HobbledCobbler

I'm sorry! What a waste of good coffee! Didn't ruin it I hope! I think that's a good idea with starting in the middle. I tried hand stitching a pair of mocs. Wow, did it turn out wrong! After the 3rd time I decided to put it aside for later and haven't picked it back up. That's part of the reason I decided to get a leather patcher. Hand sewing is hard enough without messing it up so many times, taking all of the stitching out and doing it again and again and again!

Aha! Thanks for that! I didn't know you could do that with this machine! Seems I made a better investment than I thought! It was suggested earlier, sorry I can't remember who posted it, that because the needle shank was a smaller diameter and I was wondering whether the needle clamp would hold it, it was suggested that I put a small piece of wire in there. Should I? Or will it hold it tight? The needles were supposed to come in the mail today. My mailman/maillady doesn't like me right now! LOL! Okay, so...let me get it from the horses mouth, so to speak! Exactly how thick can this machine go on veg tan leather? OZ's please! And how high up in needle size can I really go without having o drill a larger hole in the plate? It's really nice to know there's somebody here that knows this machine!

Yeah, I already figured out about the 134D on my own before I joined this group a couple of days ago. After doing a nonstop search for almost 2 weeks trying to debunk what the "manufacturers" stated couldn't be done! And losing a lot of sleep doing it. I literally called them up and all I got was, "Oh no! You can't use a round shank needle in a system 15x1 machine! You'll destroy your machine!" "Oh, no! Don't try that, it can damage your machine!" I am well-known to disprove that something "can't be done!" in a lot of situations but I'm not a sewing machine mechanic. It didn't come with a manual. And I have no idea how you are supposed to "adjust the bed", whatever that means!. Why would one need to adjust the bed if I found a needle that works???? What would adjusting the bed do for it? Carry a longer needle? That doesn't sound like it would work without also adjusting the needle bar, etc. And I'm no mechanic.

Welcome!

Axeman, I've just bought a Chinese Leather Patcher and I don't believe you are going to get 20 oz. of leather going through that machine! Bob's Leatherworks has a video up on youtube with a leather patcher. He does saddles and holsters. I called him after seeing his youtube video and asked him about the thickness of the leather in his video and what size needle he was using. He said, 2 peices of 4/5 leather with a 22/140 needle. And at that size needle, if you can find an alternative, you'll be using from #69 to #138 thread. Now, the Leather Patcher I got off of Ebay, is a 15x1 needle system. That's a HOME needle system with a flat shank. They don't make 22/140 size leather needles for a 15x1 needle system anymore!!! I've contacted all of the needle companies and they say there's no way to get them because there wasn't enough demand and they don't make them. I've managed to get some 22/140 sharps, but not the leather needle. Which would work on soft thick leather like suede. I've been checking out some other needle systems to see what I can exchange. The needle system is going to have to match up with not only the needle length, but the depth from the top of the shank to the eye. Otherwise that needle isn't going to pick up the bobbin thread. And then, you've also got to make sure that the daggone thing won't crash into the innards of the bobbin casing or it will damage your machine. No, if you are doing something that thick, I think you are going to need an Industrial machine with a motor.

Ah-ha! I remember you! You've got some good youtube videos, or at least, someone videotaped you and put it on youtube. I saw them over a year ago perhaps. Forgot all about turn shoes. My hard drive went phooey and I lost all of my links then I got bogged down in trying to learn to make a regular shoe with a glued on rubber sole, a sewn midsole and upper with laces. Hmm, while I'm waiting for hubby to find the saw so I can make some shoe lasts, I might just try making a pair of turnshoes, but my concern were the seams inside. Your work is awesome by the way! Now, maybe I can pick your brain!

LOL!!!! I'd do the same for coffee! It is actually a horror that a lot of people are exactly like that today!

You don't say where you are, but you can buy from Uline.com

This guy has a good tutorial for making a shoe last. http://timurborte.blogspot.com/2011/06/makeing-basic-shoe-last.html This is the one I'm fixing to follow. I just bought the tools to do it. But we are thinking that someone stole our power saw because it's disappeared! Unless his brother "borrowed it" without saying.

http://longviewleather.com/brands/Horseshoe-Hardware.html They are in Alberta! http://www.wctack.com/buckles/ On the west coast somewhere.

That's great! What weight leather and needle/thread size did you use? Did you have any trouble with your machine bogging down at the seams?

Very nice! When I went up to Tandy for some midsole leather they handed me their master catalog and it has some beautiful tooling on the front cover and I started dreaming about making a Bible cover. My Bible's leather is breaking at the hinges. I bought it back in 1990 and it's just worn out. I need to protect it.

When I worked at an upholstery fabrication shop, I actually had a needle which had an eye with a burr in it. It didn't come out of the box that way, it just developed a burr. Started cutting thread, regardless of which spool we used. The mechanic stated that occasionally happened. He'd seen it before. Changed the needle and the problem went away.

Those are electric, correct? How's that going to happen during a power outage?

