RonDrake

thanks for the replies. i don't do a whole lot of sewing and was just trying to think of other possible uses for the machine other than collecting dust. ron

i was wondering if anyone has ever thought about multiple uses for a 441 clone besides sewing or has something like this already been invented and i haven't found it yet. doing a border stamp on a 48" belt by hand takes forever and if there was a way to install a stamp in place of the needle that could really speed up the process. i was thinking that the 441 would have everything needed such as power, speed, pressure and stitch length adjustment . granted the cost of the making the parts may be expensive and it would take someone who knew what they were doing to get it off the ground and working properly. ron

hi duke, i did purchase the cobra class 4 and it does work but............. if you want to send a private message to me i would be willing to discuss my experience with it but will not do it on this website for the world to see. ron

i sent the following message on the 5th and have not received a reply as yet. i assume it is probably easy to do but i cannot find how to do it. Sent 05 August 2012 - 05:32 PM i would like to be able to send private messages to various members but i am told that unless i have a green dot or star next to my sign in name this cannot be done.i have been to my profile and tried to figure this out without success. can you help???????????????? thanks, ron goofy1@msn.com Name: rondrake UserName: RonDrake IP Address: 71.33.118.145 Email Address: goofy1@msn.com Name: rondrake UserName: RonDrake IP Address: 71.33.118.145 Email Address: goofy1@msn.com

i would like to be able to send private messages to various members but i am told that unless i have a green dot or star next to my sign in name this cannot be done. i have been to my profile and tried to figure this out without success. can you help???????????????? thanks, ron goofy1@msn.com Name: rondrake UserName: RonDrake IP Address: 71.33.118.145 Email Address: goofy1@msn.com

i make hand tooled 1-1/2" leather concho's from my scraps and use them on various projects. ( the smallest i have used is 3/4" ) take a hole saw and grind the teeth off them' sharpen with a file and chuck it in the drill press and cut the leather circles and tool however you wish. scraps that are smaller than that , i run through the sewing machine as a test strip to check my sewing and to make sure everything is ok before sewing my next project. the sharpened hole saws also work well for making patches from cotton or other materials if you shoot blackpowder. waste not ------ want not

i wish i was younger, had a motorcycle and lived in arizona where it is supposed to be legal

hi cheryl, sounds like you have a handle on everything. have fun. ron

i did not receive a servo manual with mine either. called david spiegel at cobra and mine is supposed to be in the mail. ron

hi, i used a $50.00 singer 15-91 for the last 6 years to make deerskin , elkhide , buffalo hide and up to 20 uunces of veg. tanned leather items and it can be done. if you want to email me at goofy1@msn.com i can send you some pics of what i have made and how i did it without spending a lot of time on this forum and it would easier for me to do this by email . i took some of my profits and bought a new cobra 4 about 3 months ago if that perks your interest. ron

my local tandy shop said they were trying a new leather supplier. i tried it and managed to get a refund and will not use it again. it will flake off and crack on the flesh side.

everyone here has given you the right information, it is best to start with the correct equiptment to make quality products. but i used a 1949 singer 15-91 for many years and sewed deer ,buffalo, elkhide and up to 20 ounces veg. tanned cowhide for holsters with problems? yes but i did it. i actually sold things for several years and had numerous return buyers. did i do it the right way. nnnnnnnnnoooooooooo had to fix the timing several times and replaced the motor once and hand wheeled the machine more times than i want to remember but i only paid $49.95 for the machine, but it worked.and got me started as i had never used a sewing machine before. i have had a new cobra 4 for about a month now and i can finally be somewhat proud of my stitching and the items i make and have not come close to learning how to use the machine correctly or efficiently. if it will get you started, buy a $50.00 machine and make something before you spend $1000.00 or more and decide working with leather is something you do not want to do. baby steps first????????? or jump in with both feet but you will have fun either way . i did ron

unless you can look at the hides in person, i would not purchase from moscow hide and fur. i bought a buffalo hide from them 2 years ago and it was full of holes , extremely dirty and the grain side was crap. it cost me return shipping and a restocking fee but i did get some of my money back and a learning experience. buyer beware ron

