JMWendt

Get a stitching wheel and a groover. Also get a diamond awl. That's all you need. Except for callouses and patience.

Geography (or is it Geology?) isn't my strong suit (not much is), but I'm thinking Wyoming isn't near as far as Texas for you. You might try our snakes instead. They're equally hidey, half as far away, and equally delicious. And oh so rattly. We just shoot them here in Wyoming, skin'em, and then scrape the hide and soak it in glycerin or oils for a day. You're welcome to come do the same to the nasty critters. Since you're Canadian, you may need to use a slingshot instead of a gun. Not sure how that's going to pan out. And be arned: fresh killed rattle snake stinks to beat all get out. Phew! I'm not sure that smell ever washes off the hands.

I've been ordering mine directly from the manufacturer. http://www.fiebing.com/

I've "wroked" some leather in my day. Usually throw it away after that.

Yeah, I think some pictures would help. I'd sure like to see the whole process from start to finish. How about a picture of the inside of the corner and how it attaches to the bag? That might be all I need to "get it." I do appreciate the information.

You'll need to skive folds for the 9/10 and 6/7 thicknesses.

Usually end to end, unless you've got some special reason to have two layers. For my belts and straps, I typically do two layers, end to end, trim to the right shape (rounded on one end, flat on the other), then sew the entire perimeter. In a few cases, I have used a piece of leather then skived another shorter piece and attached it only partially, for example when I did a buckle-less belt with a hook, but this is less typical and more special case. Do it however you like it, depending on the particular belt you are making. Aesthetics and functionality drive the design.

Throw it in the dryer on low heat with a scented fabric sheet and a spritz of water from spray bottle.

That sheepskin is going to get pretty stained by coffee pretty fast, I imagine.

I found that by rotating the setting tool around the copper pin with each pound of the hammer (like an eighth or a quarter turn per blow), the copper washer goes down smoothly and does not bulge out on one side. Makes them look great every time. If my description does not make sense, let me know and I'll try to explain better. I do the same thing with grommets and they come out very nice that way.

So I'm wondering about your technique on the corner of your attached front pockets. Can you describe how you do this? I don't understand the fold and stitching and would like to know more about the method.

Sure, you guys . . . like I said, you got the information from YouTube, but then you did it . . . practice. The information is there, and it's great. You used to have to go find people to get it. Now you cna just watch. But you still have to follow through and do it a few times to really lock it in and make it knowledge.

Just to add a comment here on the recursive state of the internet at this point, we are getting to the point where it isn't meta-data anymore, but it is now metameta-data, or even cubic-meta-data. If you do a search for "How to Make YouTube Videos" there are literally hundreds of YouTubers out there who have gone out of their way to make videos to help others make videos for YouTube. I did not specifically search for videos about how to make videos about making videos, but I'm sure there is at least one of those in that list. "Hey guys, here's my video about how you can make a video about making a video about making videos on YouTube!" Yeah. That one. Sure, YouTube can be helpful for obtaining some information or seeing some knowledge demonstrated . . . for example, when a buddy brought me a Marlin rifle he could not get back together. I looked it up on YouTube and we had it assembled in thirty seconds. But that was a year ago. If you ask me how we got that rifle together today, I couldn't tell you now. I don't know. I used the information at the time and reassembled the gun once, but didn't learn anything. Of course, I don't own that gun, so I can do it again (and again). And to be clear, we didn't even watch the entire video . . . we popped to the part where he slid the pin in place and that was it. Information is not knowledge, and knowledge is not wisdom. Information can be absorbed through watching, and is typically ephemeral. Knowledge and wisdom are gotten through doing, and they are mostly retained. In fact, I would posit that the likelihood that information becomes knowledge is directly proportional to the duration of one's wonderment about the subject matter at hand. Similarly, the likelihood that I will gain knowledge and wisdom from YouTube is virtually zero. I get the knowledge and wisdom by doing, not watching. The internet has nearly eradicated any duration on wonderment. We no longer ponder what we do not know and really familiarize ourselves with the fullness of our lack of knowledge, and we no longer carry that lack of knowledge with us long enough to be invested in finally knowing. We just wonder for a second, look it up on the internet, then move on and forget we ever wondered about that in the first place. And when I say "we", I mean everybody else. Because I don't use the internet. Right?

Yeah, that's the strange part . . . no info from Singer.

I used to be surprised at the hesitation people have to just try something. These days, a lot of people spend more time watching how to do something on YouTube than they do trying to do things and learn. Hands on has become hands off. Giving up has also become normal. So it doesn't surprise me now to see a how to video on the most basic things. People prefer to watch, not do. And there's always a monkey with a camera trying to build a brand.

When he tells you he has to send you check first and you should cash it and then send him some gift cards as compensation, you'll recognize it as a scam. Sounds too good to be true.

Saw it on Craiglist and am wondering about it as a canvas and lining sewing machine for lighter duty materials, maybe some leather. I can't find squat for information on it. Anyone have anything as far as comments or experience with it? http://wyoming.craigslist.org/for/5566153817.html

Yeah, his initial stitches were all over the map on length. Small to big. This seems insane. Why do this?

I use an $89 belt sander from Harbor Freight for sanding leather edges. I use a beefy electric motor taken from a decrepit air compressor for my burnishing setup. If you'd like some pics, let me know. My total investment in burnishing was around $55.

Can you further explain this? I think I know what you are saying, but I can't quite picture the solution.

I've had excellent results with a vacuum kit I picked up from VeneerSupplies.com. If you already have an air compressor, this system works really well and can be built at home in an hour or so. http://www.veneersupplies.com/products/Project-V2-Auto-Cycling-Venturi-Vacuum-Press-Kit.html They also have a variety of both vinyl and poly bags for use with vacuum systems. Might be what you need. This system works much better than a shop-vac at drawing a vacuum. Makes some tight holsters. Has improved my work.

Velcro? Hidden strap hook? You know, they make some seriously strong magnets these days, capable of holding 20 lbs on a tiny rare earth magnet. You might look into that.

What material did you use for the lining, pockets, etc (inside)? Really very nice work.

Might have been a 3/8 inch shaft. The adapter seemed right, the shaft seemed wrong (on the motor).