Handstitched

G'Day, I am just about to embark on the restoration of a WW1 Military saddle. Its a UP .( universal pattern) . I'll put some picks up. This saddle was given to me by a local in my town ( in the central wheatbelt Western Australia). He bought ( as is ) it at a market and he put it in his shed, where it remained for 40 years and its in pretty bad shape. But these days, his health and his sight is slowly getting the better of him. I don't make saddles, so this is my first, and indeed, it would be great if I can get it restored before his health worsens. I'll be full of questions from here on. Before I start grinding the old forged (?) rivets off ,that hold the wood to the metal, is there a suitable ( acceptable) replacment? Or do I have to have new forged rivets made? The webbing, seatbelt webbing is not suitable ( so I've read) . So what type , and how to strain it. As you will see from the pics, the wood is in reasonable condition all except a small split where a rivet goes in, and some insect damage. I know a local wood worker that can help on that one. The leather components are beyond redemption , you can see those in the background of the last pic., they've shrunk and are mis-shapen.. So trying to find cutting patterns may be a challenge. Any info that you can provide will be very heplful, and very much appreciated. All the best HS

G'day and thank you for your reply Knowing the owners of the museum, I would think that they would want them be a workable show piece, but not to use in actual smithing. But you're right about keeping the patina , too much 'love' is not always a good thing. Keeping the original nails was my line of thinking as well. I'm sure I have some old tools, or some scrap metal...somewhere, that I don't mind modifying for the job. Thank you very much HS

G'day, I may have a future task of restoring some blacksmith bellows.It will be my first set of black smith bellows, if I get the job. I hope I do, as my profile does state 'challenging projects' . I have done fire place bellows before , but this is way WAY different. I don't have any pics to show you ( yet). I have seen them. They are approx 100 years old, and the leather is in pretty poor shape. They are in a local vintage machinery museum...and in a tight place to remove, so a few weeks advance notice is required, if all goes ahead. I have only attached a sample pic. to give you some idea. Has anyone restored and/or replaced the leather/s on blacksmith bellows? The first thing I thought of doing, is take as many pics as possible from every angle before I even start, not just for a 'before, during & after' diary, but most importantly , as a reference to make sure everything goes back as it should. No need to take apart all the wood or the nozzle, as I am only replacing the leather. But no doubt I will clean up the wood, sand down, stain or oil etc. give it a spruce up. But any other advice, helpful hints tips etc. would be greatly appreciated , especially the removal of all the those domed nails. Keep & clean and re-use? If I do get the job, it will be a good learning experience for me, and perhaps a 'step back in time' to see how they are constructed. I also hope to find a makers mark. Thanks heaps HS

G'Day again, Just when I thought I'd found a product to replace 'Neatlac' , I ordered some, only to be told that it can't shipped by air to my state ( to Western Australia) from N.S.W because its highly flammable. It could come by road, but the freight will far exceed the cost of the product. O'h well, back to square one, but I'm open to suggestions. I'll have a look around at other laquers , that are not meant for leather. Maybe I'll get lucky . HS

G"day, Yes, I agree too, charge him for any alterations. If he wants a new one made, fine, but so long as he's prepared to pay. He'll end up with two bags instead of one. You've done nothing wrong . HS

G'day Tanda4, I now use the method that 'dirtclod' suggested, have been for a while now. I also do any bending, on belts or dog collars, while the leather is still in a damp-ish state, before it completely dries. Skiving also helps. HS

G'Day, No doubt you've had a read the post, titled " Copyright Infringement" ? Its quite informative. Its a bit of a grey area. But I agree with 'Veedub 3' . Err on the side of caution. Hope this helps HS

G'day again, After much searching, I have finally found a product that is as close to 'Neat-Lac' as I will get, here in Australia ( according to the info I received) . Its one of my own suppliers. I should have looked there first eh? Duh!! But it is still as flammable, so it will have to come by road, not by air. Approx 2 weeks, which is better than none at all. http://www.birdsall-leather.com.au/DLL500w/Leather-Lacquer-500Ml/pd.php I will order a 1 ltr tin ( or two) , put some into a spray gun ( with a dash of thinner), and spray the backs of the hides with two coats to be sure, so I don't have to seal each and every item/project I make....one at a time. Hope this helps any other Aussie leatherworkers that are used to using 'Neat-Lac', and are having difficulty finding an ( Aussie) substitute. All the best, HS

