Handstitched

You're doing great.So much fun with a new machine eh? But, yep, good lighting . I have 2 desk lamps. I also need to go back to ' specsavers ' . It'll all come good with practice , just keep your fingers away from the pointy end of the small 'nail' , you'll be just fine Have fun HS

If brick layers lay bricks, why don't plumbers lay plums ? Where do words and numbers go when they're not being used? The bigger my belly gets, the smaller my d** gets . Life can be so cruel !!! HS

So love these machines , well done on your purchase. Now its time to have a play Kinda made me a bit 'concerned' when you said you had to use a tractor to get it in your workshop . But its all good. Have fun HS

Had a look around under different headings but no luck. Home made or locally made perhaps? Is there anything on the orange label toward the back ? HS

I've heard of rat repellents, but thats a cat repellent . He's very sweet and gentle I'm sure . TV series, 'Jake & the Fatman ' went through my mind for some reason .... HS

The smell must be incredible Could always turn the cat into a nice pyjama bag ? Doggy doo was also used . And those that collected it were called ' pure collectors' or pure finders. Mostly kids or the poor. HS

I have one. But its been in the box for the last 12 months. Time flies...... 'bout time I put it together . I just chuck on heaps of wood chips , apple, hickory , maple whatever on the weber. Yep, same here, good 'ol Mum taught me heaps . Hear hear...and everything goes well with beer HS

I love your honesty , thank you I've done the occasional pizza on it that turned out good. If I can just get the temps right for bread. I'll just wing it. I am quite a dab hand at doing Pork ( amongst other chunks of meat) on the weber though. Got it down to a fine art. I'm not bad at spit roasts either . I love cooking outside too , makes the neighbors jealous I still have my ' ye olde' 4 banger burner BBQ, got it around 94-95-ish , still works sweet. HS

Being creative with leather does give us quite an appetite .I'm also creative with food. So, I have a pizza oven /BBQ/combo thingy. Just a heads up, I have used it as a regular BBQ ,( and the odd pizza, they tasted good) however , you need to be prepared to spend two days taking it apart and cleaning all the greasy gunk . After doing just that , I've decided that I'm only going to use it purely as a pizza oven, and for bread etc. and not as a BBQ . But there are zero reviews , and just about zero info about how to bake bread on this particular oven, or something close to it. . Perhaps thats a polite way of saying " its crap" ? Anyone else have one of these? Have you cooked bread on it? The only info I have is the assembly instructions. Baking bread , cakes etc. is easy in a regular oven, not sure about this. I may have to just wing it, burn some food and learn from it. Thanks HS

This is something I've never considered. For large jobs, like shade sails etc. I'll have 3-4 bobbins full of thread for the job. If I need more, and as one is used up, I can then put the empty bobbin on the winder and fill it up again as I sew . I just add enough to the invoice to more than cover the cost of the thread . Quite handy having more than two spools of thread of the same colour HS

Also, check the very tip of the needle. Even the slightest bit of damage to the tip can cause issues, from my own experience. HS

Yes , I see what you mean , thanks for that. We have harvest & machinery bans when it gets hot enough. No harvesting or vehicle movements across paddocks . I have seen the result of a harvester causing a spark . Looks like a giant burnt crop circle, but with a harvester in the middle of it. The harvester ( and the remaining crop) is saved....sometimes. HS

I've just made x 30 coasters with Christmas pics, for an elderly residence, but they also double as a Christmas decoration, small hole and ribbon at the top. They were lined ' Christmas green' felt underneath. Never had a problem with curling. They were 3mm veg tan . Antique dye was used, and hand painted Christmas pics with Cova Colour. Took for ever But yes, put a beer on them , a large one HS

Peace & God bless to those that have been so badly affected by the recent bush fires in Colorado . Sadly, this is something we're all too familiar with here in Australia at this time of year. Its our Summer here, and its much worse and hotter than before. Certainly not forgetting those that have just lost everything including loved ones to the tornadoes in Kentucky. What is strange to us, is the snow straight after the fires? We get some weird weather too, stinking hot in the west, and late snow in the east , that ain't right . We've already had dozens of bush fires in my state, some just down the road from my place. Just the smell of smoke puts everyone on edge. Peace HS

@krausewich G'Day, I have an older Seiko twin needle, similar to Consew. I have only used it as a single needle,I haven't even tried to set it up as a twin again,( I guess I could try , I've got all the bits) so can't help you much in that regard, but what I have learnt is that I can never find a piping foot for the twin needle. Even my regular parts supplier couldn't help . I have looked around but no luck. I too would like to do some piping on some upholstery . I have tried with a single needle set up , it sorta works, but its just not quite right. I could get another single needle machine, but space is very limited . HS

A technique that I have used, is mark out the oblong with the template, like what alpha2 has shown, and cut both ends of the oblong with a rotary punch,say # 5 or 6 and either use the oblong punch or a wide wood chisel to cut the remainder, thats worked for me . HS

@TomG The last time I ordered something from China, it took 6 weeks, years before COVID. Every time I enquired, all I got was " thank you , have a nice day" ....and thats it . WTF ?? Never again. The bits you're after are available here in Oz :http://www.adelaideleather.com.au/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=5_34_36&sort=20a&page=1 I have an account with them. Theres also Birdsall Leather in N.S.W. , they too have solid brass hardware. Might not help you much, but no harm in asking. HS

Is a 'cart buckle' the same as a bridle or swage buckle ? HS

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas Just doing lots of nothing atm because its so damn hot outside. No relief until Saturday. But the beer is nice All the best, HS

I can empathise with that. Some years back, I knocked my tin of contact adhesive over....onto my leg . My right leg was covered in a sticky 'gloop' . A few 'choice words' were said, and although I tried to clean the mess up, cloths , solvents etc. my jeans still remain a little stiff to this day . Whats just as frustrating with the 'dropsies' , is when you keep dropping the same thing over and over again . Thats when its time to walk away before I throw something . HS

G'Day from a very hot Australia . Just wishing everyone a very safe, prosperous and Happy Christmas and may all of your creative ideas come to fruition in the New Year. May all of your machines run smooth and your businesses profitable Look forward to seeing some 'newbies' enter the world of leather crafting. Right now here in Oz ,its our Summer, we're experiencing some extreme high temps atm , weird weather, bush fires and cyclones, its 'cyclone season' for us. We'll be having 45+ degs for Christmas Day in my part of the world, about 112-114 for you? I love beer Peace & God Bless to those that haven't had a good year . Its good to see humanity showing its true colours, neighbors helping neighbors, and strangers helping strangers during a time of crisis , thats how the world should turn IMO . Take Care HS

G'Day, When I'm making knife cases for leathermans for example, put both pieces on the bench sander to smooth the edges before gluing, and I make sure the contact adhesive is covering the very edges and then use paper clamps all the way around ( briefly) . Then sew , sand, and burnish. I have used some old hard boot polish to fill in any minor gaps, burnishes quite nicely too.

Elements of filigree perhaps? Its all one piece . HS

Thats done it . I have all their early stuff on (original vinyl) & CD , and post Peter Gabriel , ' And Then There Were Three ' onwards. They played here in West Oz, great show, but the pig failed to 'fly' , it flopped...oops! No alcohol was allowed in, but there was a LOT of " I can't believe its not tobacco" being smoked. One bloke behind me had at least 3....the smoke kept wafting under my nose.....so I enjoyed them too . HS

Thats a tough one. Had a quick look , but nothing came close . Looks like a custom made wad type die/ punch / punches? Its a lot of effort, but is it possible to make them yourself? HS