esantoro

I have a rex riveter and it seems to be useful only for the single cap rapid rivets that are easy to press together. I can't imagine a rex working with solid tubular rivets that require some force. Ed

I'm at wits end. I've been experimenting all day. I backed off the tension to a point wehre I know that tension is not the problem. I took a good look at the top thread in its travels around the shuttle hook. It seems that 277 thread is being held too tightly against the hook, which is where the thread is beginning to fray. I don't have this problem with 207 thread. ed

I just got in some atom wax. I'll give it a try on some latigo I got in. Would bag kote also work well? ed

That tandy set won't do it. Just use a hammer. Put a thin piece of scrap leather between the rivet dome head and the anvil/hard steel surface.

is this also the technique for removing the anvil in the Tandy pro punch?

I need to cut 1.25" wide straps. Would you say this cuts more precisely and more easily than the osborne draw guage and the tandy strap cutter? I like that it takes regular blades which I can file. ed

I hate to place an order with a leathercraft shop for just one item. Is there a good tool for scuffing up leather prior to gluing that I can readily get at most hardware stores? Thanks, ed

With the bridle leather bags I'm going to cut down on some stitching as well as lining and crease the edges instead. Any recommendations for a good creaser. I'd like to go with the Tandy adjustable creaser, unless anyone has other suggestions. Ed

what would be a good treatment /conditioner for bridle leather. I have a case made with something close to bridle leather. It's probably more of a thick latigo or simply a veg retan. I have to send it off tomorrow and i'd like to give it a good rub down with a nice conditioner. I'll probably go with a coat of Aussie wax, as I think it has a little better waterproofing properties than does pecards. Any other ideas? Would bag coat be good to use on this leather, as well as bridle leather, which I'll soon be moving on to? Thanks, Ed

there is an alphasew industrial walking foot machine pw200 about to sell for $200 on ebay, auction ending in about four hours with no bids. This machine seems to be very similar to the Consew cp206r we discussed here a while ago. no zig zag on this machine. Ed

Can anyone recommend a good awl handle that can be used with System 794 needles. Sometimes I have to create holes by hand and would like to use the same needle as I use in my machine. A regular awl makes disproportionately large holes. I have from Tandy the awl that accepts several different blades, but the chuck will not accept the 794 needle. I do however have an automatic awl that allows me to use a System 328 needle, just barely. Thanks, Ed

I just got my HDPE cutting board from US Plastics today. I think I may have ordered the wrong material. What I got I can use, but I was expecting a cutting board that is very difficult to cut into, eepecially when you're putting pressure on a knife to cut through thick veg tan. I have one such board that is great at resisting cuts. It's a 10" by 13" I got from Kmart. A catalog came with my board, and I noticed that there is also a polypropylene board, and less expensive too: rigid with FAIR impact resistance and very good abrasion resistance, density .90, working temp +32 degrees to 210, forming temp 310 degrees to 325, meets FDA and USDA standards. Teh HDPE board I received has these specs: density .95, Rigid, GOOD impact resistance and abrasion resistance, working temp -60 degrees 10 180, forming temp 295 degrees, meets FDA standards. I already have a a 3/8" LDPE board that I've cut through quite quickly, which prompted me to go for the HDPE board. Now I'm thinking I should have gone with the Polypropylene board, which I may do anyway, because I really do need two long boards that cannot be cut through quickly. Ed

What about something like an etsy.com format?

I just ordered a Sanatec cutting board .5" thick 2' by 4' from U.S. Plastics: $54 plus $10 shipping was the best price I had found. All the other places wanted to charge $30 and higher for shipping.