G'day, thank you for your reply. After messing around for a good ( frustrating) hour or more today, the only thing that seemed to work is 'Neat-Lac' . I used it very sparingly as I don't have very much left , ( I've been making it 'stretch' by adding a little bit of solvent). But anyway, it seemed to work. But, I have 5 of these Buffalo hides, certainly not enough Neat-Lac' to seal the lot. I let it dry completely, rub the back of the belt with a cloth...nothing, no residue. I add a bit of moisture ( with a spray bottle) to 'simulate' sweat, and so far, I haven't seen any residue come out on the cloth. Tandy's here in Oz, no longer supply 'Neat-Lac' , and I'm having difficulty finding a subsitute. I don't use a lot of 'Neat-Lac', but when I do , I always seem to have a good result....so I would like to get some more,... of a similar product 'Clear-Lac' seems to be a good subsitute from what I've read on LW.Net, but suppliers in the US won't ship it O/S ( Australia) as it is flamable. I have yet to find any Australian suppliers HS

G'day, At the beginning of the year, I bought about 5 sides of 5mm drum dyed ( black) Buffalo hide for heavy belts & dog collars etc. I'm not sure which part of the globe that they actually came from, but they were a 'new year special offer ' from a regular supplier in Melbourne Aust. They certainly made some beautiful 1st grade belts, dog collars etc. , that was until a customer asked for a refund at one of my regular markets today. The dye came out on his white dog, he was not happy. I tried giving him a different ( cow hide) collar, which he didn't want, so in the end I had no choice but to give him a refund. ( under Aust. consumer law) . It was obvious that the hides were not sealed. So, I took off all the Buffalo hide belts & collars from my rack, went into my workshop tonight. I sealed them...BUT .... black residue kept on coming off on the polishing cloth. No matter how many coats of sealer I put on ( I tried chemical & water based ), black residue still came off. All was well when the sealer was dry, BUT....with just a tiny bit of moisture ( ie simulated sweat), black residue came out on the cloth. I tried oiling them ( just as I have with harness cowhide leather without any problems at all) , but still no joy. No matter what I try, I keep getting this black residue on the cloth. I can't have black dye coming out onto a customers clothing.....or their dogs. Any suggestions?? Thanks HS

G'day, I have an early USM GSB-2 20T cutting press just sitting in my workshop. Quite an old machine, but fully operational, but I haven't used it...yet. Its only been sitting there for about 5 years . Like the one in the pic, but nowhere near as nice looking. The original price was $7,250 aud. I bought it for $800 aud from a former leatherworker. And only $30 bucks to transport it. I also paid around $1000aud for a stack of assorted cutters of different shapes etc. Quite a bargain. BUT, It needs 3 phase power, and where live in the central wheatbelt of Western Australia ( the bush) theres no 3 ph. power or infrastructure, so I would need to get a hefty 9-11KVA 3ph generator to start it, due to the size/weight of the flywheel & oil pump attached to the motor.Once started, it would only need half that. Depending on what sort you buy, this particular machine would need 55ltrs of oil ( about 12 gal. in your measurement) for an oil change. When I bought it, the seller advised me to keep it serviced regularly ( depending on use). He also suggested that each and everytime I turn it on "put a few dollars into a tin" to go towards servicing ( or repairs) . Mine is an older machine, but a newer machine may not need as much attention. (?) Just do some number crunching, work out the economics, and benefits etc. before purchasing. HS

G'Day, I have finally found out when my machine was made. From the reply from Seiko. Quote: "Dear ***** Thank you for your contact to us. Model STW-28-B Serial number WS 6611007 It was produced in 1966. We do not have any more information because it is the too old machine. Best Regards Yuzo KURA Seiko Sewing Machines HA!!! I WAS right The '66' is the date of manufacture. I'm happy now HS

