SolarLeatherMachines

Very difficult to do. We tried all manner of masking films, but none worked really well. Our best results came from using a very long focal length (150mm) and directing high pressure air at the burn site with NO protective film. The idea is that you want to move the soot away before it has a chance to adhere to the leather.

Each machine has a sweet spot for sewing weights and thread sizes. Think about where you're making your money now, and choose a machine that fits. If you ever need to trade up to a larger machine, a well cared for cowboy machine will fetch 80% or higher on the used market. Around Dallas, used machines are gone in 24 hours. Then use that money to buy the next size up. No sense spending money on something larger than what you ACTUALLY will use.

A 227r style machine or a 335 style machine would work well.

Nicely Done. I assume the bottom includes clamps for the table? Your friend has pretty good resolution on his 3D printer.

Please add me.

NO small feat, getting published by TOR. Congratulations! I'll check the book out. Alexander

Oooh yeah. Had one of those come into the shop a few months ago. Caked on wax was everywhere. Took me hours to dissassemble and hot dip everything to get the wax off. $$$! Oh, and yes, I tried running triple braided thread through the 4500 several times with various size needles and thread. The friction of the braid through the eye of the needle was far too high, and keep causing stitch issues. I can't recommend it.

Hi guys, We carry Amann's Serafil in Polyester in 277. CustomDoug is correct that manufacturers advertise 100s of colors, but that really is meant for manufacturers who order 50lbs or more at a time, and have the patience to wait 2 months to get it. For example Amann Serafil adverstises something like 200 colors, but only about a couple dozen or so are available in 277 polyester, and even less so in BONDED polyester. Currently we have several browns, a tan, hot pink, Harley orange, Harley Yellow, Fire Engine Red, Royal Blue, Purple, and Turquoise.....all in 277 standard polyester. But they are very hard to get for even me, and I sell out in a couple of weeks. I tell customers who make it into the shop to buy what they like now, it most likely won't make it until next week. All Amann thread is made in Germany, and it takes weeks to get it in.

The custom paint was our idea how to celebrate Cowboy's 15th Anniversary. We didn't market it that way, it was more of an internal thing. The pin striping was done by Wizard Pinstriping in Ohio. I really like it. And Bob is right: On the showroom floor, most customers would buy our standard 4500. However, at the shows I never wheeled one home. The titanium nitride made the machine operation extremely smooth, which I really liked. It's not a machine for a price sensitive market, but we get a lot of guys who want something "cool". We have lots of standard 4500s for those that want them.

Depends. Usually the solution is a shim under the front plate. IIRC, a slim washer under the top screw will shorten the backstitch, a slim washer under the bottom screw will lengthen the backstitch. There are other techniques as well.

Nice. This is the type of wallet I use. The red is really nice.

We sell em too. $48.95.

http://www.solar-leather.com/cutting-machines/ we're out of the CB-800 but we have the CB-806 in stock.

Angelus does a Kelly green, but I've always had my best luck by mixing feibings dyes. I use a laboratory dropper to get precise mixtures according to a recipe I keep notes on.

Only way to get rid of it is to remove the burnt edges by sanding or buffing. No chemical treatment will work. One technique that works well is to dye the leather as desired with alcohol dyes and then to burnish the leather. The mix of burnt edge and alcohol dyes can result in a beautifully polished edge.

When I was making purses and jewelry, my label said "Handmade in Texas".

Hi guys, I'm Alexander, owner of Solar Leather Machines, here in Arlington, TX, just outside of Dallas. We are the only factory dealership of Cowboy Sewing Machines west of the Mississippi. We offer sales, service & warranty repair of Cowboy machines. And though we occasionally take one in, we don't normally sell used machinery. Go Here: www.solar-leather.com I started out in leather work by making purses, handbags and messenger bags. For a long time, we created private label products for local fashion designers here in Dallas. Our products have been in the windows of some of Dallas' most trendy shops. Our work has been published in "The Best of D", in the Joule magazine and Southern Living under several fashion designers. We also branched into alternative leather work, and crafted many leather products for the Alt community, with sales to Sweden, Thailand, Vietnam and national sales as well. Our shop is focused on helping artists create two main types of products: Holsters/sheaths, and handbags/wallets. We count several local county Sheriffs as our customers, and many of the highly talented local Pro shops as well. We are located in the Entertainment District, so you could catch the game and see us in the same afternoon. (I'm a Rangers fan, BTW) We carry threads, Blue Guns, needles, a small library, belts, and a variety of small hand tools, and the full line of Cowboy Machines. Thanks for the chance to introduce myself, Alexander

Hi Guys, That's my website mentioned. I just put up some new photos of the CB-818 Strap cutter. Have a look at them. Let me know if you have questions. We also have a lifetime warranty, although these machines are so simple, there's very little to go wrong with them. http://www.solar-leather.com/cb-818-belt-fringe-cutter/ Alexander

Hi Guys, This is Alexander from Solar Leather Machines, in Arlington, Texas. We're just outside of Dallas. We're the only Cowboy Dealership West of the Mississippi. There are lots of ways to route the thread on 4500 machines, for sure. However, it's important to use the same method that was used when the thread was balanced. If your technician balanced the bobbin thread with one path, and you change it, the thread tension might be way off. The method that cowboy recommends is shown in our videos here: http://www.solar-leather.com/supporthelp/ I do make "house calls" within a reasonable distance. Alexander