LeatherworkingNovice

Finally got a (very) few minutes to tinker with it last night. I had been soaking the panhead screw in the center of the blade with break fluid every few days to work on the rust & hopefully remove it instead of snapping it or trashing the slot in the head. I still couldn't get it to come out with a screwdriver but fortunately there was just enough of a shoulder on the screwhead for me to grip & remove it with a pair of pliers. I was able to run a drill & wire wheel over it this morning (the entire top surface had a decent layer of rust) and there doesn't appear to be any pitting. I checked the leading edge of the blade with a flat surface & a flashlight and while It isn't perfectly even it's surprisingly good considering the rust and lack of use/maintenance. Best news there is there are NO NICKS or rolls to fret about. The bottom of the blade still shows milling marks and they've also been embossed into the paint on the surface the blade mounts to. I notice there are notches on the left and right side of the leading edge of the blade (about 1/8th inward, maybe a millimeter deep. I didn't look closely before removing the blade but I'm guessing these are to aid with centering & squaring the blade with the frame? When I put it back together, the slotted panhead screw will be replaced with a recessed Allen key panhead. I'm going to need to remove the top/pressing roller to clean it or possibly even replace it. Also want to clean the feed roller. I was short on time but was able to get the large crank gear off & I see the smaller inner gear on that same shaft should slide off over the same key that holds the large gear in place. After I remove the small inner gear, will the shaft that holds the top roller just slide out or is there other work needed to remove it? I'm sure there is another key that holds the roller stationary on the shaft. As I dive deeper to do more cleaning & servicing, do I need to worry about any of the springs popping loose & attacking me or flying off to attempt escape?

The one in the pic isn't mine, it's taken from one sold on e-Bay that was rather nicely refurbished. I posted it to show the part of mine that's damaged: the steel of the outer "rainbow" of the thickness gauge/adjuster. The brass plate is intact but only attached on the left rivet. I won't be able to take a pics if it for a couple of days but will post them when I can. I've tried checking Pilgrim and others but their websites are amazingly useless sources of info on machines, parts, & prices. That or their websites are really badly coded. I'm guessing the sites are intentionally vague to prevent easy price shopping.

I just got a great deal on various benchtop gear including a Landis D Leather Splitter. It needs work but for the price I couldn't pass it up. Here are the things I can tell it needs offhand: 1) Serious rust removal from about the center down if not the whole thing. I'll probably do this with Evaporust or electrolysis (yay for battery chargers). 2) One of the blade adjusting screws is slightly bent but seems OK..I can hope! 3) Rust removal from blade. Not sure if it needs to be ground but obviously it needs to be sharpened. The edge doesn't appear to have any damage. Unfortunately the head of the top/slot retaining screw has already taken some damage so I'm going to have to be careful not to mess it up more. 4) Probably the most expensive part...the top roller is totally rusted and pitted. 5) The retainer bolt & wingnut for the adjusting lever are missing. Looks like that can be taken care of with a carriage bolt, washer, & wingnut. 6) The rivet for the right side of the thickness gauge is gone and, probably directly related, part of the outer metal arc that backs the brass thickness gauge. I didn't pay attention to how much but possibly most of it, all the way over to the left side rivet. Check the image from a different one below. Questions: Sourcing options for the parts & guesses on prices? If the blade needs to be ground/sharpened, recommendations for someone to do that? I'd have a go at the sharpening myself but NOT grinding it. Recommendations on how to deal with the broken support metal from the thickness gauge? Thanks in advance for advice & info!

The closest I've ever found were 2 WW2 era Army tech manuals with some info on the 3-in-1. Most of this equipment dates to when knowledge was passed by word of mouth or Master/Apprentice situations. If you find anything, please share. I've looked off and on for 8 or more years and never found one. I'll note that a lot of operation stuff is pretty intuitive but "care and feeding" as well as repair documentation is always good.

Happy to help, Folks. It was a totally unexpected find. It's interesting to find out from those WW2 era tech manuals that crews of guys went out repairing uniforms & had a special trailer for hauling the gear. You never saw that in any John Wayne flick. And I'm also amused by the comedy potential of the modeling/diorama enthusiasts setting up a display of the "clothing crew" set up out in the field repairing clothes & boots.

https://archive.org/search.php?query=Pfaff Over 800 chances. Happy hunting! There's also Project Gutenberg http://www.gutenberg.org

Turns out, karma's a thing. Various machines in these two military tech manuals including the 3 In 1. This one was found searching for "Landis cutter" https://archive.org/details/00.SRMManual.LandisKStitcher.Bk13.StchFinCutSew.edtd The one above and below were found searching for "Landis machine" https://archive.org/details/ShoeRepairMachines.USArmyWarDept.Quatermaster.orig.1946.1952