G'day again, I'm getting warmer. I did find that pic.(Number 002). I identified that machine as soon as I saw it. The other is the accompanying pic in the same article. Both are from 'The Craftsman' Vol. 12 # 5 dated 'July-August 1968. The last pic is my Seiko machine taken from a similar angle. Look familiar? The article is about a company called 'Cal-Leather' run by a gent Mr Archie Frischling, and making leather highway patrol jackets Unfortunately , theres nothing in the article that mentions the name of the machines used. They could also be Consew Machines But I'll try to contact Cal-Leather to get some more info. HS

G'day darren, and thank you for your reply. I think contacting Seiko will be the next 'port of call'. I always post any queries on here first. I do have a collection of Leather Craftsman magazines dating back to 60's, and in one of the magazines, theres a pic of someone making leather police jackets on one of these machines. The machine in the pic is pretty much identical to mine. Thats what made me think that these machines were made in or around the 60's . I'll try to find that pic, and put it up, thats if I can remember what volume it was, so it may take a while, as theres so many. thank you once again HS

G'day, I have already tried the search function on here for this info, and google, no luck. I would like to know how old my machine is. No doubt a common question for many early machine owners. The machine I use for horse rug repairs, and medium weight leathers, canvases etc. is a ' Seiko STW- 28B. Serial # is : WS-6611007. That number could also read as: 7/11/66?? ( 7th July 1966 ????) But I could be totally wrong It would be great to know how old it is , or approx when it , or approx when they were first was manufactured? It was originally a twin needle machine, but I only use one needle , serviced regularly, mainly a good clean & thorough oiling. Adjustments are rarely made. And, ( touchwood) it works perfectly. Although a tad fast at times, but thats easily remedied with a change of pulley ( a 'round to it ' job ) . But it really is a great and strong machine. Thanks for any help HS

G'day Beautiful peeps, I had yet again had the honourable task of being a leatherwork Judge at a different show. Only this time slightly closer to home. Only 2 hours drive each way instead of 3+ And, pretty much the same as before. No whips. And..... what was also disappointing, and perhaps a bit frustrating, that apart from the exhibit numbers being way less than the previous show, they were also the same exhibits as the other show. I recognised them the very second I walked in. All but one. But by the same / regular exhibitor. I could tell by the style , pattern and braiding, beautifully made , but only the colours were different. My heart sank!!! Hardly a challenge for this newby Judge eh? I nearly disqualified the lot!!! ( but one) . I had to check with the Stewards regarding Judging the same exhibits twice, but at two different shows. It also lets the Stewards know I'm on the ball. The rules should really be almost 'universal', and the exhibits should not have been shown IMO , but on this occasion the Stewards allowed it. Apart from the fact, there'd be nothing left to exhibit. So I took a deep breath, pretended I was Sergeant Schultz ( " I know no-thing" ) and continued on. O'h well, I just pretty much gave the same placings and comments as before. While I was more than happy to Judge, I did go home feeling quite dissapointed. But I do hope there are more and / or new exhibitors next time, it was also a great learning experience for me. All the best, HS

PS. You can just see my stitching ponies, 3 different sizes, hanging under my bench in the back ground. I made those. HS

G'Day again, I did give the saddle clamp a good clean and oil up, and now you can see the grain of the wood. WOW, what a difference. I just simply started with a light sanding with light/med grade sanding block, and pretty soon many years of dust, grease & garage grime started to come off to reveal a nice grain underneath. And just a wipe over with some turps, and a coat or two of oil and a few off cuts of splits on the jaws. I'm not a woodworker, but is the wood Beech? There a few 'before & after' pics. I'm quite happy with that. Thanks HS

On a coffee mug: " Never try to teach a pig to sing, it wastes your time and annoys the pig" @JFDavis58. I could confuse the matter ever more by telling him to identify a male & female Cane Toad HS

