dikman

A walking foot post-bed for $250! No mistake, I reckon you've done well! Just ditch the clutch motor and you'll be laughing.

I've always said the worst thing you can do is having to deal with customers.

"I basically need a sort of one shot machine that can do most things." Ahh, the mythical unicorn of sewing machines. Every leatherworker who uses a machine would like one of those. Paradoxically, the machine that comes closest is also one of the biggest/heaviest, a 441 clone. Using a modified needleplate/feed dog, as made by a couple of members on here, it can sew using very heavy #347 thread down to #69 (if you can find the right size needle). BUT they are big heavy machines!

If they're not documented then even though you can change the numbers in the menu it probably won't do anything. Unless the parameters have been assigned a function in the controller those numbers will be inactive.

I originally mounted my CB4500 on a conventional table but then hacked the table to convert it to a pedestal. Two reasons, it made it a smaller footprint in the shed but mainly it gave greater access around the head for sewing awkward pieces. I think a pedestal may give you the best overall flexibility when using a cylinder arm machine.

Interesting handle shape with a taper towards the end, rather than having the palm swell towards the end. I see you have one or two stamps............

Interesting idea, I don't see why not (the little closed-face casting reels come to mind). I guess it just depends on a) how handy you are at fabricating things and b) how much time you're prepared to put into it.

Forums can tend to become family-like when you've been on them for a while. RIP Eldor.

I'm just a little confused by what you mean by "two loops". If you're talking about western-style holsters there are many photos on the 'net of different styles and variations on them. There are no hard and fast rules to making them, it all comes down to what the customer wants or what the maker is trying to achieve.

My holsters are usually pretty thick, generally two layers of leather so holding them under a running tap works, but if you're doing small or thin items then yeah, a sponge will give a more controlled application of water.

I've only used beeswax to burnish edges, partly because it's what I had handy and just seemed like a good idea. I wipe a cake of beeswax along the edge then onto the high speed burnisher, it may take a couple of applications but seems to work ok. I've tried the dampen-the-edge-with-water thing, sometimes it works, sometimes it mushrooms the edge. I've been contemplating making another burnishing wheel out of aluminium (just 'cos I can and I like turning aluminium on the lathe ) and make it a long one with lots more different groove sizes.

Nice work (both of you), one can only wonder what that hammer was originally used for! The gouges on the face are BAD!!

That's what I did, I held it under the tap and ran water along where the bend would be and kept trying the bend until it started to fold then stopped the water. There was enough moisture in the leather to bend it but it didn't soak through to the front.

Yep, I'm the same, much to my wife's dismay. A friend recently asked if I could have a look at a faulty dropsaw that belonged to her cleaning lady. Turned out that one of the carbon brushes had broken off and wasn't making contact with the commutator. Normally this would mean a cheap saw like this would just be thrown away, but I have a selection of carbon brushes salvaged from trashed motors so it was a simple job to grind one to fit. I'm olde school and enjoy fixing things (I've got quite the reputation as a "fixit-man" at my wife's church ).

Inflation, my friend! It still intrigues me, being variable speed and portable.

I found the same machine, Toxo, $120 on sale which is pretty good BUT the belts are an odd size and I could only find one seller on Aliexpress. So not such a good deal......

Paint the cupboard gray to match the rest of it, THEN it will be finished.

I've never seen one of those machines before. I like it!

A Dremel-type tool, yeah, I forgot about that, great for small items and the buffing wheels are pretty cheap on ebay.

It works ok for me, I turned a burnisher on the lathe and forced it onto the grinder shaft to cut the threads so it screws on. I use the same grinder motor for buffing and wire wheels. You could also fit a drum sander to one side to sand the leather. I haven't bothered doing that as I have a couple of belt grinders, but be aware sanding leather with a machine makes a LOT of mess!! I'm not sure how effective a canvas sleeve would be as I think it might just act as a burnisher too?

Regarding Chuck (g'day mate ) I wouldn't take offense at what he said as I'm sure he didn't mean any. His comments are based on his experiences, as he explained, and he can only go by what you (or anyone) writes. As you're no doubt aware the written word is often misinterpreted and causes issues on forums as it doesn't necessarily convey what the person is like (or what their abilities/capabilities are). I'm sure he is only thinking of your well-being. Now, back to the subject matter, you can get a nice matte finish on steel by using fine grade wet and dry paper, used wet, and you can also get a nice blackened finish by heating it and dropping in oil (Linseed oil, olive oil, vegetable oil all work). Obviously heating a knife blade is not a good idea as you could destroy its temper. Another way is to use a blueing mix, as used for cold blueing firearms, no heat required (although warming the metal might help it to work better).

Bob, that is a very intriguing idea, it won't work on mine (straight sides) but if I ever make another one.......

They look good. The bag in particular is quite elaborate, obviously a lot of work went into it.

That pretty well sums it up Chuck. I have grinders, belt grinders, mills, lathes, welders, hand operated power tools, air tools etc etc and the one thing that makes me jittery when using it is the loose layered buffing wheel!

Going cross-eyed is an understatement! There's a lot of very fine short cuts in that, you did a great job. And so did your daughter.