Okay, I can help you with some of your information. Thread that is heavy enough for leatherwork, depending upon what your project is, is going to be bought by TEX or # or Ticket Number. http://www.servicethread.com/blog/industrial-sewing-thread-sizes-explained Polyester seems to be people's favorite but I prefer Nylon. Nylon is wear resistant, water resistant.used on shoes and luggage. It comes in a good number of colors and it can be bought in small spools in the US and other places. Wawak.com is my favorite store. You can get small spools of bonded nylon in size TEX 70/#69 in 21 different colors for $4.19 ea.for 375 yds. which is pretty reasonable and doesn't require that you buy a huge spool. Their threads go up into the TEX 210/#207 range for the nylon. You can also find a new product, relatively by Coats in size TEX70 that is listed as Coats S964 Extra-Strong Upholstery Thread. It is nylon for machine/hand stitching and outdoors. UV protected use a size #18 machine needle. They also have some UV threads in polyester Coats S971 Outdoor Thread in small spools. On needle sizes, the thread has to be able to sit easily in the needle. If it's tight, whether you are hand sewing or machine sewing it will either fray or break. Put your thread through the needle and then tilt one end of the thread. Does it slide easily? If it gets stuck, then the thread might be too large for that needle size. On needle sizes that depends on the thickness of your leather and whether it is for decorative or utility stitching. Also, if you choose to handstitch using an awl, you can buy industrial leather sewing machine needles (don't use it on canvas it will cut it) and it will fit into your awl. Needles for sewing awls and leather hand stitching have a different numbering system than regular machine needles or even regular hand sewing needles.

I believe, what you should research is a "Leather Doublet". They are usually laced together in sections. Some have sleeves and some are simply over-vests. Some are really great! And then you could use either Calf Tooling Leather in some sections for stamping or go with a heavier leather for some of the sections. They are also made in varying lengths.

Now that's a treasury of information I can use! Thank you!

I like that!

Can't you get a Coleman Stove? Or they have propane burners here in the states. http://www.agrisupply.com/carolina-cooker-single-burner-cast-iron-stove/p/56913/?sid=asf10&eid=Easf10&utm_source=GoogleShopping&utm_medium=CSE&utm_campaign=MerchAdv&zmam=77232640&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=56913&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=NB_PLA_TopSellers_SE_GOOG&utm_term=shopping&utm_content=sa7fCk8kD|pcrid|102507088391|pmt||pkw||pdv|c|&&gclid=CIXBwszk_M8CFdgHgQod3ZAPkQ

That's funny! A Union Man?

CD, Wow Thanks so much! I never thought of that. I'm hoping it works. Sorry that I don't have any war stories! I just moved back to FL a couple of years ago and we've been working on this house and the garden, etc. On top of having all of these building projects, my husband's sister-in-law died and his brother just piled a literal TON of sewing and craft supplies on me before I even got my own things straightened out enough to get things done. When I lived up north, we rarely had power outages except in winter with the exception of a hurricane which lasted a week and a couple of storms. And I knew then, that I was going to get a treadle eventually. But I moved down here after my husband died of cancer and remarried to a wonderful guy (I've known for a couple of decades) that isn't fazed a bit with all of my projects because he's just as bad, LOL! And he's certified small engine repair so he tinkers. He says he can build me a treadle. I hope so! Now, I also found that India is manufacturing brand spanking new TREADLE STANDS!!! Whoopee! I've never imported anything except through ebay and one of the Australia Ebay sites had it for sale and I also found it through the dealers in India. They do sales directly from India.. Maybe someone here with an interest in importing could start a trend? http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Treadle-Stand-Large-Band-Wheel-/222233173090?hash=item33be211c62 And thanks for the welcome!

LOL! Converting back and forth can get you into trouble! There was an online tutorial from the UK for developing a custom bra pattern. I had to buy a flexible ruler in Metric to draft the pattern because that's what the entire tutorial was done in. I very carefully measured myself with my Imperial tape measure. Converted those measurements to metric and went on to follow the instructions for drafting the entire pattern in metric. I finished the first time and thought, "I must have made a huge mistake" and started from the very beginning all over again. I redrafted the entire thing and ended up with a pattern that was literally big enough for a milk cow! Will never make that mistake again! I never did get a pattern for that to work. I finally had to buy one.

Maybe better late than never... We live at the end of the line here in FL and we constantly have brown outs, power outages that last a good bit and it can get even worse during hurricane season. There are some machines that can be converted to treadle and others that are hand operated. The Janome HD1000 can sew suede with no problem and can be easily converted to a treadle handwheel, continue to use electricity until you need to change it over and continue to sew any fancy stitches you need, regardless of whether you are using electricity or foot pedal power. The Chinese Leather Patcher is a hand operated Cobbler machine. But it only runs on 15x1 system flat shank needles. I'm in the middle of experimenting with a 134D needle (they are on order haven't reached me yet) and hubby stated that it would be a piece of cake to convert to treadle. Bob's Leatherwork had a youtube video on it last year and I contacted him up in NC last week. I asked him what weight of leather he was using in the video and what size needle. You aren't going to be able to sew more than 9/10 oz. leather on it. Two pieces of 4/5 leather smacked together is about it. He used a 22/140 needle on it. He bought it when his Singer went to the shop so he could continue his leatherwork. I contacted him AFTER I found out that they don't make a 15x1 needle system in a size 22/140 or a 20/120 any longer. I've contacted everybody. They just don't do it. So, getting some major time online researching needle sizes mm measurements, I've run into a PFx134KS with almost the exact same measurements in a leather needle except that it is a round shank and the diameter of the shank is a tad smaller. Where the 15x2, HAx1 needle has a shaft diameter of 2.02 mm, the PFx134KS has a shaft of 1.99 mm. IF that sucker will stay in the clamp and clears everything inside, I've found a replacement for the larger needle sizes. Otherwise, you are limited to a size 19 needle. I don' know anything about any other machines. That's my total experience!

Very nice!

Wow! I really like those pieces! I hope I can learn to do some nice work like that!