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Spyros

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Everything posted by Spyros

  1. yeah I got a whole bunch of stuff. And now I have to successfully pretend to my wife that I understand what they are CB 4500 Cowboy Industrial sewing machines Model: CB4500 Heavy duty, long cylinder arm, industrial sewing machine Includes built-in bobbin winder, spare bobbins, double toe harness foot, smooth feed dog, blanket foot, toothed feed dog, two place thread stand, sewing machine oil and instruction manual 12 month return to base parts and labour warranty, 750W Servo Motor Accessories 750W Servo Motor, Ball Bearing Style Speed Reducers Accessories Ball Bearing Style Speed Reducers, Belt guard for ball bearing speed reducer Safety belt guard for table, Vee Belt size O43 for ball bearing speed reducer Vee Belt size O43 for ball bearing speed reducer, Table Top Accessories ST-04 Table Top, Pedestal Tables ST-04 Accessories Pedestal Tables, M Belt Size 60 Belts M Belt Size 60, CB4500 Parts - Right Toe Edge Foot, #4500F-C1 CB4500 Parts - Left Toe Edge Foot, #4500F-A3 CB4500 Parts - Open Toe Inner Foot, #4500F-A5 CB4500 Parts - Left Toe Harness Foot, #4500F-A6 CB4500 Parts - Right Toe Harness Foot, CB 4500 Roller Guides 4500 Parts CB 4500 Roller Guides, #HT-TA043B CB4500 Stainless Steel Flat Bed Table Attachment, 4500 Narrow Slotted Needle Plate & Feed Dog Set 4500 Narrow Slotted Needle Plate & Feed Dog Set,794 LR #200 25 Sewing needle Schmetz 794 LR #200 size 25, 794 LR #160 23 Sewing needle Schmetz 794 LR #160 size 23, Bonded polyester thread 1800mtrs Size M10/277 White Bonded polyester thread 1800mtrs Size M10 (277) White, Freight Package and delivery to TNT depot, Bonded polyester UV 1500m Size 138/ M20 Natural White Bonded polyester UV
  2. Ordered and paid. I have to say, after reading this thread I half expect the machine to order the leather, cut it, stitch it and sell it for me :D
  3. What is the benefit of having Tandy or other suppliers in Oz? Chances that any of them would be close enough to go visit in person are pretty slim, so you're stuck with ordering online anyway, at which point you may as well order from the other side of the planet. It's not like AusPost is faster than international couriers. It's cheaper, but AU pricing on the actual leatherworking items will make sure you lose all that difference (and more, a lot more). https://www.thethreadexchange.com/
  4. Ok I'm convinced. I just spent the weekend getting stuff out of my shed to make room and today I spoke to them on the phone to get a quote for a CB4500. Buy once cry once.
  5. Well, it looks like in Rome 2,000 years ago they had better round punches than some of the crap they sell today lol
  6. Looks like shoulders to me, which is not the best possible cut for straps and belts. Give it a stretch with your hands and if it doesn't feel too stretchy you can still use it, especially on wider belts, but ideally you'd want to avoid the wrinkly bits as much as possible.
  7. Maybe... I order regularly from them and I wouldn't mind trying some buffalo, that's why I asked.
  8. 2000 years later those Italians still don't know how to make proper sandals. It's fun walking around in Rome and watching tourists slip and slide on the cobblestone because someone sold them sandals with nice, shiny veg tan soles Kidding aside I don't know anything about those sandals in the photo but they look impossible to make in leather, especially that lion head at the top
  9. Sure it was buckleguy? I didn't know they sell belt blanks, I can only see straps on their website. And I don't see water buffalo anywhere...
  10. Maybe get a 2nd hand one, something you can sell for roughly what you paid if it doesn't work out for you, and give it a go. Maybe it's just me struggling with sharpening in general.
  11. Yeah, a bend is basically a rectangle that contains the best part of a hide, and it is what they cut the best quality belts out of. Shoulders is probably second best, it just usually contains stretch marks. The leather can be a little weaker on the stretch marks, but not unusable. Just shoulders, unless we're talking about a big animal, would probably not be long enough for belts. Get a bend, or double bend, or a culatta (which is bend+shoulders). You could of course also get a whole side, but then you're stuck with the belly, which is unsuitable for most leatherworking projects and certainly not good for quality belts, like HandDave said. It's usually soft, stretchy and wrinkly, although the best leather types like bridle have a higher yield (ie even parts of the belly are still firm and uniformed enough to work with). Keep in mind all those definitions like bend, culatta, butt, etc can also vary a little from merchant to merchant and tannery to tannery so make sure to see what they actually mean by every cut before you order. Buckleguy is good like that, they include their definitions in the bottom of every item on their website.