G'day Pete, Yep its the biggie, the Royal. All judging is done a few weeks prior across all catagories. Craft, cakes & bikkies beer,wine and so on. For more info, I would get in touch with RAS ( Royal Ag Society). I hope you do enter some exhibits in the future, especially whips. I would really like see entry numbers increase. I was going to send you a private message, but if you enter an exhibit in the future, it would be best if I didn't, from a Judges point of view. Hope that makes sense?. Rules are rules In the meantime, You could also try entering your leather work, and those of your students in some of the smaller country shows, unless you've already done so. But chances are they may not have a specific 'leatherwork / leathercraft Judge, the smaller shows may have a 'General Judge' that Judges everything, knitting, handicrafts, painting , leather work etc. Its nice to hear from a fellow West Aussie. Keep up the leatherwork and your tutoring. HS

G'Day , Thanks peeps There was a lot of other things I love to have a bought, but like I said, the prices were just going crazy. People were buying on impulse & without thinking. I'll give the clamp a clean up and an oil up and some TLC, put some pieces of leather on the jaws ready to use. The shoe stretcher, although quite old, is still useable. But the leather soles & heels, were mainly collectables. Although saying that, its a bit of a pipe dream, I do fancy myself being a cobbler....one day Thanks HS

G'day, My big day was on Friday Sept. 19th. Once again, the entries were very good. I think the number of entries was down slightly. And again, no whips, which was disappointing. I practiced my cracking for 2-3 weeks prior. I've really got the hang of it now . I was a bit more generous this time around. Last year , there were a few entries that I couldn't put a place on. This year , there were a couple of entries that I nearly didn't put a place on as I didn't think they were good enough. I still feel the same now. But, I had a change of heart, I decided to give them a 3rd place , or 'Highly Commended', mainly to give the exhibitor encouragement, which is preferable to discouragement, as I'd really like them to enter again next year, and to hopefully maintain their interest in leather craft. I nearly had to disqualify an entry as the exhibitor didn't read the conditions of entry properly, geez I felt rotten , but after a chat with the steward & Chief steward, they decided to be kind, but I made a note in the Judges comments....phew! It seems that leather craft is more prevalent in the eastern states than here in the west. But anyway, apart from the long drive to the show grounds, its was a great day. HS

G'Day, Recently I attended a massive auction in the Central Wheatbelt , Western Australia. It was a deceased estate, with a lifetime of collectables on offer. Old tools , old cars & parts etc., kitchenalia & old appliances.... too numerous to list. And the prices people were paying were way OTT , way above their real value and just plain silly, they just didn't know when to stop. But, I was able to get myself an old saddlers clamp. ( or , saddlers clam) It's 47" high, 3 1/2" wide at the top down to 1 3/4" at the bottom. Theres no names or brands. Not sure of what type of wood. But its in very good useable condition, which is the reason I wanted it. With that were a couple of hames, rusty, mismatched, one good, one not so good. I paid $100 (Australian) . Not sure if thats a good price(?) mainly for the clamp, but thats as high I was prepared to go anyway. The other item/s I was able to get, was a shoe stretcher. I think it was originally from the 'Magic Polish Co. in Leicester UK . The patent number is 3155 ,3133 or 31 88? Its a bit hard to see.Although theres a lot of surface rust, its in good working condition. With that, was also a box full of old leather soles & heels. ( a bit off topic, but the box is from the 'Kraft-Walker' Cheese factory) I also paid $100 Aust. I also wanted a collection of old shoe lasts, many of which I could use as anvils, but they went way too high. There was also a cobblers leather shaping machine, a bit like a mangle, two rollers, , but I didn't really have a use for that, nor do I have the space in my workshop. But that went way above $500+ Anyway, have a look at the pics, and tell me what you think. Thanks All the best HS

@Monica Jacobson. G'day, The front part of the bag in the pic, is a 'take two'. My first attempt DID go out of line,( even after I made a centre line) I tried to "re-aline" the tri-weave on my first attempt , but I just made a mess of it. DOH !!! On some occasions, it can sort of be rectified if you start to go a bit off course and not be too noticable , but not this time. The piece I made the boo boo on , will get used, and the mistake will be very creatively covered up. Too much leather to waste. Thanks to everyone for the kind words & encouragement. All the best, HS