esantoro

Do those of you who wind bobbins by hand or by drill ever feel that sometimes bobbin tension isn't as consistent as it could be if wound on the machine? I had liked the idea of not having to run my 441 just to wind bobbins since I have only one cone of each type and color of thread, but bobbin tension doesn't seem to be consistent. I also think that when I do it by hand or by drill I've got to pay more attention to which direction I wind the bobbin, clockwise or counter clockwise. I think I just may go back to prewinding bobbins on my machine and cut out another variable in the guess work. ed

I like running the silicon lube that Art mentioned in the lube pot, if even to keep the thread path somewhat lubed and add even a bit of assurance that fewer stitches will be missed. I think that running the lube pot does allow for better stitches, even if even slightly. A gem of an idea for the lube pot is Bruce's idea to put a 1 sq. inch sponge cube on top of the pot between the hole on the pot lid where the thread comes out and the pig's tail. Cut a slit across the top of the sponge cube and place the thread in that. I've got the pretty sophisticated steel and rubber thread wipers Ferdco has, but I think I'm going to just stick with the sponge cubes, as it is easy to change threads when, especially if you have only one machine for a variety of tasks. ed

welcome

Studio-N in Wichita helped me out with a 2 3/4" wide oval punch I'm really excited about. I wasn't expecting to go that large for a 2" oval stamp and margin for stitching, but I just couldn't pass up the opportunity, seeing how long I had been looking for this punch. Out of curiosity, I called Texas Custom Dies to ask what it would cost to get a punch of the specific dimensions I'll need: $30 for the die and $20 for them to weld on a handle. I had called around several months ago and the best price I had found was around $250. Thanks for all the help. Ed

Thanks for contacting Schmetz, J.R. I really like the stitch from the "S" points,but I think I'll stick to the Diamond and tri points, preferably the diamond points. ed

Thanks Bruce. Great News, Nick. I'll call the shop tomorrow. Thanks.ed

I hate spending twenty minutes or more looking for something I had just 10 seconds ago, so I bought a bunch of magnetic bowls to be places throughout my work area. Now I drop screws, needles, bobbins, nuts, washers, and anything else metal in these trays and ALWAYS know where to find them. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/disp...?Itemnumber=659 ed

Is Montana Pitchblend better than pecards for waterproofing? ed

Thanks for the links. The obsessions just keep on rolling in. Just when I've got one under control, a whole new one pops up. I found this pretty interesting: http://www.modernmicroscopy.com/main.asp?a...e=78&page=1 ed

There are programs you can get to recover deleted files.

Hi Luke, I noticed the sno-seal on your shelf. What do you think of using sno-seal on a bag instead of pecards? I'm asking because several months ago I got about six containers of SS for a good price. Ed

It's time for me to start thinking about getting an oval punch to make a makers stamp that can be stamped on a punched oval and stitched to the interior of my bags. Does anyone know where I can find an oval punch about 1 3/4" to 2" wide? All I've been able to find is the round punches, pic attached. Thanks, ed

In Valerie Michael's Leatherworking handbook there is a picture of a glass bulb with gas/kerosene? and a wick which is used to heat creasers. I'd like to make myself a setup like this rather than running to and from the kitchen stove to crease my straps. can this be had at a crafts store easily, or must I make it myself? ed

All right. I've put the JS to work. Not a bad tool if you can get it on sale, but I'm not all that impressed. It could have been made a bit better. Using standard utility knife blades would be a start, as the blade would stand up higher, creating more of a barrier to help one guide the leather through. I used my aluminum gusset templates to cut off 2 4" wide strips along the top of the shoulder. i then ran one of these three times through the JS. The first two strips went fine, but slow going with using both hands to manipulate the leather through the JS. When it came to the third strip, I had perhaps slightly less than .25" of a waste margin, not enough firmness to provide solid and consistent slicing of the third 1.25" wide strip. Perhaps having a .5" margin would have been better. With the second 4" wide strip, I thought I'd try another approach to compare with the using the JS. This time I used a 1/8" thick by 1.25" wide by 51" long aluminum flat bar from which I cut my handle supports. I laid the flat bar on the edge of the 4" wide leather strip and carefully cut the strip off using a circular blade. This turned out to be the best method of all. Conclusion: nice to have the JS, but I'm boxing it up and putting it away for now. Someone ought to improve upon it. It wouldn't take much work. ed

Thanks so much, Jim, for this tutorial. I don't have the Singer machine in question, but I have noticed that it is easier to stitch closer to buckles on my 441 cylinder arm machine with a right or left presser toe, depending on which way I feed the leather, and a flat feeddogless needle plate, as there is no feed dog that pushes up on the leather. I've also wondered if it is better to have needle plates and presser feet made of stainless steel, but wasn't aware that staining was the big issue. ed

It's interesting how certain questions/posts yield particular answers that lead to other ideas that may have taken longer to come out. The whole idea of using a rubber inner tube to aid in tightening screws is brilliant. Now the next time I pass a bike shop, I'll dip in to see if they have any in the trash. ed

Pella, Do you think sponging the leather with water will be enough, or must I really submerge the whole piece. For belts, I wouldn't mind submerging the leather, but I am not so sure about larger leather pieces for briefcases. Thanks for the advice, ed

There was once a useful thread on favorite suppliers. Here's one supplier I like. Country Supply http://www.horse.com/Default.aspx? I like them for solid brass trigger snaps lexol inexpensive foam sponges for applying oils and conditioners free shipping for orders over $49.

Pella, I'm thinking of creasing some veg tan belts later tonight. When you wet the leather prior to creasing, to you wet the entire surface or just the area to be creased? With the veg tan, i imagine I'll need to wet the entire surface to avoid any uneven discoloration. ed

Beautiful work, Pella. What did you use for your creases. What you do with your work is where I want to take my bags: Elegant Simplicity, which requires a lot of attention to basic details. My two cents is that in addition to the right machine, one would also need the right combination of needle plate and presser foot/toes. ed

Well, I think I almost have all the presser feet/toes i need. The only ones left to get, and currently needed, are the right and left presser toes with a narrow center presser foot. I currently need the right toe to use with the raised needle plates and was wondering it the center foot used with these outer presser toes is the same as that used with the narrow harness makers foot? Could anyone who has these right and left presser toes and center foot post pictures. I'll post my collection later and specify what I use each for. Thanks, ed

Bill, Do you know what of the needle bar is reworked? Would it be only length? Ah, you were saying that both ferdco and artisan had reworked the original Juki needle bar, which wold be needed for a different needle system. ed

back in the antediluvian era (pre-crash), there was a thread on which machines put down the best stitch. i thought it would be interesting to post some pics of what we think is nice stitching. We can include machine used, thread, needle brand and point type, leather type and thickness. I'll post some of my pics later today. ed

Since many of the old posts are gone, I'll repost what i learned about the serv1 versus diamond or tri point needles. I had ordered diamond point needles from Ferdco. They sent serv1 needles. I gave them a try and really liked the stitch they put down, though i think the points won't last as long as the diamond or tri points. ed

$1.49 for a five pack of blades for this tool seems a good price (siegel of ca). The blades seem a bit smaller that regular utility knife blades, but all the angles seem the same. I've tried www.acmoore.com but cannot locate the blades. ed