RockyAussie

Does the webbing go inside before the folding or after? A picture might help. I normally glue the strips with contact before running through the folding machine as separate operations. There are machines that can do both in one operation but more used in the shoe industries with hot glue. I have one but for strip work I doubt it is the right machine.

The hole through the seam shouldn't be any problem as you would usually put a reinforcing strip at the back to to take the load and that would be well glued into place. The stitching won't separate from the glue. Myself... I'd do a 2" by 1" strip about 2mm thick with skived edges. Glue into place ...hole through the cetre of the lot and rivet into place.

Thanks @tzleather I hope that it is of some help to you in the future. If you're really to worried to do a roller for yourself ...send me a foot if you have one spare and I'll make you one up like mine for $60.00 au. I have no idea why they don't make one's like mine as they last well with a little oiling and make the skiving so much less trouble.I still use my old brass one mostly. Brian

Excellent work on that bony ....stuff.

Its all a bit rubbery I reckon. I think that the measurement when taken from where the strap starts from the buckle end is a rough guide for when you have been given a waist measurement that someone has taken with a waist measure tape. When you look at the circumference difference between a tape measure and a 4mm or 10oz piece of leather..... the leather has to be 1" longer to reach the same distance when wrapped around. That is about an average buckle gap to where the tongue would go into the hole or near enough. If the belt is thinner or more stretchy measurements will change a bit but is normally safe enough to use unless a long prong type buckle is wanted. Still will normally work alright though. If you have a belt of the customers to work with then you would use as a guide.. the buckle prong or where the tongue touches the buckle to the most worn hole unless there is going to be a big difference in the leather thickness. Here you can allow for the differences in buckle lengths as well. Now that should make it all a bit clearer Regards Brian

No 1 ....it wasn't me. No 2 ... that is I am busted guilt look I reckon . It will turn out beautiful.

Small coin purses sell very well especially with a little exotic skin thrown in or on. Check my you tube for a little of the idea.

Hi Sonya, I think every ones advice here is correct and well put. The only thing I can offer is that soft and particularly thick soft lambskin is going to be very difficult with even a very well sharpened and well set machine. You could try doing the skives in 2 or more steps. This can take away the rolling/seperating action sometimes The sheep skin has a tendency to squish and act like it has separating layers and the blade then goes where you don't want it too. Myself.... I would not even try without a roller foot. You can see an example of the use of a roller foot on my you tubes as in this link- Hope that helps . I noted that your early pictures show that your setting up was way wrong and I would ask if you could show some pictures close in to where you are now. (distance of the blade edge from the foot and how well you have now sharpened it and also how good is the sharpening stone now. If the sharpening stone is worn down too small may not be good and or if it has too much residue on it would not be good either. Sorry you are a little bit far off to help directly. Brian

I would try first off Texon Australia and ask for John Mertsis or Spirro - 0394640744. They have been one of the main suppliers of machinery to people in the shoe making trade for many years. These are not a quick and easy machine to learn how to use properly and I would recommend that you try and get to use one with someone that knows what they are doing and can show you how and what to adjust. They are an essential machine when manufacturing but I have seen a lot of people run into trouble not being able to use them or get someone to show them. Are you in the Brisbane area? If so I can ask some one at J.A.Brooks down there who would be best able to help you with it. Regards Brian

The machine looks in pretty good order but is a different machine than the one in the listing above. I personally will not have another skiving machine that does not have an aspirator. That is a suction devise that helps the leather not get caught up on the feed wheel or stone. quite a few you tube videos will show this happening. you can PM me if you would like to know more and I will give you my phone number. Also if you check my you tube it will show a little on a skiving machine in use. Brian

I going to take a guess and say your somewhere around Queensland and therefore I'd start off with Mac Lace and East Coast leather. They have a fair few things you will want beside the leather and will want to learn about as well. Your buying power and relationship with them will improve also with the overall products they can supply you. It may be of help to say where in the country you are as many here may be able to assist better if you are close to them. I am always happy to have a member drop in to swap notes and try machines etc. I am in the Rockhampton area. Brian

There are a few more than that but you wont find much difference. A point may be as to where you are situated with regards to freight and how much you can use up or afford in a buy. What type of products do you want to make? There are a fair bit more affordable leathers that can often do the job as well or better at times.

