RockyAussie

Best tip I have learned is try and stick with light coloured leather and give it a couple of coats of sealer before you do the engraving. A good blast of air followed by whacking the engraved surface against a clean cloth removes most of the carbon dust. The sealer does a lot to stop the carbon spreading and darkening everything. I generally use a lightly dampened cloth as a final prep before a follow up with a couple of more coats of sealer spray applied. Here is a link on my web page should help see the results - https://wildharry.com.au/collections/stubby-and-drink-leather-coolers/products/stubby-coolers-made-from-leather-with-laser-engraved-dad How you going with the 3d print side?

I believe in this video he is using edge dye (not paint which is what edge coat is). The man in this video likes the effect he achieves but to be honest it is way to long a process for my own purposes. Burnishing an edge whether it is pre dyed or not is and should be a fair bit faster than a painted edge can be done for the same high quality finish. That is so long as it is a veg tan leather. Most of the products we make get done with edge paint and that can be used on veg or chrome tan leather equally well but as we mostly do crocodile leather products that can be quite time consuming. At no stage do I recommend any burnishing either before painting ,during or especially after. If we mostly did veg products I would burnish in preference. I would check through the discussions in this previous post to help make your own decisions as to what is best. https://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/87437-edge-kote-rubbing-offsolution/page/2/

Here is another video I just loaded that shows what can be done with the bigger Cowboy CB4500 or CB3500 with a narrow needle plate and dog foot installed. These machines can do near double the thickness of the other machine but do have a bit bigger end to get around if you need to get small stuff done.

The machine looks good and having a needle positioner is a good plus but....the table is not good. Keep in mind that you will often want room to spin the job around and with the table shown you have no room to do that. Even the cut out tables are often no good either and you may be better to have a full open table instead. I have to do a table change on my CB6900 this week and show you some pics when I do it.

Juki is a great brand and many other brands clone them as best they can. The Cowboy 4500 and many others are clones of this machine. The Cowboy CB 6900 (1341 in the USA I think is a clone of ......the Juki LS 1341 and will handle work up to 10mm very well. This is a video I did on one a couple of weeks back. There are several other ones showing some light stitching as well if you check my you tube channel.

I figure to answer that best I would do a few pics to explain better the overall advantages. This picture shows that the whole plate is different to the original in order to improve the distance from the outer edge for gussets and such and reducing the curve at the same time. This is the original needle plate and feed dog (near to 9mm) This is our new version Here as you see I now have no problem getting just 10th of an inch from the edge Over the next 2 weeks I will do up a video to post showing how I can go from upholstery leather up to 3/4" veg with very little adjustments . A little top tension and maybe foot pressure. PM me your address details caus I reckon you should have a set Wiz.

Better yet.... with a narrow foot and needle plate combo we now make you can get down to this thickness shown here with 138 thread on single layer upholstery leather. Also means you can get the guide right up to the centre foot and it stitches fine at less than 3mm from the edge. Also made for the CB3200 and CB3500 CB4500. $120 AUD +freight if you want a set.

Most machines it is that simple but good to check out a parts list diagram on the particular machine just in case. Its not really all that scary to have a look anyway. Caution...do not over sand the length as they do not move very far. The OP in this case has a Adler 267-373 I believe and if you check this video out on one of these you can see that the tension discs open every turn he does and at the 1min 20 sec mark you can see the stitch miss when he does a sharp corner. Dunno maybe I'm wrong but I don't get that problem myself. On soft leather as used in this video it is rare to see the knot show at the top on a corner but missing is another thing. That is where a bigger needle helps as it allows the stretchy leather to clear the thread better in the needle slot and allow the loop to form better for the hook to catch it.

Just remembered I took a few pictures on that machine when I shortened the pin. 2 screws is all it took to get it out - Note: in the parts manual you can order three different size pins if you want. DO NOT do more than 1/2mm sand before you test as you may easily take off more than you want.

I know that for an average sort of leather that needle and thread size would be recommended but........For firmer leathers sometimes the hole remains open and offers very little resistance when the knot is formed especially if the thread used is a slippery thread. I would try a 110 needle and that means you will need to increase your top tension 1 or 2 turns to make the knot form more predictably. Second thing is try adjusting your thread return spring. Although it is normal to have the spring stop going down just as the needle is about to enter the job sometimes it can be better to let it keep going down until the needle is nearly all the way down. Sometime not. Thirdly... the tension discs opening up when you lift the foot a little can look like they are not releasing and that can be not true. I ALWAYS sand back the little pin that pushes the tension springs open until I can lift the foot nearly all the way up before they open. This means it does not matter where the needle is when I lift the feet. WHY would you want the tension discs to open before you finish the job???? Many machines start letting the tension loose when the foot is only 2 or 3mm off the needle plate and that is wrong in my opinion. Always get scrap of similar weight and thickness and set up your machine before you start any new job. Make sure you can do corners without any thread lifting when you raise the foot and that your tension is perfectly centred. This is a video I have done recently which shows what I can get away with on corners - and another using 138 (20m) thread. Hope that helps some

