RockyAussie

Wait stop what is the big rush. A binding machine cylinder may not be as useful. It takes a lot of mods to make it multiply useful. I cant say about the Pfaff 337 as I dont have one I would try and get a 335. Please wait for some advise from some more specialized members like Wizcrafts and gottaknow and constablery and Darren Bolwalsky. Sorry if I spelt names wrong guys I don't know how to look up members on the run. Most of these guys are on line every day and will normally answer.

They are all nice machines but are flat beds. If I were starting out wanting to make wallets and bags my first machine would be a Cylinder machine. Going around gussets and such is sometimes impossible with a flat bed. When I stitch around wallets I always use a cylinder. A cylinder can be set up to have a table like a flat bed if you want as well. I have many styles of machines but the cylinders get the most work of all. I wish you well with your business future. Brian

Looks to me like your front foot length is shorter on the AM than the OEM. When you have the front foot up a max lift, does it sit lower than it does when you have the OEM feet on? Idea, get out the angle grinder with a thin blade and cut out a slot in the OEM. Many will scoff but I do that sort of thing often.If you really want I will send some pics of feet I have made from scratch and other I have highly modified to get them to have more room at the back for buckles and D's and so on. Brian

Looks like sheep to but size should be an indication. Try ripping it near that hole. If it rips fairly easily I would say sheep. This is a reason I don't like using sheep skin for almost anything.

Having a splitter or two is I have to admit an essential piece for me. My biggest competitor in the belt making area I split for quite regularly. What is starting to get me is I think he might be doing more belts now than me, he just ordered another 70 double shoulders cut into 38mm strips and spit for the croc belt backing. I only just done that amount for him last month. Anyway if anyone in Australia needs it done let me know and I will try and help. Precision no better than .1mm and max width about 15" . Can do beveled shaping possibly. Brian

Please see attached pics. Pics 1 and 4 are the type to avoid. Pic 3 is the better type and lasts for years. Driving is by 2hp motor minimum and easiest is like pic 2 a couple of saddle clamp bearings in a box frame. Allow room for motor adjustment to experiment with pully size. Some buffs are soft and some stiff and if you were doing glaze crocodile you may want a softer/ slower polish. A speed control may be a luxury but if you can it would nice to have. As for availability http://www.campbell-randall.com/machines/leather-goods-machines/ should be able to help you over there. Or Weaver I think. Hope that helps and if you need more let me know. Brian

Be careful what you buy. I will send some pics and details tomorrow. Some Italian ones i bought recently are only glued between divisions of something like cardboard and the hairs fall out regular. I have made machines for driving them so will also get back with details in a day or most 2. ( my dinners ready) Brian

Among all of the polishing wheels on my finishing machine there is one used for clear wax application. The best way to clean it I have found is when it gets really dirty i use a coarse sandpaper until any contamination color is mostly gone then I finish up with a wet rag and really push into it. Give it a dry of with a dry rag and go back to polishing.

Starting with a 1/8" drill bit from the front drill the pin through. Try with a driver close to the size to drive out then if no go, drill next size up and so on. Although the pin should be cheap enough to replace you most likely could still use it. I don"t remember when I did mine it having a clamping screw.

WOW that is one serious bag. Their grand kids will even enjoy it.

Sorry to but in at the risk of looking foolish but, when you do watch straps and such the thickness of material variances would make it difficult to rely on back stitching left alone to almost any machine. I mostly work with Porosus crocodile and to have it go wrong at the end would be to much for me to risk. All machines i have, have either a knee lifter or other method of raising the feet between stitches or mid way etc. I always stop with needle in then raise the foot and hand wheel back some stitches. No crossing arms or any problems other than being careful to get the needle back in same holes.

Yes you do. From memory the pin that holds the rocking arm is tapered smaller at the back I remember. When last I did one I was concerned about breaking the main casing driving it out. Get prices on a new pulley and the arm as I got a brand new arm some years ago for only $27.00. If the pulley is cheap enough it would pay to have a nice even slide track for the new roller.

You are very fortunate I believe. Please think to pay him the respect of listing well. As I said before he must like you a lot. May I ask from which country you are? Here in Australia I would think without any training we would be looking at a value of $15,000 to$20,000au.

Sounds to me like the deal of a lifetime and he must like you a lot.

