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This thread fell off my "New Posts" radar - I would certainly be interested in seeing you guys' press designs. I sketched something up, but that's as far as I've gotten.

That's fantastic! Man, I would love to sit and watch somone make something like that start to finish. That bag looks a million times better than this bag I've been carrying around. Just curious, how much do your bags sell for.....

If you're still looking - here is the basics. Go with approximately (2) 6" square pieces with a 2"x2" filler neck, so your actual pieces will be 6"x8". The pocket is about 2"x2.5". Single stitch the pocket onto one piece of leather, then double stitch the larger pieces together. You'll be able to fill the pouch with about 2 cups of whatever you like - I like rice because it's not too heavy, and holds its shape.

Thank you - we'll contact them. Thanks!

I was going to ask the same thing. Very nice! Are you machine stitching that bird? Or hand stitching? I'm assuming it's done by hand, but it looks so perfect, I had to ask (sorry if it's a newbie question...).

...No doubt about it - I'm very new to this. I've been making the prototypes myself at my kitchen table for several months until my wife's machine broke and I had to bite the bullet and upgrade to a better machine. I know it's a good product, and there are several reputable shooters that think it's a great product, but business/marketing is not my strong point - fortunately I have a family member that does product development for one of the major snack food manufacturers, and he's very eager to help me get this thing up and running (he hates his day job too). Purchasing all of the components at retail, there is certainly profit when all is said and done. Selling one a day would pretty much replace my wife's income. I don't expect to sell that many right now, and I may never sell that many - but it's sure more enjoyable making these than what I do at my day job. Anyway, I guess I misinterpreted your previous post about knowing custom cutters who could do the whole order standing on their heads. I thought you were referring to a turn-key manufacturer that could supply all of the materials and manufacture the product. I guess you were just referring to tanneries.

Art - if I understood you correctly, you're saying you know some manufacturers that could make my product turn-key out of leather? Also, in regard to being US made, I've always thought of that as a selling point that people in the gun arena would prefer in a product. I was hoping and trying to keep it US made, even if it costs a tad more.

Bob, I'm in Aubrey, TX - north of Dallas. Thanks for the help!

I'm talking with a manufacturer about mass producing my product. They can make them out of Ballistic Nylon, and have sources for the materials. However, if I want them made of suede, they said I will need to find my own supplier, as their supplier out of China is possibly going out of business. Does anyone know where I could go for 2,000+ square feet of suede at a time?

Sorry, yes - I'm sewing Leather. Two layers of 3-4oz suede. The problem with my product is that both sides will be equally visible. Top and bottom stitches both need to be presentable. I will try to post a picture tonight.

I can post a picture tonight if this is not an obvious problem. My stitches look pretty good on the top. Nice, even stitches. The top looks perfect. When I look at the backside, the stitches look flat, like they've been ironed into the fabric. Now, before everyone jumps to a tension diagnosis - it (to me, at least) doesn't seem like a problem with tension. It seems like too much pressure with the foot. I tried using two different colors of thread, and I can't see either color protruding through the holes to the other side, so that tells me the tension must be pretty good. My machine is a Consew 206rb. Since it's compound feed, I know the needles is going to help pull the material through - can I get away with using less presser foot pressure than I would otherwise with just a walking foot? I've already reduced it a bit because it was marring the leather, but do I need to go even further?

Has anyone ever made a DIY parts press / clicker? I just had an order for 10 of my rifle rests, which means I have to cut out 80 identical parts of the design, 40 of another smaller piece, and then a bunch of short pieces of nylon webbing. The guy wanted to order 50 rests, but didn't think I could handle that demand. ....Well, he was right! At least, I can't do it in the time he needs them by. I can handle 10. Is it possible to create a home-made clicker? I have access to various metal working tools and materials. What is the surface made of that is on the bottom side of the cutting surface? You have the press on top, the cutting die, the leather, then the bottom surface that needs to be able to withstand the cutting force - what is that surface made of?

Thanks for the response fellas. I'll definitely be shopping for a servo motor in the near future. I didn't realize you could adjust the top-end with a dial. That's pretty cool! For now, I'll give the tennis ball a try - that's a good tip.