Or Zita Jones types living in Austarlia

I'm generally not much for sugar coating things myself and rather than make a negative comment I will think best to make no comment at all. Not so this time. I can make adjustments alright and I have a similar machine but I have to say if this works for JK Helms and he is happy to share that with us then good on him. If you are interchanging feet for jobs and this saves doing several adjustments is this wrong? Its easy to buy a new set of longer feet again if needed so I don't see a big problem myself. I do admire your machine knowledge and appreciate your frequent and helpful assistance to members here but in this case asking why he elected to do it this way first, would have been a good thought. After all we all make mistakes at times and as you said .... I honestly hope when I do "not so clever things" people let me know their honest opinion . And I'll skip the rest... Brian

I was just going to say that......

What do you mean Oops??? If he raises that presser bar he'll have a higher clearance for thicker stuff

Thanks for the answer Gary. At this stage the way the mould I made works so far I have cut back and cut back again and still no creases etc. I have made up a new pattern with offsets at 2mm increments to see how small I can get away with. I was just hoping that someone might have experience working with moulds similar to these that might know likely have far I can go. I need to give a quote and get them to test the prototype as soon as possible so I was hoping to save a little time. I might just jump to a 1/4" off and see what happens. I'll let you know. Brian @gigi The machine I used is a 441 with a new footplate thanks to Uwe. The tab is still there but I have gone to a bit more refinement than previously.

I will point out that this is not a veg tan leather and is a retan of some sort. It would have been a bit easier to mould on an unpainted smooth veg. The thickness of the moulded part is 2.8mm (7oz) at the moment. It is fairly hard and takes some wetting/working to get soft and mellow enough to mould. Here in Australia I get it from East Coast Leather and they call it Alaska. Partly I have chosen it due to price and strength and resistance to shrinkage as would be the case with full veg. There would also be a reduced need for maintenance as far as replenishing oils etc. Brian

Good news.....I got to try the handcuffs on Friday and they fit both models well. The Armoury person was happy. Now I've got a question. After looking online at anything similar that I can find on wet moulding, every one that I have seen waste large amounts of leather on the curved edge. I have now done a couple of more casts taking more of the edge each time and I still dont seem to be having any problems yet. Does anyone here have similar experience with this method and can tell me just how much more I can get away with??? At present I am wasting about 16MM or 5/8" as can be seen in the below picture. Following pictures show the handcuffs in the pouch.

Just quickly... in the past (20+years ago now I had a show repair business and one of the big area's was colour changing and material covering shoes for weddings and such. After this I went into a lot of shoe making. In this case if you do not have a good knowledge of shoe repairing already the first place to start is getting friendly with a shoe repairer. Back then the range of shoes that could be pulled apart without destroying was getting difficult and the methods of making shoes today would have narrowed that field even more. A good pair of well made shoes with a pair of nail pullers/pincers should only take 5 minutes to pull apart but if you want the heel off that is a whole lot more time and tools to get apart and back together. You could make altogether new straps if you wanted but attaching the straps onto the existing would be easier more often and what looks to have been done in the link you have here. Regards Brian

I'm not sure if there can be any sure fire way. The guitars can be so different and the way a user wears them as well the only safe way would be to measure in person....somewhat. If you can get a previously used one from them can help. Other than that they would have to give you the measurements between the holes and as I have done put one either side in case of stretch or extra width problems etc. As the Chief has kindly shown above, I think would cover just about any possible size variations. Brian

Nice work.... You make it look so easy...

Thanks @LumpenDoodle2 that is a good idea and I will get onto that idea asap. Ok then ....I guess the velocity musta vaporised the bullets......how bout one of them ninja star things in ice and fired from a spear gun style slingshot??. Hey wots this real world stuff about anyway?????

Why not ice instead of glass? Just make em in the freezer. Could even just print the tray. Ahhhh tooo many project and so little time..... back to that radio controlled robot Brian

I have learnt to keep the filament in a sealed packet when not in use as it does suck up the moisture when the humidity is high. Also I have found it better in Cura to put the filament setting at 1.74 instead of 1.75 as this makes it pump a little bit extra which makes the adhesion to each layer a little more attached. I have found that with some colours that they like a different heat setting and so far my favourite all rounder is the silver at 212c on my machine. Running a little hot can also give a better adhesion to itself. I run the bed temperature at 65c and as long as I clean the glass each time with a quick spray of isopropyl alcohol I almost never have any problems with the job coming loose or unstuck. Brian