I've updated all the links to the current links at ARCHIVE.org http://archive.org It's a great site with tons of info on tons of things. More about that at the bottom. The links posted take you to a virtual book view but from that view there are links to various formats including PDF and plain text. Obviously no images/graphics in the plain text but it will allow you to search for desired terms easier. Since the links go to virtual books, if you "flip" too far back to the left, you may have to flip several pages to the right to get back to the actual content. LEATHERCRAFT FOR AMATEURS - ELEONORE E. BANG https://archive.org/details/leathercraftfora006855mbp/page/n7 HISTORICAL CARVINGS IN LEATHER - DR. WILLIAM ALLEN MADDOX https://archive.org/details/historicalcarvin007170mbp/page/n5 Leather Hides Skin Tanning Material - E C Snow https://archive.org/details/leatherhidesskin003965mbp/page/n1 The application of Oils and Grease to Leather - J R Blockey https://archive.org/details/applicationofoil017193mbp/page/n3 Leather work - Wilson, Winifred H https://archive.org/details/leatherwork00wils/page/n3 To kill some time in the Internet rabbit hole: https://archive.org/search.php?query=leatherwork https://archive.org/search.php?query=leather work https://archive.org/search.php?query=leathercraft https://archive.org/search.php?query=leather craft Not all content at this link is safe for work...or kids...or anyone that hasn't figured out how to be an adult. -----> https://archive.org/search.php?query=leather

I'm a self confessed information/reference material pack rat so my apologies for that. I'm interested in any equipment manuals, diagrams, diagrams, parts lists, catalogs, advertising, videos/links etc. for the various equipment folks use for leather working. Anything from bench mounted skivers, splitters, cutters, clickers, presses, embossers, etc to dedicated machines like buffers, stitchers, sewing machines, and such. Information on adjustments, repairs, intended applications, "hey it will also do this" applications, modifications, you name it. Even just vintage advertising or sales/promotional brochures so you can find a brand or model for some of these things...maybe to find parts or figure out how to use them better. Of immediate interest to me is documentation on the various models of Landis 5 In 1 and 3 In 1 benchtop equipment. There are some other things I'm supposed to take ownership of in a few months but those two are the start. Please share whatever pics, PDFs, or reference links you have. Thanks!

I recently got access to a laser cutter and would like to make a couple of custom stamps. I have one of the hand presses from Tandy and also a bench-top arbor press from Harbor Freight I can use with the stamps but I'd also like the people I'm giving them to to be able to use them with Tandy's Hefty Handle. The stamps will be from 1" to 1.5" across. I have a 1"x4"x12" block of UHMW which I'm thinking is both possibly too soft and also mostly melt in the laser cutter and not give the desired results. I also have a .25"x12"x18" sheet of Lexan that I'm told should laser cut very cleanly. OR should i order some Delrin and if so, what format (rod, block, or sheet) and what dimensions? Recommendations on material and settings for the laser cutter? It's a 45w system. Looking at the (metal) stamps I have, it looks like I want a depth of 1/8" or maybe 3/16" (since these won't be metal). I have a notion of making the stamp itself from the Lexan and mounting it to some other material for striking (wood, nylon, UHMW, etc). Opinions? I'm new to laser cutters so any info is appreciated. Thanks! BTW, if this gets double posted, please kill one of them off.

Hi Folks, Slightly OT here but need a bit of info.. I have the same Landis/American 3 in 1 that TrooperChuck posted way back when on the first page of this thread. Mine is assembled with the feeding disk on top and forward of the cutting disk and gives the same "ridged" edge TC describes. How difficult is it to remove the feeding disk and cutting disk and swap their positions so that the feed disk is on the bottom (where I don't worry about the ridges)? Would I want to just remove the disks or would it be better to pull and swap the whole disk/shaft assembly? Also I was going through some PDFs I came across several years ago and one of them is what I'd describe as an old sales brochure for the Landis 5 in 1. Judging from the design and font used I'd guess it dates to sometime between the 50s and the 70s. Where would I want to post that up for others to view & hopefully benefit from? Thanks!

Yeah, but not easy to do when the seller is several hundred miles away and not necessarilly interested in checking. I also tell them to hold a magnet up to the frame to see if it sticks but none of them seem to have done that. *sigh*

Which one is better & why: the older cast iron or the new(er) cast aluminum? When did they switch to cast aluminum? Can you tell by model number if it is cast iron or cast aluminum? If so, how? Other than color, what is the difference between models with the black plate on the front and the models with the chrome plate? I'm refering to the plate that has the label/sticker on it, NOT the model/serial number plate that is rivited to the base. Love it or hate it? Why? If you hate it, what machine would you prefer over the Boss? Looking forward to the responses LN