We all know it's bad to slip the clutch in an automobile... Is it bad to slip the clutch on a sewing machine to constantly make it go slow? I'm thinking about modifying the connector rod on my machine that I just picked up tonight - the rod that connects the foot pedal to the lever on the motor. I figure if I move the connector point closer to the hinge, I'll reduce the sensitivity of the motor speed. Yes, I'll probably lose some top-end speed, but I don't really want it to go that fast right now anyway. Another thing I might try is putting a speed limiter under the pedal - limit its travel. There may already be something like this in the mechanics of the lever on the motor, but I haven't had the machine long enough to notice. So, slipping - bad? I may have a guy in Australia that wants to become a distributor of my Flip Rest (rifle rest), so I would like to do something quick and inexpensive if it won't damage the machine.

I use Quickbooks Simple Start - Online Edition. I don't have to worry about backing up my files, and I can access it wherever I'm at online. It has a ton of features, but I'm using a free version that came with a Dell computer a few years back, and it's worked great for me. You can save clients, save services and assign fees for that service, generate invoices, track profits, and tons of other stuff.

Ian, the post that I bought my machine from states the machine uses DPxl 7 Standard Needle #22. What do you buy, and where do you get them? Any suggestions for a good, outdoor rated thread? I want something fairly heavy - my guess is 69 or heavier (I like the exposed thread look). I'm sewing (2) layers of 3-4 ounce suede - I have no idea how it's tanned nor do I even know what the differences are yet. I will also need to sew nylon webbing - does this require a special needle? I have much to learn, oh great ones!

I like the logo - without even reading the initial post, and having only seen the thread title, I saw the logo and instantly thought "that looks like a butt... - wonder if they meant that?" Or course, then I read the posts. I think if you go with a variation that clearly depicts high-heels, you need to point the feet out, not in - looks better in keeping with the way feet would naturally point. If you want something instantly recognizable like you stated in your initial post, you could just put the silhouette (though further developed to look like an actual woman), and put "BA" on her left or right butt cheek. It would be a variation on the famous woman so commonly seen on the back of mud flaps... Or the silhouette of the famous bunny rabbit. If you're worried about it becoming trashy looking, play around with variations of the design. For example, push the feet further apart, put a thong on her, leave the top off, and you portray one image. Pull the feet in some, put a more conservative two-piece bikini on her, and you've portrayed a more conservative image. The woman can become your logo / identity with the "BA" on one cheek, and then you can write out "Bad Ass" somewhere else - either have her sitting on top of the logo, or maybe stack Bad on top of Ass, and place the text on her right side - and cap the text. Just my opinions - hope they help.

Thanks for the replies fellas. The guy purchased it brand new in 1986 and used it for his small at home upholstery business. My main concern is rust if it's been sitting a while, but I'll find out tomorrow when I go look at it. About how much money will I be looking at to switch to a servo motor? And at that point, will a speed reducer be necessary? I don't foresee needing much speed anytime soon - my pieces are only 6" long right now. I'd rather have slow and steady than fast and crazy. Something my wife has been concerned about lately is one comment that mentioned (in another thread somewhere) these things leaking oil like a Harley. Are they really prone to leaking oil? I'll be setup in our study for a while, which has carpet floors...

Well, I missed out on the Consew 225 for $300. Couldn't get in touch with a lady selling the Juki version for $500 (it's still listed in Alvarado, TX if you're looking for one), and stumbled across a Consew 206rb - I think it's series one, but what the heck do I know.... Last night, my wife was helping me search, and she found it. Called the guy today, and we agreed on $650 - I'm picking it up tomorrow. This is the pic they had on their listing. Did I get a good deal? I'm happy about it - can't wait to get it. The guy hasn't used it much since 1996, but used it a few months ago on a small project. My question is this - I'm pretty hands on with my power tools. I like to know how things work, and am not afraid to dig in and work on stuff. I've seen a couple of DVDs for sale (which I'm sure you all know about), but I found one that specifically relates to this machine. http://www.how-to-videos.info/Home.html They only have one video, and it just so happens to be for this particular machine. Since the machine hasn't been used much in the last decade, I figure it's probably in need of some TLC. I'm hoping the thing isn't rusted to pieces internally, but I'll find out tomorrow. Is this a good DVD, or is there a better one out there I haven't found yet? Edit to add: I'm looking for a DVD that will show me how to tear the thing apart, maintain it, repair it, thread it, etc.