Art, I haven't even been running thread through the pot. The Lexol has just been sitting there. I was under the impression that I could just leave it set there until the time came when I needed to run thread through the pot. Ed

Bruce, awesome idea. Thanks. One more thing. I've had about a quarter inch of Lexol in the pot for about three months now and it's beginning to turn red. Does that sound normal? Ed

I'd like to look into getting those thread wipers. How do they connect to the lube pot? Are they glued on, with the hole in the lube pot (where the thread exits) no larger than that shown in the pic of my lube pot, or must one drill a larger hole and secure the wipers somehow? I'd love to find the materials for this thread wiper/squeegee at a hardware or plumbing store, if it's something that can be installed easily. Ed

aha, I found the culprit. Here is a page from the Toro 4000 manual that must have been the thing that informed me to view the bottom tension wheel as the primary/main tension adjuster and the top "discs" as the secondary/auxiliary adjuster. Ed toro4000tension.pdf toro4000tension.pdf

For the longest time I had thought that the tension discs closest to the lube pot were the primary tension adjuster, the one that must be adjusted most frequently. I understood the tension wheel (not discs but the wheel that turns) where the thread wraps around 1.5 times before going through the take-up arm and then down to the needle was the secondary tension adjuster, which didn't require frequent adjustments. With the above understanding, I was experiencing difficulties getting the correct tension. Then I had either read something or talked to someone and was made to realize that my understanding above had everything reversed, that the the primary tension adjuster is the tension "wheel" closest to the needle, and that this wheel is the tension adjuster that should be adjusted the most frequently. This understanding had been serving me well with 207 to 138 thread. Art, from your last reply, I'm beginning to think that my original understanding is the correct one. I'll revert back to that original understanding and see how things work out. Thanks, Ed

When going from 207 thread to 277 is it normal to tend to back off quite a bit on both top and lower tension, as the larger thread is already going to provide more tension of its own, more friction throughout the thread path and through the leather? I'll play around a bit more. One thing I have noticed is that with my shuttle hook, if I back off on the bobbin tension too much, the flang of the bobbin tension spring stands up too much and catches the top thread when it comes around the bobbin case. Art, your tips are very helpful. I now need to try a 26 needle and back way off on the secondary tension. Thanks for your help. Ed

Well.,.. I've been playing around a bit. I can get nice stitches on four layers of 5/6 chrome tan (and probably three layers, too). Does this mean that it will be impossible to use 277 poly on two layers 0f 5/6 chrome tan, or must I simply fiddle around more with tension adjustments? It still doesn't make much sense to me why thread was fraying on two layers of 5/6 but not on four layers. If thread is fraying and appropriately sized needle is new, is the reason for the fraying always top tension being too tight (as compensation for bobbin tension also being too tight)? Has anyone here ever used 277 on two layers of 5/6 oz? Ed

Thanks Luke, My sister told me the other day that she didn't care for the black thread and thought that I should go with pheasant/straw colored thread. I have such a bag partially completed, but after this bag didn't sell, I went back to the browns. It seems like the leather in this bag is either a latigo, a veg retan, or bridle leather. It's thicker than what I usually use. I'll be relisting the bag soon on eBay. Ed

I mostly use coats 207 top and bottom in my Juki 441` clone without any problems. I'd like to starting to experiment with using 277 in the top and 207 in the bottom with a 25 needle . The thread seems to be fraying and the stitches do not look as neat as with a 24 needle and 207 coats poly top and bottom. At first I thought the tension, both top and bottom, were too tight. I experimented with several adjustments and am sure that I've got good tension settings. I've also used a new Organ diamond point needle (#25). No change. Now I'm wondering if I should go up to #26 needle. Does this sound right for 277 thread top and bottom. All my references tell me a #25 is sufficient. I also lengthened the stitch per inch setting, one click longer than setting 4. That seemed to help a bit. I am stitching on two layers of 5/6 oz chrome tan, and realize maybe this leather is too thin for 277 top thread, but I still don't see why the thread should be fraying. I'm also thinking that maybe I need to use a lube pot with 277 thread. I'll try thicker leather and an even longer stitch per inch setting. Thanks for any help you can offer. Ed

The Hide House in California seems to have a great selection of 5/7-8 oz latigo that could be considered bridle leather for about $5 sq. ft. I think in the next six months I'm going to start to using Bridle leather and ask $700 for the bags. One point of hesitation , though, is that I wonder if asking so much for the bridle leather bag will draw attention away from the lower priced veg tan and chrome tanned bags. ed

Brent, Great job testing. I think I'll stick with tanners bond white glue and get a bunch wherever and whenever it goes on sale. Thanks. Ed