Handstitched

This is of no help I know,...... maybe it will be My machine is a Seiko STW, a 226 pretty much, I use 135/17 DP needles, with V69 thread . I sew a multitude of stuff, canvas, horse rugs, shade sails ( just finished a repair a few minutes ago) , webbing , as well as leather, wallets ,bags etc. and webbing attachments on leather components for some horse gear, sews fine . The only time it struggles a little bit, is on some heavy folds on horse rugs, but I just carefully turn the flywheel by hand, simple. I know this machine can take a heavier thread, but it all works just fine , ( touchwood) and I'm not going to mess with it HS

G'Day, welcome to the forum I have re-coloured saddles in the past, like the one in the pic. I didn't use acetone , a bit too harsh IMO , saddle soap was enough . I let dry over night . I used a water based dye, ( dk brown in this case, and saddle tan on the inside flap) that has a little bit of alcohol for drying purposes. I have tried oil based dyes in the past , without much luck, and with the same issues you have now. I let dry completely , I buffed with a soft cloth, then applied a few coats of (Aussie brand) leather/saddle conditioner , that has carnauba and natural waxes in it, buffing /polishing between coats, and thats it . No dye rubbing off . I could have used N/F oil, but that could make it darker. The one thing I learnt when I was riding horses when I was a wee lad , is that some petroleum based conditioners can rot the stitching . Good luck HS

@JamesCaldwell Welcome to the forum , and good to hear you're getting back in to leather I have always relied upon Al Stohlmans books . Youtube have some good vids on handstitching too. I've always used waxed threads . Good luck HS

G'Day, I use the similar method of doing 'slots' . I use kangaroo leather for my wallets, not sure if you have access to that, but its great for wallets with multiple slots etc. as the finished product isn't too thick, normal wallet thickness. I am (hopefully) soon to make some wallets out of some really bright ' fluro coloured' roo hides, can't wait actually, let my imagination run a bit wild . I'll try to take some pics . HS

G'Day, I know exactly how you feel . Space was at a prime in my little 20x20 workshop, I was spending too much time looking for stuff, and I couldn't get from one side to the other without tripping on something, I also do horse rug repairs, they take up a huge amount of ' real estate' . So..... I have another large shed on my rural property, choccas full of junk...so I spent my Christmas " holiday" on clearing it out, throwing lots of s***t, out an alternative to buying another small storage shed, I had to make some tough decisions too, what to throw out and what to keep etc. . Long story short, I now have more spare space in my workshop . Removing all the ' stuff' I haven't used in yonks into the large shed, all the 'stuff' that sat under benches forever...that I have forever complained about. So I guess its a case of condensing down all the stuff you haven't used in a long time . Putting the least used/ unlikely to be used ' stuff ' into boxes , but then you need to find somewhere for that. I also utilised cheap shelving from the hardware shops . That may be an option for you? Also have a poke around on this site, theres plenty of leather workers that had the same problem regarding space & storage . Love your selection of gun molds btw Good luck HS

The answer is right in front of you....>>> HS

@OLESKIVER Some are dress / general purspose belts, but the heavier stuff is used for tool belts, stirrup straps etc. . I also have a limited supply of 5mm black chrome buffalo sides that I reserve for heavy tool belts etc. I have used herman oak sometimes, albeit it in small doses, nice to tool like you said, but here in Oz, its around the $500+ mark per side. HS

G'Day, English bridle can be incredibly expensive in Oz , so I use 4mm nat veg tan butts and shoulders, and for heavy use 5-5.5mm . Nice to work with , tool , carve etc. HS

I have been looking around, but theres no info that I could find. Contact Consew directly . I contacted Seiko in Japan, to find the age of my old STW using the serial number . I found out that its the same age as me....which I'm not telling HS

G'Day, love the idea . Perhaps try a stiffer back board? Can they be fixed to the wall on the corners? Not knowing what the wall is made of, perhaps a small decorative brass screw, nail etc. in each corner ? Or, double sided tape? Just a few ideas. HS

