either make adapters or ream/sleeve the tool so they fit. I was given, amongst other things, three Carr Fasteners presses along with an assortment of dies, anvils etc for them, some of which didn't fit (I still don't know what they're for). I had to make up adapters for some of the fittings which is no big deal for someone with a lathe.

When you talk about making them do you mean making them from scratch or simply modifying existing scissors? It would be a lot of work to make scissors by hand and I doubt it would be cost-effective to sell them.

That's certainly different, very nicely done - and a lot of hand stitching there!

Very nice carving, it looks good.

This is mine, it's more of a rectangular body so the top doesn't appear to unscrew. I think I'll leave well enough alone.

Yep, that's not a "modern" clutch motor, which Wiz is likely referring to, it's what Singer fitted to their older industrial machines. It's a separate motor connected by a belt to a pulley stack with a clutch in it.