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I'm glad I haven't purchased anything yet. I like the carpet idea. And all I need are four 6" by 6" squares to go underneath each of he legs. in the next few weeks, I'll head out to the carpet store with my box cutter in search of scraps. Thanks for the replies. Ed

I was thinking just the ipod case as a sincere gesture and apology for such a lame gift and a reminder that the real America is always about its people and rarely its politicians. Maybe it could be an ipod case and a journal. I nominate Tina. Tina does amazing work. She could do a few scenes from _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland_ (or some other work of British fiction or art) that run through the journal and onto the ipod case. If Tina does it, I bet it would actually get through to Queen Elizabeth. ed

That would seriously be a great idea, a custom tooled ipod case. We ought to nominate someone to design and tool the case. I'll kick in $5 to the project. This would be a great PR gig. ed

I finally got around to shaping a more aggressive flap. ed

I've noticed this same problem with my 441 with #25 needles and smaller. The problem appears to be much diminished with a #26 needle. In hindsight , this appears obvious. Earlier I had been allowing desired thread size to be a more important factor than a needle size better suited for the type and thickness of leather I'm working with. Ed

Of those of us who are in NYC, I count 5. Freddie, newyorkleather, sorethumbs, SteveB, and me. When's pizza night? Ed

research has led to this interesting company: http://visimarkinc.com/datecoding/typeholders.shtm ed

The availability of affordable and effective attachments such as flat and raised needle plates and various presser feet from a variety of manufacturers and distributors should be a factor in a machine purchase. IT seems that the 441 clones should be the choice in this regard. The Colt machines in Australia seem to have some nice presser feet not available here in the U.S. but I bet they'd work fine on the 441 clones we have here. But I would have to assume that 100 percent compatibility can be taken for granted. Or can it? Ed

Out of curiosity, how many of us are in NYC? Ed

Randy and Claudia, I'm looking into these presses you mention and am thinking about just buying 36 pt. alphabet sets for them and look into getting some kind of setting plate which can be put underneath the ram of a 2-ton arbor press. To get good impressions of my 2" oval logo, I need to apply a good amount of pressure to my arbor press ram. Can the Kingsley and Kwikprint presses take that kind of force? If by chance you have 36 pt fonts for these presses, can you tell me how large the letter blocks are and it the letters are raised enough from the blocks so that no background markings will mark the leather. I would not be using these presses with foil, though I may want to use them with heat applied but am not sure if I would be burning just the letters into the leather or if I would be burning in an unwanted rectangle. Thanks, Ed

Randy and Claudia, I'm looking into these presses you mention and am thinking about just buying 36 pt. alphabet sets for them and look into getting some kind of setting plate which can be put underneath the ram of a 2-ton arbor press. To get good impressions of my 2" oval logo, I need to apply a good amount of pressure to my arbor press ram. Can the Kingsley and Kwikprint presses take that kind of force? If by chance you have 36 pt fonts for these presses, can you tell me how large the letter blocks are and it the letters are raised enough from the blocks so that no background markings will mark the leather. I would not be using these presses with foil, though I may want to use them with heat applied but am not sure if I would be burning just the letters into the leather or if I would be burning in an unwanted rectangle. Thanks, Ed

Hi John, I think we should keep this thread here. It's relevant. I'll have to call around to get the dimensions of the letter blocks. My guess is that they are about 1" by 1". I'll ask the folks who have the Kwikprint and Kingsley presses, as I'd be buying an alphabet set that fits one or both of those presses. This plate would simply be placed on top of the leather on a 2-ton arbor press. the 1.25 sq. inch ram would press down on it. There is no need for any special fitting for the press. This block just has to hold three initials. What you have made seems like it would work well. An all steel block would be even better. Thanks for your reply. Ed After realizing there these posts are in the thread, maybe it's a good idea to start a new thread, or repost this info to the thread I started on the very topic. How big are the letters in the block you made? Do you know where they can be bought? Ed

Well, it's about time we start a NYC Guild. ed

I'm not sure if this is a matter of milling, but what about making some kind of a steel plate that could accept one to three 36 pt initials in alignment. The plate with the installed initials can then be placed in a two-ton arbor press or the like. The only thing that has to be made is the plate to hold the initials. I'll buy the set of the initials, if anyone has ideas for how to make the holding plate. Perhaps we can take a look at some of the gilding presses to get an idea for how the letters are held in place. Ed

I can see how it would be possible to do a bit of grinding here and there, some replacement of cheap metal parts and screws, and some substitution of other parts. ed

Tandy put this up on its website not long ago. ed autoawlInstructions.pdf autoawlInstructions.pdf

In the bobbin comparison I made earlier, the chrome plated bobbins worked the worst. The sandblasted bobbins worked the best and may not have required the removal of that internal spring. Both bobbins appear to be steel, as the are attracted to a magnet. ed

All the needle/thread recommendations are good, but I've noticed that if I'm using buttery smooth bridle that pierces easily and cleanly I can use 346/277 bonded thread with a #25 needle. Also, not all brands and batches of the same size thread are of the exact same thickness. Use the recommendations as a guide that works 90 percent of the time. Always test on scrap leather from the same side of leather you are using for your project. I've also come to the realization that perhaps the overriding concern should not be thread size which dictates needle size but what size needle works best with the leather you are using. I've found that a #26 needle is much hardier than a #25 needle and moves the leather across the needle plate in a more predictable fashion than a #25 needle. If I'm doing two or more layers of 5/6 oz, especially stiffer veg tanned leathers and latigo, my first choice is #26 needle with 346/277 thread. Perhaps ten percent of the time, there may be reason to go down to a #25 needle with 346/277 thread. Ed

I took some quick measurements (three measurements were taken of each bobbin): Bobbin from ebay: 31.36mm, 31.4mm, 31.38mm OEM bobbins shipped with machine: 29.94mm, 30mm, 29.91mm ed

Not all bobbins are created equal. Some might be a tad longer or may not spin as truly as others, which causes increased, unequal, and inconsistent tension results, mainly experienced with lighter leathers. This problem is remedied with either the cutting down or removal of the little spring inside the bobbin case. I have a Cowboy/Neels 6 machine, so this issue may not run across all 441 clones, though I think they all use the same shuttle/hook assembly, which means they are all susceptible to this issue. ed

Andy, How is this mini-grinder working out? I was thinking about getting the same one a while back. Ed

Nice work!

I use a scratch awl to mark all corners and integral areas that have to be hit dead on. If there is a short run between that point and another point that must be hit dead on, I will mark the stitch marks off with an awl or stitch wheel. I size up the job at hand, make my marks, and then stitch it up. ed

Hi UKRay, Randy and Claudia, The issue of embossing has returned and I've come back to your replies. I started looking around for these two presses. A few of the Kingsley presses are available, but the Kwikprint seems like it might be better. Or would you say they are pretty much the same? Is there a wide selection of font styles for both? Thanks, Ed

3/4" is a good size. I was thinking regular block letters. Ideally, I'd like to be able to set the stamps in a plate and apply pressure with a 2-ton arbor press. I'm not sure if such a plate is available. Another option is to hand carve the letters using stencils. What tools would be required? ed