DominickTuroski

Thank you!

Hello all! I recently added to my lineup a singer 29-4. I've been after this machine for awhile and finally scored one for 300$ on craigslist. It was not sewing when I got it and I knew it needed repair. After an oil, the parts are actually moving very smoothly! The serial number seems to put this machine to be from 1910(?) which is a bit older than most 29-4's I've seen online so if anyone has more information on this model or can confirm it's age that would be great. The first question I have is about the walking foot/upper unit. On most models I see at least 2-3 dials at the top to adjust tension or pressure of then foot and thread. This model does not have an articulated walking foot, but rather it just slides back and forth, always applying pressure. (maybe something that needs to be fixed? or just this model?) I did take off the screw that adjusts stitch length on the foot and moved the bracket so I may have messed something up. Question 2: I want to replace the tension disks and spring, do I have to detach the front unit from the large arm to do so? Question 4: The needles that came with the machine were used with the large hole on the reverse side of the plate, where there is a space ground out underneath (both holes same size). Is the side with the small hole better to use top/back holes are both the same size, and have circular area ground out on the bottom. Front side has a flat bottom but a smaller hole. Question 5: The last part is unfortunately not an issue that can be solved with just replacing parts. It seems that the bobbin has worn down the arm surrounding the shuttle and has ground up metal letting the shuttle slip during movement (its the "click" in the video) I have a video operating it slowly showing it pop in and out of place. Anyone have ideas on solving this? Question 6: Currently the machine is not grabbing thread, but that is likely due to the shuttle hook being dull which I will replace. If anyone has suggestions on which to buy it would be appreciated, this seems to be a common problem. Thanks for taking the time to check out my machine and give any ideas! I hope to get it in use and sewing leather soon.

Only apply water before tooling. The oil is more of a finish and softener. The water should get you the moisture you need. Do not soak the piece, apply water to the surface sparingly using a sponge or spray bottle. You will learn the amount your leather takes after some trial and error. Do some good ol YouTube research and just type in "Tooling Leather" Bruce Chaney and Tandy leather have some great beginner tutorials.

Very admirable stitching

Thank you! As for the stamps I agree, I regret adding those. Trying to figure out how I want to border it.

The second photo is my first attempt on nicer leather. I then swapped the grass for rocks as seen in the first image

^ Also the stamping above the tree is not ment to be leaves, just a border. That picture isn’t finished either

I’ve been trying some figure carving these past few days and am liking it. I’ve been toiling leather for only about a year now. I’ve done some very simple Sheridan stuff and my own floral designs. I’m from Minnesota so I’ve been trying to adapt some of the traditional western carving to a bit more of a midwestern taste. I’m trying to tool the shoreline of Lake Superior specifically. I have been searching for reference images of rocks or water or beaches or anything like that being tooled. I’m pretty satisfied with the tree, I’m getting the hang of that, but the rocks and water are a bit off for me and I can’t find many good references. If anyone has reference photos of scenes they have toiled with rocks or water or any tips I’d love to see what you’ve got. Criticism on anything on this is welcome as well.

Most of this seems to be answered but I'll just toss in 2 more cents. Tandy should be perfect to start. I've been using their stuff for about 2 years now and most of it has managed to hold up. for single punches a good stitching awl can get a bit expensive for a nice one. I've managed to get away with a scratch/saddlers awl to punch individual holes, not poke through it. Don't get a round knife yet. Watch discontinued items at tandy, I picked up a belt end punch from there for like 12$ Wing dividers are a bit more versatile, and an overstitch wheel you can get pretty cheap and they are nice for if you are doing some hand sewing with different spacing than the chisel you may pick up. The process for that would be to set a line with your wing divider, go over that with the overstitch wheel to set your spacing then individually punch it out with a saddlers awl. Works for me, not for everyone. Great looking stuff! best of luck

Definitely a great buy

Tool rolls always work nicely, at least for tooling tools. I'll post an image when I get back to the bench of mine.

Gotta check out Don gonzales and bruce cheaney, they may be a bit more advanced but bruce has some really good beginner videos for sure. Springfeild leather company has some good tips and tutorials on their channel (kevin hopkins) but unfortunately the audio is a bit weird on those. Some are only in mono. Another is Harry rogers, who has some great stuff as well. But youll have to find them, as he has a lot of woodworking videos as well.

I bought the springfeild leather Dead Weight a while back and have been using it for all my tooling projects. It works really nicely. Just lay it across a part where you arent tooling (make sure it touches the leather AND granite to anchor for a small piece) and that will stay pretty dang still. http://springfieldleather.com/SLC-Original-Dead-Weight You could probably make one yourself, but honestly I think its worth it to just buy. Also be careful, if you get dye on your granite that can get onto the weight and then onto the topside of your projects. If you have a separate spot for dying thats not a problem then. I just get a bit lazy... Best of luck!

I got that same ebay set of tools, and there are maybe 3 tools that you could use in there. The pear shader isnt bad for beginners standards, and the small beveler if polished can be useable until replacements are possible. The small camo tool is okay as well. As for the knife cuts, just keep on carving and practicing. The flow will come. I am finally just starting to get the hang of my knife now and i've been going at it for about a year. A beveler would be the first tool to buy, once you get that you can do some decent figure carving. Make sure you know what tools to use for what part of the piece you want to carve. Best of luck! I'm sorry I can't really give advice on where to buy outside the U.S. but hopefully you can find what you need. You said it @ABHandmade that beveler Is such trash. Whole new world with even an entry level craftool beveler.

I've been trying to get the most out of my fiebings alcohol and oil dyes. The oil dyes work great. No mess needed. The color comes out even and clean, but may be a bit toned down depending on the color. This would be a very easy and clean option. What I like to do now which requires a lot of fuss is using the alcohol dyes and a lot of neatsfoot oil to make a really nice uniform dye and also really nice texture This is my process, others may have different opinions but this gets a really nice finish and color for me. (This is on just tandy craftsman oak veg tan so it works on even cheaper stuff) Also it can get pretty messy so maybe put on some gloves if you're concerned about that. First I slightly dampen the piece of leather. load up a sponge with water and just go over the piece once. Don't drown it. Next I use a piece of sheepswool and get that loaded up with neatsfoot oil. (sponge would probably work fine as well) Go over the piece with the oil, let it sit a few seconds and wipe off and work in the excess. On the same piece of wool, add some of the dye of your choosing. Remove a bit of it by just wiping on some scraps or paper towel, up to you, and go over the piece again with that dye/oil sheep wool. Work in the dye let it sit and then work wipe off the rest with a towel. If you want you can go over this with more oil and buff it out to get a nice waterproof finish or depending on how it looks just leave it. This has worked really well for me for british tan, oxblood, saddle tan, kelly green, navy blue, and even eco flo gel antique (with modifications to the process for the antique) The colors you chose may not work out as well on the leather because of them being lighter so probably test it out on some scraps first. Best of luck on the project, and show us some pictures!