MikeF

Can anyone comment on fair market value for a Singer 16-188...I have a pretty good lead on one but I have no idea what I should expect to pay for it and don't want to overpay.

Nicely done...nice work cutting in the stroke on the lettering. Looks like we might be doing some of the same kind of work but I see you still have what looks like a Boston Leather holster on the end of your strap. I also see you're from Laredo...I was stationed in Texas...taught marine fire at Brayton Fire Training at A&M for 6 months, and my oldest son (an LT in a local department, just back from the Cali wildfires) was born in Texas, so I couldn't resist showing off my newest holster model alongside your fine strap.

Gave in and relieved the corners completely. I'll just sew them up as a mitered dart. Wouldn't mind seeing more on how that vacuum pump and bag lash up works...checking youtube

I hate sewing all those puckers into the flange...but I'm happy to do it if there's a way to make it look good....otherwise this is starting to look like a 1.5 square foot of "do over"....and as Yogi Berra would say "do over, again."

I'm trying to do some rectangular wet forms just like this as well...problem for me is I can't get the corners of the "flange" the way I need them...smooth and flat. I've seen some folks relieving the corners but I can't seem to get the hang of that..Is there a trick to it?

First run at a Bates Style Solo Seat...working on the P Pad now. Gift for a family friend...but I think I might like to make a few more of these.

Should state the real case / question...I have a limited budget as well...straight forward stitching issue for my biz...I would like to stitch two chunks of 10 oz HO veg tan strap together...mile after mile after mile...and I am DEFINITELY getting tired of doing it hand. Would that Reliable do that? Folks are too proud of their old industrials in the used market around here ...want too much.

KGG, on that Reliable Barracuda...interesting...I took a look at that at HD site but couldn't find much on spec...do you know what the motor HP rating is? Any speed control?

I use a 2-1/2 ton arbor press...and recently have been wishing I had my old 5 ton. Maybe I'm just getting weaker, and just my opinion, but I think in this case, bigger is in fact better (in terms of arbor presses for leather stamps). Might depend on the size and area of the stamp you are using too...1 ton surely is enough for a small, say 1 sq inch stamp, but as you start getting into bigger stamps, more is better.

Haven't tried it but my guess is, tooling on a rock/hard slab, it will leave an unpleasing result on the finished side of the liner...particularly if you are lining with a a thinner leather (4-6 oz?). I would think the impressions on the tooled side wouldn't be as crisp either. That said...I recently saw a suggestion that a mutation of what you describe (a veg tan liner "fastened" to the back of the "good" side) when trying to make an impression on a chrome tan resulted in a crisp impression in the chrome tan...so, like Riem says...try it. I'm doing some lined strap work lately, and I've actually been curious myself, so good question...be interested to see a pic of your results if you give it try.

Nicely done...five star job. If for general sale...how did you settle on /select the seat pan? Made for a particular model?

I don't know, HaloJones... Sure there's a ritual for getting the groceries...but I don't know about the skippin'...I'll ask the probies though and see what they think...my son's are both Lieutenants now, so they don't have to carry the basket...I'll suggest it though; I'm sure the probies will go for it.

MikeSC...general market basket or grocery basket for B Shift down at the firehouse.

I see a few little tweaks I still need to do...but here's the final result (for the most part). Thanks again all for the interest. Other side.

Brian, I will post a shot of the overall project ...a few finishing touches to wrap up yet. Thank you very much for your comment and interest.

Final Result...I used a 3 mm kangaroo lace I've been holding onto for 10 years...great to work with. The latice look, as opposed to a closer lay with the lace, was intentional. Wasn't to thrilled with the random burnishing that caused the color changes...but whatever...its leather.

Oh...I should mention...44 inches of lace for 3inches of corner...that includes a start and stop though, so I think the ratio is going to be pretty close to 12:1. 12 inches of lace for an inch of corner...I was pretty close to the same for both 1/8" lace and 1/4" lace...also, when I used 1/4 inch lace I used a quarter inch dowel.

Solved...for me anyway. After a few test pieces, I settled on mitering the joint like I would if I was going to stitch it, add a little cement, an 1/8" dowel rod reinforcing the back of the corner and a place for the lace to bear without distorting the corner (I think quarter round would work better but I can't find any that small right now and don't have time to make my own)...then just use a butt joint lacing stitch or a whip stitch...both worked fine in my tests...still fussing with what sizes I want to use and what the intervals should be for the holes, but in my messing around they all worked and looked fine. Photo is one of the test chunks...I did quite a few tests before I start punching holes in the good stuff.

Nice!

Has anyone tried to lace or thong a mitered box corner (or 4 of them to be more precise---if you only did 1 to 3, then I already know the answer)? "Boxed" myself into a corner (oh man this just keeps getting worse) and I'm looking for a creative way to assemble a fairly large market basket...originally was going to sew miter corners but having second thoughts because of the lighter thickness leather I used...shrank after drying and now I'm not sure a mitered sewn joint is going to get the job done. Thought about using a corner brace sewn it...but trial runs proved to be ugly...not as in hard to do but more like, the end result was homely ugly. Anyway...if you've ever laced a mitered corner I'd be interested in what stitch you used. r/ Mike

Appreciate the comment RockyAussie...with that line of thinking I suspect it could be a value added feature---I'll give it a try and see how my clients react. Thanks again.

Setting the rivets for your D rings shouldn't be too hard in that geometry you are showing...I use a 9 pound hobby anvil...they are pretty cheap. Is your question related to rivets inside the holder pocket (not shown)? I used to fuss with that problem on cell phone cases too...anything with a throat depth of more than a couple of inches is a problem when you are trying to close the bottom...I have a couple of ideas for you (like the radio holder and the theme by the way) but I kind of need to see the exact problem...the rivets you are showing in your photo, in my opinion, are the best application.

I'm watching the work of a few of my online peers and noticing that they are going to great lengths to stitch up straps and casework, but not really lining the leather and not for obvious structural or assembly reasons. I've certainly stitched my share of works but only if I was lining a piece or making a connection and on the rarest of occasions for an aesthetic effect. Does anybody else on these forums do this? Is there some function other than "looks"? Particularly the straps---does stitching prevent stretching and loss of shape over time? Thanks for your thoughts. Mike