rodneywt1180b

I'm still very new to this game and certainly have a lot more questions than answers. I do know I've seen "deer tanned" mentioned as well as "brain tanned" and "alum tanned". Deer tanned may or may not be one of the other two. I've also seen eggs mentioned as a tanning agent, maybe a variation on brain tanning? I also have trouble with "oil tanned" . What is it exactly? I'm guessing the oil is a treatment applied after the leather is either chrome or vegetable tanned but I'm really not sure. I do know I like the looks of it. It's a really confusing subject for me. I'll be reading Mike's article and following this thread closely. On a related note, I prefer soft, pliable, stretchy leather for my cane handles because it's easier to get it to conform to compound curves. I bought a piece of brown leather that is great to work with, the black leathers I've bought have been way stiffer. *EDIT* I'm not blaming the color here. I know that doesn't make a difference* Stiffer leathers don't work as well. Right now it's a real crap shoot for me with more misses than hits. What terms or leather types should I look for for these traits when I'm shopping leather? If this question is better as a separate thread, please tell me.

I don't own one but wish I did. They're good solid presses and useful for more than leather. Nice job on the cleanup.

Both fun and useful. Always a winning combination to me.

Very nice work. I would have loved a nice leather strap for mine when I was active in photography.

Both the sheath and the knife are great.

They're great looking stools and would most likely be good sellers. How big are the dowels? If you do have any issues you might be able to reinforce the ends with copper plumbing pipe.

Copying is a fact of life. I don't make direct copies but I do look at what others are doing and use that for inspiration in my own work. Some things like clothing and other utilitarian items aren't protected by patents. That's why many major brands print their logos all over them. Their trademarks are protected even if their designs aren't. But that doesn't always help either. Even with their logos there are still plenty of knockoffs out there. Maybe use a trademark on your product to differentiate it from the copies?

Great looking photos. Far better than mine for my canes on Etsy. I do agree a different color background for the tan wallets would be good to make them stand out more. I love that last wallet and gorgeous wood BTW.

Very nice. With a few changes in size the same basic design would be good for eyeglasses and other small accessories too.

Are the screws still good but just loose? If they're loose I would plug the holes with dowels and epoxy (actually just epoxy would work too) then redrill them and keep using the screws. It's a really cool and not overly common find. It's worth the extra effort to keep it as original as you can. Most modern screws just don't look right. I do have some mostly larger sized old screws that I've saved over the years if you need some replacements. I'd be happy to send you some if they're the size(s) you need.

Great find!

Really nice details. Anyone makes mistakes. Good craftsmen are just better at hiding them when they do. The dark edges to the stitch line look like you planned it that way from the start. I really like the piercings around the rose in the circle too.

I like the turquoise too. They're a lot better looking than the binder clip you tried the first time. The arrowhead basket weave looks great too.

My chisel didn't arrive until after Christmas and I just put it to use today. It works well (at least to a beginner like me). I can already see some slight improvement in my stitching even though I'm still learning the ins and outs of the tool. I used 0.6 mm tiger thread and that size is too small for the holes. I'll try some 0.8 that I have and see if it helps, if not, the next time I put in an order I'll have to get some 1mm. Other than the thread size issue it should be a good tool and was worth the money and wait.

I thought I would follow up on this. I bought the safety skiver, C S Osborne #925 skife. I had a chance to use it a bit. Is it the end-all, be-all of tools? No, and it won't fix my incompetence either, but it is a good tool for my needs. I just need some more practice with it. I'm working with smaller pieces of leather right now, say 6" square and under, and just skiving the edges of them for rolled edges and thinning the occasional strap end. It works well for those jobs and the price was right so I'm pleased with it. Thanks everyone for your help.

Thanks! I've seen pictures of it before and like the look. If the right project comes along it looks like it will be fun to try.

Nice! I think she'll love it.

Very nice! I like the dragon best but I see some really nice individual details on all of them. Different hardware, etc.

I agree but an old straight stitching singer can be had for cheap and could be a decent stop-gap machine until the right (actually made for leather) machine turns up. Just another option.

I would rule out the 301s. They're 3/4 size machines and tend to be more expensive than other models. Quilters love them but they're too light for any kind of serious leather work. I didn't think of the Singer 27, 127 and 28/128 machines due to the shuttle arrangement. The bobbins don't hold a lot of thread but it's nice to know they can be adjusted for thicker threads. The 28/128 machines are about 3/4 the size of the 27s and 127s. A 127 fitted with an aftermarket hand crank would be slower than a motor driven machine but would get the job done. https://www.shopgoodwill.com/Item/47947394 This is most likely a 27. The bobbin winder was moved up. This machine was most likely originally treadle driven and was "updated" in the 40s. Mostly it looks like it's just missing a slide plate and the controller and cords for the motor. Most of these machines don't need much more than a good oiling and cleaning to make them work again. EDIT: The hand wheel was changed out at the time the motor was added. It should have a larger spoked wheel.

The highest form of praise. She wants more. Nice job.

What Mattsbagger said. I like your work.

I think they call it pleather. It's not like upholstery vinyl and is intended for garment use. Also search for faux leather and faux suede. You might try some decent fabric stores.

The Singer 401 A is a good machine. One of the last really good domestic sewing machines Singer made. All metal construction except one fiber gear. I don't recall anyone having trouble with that gear though. It's not intended for thick leather or a steady diet of leather. You can probably get away with garment weight leather occasionally. It uses Class 66 bobbins and 15x1 needles that are available pretty much everywhere. If you get it, make sure it sews first. They can be a little finicky to work on. They do decorative stitches and have a good range of built in stitches plus cams for even more. You can download an instruction book from Singer's website if it doesn't have one. I think having the book handy is necessary for that machine. The controls aren't that intuitive. I don't think any household machine is great for leather. You're looking at smaller thread sizes and smaller stitch lengths than you can get on a leather machine. If you're stuck with looking at domestic machines I would recommend looking for a Singer 66, 15, or 201. They're all good machines, straight stitch only and sturdier than any zigzag model. All of them use 15x1 needles. Another choice would be an old White Rotary. They're heavily built for a domestic machine and on par with Singer for quality.

Thanks for the view. Do I see a bentwood and a 99 sewing machine case on the white desk in the back?