Dam it I would like to have seen the keeper going through. I think that could be an interesting look. As far as I can judge the buttons will be in the way when trimmed back or at least the holes. It is a lot of work as against the keeper through method and it would sure give him room to grow. At the end he wants a keeper and therefor thinks it will work is that not so?Ask Him.

Thanks for the time you went to in your answer. I checked out Peter Nitz and am truly humbled. I wish I had competition close to that here in Australia. So very inspiring.

To me Vacuum forming would be quite easy and therefor the way to go but I think your idea could work depending on the thickness of leather and detail you wish to achieve. If you would need to repeat the casting often I would try putting it face down into some really spongy soft leather of the desired thickness into a render mix of sorts. (maybe sand loam + cement about 5 to 1) Once set seal the render mix and then you have a M+F mold so to speak.

Hi Dusk, Just found your post and would like to say welcome to this forum. If you get over the East side sometime up about Rocky give me a call. I would enjoy swapping notes on the 3d printing and how it has been so useful in my current leather working buis.

To picture the solution is probably the only way I guess. I am at the end not good with words. I hunted around until I found this old prototype. As you see when you pull the handle out it puts a lot of tension on the thread and handle. By putting a leather cover over it it makes it a lot harder to pull away from the bag. In the yellow cardboard pattern the red line shows the finished size about of the reinforcing piece. Once put on it makes it also a lot easier to attach and sew to bag. As you can see by the other 2 pics of some croc bags, they sell for many thousands of dollars and it takes a lot of time to fix if you don't do it well, let alone your reputation. Hope that help in answering your question. Nearly forgot, The pink piece is a plastic piece which I cut out of the covers like the black one underneath it. It is a folder for holding A4 sheets in plastic sleeves from office supplies. Inserted between the lid layers it allows the lid to spring back into shape without any creases and wrinkles. It works brilliantly in these type of flip open and shut lids.

Thanks Alex I have tried similar to what you say here, but I do notice that when humidity is high and then temperature is cool it seems to work better (Longer to dry). Trouble here in Central Queensland Oz the weather is quite the opposite. The best I have found to date is OMAC LUX semi matt black OM 357556. But this seems to be only in the black. I think the other Omac semi dense edge paints are just rebranded Giardini. The Omac Lux black I think is a rebranded Kenda Faben Orly SL opaco and as I said behaves way better. I would like to be able to buy max of 5 liters at a time of other colours but have had no luck so far in Australia. As you see by the pics I need a wide variety of colours. Thank you again for your answer and I hope to be able to reciprocate some help in time.

Hi again Alex, I have not tried the black but my trials with other colours showed a tendency to split line up the middle. I usually like to finish with a final application of the colour. Normal procedure I use is fine rounded sanding 80 Rubberized grindstone where possible followed by 1 or more coats,light sand if needed then ironed in followed by finish paint. Splitting at this point is ####T. At this stage I still resort to mixing all my colours myself but the pigment I use to mix with was in 1 liter bottles and now I have to buy 20 liters at a time. They mostly supply tanneries. I've tried light sanding and scotch brite grey and it still splits.Have you found this problem and have any solutions? Checked your instagram and thought you may find this prototype bag I did a while back interesting. The black croc one is the one now in production and the fitting I designed and had made in Japan.

Hi Alex, Love the turtle but is it not amazing how just 4 stitches almost completely changed the look on the Birkin clutch? Not bad on the edging either. May I ask what brand edging? Regards Brian

Get a piece of leather the same thickness/substance about 1" wide and bring it over about 1/4" or more if the cover board is very thick, at the front and over the spine and mark it about 1/4" past on the back side. This gives you a leather ruller which just remember not to pull to tightly when going around. Alow similiar on the top and bottom and stitch in about 2.5 to 3mm in. Thats the best way I've found.

Very very nice for a first serious work. One thing I learnt to do and I'm not sure in the end you didn't, is where the handles attach to the bag to put a leather piece right to the edges over the inside part covering the cord area. When the handles in time drape downward they start to open up and pull the stitching open. With the leather cover piece the pressure is highly more resistant to folding back. Arn"t they fun to stitch? Hope that you find this useful.

Just found a pic of my attachment method. Note with this method you can run the straps either way over the handlebars or around the forks etc. I wish you the best of luck and please feel free to ask when your ready. Regards Brain