Check that you have the long slot of the needle on the left. I have myself made that mistake more than once. Here is a link may help - https://www.consew.com/files/112347/InstructionManuals/277ROpMan.pdf

Standard technique for me is to spray on a light spray onto the back of my pattern and let it air dry for at least a half hour. Here is a link to a project I did awhile back that gives you a fair explanation. If you check my profile section in the "about me" part you will find a few more similar ones to this as well.

Have a look at this link which will show you one of the best ranges of parts that will fit most of the bell knife skiving machines.https://www.campbell-randall.com/shop/FAV - Fratelli Alberti The bell is the same size to the best of my knowledge and the feed stone and to some degree matching presser or roller feet come in the 50mm or 34mm size ranges. Go with the 50mm. I would not want a steel wheel unless I was doing very heavy saddlery type work myself. If you accidentally adjust the feed wheel up too much you can destroy your bell edge. They will also give you a rippely thick thin edge on thin leather, sort of corrugated. Likewise the poly type wheels will dig in a wreck the poly feed if you adjust it into the blade as well. You can get fine and coarse feed wheels and I find that the fine ones have the extra benefit of being able to remove the burr after a hard sharpening on the bell. For fine softer leathers go with the fine stone and if going for average medium weights go with the coarse. I use fine for anything though. Last thing get a roller presser....I use one on everything.https://www.campbell-randall.com/product/fav-1498c-roller-foot-with-30mm-1498-roller Check out my youtube channel for a few other tips.

UNBELIEVABLE a..hole. Hope this manual helpsFortuna 50 p ag.pdf

That is one serious lookin cat look your gettin there Frodo.

Yep...I saw that as well but dammed if I could find it either. It looked like a good set up and I stalled on making one up. I hope someone else knows where it is.

Could you not glue the lining down at the ends in the base when you put it in place? Another solution if you prefer is to make a separate drop in base piece to cover the bottom. Like as in this one which is a sloppy bag - Thanks mate...last I looked you were doin pretty good yourself.

Depending on the level of finishing you are after it can be very time consuming. Several coats with sanding or ironing in between are normal and thin coats dry faster and don't drip and dry pretty quick. Some thin jobs can be done with one layer and a quick iron and polish. Sanding yes but not burnishing as this can stop the paint from adhering to the job well and can just peel off in a long strip. Been there done that.

I can not say for sure how she has done the full job but I would think that what you may want to consider is using a thin foam to lend a flexible support to the shape of your bag. We do this very commonly on many of the bags we make here. I don't have any ideal pictures to show but this one here showing some patchwork tote bags being made should help. Note this picture shows the bag before the lining is installed and is able to stand up firmly with the foam support glued in. We usually just spray glue the foam to the outer skin.

Well ...at least one of them. Great build, but I guess you you may be right handed or leggered?

For what is worth.... I have never had to use tape or glue or any other medium to get a good adhesion on a print. I have always used either glass or mirror and the only problem I have had at times is getting the print to come off without taking a chip of glass with it. This is rare thankfully. I always give my bed a spray with isopropyl alcohol and wipe it in. What I use when I wipe it in does have an effect on the adhesion. Some toilet paper must have more of a starch or something in it and if I use it, it stick like s..t to a blanket and may make it very difficult to get the print off. If I use a chuck cloth instead then the adhesion is way less. @jimi I would try playing with my z height on the first layer until you can get a better connection between your lines. If it looks thin and a bit transparent you are way too close and stand the risk of blocking the nozzle, if it looks like it is full and high then you are asking for adhesion problems for sure along with a rough finish at the end. A little while back in the paint section at our local hardware store I found this very thin and cheap springy scraper tool . I sharpened the front edge and rounded off one corner and I have found it to be the best by far for prying in under a print job to get it off without any damage.

I forgot to mention ...If you chase down a shoe repair supplier down there called J.A.Brooks there could be someone there could help.

AH HA I never knew that. I still have several of the Esto machines myself including the master finishing machines that I use every day nearly. I think the trimmer in the above picture is called a rough rounder from memory. I have one of those as well and thankfully in a bit better condition. Thanks for sharing.

Very sorry to hear this and I wish his family and friends the highest of condolences.

This video by @Uwe is one of the best assets to have if you have one of these machines.