Handstitched

Never heard of it. Its not made of mushrooms by any chance?

Here ya go friend: The red looking bellows are the ones I've just finished. I think they may have been like a souvenir for the tourist market as they were not very well made and didn't work very well. . Vinyl, not leather. I had a hard time getting the brass nozzle straightened , they were almost squashed. The rough looking ones , far right will be my next project. They've been on display in my workshop for the last few years, they're in poor shape. The ones at the bottom were for a customer some years ago . They were a complete wreck . I think thats where my interest on bellows started. I did a good job on those, even if I say so myself HS

Thats strange, some people prefer a dash of milk and sugar Seems like USPS has got worse since I last received a parcel . It was some years ago now, but I ordered some stock from a wholesaler in Pennsylvania ( the parcel had ' USPS' labels on it) , it arrived quicker than our own postal service could deliver, from PA to WA in 2 weeks. Won't be ordering from OS for a while , not until our Oz $$ goes back up , its in the toilet ATM HS

Same here. We ( as kids) were never bothered by the hot weather, ran amok, rode our bikes , ran through sprinklers, we were fine. I know the climate has changed, but these days, nup, can't stand it HS

Great minds think alike Alternatively, do what some of us on here do, have more than one machine, if space and $$ allow. I have x 4 machines. They all do what I want and each one is set just the way I want. The one thing I don't want to be doing and wasting time on is fiddling about , re-adjusting etc etc etc .. Perhaps someone should do a time study : Actual work done V's Fiddling about. HS

Yep, took a while to find the pic I took of it, as was taken in 2006. But here it is. Its not very clear, but you'll get the idea HS

One piece of VT leather I was given was so stiff it could double as a card table . Too good to throw out, I made a handbag out of it. I oiled it, bent it worked it etc etc . Then I carved a pattern onto it. Although I had to belt the living daylights out of my tools, I Laced it etc. Looked quite good once I finished. So, as a bit of a joke , I put it in our local country show. Blow me over, I got the 'Blue Ribbon' Best in Section' I sold it within a week, HA !!! So if that is possible....?? HS

Wouldn't it just be easier to get a machine that does all those things? just sayin' HS

That looks familiar. My machine is also ( originally) a twin needle. So just wondering if a bobbin case from a Seiko will fit as well? HS

Burnt leather smells horrific Reading this thread, its has inspired me to change tact. With the scraps , I've been making little key rings( or dingle dangles) that some like to hang off a bag, zipper tag etc. , using small wad punches around 20 -25 mm. Quickly & simply stamped,Dyed assorted colours I sell them for a just $2 ea . Sold quite a few. Small key rings are cheap by the 100 . But I've decided to make them random shapes. Not everything has to be nice neat and round. An old ' Ye Old English' saying " theres brass in muck " HS

For us here in West Oz, we've had the complete opposite . For the last two weeks + we've had 40 - 45C ( around 112 F) higher in some places. Its been relentless. Too damn hot in my workshop, around 38C , even with fans on. And just last week, ...the power went off on Tuesday due to a summer storm . The power finally came back on late Wednesday arvo . Thank God for our generator that kept our fans going and our fridge & freezer. Its been a political sh**t storm , pardon the pun. Wanna swap?? HS

Looks like a cheese dip I once had Although I wouldn't want to eat it. HS

Theres been so many helpful ideas, but yep , but here in Oz, we call it ' grease proof' paper, different names for the same thing. Works a treat HS

Nice neat and tidy, and yes, that colour really stands out HS

We're also here to help 'The impossible we can do, miracles take a little longer' . Not sure where I heard that. Thats the one thing that working with leather has taught me, patience . Its been quite a long time since I threw something across my workshop HS

Thats a great idea , I like that I'll have to show my woolly leather creation. I thought the Joe 90 carrier was a good guess though, lol . You have to be of my " vintage" to know who that is. HS

There are times where the "simplest" of jobs often take the longest to do . We don't make mistakes , we create new ways of learning HS

Its to carry your own personal ' Joe 90' character in ? Think about that now HS

That looks quite good I wouldn't mind getting one myself, mainly for the historical aspect or for historical display . I have a collection of old ' stuff ' on display in my workshop. HS

One technique I used on fabric linings, I sprayed the other side with a few coats of matt sealer, as used for sealing drawings. It will go a bit stiff to begin with, let dry, , but then I was able to put ( brush on) contact adhesive on the fabric without the bleed through. might work better with a spray adhesive. Just a thought. But first test to be safe . HS

For me , a lot of guess work was involved, measuring, cutting, adjusting, shaping, marking stitch lines by hand etc. ...repeat. . I have learnt that what works on paper or a cardboard template, turns out to be different when used on leather. Just when I thought I had everything right, measurements etc. , nothing fitted the way it should have. I used a length of PVC drain pipe for the shape. Not sure if this is of any use to you. That link never opened. HS

Yep tis' that Looks like a drop feed, not walking foot , no reverse that I can see. Light to medium work, upholstery etc. # 69 thread , and perhaps a #40 HS

Great looking work You've also reminded me to get cracking and make some for stock . HS

I made one of these years ago for a truckie . Just thought I'd revisit the pattern . Getting everything to fit right was a challenge. Leather is just a 3mm VT , Ken Griffin pattern , on the body and lid, 1.2mm vt on the bottom. Theres a few things I could have done better ( I'm sure we all say that when we make stuff) . The lip of the lid could have been deeper,but I also had to make sure I didn't cover the pattern, and perhaps the pattern didn't have to be so wide. And I didn't have the clasp I wanted, so I use what I had. But, in saying all that I like it, and I'll learn for next time. HS

I have used Buffalo hide before. But what type of Buffalo I can't be sure ( I still have some left) . It was ' on special' on a suppliers web site. What I ended up with was good, around 5mm thick but it was waxy on the grain side, black chrome tanned . It made nice belts etc. But I soon realised why it was so cheap. When I made a belt or a dog collar, the black kept coming out...onto a customers dog All the sealers I have didn't work. I ended up using a water based ( wood) varnish to seal it as "NeatLac " was no longer available, and the equivalent to was too cost restrictive in freight from the east. ( can't be air freighted ) . HS