O'h dear !! Have you got any pics? Also, did you try dying in an inconspicuous spot before dying the whole thing? Um....?? I would think that what ever you try might make it worse .Usually once dye goes on, it stays on...sorry. I have to tried ' lighten' dye on the occasional project in the past, only for it to being completely dyed black ( to hide the mess) .....or it ends up in the bin. Any saddlers on here that may be able to help? Welcome to the forum btw , not the nicest of starts for you though. HS

Yeh, and its medium to well done with a side of fries * Sorry chuck , couldn't help myself * chips in Oz HS

@battlemunky I have used the ball on my polished ball peen hammer to slightly thin out leather just around the hole when its just a tad too thick( or the stems are tad too short) when fitting some press studs , not the normal thing to do, but it works HS

Is there a recipe for leather? A BBQ rub or a marinade perhaps? Might make it taste a bit better, and washed down with a beer or a nice cab sav or a pinot ? But no, I haven't done that and never will. I'd be concerned about the chemicals thats in leather. I'll stick with a drop of water from my spray bottle . HS

G'Day, Try here: https://conchos.com/bhn-75-sb/ Hope it helps HS

G'Day and welcome to the forum You're on the right track . As its for ' display only' , I'd be starting with a good dose of oil, it will take a few applications . If you feel brave enough, you may wish to do any minor repairs if there are any parts that look like they're about to fall off. Thats a start Some more experienced saddle makers on here may be able to help you along . $32 bucks is a bargain. If that was in an antique shop here in Oz, they'd be charging $150+ just because it looks 'antique'. HS

@Hasbeencowboy I always use roo lace. This doesn't help you at all, but my supplier here in Oz does sell ' hot pink lace ' . Its in 10 metres to 100 metres , 3 mm or 4.7 mm https://www.birdsall-leather.com.au/LLCL3010w/Classic-Lacing-3mm-10mtr/pd.php While not always needed , I just use a simple polyurethane sealer . I haven't tried dying nat. lace as pink dye is not always available . HS

Why not use a medium/heavy veg tan leather , tool it, dye it , and wax/oil it yourself? You might be surprised at the results . Just a thought ? HS

For cases, I have a bench sander. I sand the edges until they're even all around the case, bevel the edges, apply some dye, and then burnish while the dye is still a bit damp ( using the wood handle of my beveller) , and finish off with bit of boot polish, comes up sweet For belts, I just bevel & burnish using the same wood handle, still comes up sweet HS

When space is a prime, I roll mine, as in d/butts & shoulders . I do like the cardboard tube idea That'll be good for thin hides like roo , goat etc. HS

@KennethM G'Day, I have worked with canvas but not waxed. There are a few ways . As with canvas bags , I have sewn them from the outside ,trim the seams nice & neat, and then turned them out so the seams are not visible, but nice & neat from the outside. . I have also used fell & french seams on some upholstered jobs. Not sure if this is of any help though. HS

@sturdypine Is that some sort of netting you're trying to sew? Just wondering that maybe messing things up and the machine is having difficulty sewing it? Try a piece of thin leather or fabric, , and perhaps a few layers of canvas and see what happens. Process of elimination ? HS

G'Day, Hope this helps: https://bonisparts.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/ownersmanual.pdf Also: https://bonisparts.com/owners-manual/ Theres some contact details as well. HS

@Krys Perhaps a few pics may help to identify what parts are missing ? Maybe source a manual ? https://www.manualslib.com/products/Singer-7-41-9301270.html HS

I have started cleaning/sorting in that "other shed'"...and .....O-M- G !!! Its a mess !! It hasn't been touched for at least 10 years . . What have I done?? ' Forgive me O Lord for I know not what I am doing ' . All this to make my leather workshop a ' happier place/space ' . Its a case of , ' I've made a clean spot now so I'll have to do the rest ' . 'A clean space is a happy space ' , apparently . HS