RockyAussie

Nice looking job there Patrick.

Another point that seems to get missed is the foot presser adjuster has a large funnel shape in it. Guess why? A couple of drops can work wonders in there. Also some times the adjuster is not exactly straight with the shaft so it is worth checking by lifting the feet when doing the adjustment to feel for any binding. Doing the lock nut on it can also make it sit crooked and bind up.

Quite a few changes I would think are needed. First when you do thicker thread it often needs the bobbin backed to be looser. Try at least a 1/4 anticlockwise turn.(remember the lock screw needs to be loosened first) The needle should be size 26 for that thread and the s point or LR should look better than the d or tri points. If the needle is too small for the thread you will be getting flagging a lot more because the knot is having a hard time getting up in too small a hole. Lubricating the thread with some machine oil running through some foam can help as it transfers to the needle and makes it slip through better which includes making it easier to pull the knot up. The foot pressure marks would be better if the back foot were the double one that goes on both sides but the narrow set may not be the best in this application anyway. One tip I will offer is get a sample piece ready of the thickness you are wanting to stitch and keep backing of the foot pressure until the job starts to lift then take it down 2 or 3 turns. If You need to run the left foot only then you could do as I have done and tig weld a wider base to it as shown in the pictures.The wider base reduces marks by a lot.

Good thinking on that setup.

Just checking if you know the dealers here make a stainless steel plate one that is not all that expensive. I could print you up a good one but I doubt it would be much cheaper.

If you are wanting to do this as a business then this video may help. Skip to about the 5 minute mark to see a machine I have been using for 20+ years with out problems. Because I do a lot in crocodile leather I can not use burnishing methods so the rest of the video is about edge painting. Some wallets I've made can be seen in it.

That part of the setup is a bit silly really. If the fingers were made out of something heavier (3mm or 1/8") and with a longer back section they would not need to be spaced and locked in place. The weigh at the back would let the front part ride against the cutter shaft. I have an old machine like that and to change position I just lift the finger forward and move it sideways to where I want it. 5 seconds to change each finger.

A lot of finishes will make the gold go dull when applied to it. I would get some of the scrap leather and do some gilding on it before doing any the desk top. I suspect the neutral polish would be the safest but good chance you will need to clean the whole top surface first for shine matching.

This video I did a little while ago could help you on this - https://youtu.be/Q3cVOtCNjEg?si=xrCJA5Rep8YEl89Y

I would just check that the gears are not plastic ones as I have seen some models have them and do not last long cutting thicker than recommended.

Sorry mate but I would ditch the buckle as well. Tongues that are flat on the back like that one are terrible to the holes in even the best real leather belts.

Thanks for the info Bob. I found that getting the magnets on and off a pita so I 3d printed up something that makes them way quicker and easier to deal with. The top is wider which allows me to just lift at the side and attach them all together for storage. Also to expedite the lay down process I run a light cut into some cardboard to give me a pattern for magnet placements as shown below.

Hey bob, I am interested to know what sort of module and set up you have running at the moment if you would care to share. These pics below in case you have not seen them before show how I modified the unit I have at the moment. To get better cooling I used a 50mm fan on top of a shroud to allow cooling all around and over the module as well as giving me an easy way to get Z adjustments.

That size sounds about the same I extended mine to as well. First test on cutting 3mm acrylic I had the same problem cutting right through as well. I will have to try running a higher wattage diode soon as that would shave a lot of time on most jobs I think unless the beam gets too much broader.

I cut the outer part with a bandsaw as my diode is only a 2.5watt. You may have a better chance with a 10 watt though.

For what its worth Bob you can get pretty good results with a diode laser. The one i used in this picture is a 2.5 watt done onto 10mm black acrylic about 2mm deep. Black and white artwork needed.

There are 2 different machines in use on them. The one with the binding tape is an Elizabeth TK-335 which is basically a copy of the Pfaff 335. The machine came with the binding parts already on it and the tape folding part came from the dealer but they are pretty common to get over the net. The Cowboy one is a CB246 which is basically a copy of a Juki machine. I believe they don't stock them in the States but Techsew have a version which is 2600 if you want to check them out. This video I did awhile back shows some of the features I think are important -

I am no expert at doing piping either but for what it is worth I do the front or back panel first with the piping marked out glued on the stitched around the edge to hold it firm as shown in these pictures - This one shows the piping glued to attach to the back piece The corners have to be clipped to allow the piping to go around the tight curve The join overlap I do as shown I then stitch around the outer edge I then attach with clips the panel to the gusset as shown - This video shows the next step sewing the pieces together After that I run a binder tape around on the inside as shown in this video - The finished bag which is only a prototype at this stage hence a bit ordinary. Hope that is of some help.

Intriguing idea. If you want to be able to do it on a regular basis I would suggest making a mold the diameter of the rope in the shape of handle then using a series of clamps around the outer edge let it go until nearly dry. Then remove it and lay flat to stamp where you want the name. Next trim the surplus and do your stitching or do a simpler stitch and remove the excess after.

There are a lot of things that can cause mis stitching on these machines. I would like to see a close up picture of your thread path around the top tension discs and how you have the thread up to the take up lever. I can not see any adjuster for the thread take up lever on your machine but that may be just the picture.

Most of these things can be done pretty easily if the base machine is strong enough for the work. Many times if you check back on the machine manufactures models you will find that the same base model can be for fabrics or leather etc. Things like the thread return springs and needle hole size etc all need to be considered. That pointy thing that catches the thread loop can generally be moved to allow for a larger than spec needle. If you have something in mind you want to do well lets hear it.

Sounds good. Thanks for correcting me on the LS 1342 as against the LS 1341. Just check the sump, it should for some reason have a bung which has a washer that can get to leak easily. I checked mine the other day and all of the oil has seeped out. Ruined the edge of the stuck on table strip.

What I found works best for me is to give the leather a couple of light coats of sealer before I do the engraving or cutting. This stops any charcoal rubbing showing up and I then either use a high blast of air to remove some or sometimes I just hold it under the tap and scrub with a toothbrush. Once dry I generally give it another coat to seal the engraved part.

This video shows what we here in OZ call a Cowboy CB6900 and I believe in the states it's called a CB1341. Note what I am saying in it about getting the right table. The normal table that most supply is just plain BS.

Sorry mate I missed this post, I have been real busy lately. I have to say the 341 and the 1341 are way different machines. Both good machine copies of Juki models but the 1341 has the knob on top for quick presser foot height adjustments, has 2 tension dials for the thicker type threads and work and a full on oil feed system that works too well for some. With them you will always get surplus oil that needs soaking up around the needle area when left for awhile. Main thing of difference is that the top feet feed and needle system on the 1341 has a rectangular setup that allows the stitches to remain evenly spaced whether thick or thin leather is fed through. It does not go with a pendulum type motion as many of the other machines do which mean shorter stitches as the material gets thicker.