SheltathaLore

Another vote here for Triflow. It is downright magical.

I love that compact stand. I gotta figure out how to compress all my machines so I can make room for more...

Thanks!

Oh geez. College Sewing charges 30 pounds to ship to the US? I'm going to look for a local supplier.

Oh, I hadn't thought of looking at the Brother machines! I bet I have a clone of the 7220, since mine's a needle feed, and it looks exactly the same - right down to the incredibly annoying thread wiper placement. Definitely going to snag some spare screws. Thanks for the tip!

This weekend was an adventure - broke my garment machine twice attempting to sew light leather on it with a self-modified foot (whoops. extreme regret), fixed it twice (extremely proud of myself!), and lost some screws in the process. After some creative deciphering of the parts list, I'm fairly certain I know what I need to replace the missing feed dog screw with, but I also lost one of the screws that holds the hook on (WHY ARE THEY SO IMPOSSIBLY TINY). Anyone know what I need for a replacement? I assume the dealer replaced the hook before sending it to me (it seems improbable that a Chinese knockoff brand installs Japanese hooks by default) - but if it helps, it's a Typical GC6760, and this is the manual + parts list: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4q5z7a550assjfw/TY_manual_GC6760_en_01.pdf?dl=0 Relatedly, I assume this machine is a clone, but if anyone knows what it's a clone *of*, it might save some puzzling over e.g. what the heck a "Screw SM3.18-44x6.5" is, in the future. Picture:

It's so smooth that I suspect it came pre-loaded. IF you're loading it yourself, though, mineral oil does wonders - I think burrfection has a youtube video on loading up a strop.

Oh, and gottaknow, and... who else am I forgetting? Anyway, my point is that you're all amazing.

The dealers, Uwe, and Wizcraft are the reason why I felt comfortabl ebiting the bullet and getting a (relatively) intimidating walking foot - it's great to know that if something comes up, I can get help super fast, and learn from everyone else here. This forum is a blessing.

Aww, that's so sweet :D You're a great dad!

Turns out that getting my knives sharper than sharp makes skiving stretchy leather feel like cutting through air. Now, *keeping* them that sharp through the entire process is something I'm still learning, but anyway, sharp knives really seem to be the key.

The problem solving is why I try these things. I absolutely love figuring out how to take the skills I have and mash them up and make some guesses and try to figure out how to do something new. I get such a rush out of it!

It doesn't take as much equipment as you'd think. Stitch groover, 1/4 gouge, skiving knives, assorted hammers, jerk needle, awl... I do have a walking foot sewing machine, but honestly, with leather this light (particularly once it's skived) you could probably get away with a domestic machine just fine. The laser cutter doesn't even belong to me - there's a guy in my neighborhood who cuts stuff for cheap. A lot of times, I use extra tools (milling machine, laser cutter, etc) in order to get a cleaner or more consistent result; there's not much that couldn't be achieved just as well by hand, with skill and care. So don't count yourself out just yet!

I can also highly recommend Stepping through Time for a source of historical patterns.

Prototype #2, stuck to the sole with tape again. Looking surprisingly legit; I think I can move onto the final version. Differences: Used a somewhat thicker and stiffer leather, along with an extra side stiffener layer Laser cut the applique and assembled it entirely with glue; I'll stick with the laser cutting, but if I can get the hang of leather applique I'd prefer to do that in addition. Straps aren't stitched on the edges, but that was mostly just for speed of assembly of the test version. I'll stitch the final version. Added stiffener to applique layer, and ran the heel strap through a channel between the top of the applique and the lining. The toe turned out a bit messy, but I think skiving more aggressively in that area should take care of things.

Honestly, I did too. There's still hope, though; I might hit up Darren eventually for that roller foot.

I do have to admit that I've been eyeing this Pfaff 483 - even with shipping I'd probably break even if I had to part it out - but I'm trying to keep the collection under control, unless something comes up that's just so perfect that it's a once-in-a-decade opportunity. Like perhaps a used 110W or something. https://www.ebay.com/itm/Industrial-Sewing-Machine-Pfaff-483-Light-Leather-w-roller-foot/132462855868?hash=item1ed766c6bc:g:BGUAAOSw-K9ZHT7B

Ooh. I'll have to keep an eye out. A quick google isn't bringing up much, though, so I'm guessing they're less common than the 111 et al. Are there similar machines I should be watching for?

Okay, tried a teflon zipper foot, got surprisingly decent results on a test piece. I still need more practice, but a reasonable result is clearly achievable, and matching thread will make the occasional wobble a lot less obvious. I think I'll try to hunt down a triangle point needle in the DBx1 system, or try a round point; the twisty stitches aren't quite the look I'd like. Darren, at some point in the future I might still hit you up for that roller foot if you still have one, but don't reserve it for me.

Oh cool! I have a hard time visualizing it, but it's neat that it worked. There is clearly more to this applique business than having the right gadget, unsurprisingly, but the gadgets help... and it's a fun excuse to track them down. I wasn't terribly successful with rigging up a bracket for the Singer foot, but it occurs to me that a teflon zipper foot might do. If that doesn't work out, I'll hit up Darren for his foot and see if I can get that to work (I did tinker with the needle bar height and orientation to figure out where the adjustments were, so I can probably make it work).

Welp, I installed a standard roller foot needle plate and feed dog, and nothing went horribly wrong or collided when I did a few stitches with teh handwheel (although if I ever want to stitch at longer stitch lengths, I'll need to doublecheck again. Woo needle feeds.) I have an old foot that I found on the floor when I was cleaning - the base somehow got rusted - so it's an ideal candidate for making a bracket. I'll give it a try once the roller foot arrives. I did try the other kind of roller foot on my machine, and it sewed with surprisingly little fuss (size 16 needle, 46 thread), but the visibility and control aren't good enough for what I wanted to do. It would probably be fine for straight stitching, though.

I have to admit that I'm skeptical... then again, while I love technology (hell, I'm a software engineer, it's my job), I prefer to have it only where it's appropriate. This is starting to feel like bluetooth toasters.

Ohhh derp, for some reason I was thinking that Constabulary was selling it. I'll see if I can get this one working, and if not, I'll hit you up, @Darren Brosowski

Part number or source for the second foot, that is.

Any chance you have a part number or a source? (Also... is rotating the presser bar a big deal? It's not something I've ever considered doing before...)