dikman

I've used the same method, bj139, and it's a very effective way of getting slow speeds on a machine. I also added a speed reducer to one and it made yours look like an express train!

Nice bit of re-purposing. Looks like a nice little press, particularly at that price!

"Especially when you have no clue what you are doing" That probably applied to many of us at some point! It can be addictive, I was like that for a while but then realised I just had to get rid of some of them as I didn't have the room! No comment on the colour.

I just saw this, Gary, very nice work indeed. The carving on the portfolio is excellent and the Bison has great texture to it. Nice looking leather.

If you want slow speed control in my opinion a speed reducer is a necessity with a servo. If used with the digital servos it tends to compensate for the low-speed jerkiness they sometimes display and provides more torque at low speeds. The "downside" is that your top speed will be a lot lower and you will have to change the servo settings to increase it (this isn't a problem for me because I like slow speeds for leather, but if you do production work it could be an issue). Also be aware that some servo needle positioners don't work if a speed reducer is used. I tried a needle positioner but didn't like it much, fortunately because I like slow speed sewing I find I don't need it.

The stingray is nice but that stitching has me intrigued?

Handstitched, I reckon you'll be happy with the Detroit and I'm confidant that if you do have any issues Total Tools will do the right thing. As for the name, it's simply the Chinese manufacturer trying to capitalise on an American sounding name.

I've been studying the Meanea holster on the front of Packing Iron as I've been contemplating trying to copy it. Yours is an excellent representation of it, well done!

The servo you have looks to be a pretty generic type so if you can find instructions for similar machines it might help? I fitted a "generic" servo to a Singer, small pulley on the motor, large pulley to replace the handwheel and a home-made pulley reducer - I got one stitch every 3 seconds! That is a bit extreme, of course, but shows what can be done. If you want slow speed control a speed reducer is a must, and will be cheaper than a Ho Hsing motor.

Yep, looks to be the same thing, just a different colour and label. I had another hand unit that looked the same, other than a yet another colour and label. For occasional use these are fine and at the price if they eventually die it hasn't cost you much (and you still have all the bits to use with the next one ). I keep the battery Dremel and an Ozito down in my leatherwork shed. I use the drum sander and a small wooden burnishing bit I made to get into tight places. The Dremel 4000 is hanging over my workbench in the garage as I find it handy for all sorts of finicky jobs.

It would be made in China. I bought a Detroit bench grinder from them, which is made in China. Total Tools, in my experience have been great to deal with. The kit you show looks pretty good for the money, it's got lots of bits with it. I have two Ozitos, which work fine, although the handpiece on the flexible extension gets hot fairly quickly. I recently bought a Dremel 4000 at a good price from Cash Converters, mainly because the flexible shaft and handpiece are heavier duty than the "clones". I also have a Dremel battery operated unit which works fine but battery tools are only good for quick jobs. You could try and find a used Dremel on Gumtree, Cash Converters (search their website to save running around), or any pawn shops in your area. Avoid the Dremel 3000 as they have had a high failure rate due to the design of the wiring connections inside. Oh, and the good thing about the Ozito is they have a 3 year warranty and Bunnings generally don't hassle over warranty issues.

That's different. Very nice.

#3 looks to be a pretty clean machine, nicely set up and with a servo (something you would have to allow for on the other machines).

A very nice summary of electrolysis, Don. If you use salt for the electrolyte it generates hydrogen (just so you know). If you run copper wire to various parts of the machine and common them to the negative electrode it may spread the electrolysis effect more evenly around the machine but as Don said it's important to make sure you've got a good clean metal-to-metal contact. A lower voltage may take longer but it will be more gentle, even 12v is considered high by some. For the positive electrode any scrap steel will be fine and using several pieces around the edge of the tub, commoned together, will help given that this is a complex shape to clean. For something like this the Evaporust-type cleaner would be ideal, as it will not harm any of the metal, only the rust, but unfortunately the quantity required would make it very expensive here in Oz (even the Repco one, at half the price, would likely be a couple hundred $$). I suppose you could always use a sand-blast cabinet if it's that bad! (Just joking).

You mention using 346 thread, obviously a heavy thread which means you're looking at something like 441-class machine. Definitely not portable! If the Tippman is doing what you want then perhaps you could give the neighbour some earplugs?

Very nice work. I'm not a fan of lacing holsters (purely based on the aesthetics) but this one looks pretty good.

No. You obviously have a clutch motor, which is a single phase induction motor. There is no known easy/cheap way to slow these down electronically. The best way to control a sewing machine is with a servo motor, fortunately they are relatively cheap these days. An alternative, if you want to keep the clutch motor, is via pulleys. Fit the smallest pulley you can to the motor and make/buy a speed reducer to fit between the motor and the machine head. Not as effective as a servo, of course.

You made that jacket with a Speedy Stitcher???? To say I'm impressed is an understatement!

It's looking a lot better than it was! Localised heat/pin-point heat is a good method for loosening stuck screws, along with tapping the screwdriver. A good home-made penetrating oil is auto trans fluid and acetone, mixed 50:50. Sounds like you've got a pretty good idea of what you're doing, I look forward to some progress reports.

Yes, Evapo-rust is expensive here in Oz (prohibitively so, in my opinion) but there is a similar product sold by Repco at about half the price. Given how solid some of that rust looks electrolysis and wire brushing is probably the best way to start. Don's suggestion about vinegar is also a good one.

A quick google search only comes up with a 537, which is a domestic machine. I had a Necchi once, beautifully made (and looking) machine, all metal housing, but it had a plastic cam stack inside that cracked! That was the end of that machine.

I'm gobsmacked! Drooling everywhere! I guess Christmas came early for you.

You're definitely overthinking this! I agree with MikeRock, it should be more than adequate to clean up the blade.

I like that. Nicely done.

A couple more thoughts. The handle is held on with a pin, probably brass, I would carefully knock out that pin and remove the handle. There will probably be a bit of rust on the tang too. The handle can be re-fitted later with a bit of epoxy. Once you've got most of the rust removed coat it with a rust converter (phosphoric acid), this should neutralize the small amounts of rust left in the pits and seal it. Grind back the broken corner to give you a point, then sand/polish the blade to the finish you want (a scotchbrite pad might even be enough), refit the handle and sharpen it. Done. Enjoy the blade. Don't overthink this.