This bag is incredible - I've been wanting to make something like this for years! Out of curiousity, how much did you sell that for (if you don't mind my asking). My sister-in-law mentioned possibly paying me to make her a similar case for her laptop, and was just curious what to charge. Ballpark, I'm thinking a case like that would sell retail for $3-400, but I haven't actually shopped yet. Very nice work.

Here is the only information I can find on it. Also, there is a Juki for sale about 2 hours away for $500 (the same price as the Glaco that's only 10 minutes away), and it looks identical so I guess it's a Juki 562. Should I drive the two hours and just buy the Juki? It was used in a small business that manufactured a few leather products and then discontinued that operation and the machines weren't needed anymore. http://www.sanger-sewingmachinevideos.com/available.html

Well, I snoozed and lost that Consew. There is a Glaco Astra for sale locally, though she is asking $500. All I can find is that they're similar to the Consew 225. Can anyone tell me anything about the Glaco Astra? It comes with the table and a "big" motor. I asked her to send me pictures, but would appreciate any information ya'll can provide. The Consew was about 2 hours from me, and with the cost of gas and the headache of driving my 4x4 V8 suv to get the machine, I guess it's not too big of a loss. This Glaco is literally 10 minutes from my house. Should I jump on this, or pass on it?

LOL! I hadn't thought of that! I figured once I get a good machine, I'll go ahead and order a few hides and sew up a few to have on hand, and to get some more practice in. Then, I'll post the good ones for sale on my website, and hand out the others to people to review, and keep or pass around to get more feedback of features and such. I have checked out the Machine portion of the site - lots of good info. One thing I've really noticed is that it's next to impossible to find good promotional materials, or even specifications and features lists on 95% of the machines out there. Ebay is the best bet, but you can't trust the information all of the time. The Sailrite machines at least have a good website, user forum, usage videos, and apparently good customer support. When I find a machine I like, I try to show pictures of them to my wife, but it doesn't take long to notice everyone uses the same low quality photos - even in Craigslist and Ebay listings!

Okay - this is my first post here, so please - be gentle!! Recently I have gotten back into shooting (rifles). I have a few different styles of rifles, and quickly got frustrated with the standard range bags typically provided at the local shooting ranges - so I designed my own. It's still a work in progress, but I've shown my prototypes around to various people and have gotten very positive feedback. These are made of 3-4 oz suede, and stitched on my wife's Riccar sewing machine. It's not really fond of sewing 2 layers of suede (even with leather needles), and then when I toss the nylon webbing in, .... well, it went on strike. I sent it to the repair shop, but it sews leather even worse than it did before (it's flawless with standard fabrics). It also frays the thread, skips stitches, and flat out has a poor attitude about life in general!!!! Anyway, I'm looking to purchase a new machine - probably the Sailrite LS-1 or the Consew CP206R. I would really prefer a needle feed to help climb over the webbing, but I can't afford one right now. There is a Consew 225 selling locally for $300 that was serviced in January 2008, but my wife doesn't want a big machine and table like that (and frankly, it's too fast and we just don't have room for one that big). Here is my rifle rest. Please don't pay too close attention to the stitch quality - these are just prototypes on an improper machine. They will ultimately be double stitched, but I haven't gotten any good stitches lately, and can't photograph anything. Now, here are my questions... Is there perhaps a better leather that would be easier to sew? Or will the walking foot solve my inconsistent stitch length issues that I'm currently having with my wife's Riccar - particularly when I hit the nylon webbing and the foot has to climb up and over that ledge - it almost comes to a complete stop and I have to push it through. Where can I get good prices on leather? I'm currently buying from my local Tandy, but paying about $3.60/sf. I plan on getting a tax I.D. number but haven't gotten around to it yet. I bought some odd-lots for $2.60/sf, but obviously I can't get the same color and tannery consistency with odd-lots. One person reviewing my rests commented that the suede really grips the rifle, and that was a huge bonus for him. He also stated that dirt and grass and stuff brushes right off and cleans up very easily before he tosses it in his range bag. I worry that if I switch to another kind of leather I'll lose the grippy quality, and the individual pouches will slide off of each other too easily. I would really appreciate your thoughts on my rests. I probably should have joined this forum before I even started these flippin' things!! If you want to see the site I've devoted to them, check out www.fliprest.com Thanks, and I look forward to your feedback and suggestions. Eric Aubrey, TX