RunningRoan

I'm on the verge of needing to upgrade from my semi-automatic foot press and looking into getting a fully automatic spot setter. Can anyone tell me anything about them or point me toward some manufacturers/sellers? Ballpark cost? My Google searches haven't yielded much so far Thank you!

I like the look of the SK3, but clueless on what size barrel/yoke I should get. I do notice that my hands cramp up a little if I hold my cheapie Tandy swivel knife for long periods of time. Would the larger barrel/yoke be more comfortable to hold? I'm a taller gal with long fingers, so my hands aren't teeny tiny.

I'm ready to upgrade from my cheapie swivel knife to a nicer one. I have checked out (online) Leather Wranglers and Barry King ones. Any other suggestions for swivel knives that I should consider?

Sure can! I've attached a picture of the press before modifications and two pictures of it after modifications. There is a piece of steel under that dark red cutting board. What I wish I would have done is used a larger piece of steel under the bottle jack. It should have been as wide as the span of the press. Oh well though, not a huge deal. I just have to do a little bit of hand cutting every once in a while on the ends of my long dies (like for breast collars) because they stick out underneath that top plate. This is a 20T press and I wouldn't go any smaller. As you can see, it took some work to turn this press into a clicker but you can't beat the price. If memory serves, the press was around $175 at Harbor Freight on sale, I spent about $30 or $40 or so on the steel plates and I can't recall just what the cutting board cost....but the whole set up was pretty cheap and has been a real time saver. I kicked myself to not setting it up sooner...I originally balked at the cost of buying the press, dies, etc...but its been worth every penny!

Here's before and after pictures of mine. A 20T press from Harbor Freight, cut off the ram, welded on two steel plates and got a cutting board to protect my dies.

Here's a thread about it: http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=35165 I've got a set up like you're describing and its been working good for me! The bottle jack isn't welded on though, it just sits on the frame.

I modified a shop press (Harbor Freight special) into a clicker press with the help of my dad the super-welder. We cut off the ram. Added a large steel plate to the bottom that I set my cutting board on. Also added a steel plate where the ram was. I think it's 3/8" or 1/2" cold rolled steel. I got these suggestions from Heather at TX Custom Dies To solve the problem of the eye bolts, we welded nuts to the top of the beam that the cylinder sits on. Instead of the eye bolts going through that beam, they just screw into the nuts. Been working great!

Yep, that is the set up on page 297. I agree, they need to come up with a better setter. The wire spring is pretty small, but it needs to be flexible. The spring holds back the next spot to be set, then the driver comes down, catches the dot, bends the spring out of the way and forces the dot down the shaft toward the anvil. Without the spring, the dots just fall right out of the raceway, through the shaft and on to the ground. I tried just one dot at a time and they still bend over. Each spot setter works great when they're brand new, but it seems when the spring starts to get tired/worn out it doesn't hold the dot in the proper position anymore and the driver catches each dot off-center and sends them down the shaft cock-eyed...one prong hits the leather first, takes all the force and bends under without going through the leather. No good. And I can't repair the spring myself...it's tucked up inside the setter and you can't get to it. After thinking about it overnight, I think I need to buy an extra setter for now. That will solve my immediate problem of loosing a week with this machine every month... Anyone know of any other foot press type machines I might consider? I can't do the smaller ones you work with your arm...it needs to be a foot press.

I guess more information would have been helpful, sorry! I use this machine for spot setting only and use the fancy spot setter attachment with the raceway. My problem: the first two spot setter attachments I had both broke. Both had the same problem. There's a little wire "spring" that holds the next spot-to-be-set in place and it snapped. The current spot setter attachment I have right now (my 3rd) started bending spots today. I had to pull out and replace about 50% of all the spots I tried to set today. Seriously, setting them by hand is faster and less damaging (everytime I pull a bad spot off, it damages the leather a little bit). My last spot setters started bending spots right before the springs broke. Weaver knows there is a problem with these spot setter attachments and they have replaced them no-questions-asked every time, but I'm 5 business days away from Weaver leather for shipping, so when a part breaks, I'm down for a week. I use this machine every day...I can't have it down for a week. I've only owned this machine since mid-April of this year and I'm already on my 3rd spot setter attachment which now needs to be replaced with a 4th. This machine has been down A LOT...too much. Is anyone else having this issue? Weaver tells me that they're working on developing a new/better part. I'm waiting patiently I never thought I'd be going through spot setters like this. I keep thinking I should spend an extra $200 to buy an extra one to have on hand, but then I think "this is the last one that will break, surely this won't keep happening"...but it does! I'd like to get the riveting attachment for it, but I'm half temped to sell this machine and buy something else that won't keep breaking down!