call steve, he has a free video that he sent me that really helped me on the cobra 4 i got last week. just watch it closely and then watch it again

i cut a lot of round cloth patches for use in black powder shooting and cleaning firearms and also use about 2000 a year of 1-1/2" 8 ounce leather buttons and hand tool them for various projects that i make and sell. i go to the hardware store and buy the size of hole saw i need and grind the teeth off. then i chuck it in my drill press and and use a file to put a knife ege on it. put a wood block on the drill press table and lay your leather on it and begin making your washers or buttons . watch out for your fingers or you may lose a few. you will have to experiment with what speed to use depending on what diameter washers or buttons you want. too fast and the leather will burn. most hole saws are designed to use a drill bit which would also give you the center hole for your washer but i just install a bolt and nut there to chuck in the drill press for the buttons i make. i can make about 200 or more 1-1/2" leather buttons an hour this way and use up my leftover scraps that i accumulate from my other projects. i have never used a hole saw bigger than 2-1/2" but i am sure they make larger ones for dryer vents , etc. hope this helps, ron

ryan, a couple of things to think about, the longer the name, the more it will cost for a makers stamp as you may want to have a logo on your items in the future. writing a long name on letters, tax forms ,etc. will become very tiring in time i make some very small leather items and a 1-1/2" logo stamp would be as large as the item itself. when i throw away leather scraps they really are scraps. if you make the name too long , how do your buyers write it on a check or money order. ron

i like to keep things simple but still get my name out there and it's easy to remember. DRAKE'S CREATION'S my interests tend to vary a lot and i never know what i will decide to make tomorrow. this covers everything and does not lock you into any specific category. ron

this may help you if you look at the picture of an item i made from plexiglass. not very fancy, but is adjustable and if you remove one of the thumbscrews it will swing away. took about ten minutes to make and around a nickel's worth of plexiglass.

hi helmut, i understand your frustration as i am also a member of the over the hill gang. it's unfortunate that there is no way to pass on item's that we consider to be specific treasures or equiptment to someone who will actually put them to good use without doing a major inventory and listing each and every item to go to a certain person and paying the outlandish prices for a lawyer to write it down . i have a new cobra coming and it is sad that when i leave, it will probably be sold to someone for a penny a pound. possibly someone on the leather working sites has found a solution without giving them away right now as i want to keep what i have right now to keep my mind and hands busy for the time i have left. ron if only there was a way to tap the leather experience people have and place it into our heads without having to use books and video's

with the information provided in both of the replies, i can run with it now. i have been using the edge of the foot on the machine i am using as a gauge for how close to the edge i can get and am not creating any problems so i am good there. thanks for the tippmann info as i can use it also. thanks everybody for the replies. ron

thanks for the reply. that gives me a starting point to work from. appreciate your help. ron

my new cobra class 4 is on order and cobra steve may include info on sizes of needles , thread , stitchs per inch and how close to the edge is too close. i am hoping someone has a chart, guide or where i can access one for different types and kinds of leather. i use 3 to10 oz. veg. tanned leather 3 to 5 oz oil tanned cowhide elkhide, deerskin, and buffalo hide i know that when i receive the machine there is going to be a learning curve but i am trying to think ahead. members on this forum tend to be a little conservative on their praise for cobra steve and toledo bob. if you order a new machine, check your invoice carefully as you will get more goodies than you asked for. thanks

ok, thanks guys for all of the replys even with the bad shoulder, a new tippmann boss should arrive on monday and hopefully i will be able to use it while i am in the boondocks , mountains or wherever i happen to be when electricity is not available. also talked to steve at cobra today ( a very busy and informative guy and found out i have to learn how to talk faster and quciker as he can talk circles around me) and a new cobra class 4 will arrive in a week or so. hoping that i can count on your support with whatever issues i may have with getting the two different machines up and working correctly as i am sure the learning curve will be a little more difficult and harder than the issues i had with the singer 15-91 (that was my first machine.and i had sewn a button on my shirt previously and drew blood with a needle and thread the first time i used tthem.) 1949 model versus 2012. my head already ,hurts and i don't even have the machines in my hands yet. thanks, ron