  12. Don't worry about it too much. Just get your knowledge in the ball park so you don't make any crucial mistake like buying suede or something to make belts, and start ordering. People will tell you this material is good for that etc, and it's generally valid advice, but in reality you'll never know about a particular leather until you actually feel it in your hands and start working it. Generally in the big shops like buckleguy/weaver/tandy etc, the leather they sell in belts and straps is good for ... belts and straps (duh). Go in their websites, sort for leather in straps and read the descriptions, that will give you a good idea of the attributes you're looking for, and which types of leather generally have these attributes. But remember it's not gospel. Buckleguy sells Horween Dublin in straps, but Dublin is fairly stretchy and nowhere near as firm as English bridle from an American tannery, which again is *usually* not as firm as English bridle from England. You can still use Dublin but it would have to be fairly thick. Then you also have latigo, tooling veg tan, all those leathers are typically used for belts with good results. Another way to narrow it down is in some websites you'll see a section for "saddlery leather". Typically almost anything in that section will be strong and firm and therefore good for bridles, straps, belts. Two other things to know: regardless of the type of leather or the tanning process, the strength of leather is mostly in the very top layer: the outside skin or "grain". So if you're going for strength avoid anything that has this layer shaved off. Anything that says top grain, suede, genuine leather etc it's generally not a good option for strapping. And the other thing: as long as you have the top layer (the grain), any kind and almost any thickness of leather will make a strong and durable belt if you line it with itself (ie double it up), glue, and stitch it with a good quality polyester thread.
  13. I have a cheap ebay version of this thing, and it works for me, but it does take some upper body strength and it will stretch your leather a bit. But most crucially, have you ever tried to sharpen a blade like that? The one I bought even has a secondary bevel, which means that once a month I need a full hour in complete silence and focus to sharpen this thing, and I've sharpened (feels like) a million things in my life so it's not like I'm new to sharpening.
  14. They're all different but generally yeah. You'll find there are significant differences between english bridle from an American tannery and english bridle from England, not necessarily better or worse, but different. Sometimes there are differences even between colours of the exact same leather, if you get tan sedgwick bridle it's a different beast than black sedwick bridle. And sometimes differences between hides of the same thing... leather is all organic, nothing is ever exactly the same
  15. You only really realise how strong these things are when you make a mistake and have to remove one. When set properly, especially the solid brass ones are ridiculously strong, you need a drill and a pliers to take them off. And although I haven't done any tests because I have no reason to, it feels that if a huge tensile force was applied the leather would tear much earlier than the rivet. If the leather is extremely thick and strong and you need the hardware to match, for example in saddles, well, that's what saddle rivets are for. To be honest, unless we're talking about saddles or safety equipment, rivets are overkill and are only really used for convenience and style purposes.
  16. I think you got to the answer by yourself in the end: there's a reason people who do this for years eventually end up with a bunch of sewing machines You already have one, adding a second one now, and sooner or later you'll probably pick up a third. I know this, it's just that I have a serious issue with lack of space which is not going to change any time soon, and I know whatever I get I'll be stuck with it for years so I really need it to be as perfect as possible.
  17. I know, I am actually considering a handcranked cowboy outlaw for all the reasons you mentioned, but I think all those triple feeds and walking feet and all the rest of it probably have a reason of existence and make a prettier, more consistent stitch, and generally more appropriate for the things I make.
  18. All the corners are taken, I'll have to make some room Other than liquids I import absolutely everything, mostly from Buckleguy. Aussie sellers are typically very nice people and some of them have some good stuff, and despite their terrible prices I'd love to give them some business, but none of them is anywhere near me and their websites are archaic and often just impossible to find what you want. It got to the point where I chose to pay $50 DHL for $15 worth of snaps from the other side of the planet rather than having to buy from Australia.
  19. For leather strong enough to sit on and not stretch to buggery it has to be 3-4mm veg tan, ideally something like bridle/skirting/latigo or something like that, but you're right it's never cheap. Shop around in the usual suspects for offers, but also see if you can find some lesser known local tannery that sells direct, that's usually where the best prices are. And go straight to their saddlery leathers and see if they have any seconds with smudges or small marks, buy them natural and dye them. You could also look for kangaroo which is fairly cheap and crazy strong, but I'm not sure what sizes you need. Kangaroo is always small hides. I believe these guys ship internationally (and quickly): https://www.austanners.com.au/product-page/seconds-deluxe-kangaroo-in-matt-natural-5-8mm that's like USD$35 per hide, but every hide is only 7-8 sqf.
  20. Better than my first belt that's for sure. I like sedgwick english bridle for belts, it looks great, it's very durable and it doesn't need any finishing or dying, you buy it the colour you want and just give it a buff with a cloth and burnish the edges. You can buy pre cut straps but if I was making a batch of belts I'd buy a bend and cut it myself, it works out cheaper. If you line and stitch a belt you add a lot to longevity and durability, but it's a bigger job obviously, especially if you're hand stitching. For finishing in other types of leather like veg tan or skirting I like carnauba creme from fiebings, you could do tan kote or resolene but it would make it shinier, which you may or may not want. If I don't line the belt, I like to add a layer tan kote on the flesh side and then press it down with a piece ground glass, it makes it more presentable IMO and seals it better as well.
  21. Yep. There must be some difference from the original, but I couldn't see it, therefore it doesn't exist :D
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