Anyone have a Weaver Heritage footpress that they use to set spots (not rivets, the decorative spots with the two prongs)? Have you ever had a problem with it? I think mine is possessed...

Thanks everybody! I think I'm gonna give something new a try!

I'm currently using Tandy's Eco-Flo paint and have been happy with it so far to paint stamped letters (small areas). Have noticed it doesn't hold up as well on larger painted areas. It's not really chipping, but it is cracking some. I'm thinking I'd like to try a different kind of paint. Any suggestions? I've found Angelus paint, haven't bought any to try, but it's on my list of options. Any feedback on Angelus or any other suggestions?

I will miss Donna She did choose to be self-employed...she had dream and decided to pursue it.. I wish her all the luck in the world. She always treated me well and I appreciated that very much!

Awesome!!! Thank you!!!! I went to their site last week and didn't even see that! Silly me! I'd contacted Hermann Oak about their camo leather and it's much thicker than the chap leather that I have been using, but I was overlaying it anyway so it'll work for me. I searched for that camo chap leather and came up with nothing...apparently the licensing/copyright stuff tightened up and it's not being made anymore. That's the answer I got from the vendors I contacted. I did find digital print camo (not real looking and not "Mossy Oak") but my customers like real looking camo. So if any one else is looking for that chap leather, you'll have to dig and see of any suppliers have any left over in stock.

A couple years ago I bought some chap leather with Mossy Oak Break Up camo pattern printed on it (the real camo, not the fake graphic stuff) and I'm having a heck of a time finding more. Has anyone found any recently? Edited to add that I already tried Brettuns Village and The Leather Guy, they have none and aren't getting any more.

Needing to maximize time and increase productivity. Thinking clicking out my most popular items would certainly help, as I spend a lot of time and energy hand-cutting. I suppose I have two options...buy my clicker dies from Weaver and have them click out my items from the leather I purchase from them (would save me from having to purchase a clicker, but then I'm tied to Weaver). Or just bite the bullet and buy the dies and the machine. I am leaning toward buying it all myself and doing the clicking right here. I like the idea of being able to click out only the parts I need and having the clicked pieces in hand instantly to start crafting into something that same day. I have looked at clickers a little bit online, but I'm pretty clueless. I'll need to click out some fairly large pieces (such as large pieces for breast collars) and I'm not sure that I would be happy with a hand operated clicker. Anyone have any feedback on hand operated clickers? My only other option would be an air or hydraulic operated clicker. How difficult are these types of clickers to install in a shop? I have access to an air compressor...is that all I would need to run an air powered clicker? Again, excuse my cluelessness here Now how about the dies. I'll need to have some special ones made of course, and I'll need to purchase some pre-made ones for basic parts. Any suggestions or testimonials on companies to make the dies and purchase pre-made ones?

I have a rule about Harbor Freight...I don't buy anythinig there that I will depend on daily to run my business. I have bought tools and whatnot from Harbor Freight with the intention of using them every once in a while, but if I need something that I expect to get a lot of use out of, I buy a quality version of that item. Harbor Freight has a lot of stuff and their prices are great, but for the most part they sell throw-away items. Also, if you plan to sew headstalls and breast collars, stay away from any machine billed as "a heavy duty canvas stitcher and will do lightweight leather too". Those machines might be referred to as "heavy duty" but that's in terms of sewing fabrics...a totally different world than leather. Those machines can sew very thin leather every once in a while if need be, but if you try to run leather through them all the time, the machine will fail. Stick to machines that are made specifically to handle medium to heavy leather. I bought a Cobra Class 3 from Steve. It was my first sewing machine purchase and I have been extremely happy! I make strap goods mostly (headstalls, breast collars, dog collars, etc) and the Class 3 has been awesome. I've had it for a year and it's been put to the test. Plenty of power to get through thick laps and sews nicely on some of the thinner items I make. It can handle more that I have asked it to do, but its better to have a little more power than you need versus just barely getting your projects through your machine. I have to admit that my Cobra is one of my most prized possesions that doesn't have fur

Thanks for the replies everyone! I've been wanting to try a maul as opposed to another hammer or mallet. Sounds like a 20oz would be a good one to start with and go from there.

Steven, if you can make that a hot guy with his shirt off (I'm a girl ) then I will be happy to pay $86 for freight! I will definitely start doing some price shopping. The leather I bought was Hermann Oak, nothing unique. I should be able to find the same exact thing from lots of different places. A little time spent checking around would be worth it!

Ah ha! Plugs! Never thought of that. I think it looks awesome. Will definitely be trying that. Will also try to Rit dye to make brown...I have a feeling that's the only what I'm going to get that color angora. Thanks a bunch!!