TomE

Looks very professional to me. Lots better than my baseball stitching. Do you use one needle or two? Are you prepunching holes or using a sharp/glovers needle? I'm trying to get the hang of baseball stitching to secure thin patches as an inexpensive leather repair. Would welcome any tips.

Or use a sewing awl instead of pre-punching holes that take up excess dye.

That's a neat looking repair, Jonas. Better than new. The trend towards using soft leather for dressage saddles should be a boost to the repair business. I've been asked about a similar repair but the saddle hasn't arrived in my shop. I am slogging through a pile of dirty tack that's in for repairs. Includes 7 martingales with the bridle loop chewed off, and a lot of halters with broken nosebands. Getting a lot of practice splicing new ends onto broken straps. Not as aesthetically pleasing as making new tack, but it is a skill building exercise. I am aiming for a 2" overlap at the splice, tapering the ends to about 1/4 thickness to maintain some strength.

That's a very nice looking bag! The details are spot on. Thanks for sharing.

Tried to login to my online account and can't find the password. Password reset doesn't work. It's been a few years since I ordered online and I'll have to sort this out. I ordered some bell skiver parts ~1-1/2 years ago but that was a phone order.

No. I've placed online orders or called them to ask questions and place an order. Only 5-6 orders to date.

I've called them and had good customer service.

I use a variety of creasers and like the simplicity of heating the tool in an alcohol flame and pressing firmly with the crease held in the palm of my hand. Takes a bit of practice to learn how much heat to apply, but the hand tools are simple/portable/quick to use. The electric creases look awkward to me but I have no experience using them.

Thanks, @Wizcrafts! As always I learned a few new things from your post, particularly about the spring-loaded screws on the shuttle race. I appreciate knowing WHY as well as HOW.

Thanks, Ron. I chose not to repair the rip in the seat. It's a well worn saddle that needs to be reflocked, in my opinion. I'd need to remove the seat to sew the seam that joins the seat to the skirt. I'll need to take apart a junk saddle or two before I feel comfortable removing the seat from a client's saddle. I don't have good instructions for removing a seat and will have to do some exploratory surgery on a throw away saddle. I was given an old pony saddle that will serve as a training example for tearing down a saddle.

Dye the pieces of leather then cut them to size to create a fresh edge, or buy drum dyed leather for these projects.

It is a tear along the edge of the seat where it is sewn to the skirt. Replacing the seat costs $800-$900 (above my pay grade) and folks are looking for an inexpensive fix. I've been told by clients that some saddlers patch these, but I don't think a glue on patch would hold.

Thanks,Jonas. I look forward to the updates. Have you patched an English saddle seat along the seam next to the skirt? It’s a common issue where the leather has worn and failed at the seam. I’ve declined these repairs thinking a glue on patch won’t hold.

Good looking belt with mighty fancy stitching! The buckle is a beautiful accent to complete the belt. My dad made jewelry as a hobby. I use his planishing hammer and bench anvil in my leather shop. Your buckle brings back memories of him. Thank you.

That lead looks really nice, Jonas. I'll bet she enjoys using it. I bought a used patcher and am learning to replace zippers in riding boots. I appreciate your tips on different styles of zippers. Today I received an inquiry about patching a silver dollar-sized hole on the inside leg of a riding boot. Normally I would pass on that sort of repair but since a patcher is for patching, why not try it? Have you done any leather patches on boots or saddles?

Thanks, @1hp! Those instructions did the trick. It starts slowly/smoothly now. @CowboyBob, function S.1 is the start speed on this motor. I oiled the roller cam and the action is smoother now using the hand wheel. I will be oiling the roller religiously. Thanks for your help. @DieselTech, you were right. The top nut on the belt tensioner was loose. Probably worked loose after I set up the machine then did some sewing. That certainly could have affected the startup action. I installed the missing nut to lock the motor in place. Thanks for pointing this out.

Thanks so much, @CowboyBob! I will give the instructions a try tonight. Thanks also for the advice about the needle arm lever roller/cam. Will get it cleaned up and oiled. I suspect the previous owner misplaced the nut and washer. If it's metric I probably have one. The belt tension holds the motor against the one nut I have left - that didn't come out right.

I bought a used Cobra Class 29-18 patcher that sews well but is tricky to start up slowly. Pressing the pedal slowly, the first revolution is sometimes slow and sometimes fast before slowing to an even pace. Decreasing the maximum speed helps but doesn't solve the erratic behavior. Q: Can the startup and ramp-up speeds be adjusted on the model JM9160 motor? Does anyone have an instruction sheet for this motor? I also considered whether the problem is mechanical/friction when starting up. The machine was setting for a year or two before I bought it. I've been oiling it generously. The previous owner seemed to be good about maintenance. There is a generous amount of lithium grease on the shuttle driving gear. The slot on the needle bar cam/flywheel that actuates the needle bar driving lever is also greased. Q: Should I be greasing or oiling the slot that holds the end of the needle bar driving lever, shown in the 3rd picture? I did also check the foot pedal for smooth operation and moved the angle of the lever that pulls the linkage chain connected to the servo motor actuator arm. The actuator has a very short throw and I'm trying to maximize the foot pedal travel over the full operating range. Thanks for help and advice.

Was going to make a joke about Camel (Campbell) Soups…. We have a friend who operates mobile petting zoos in the Saint Louis area. She recently bought a camel from a breeder in Oklahoma. Apparently camels are in demand for parties, nativity scenes, etc. She’s a skilled horse trainer and is making good progress training “Camelot” the camel. I won’t ask her about camel leather.

Looks like a handy knife for tight places. Keep us posted.

This maker creates beautiful bags from English saddles. https://www.calyse-co.com/ I think the value is in the artistic reinterpretation of a saddle's features, not the leather itself. Creating a keepsake from a worn out saddle.

I guess a flat bed is good for feeding heavy/bulky projects but I don't own one. I have several cylinder arm machines. The Cobra Class 26 (LS341 clone) is a favorite for lighter leathers and sewing webbing/fabric on horse blankets and gear. It is easy to use and can handle a variety of thicknesses and shapes.

Several years ago, I bought a used SK-4 with the vacuum system and have been very pleased with it. I think you have a good plan to ask for the replacement parts and a partial refund - and maybe some free accessories. I would get it set up, sharpen the knife, and check that everything is in working order before negotiating with Techsew. I swapped out some parts on my bottom feed skiver in order to skive heavier leather. I switch out the feed roller for heavy vs thin leather.

Congratulations! Sounds like a harrowing ordeal. Glad you prevailed, and thanks to @chisel for the engineer's manuals. Much appreciated.

Great information, @Eelco. Prior to retirement, I was growing protein crystals from PEG solutions and shooting x-rays at the crystals. Fun to learn about more practical chemistry. Did not know about PVB, and I'm interested in your use of PEG for flexibility. Two criteria I have for gluing are short dry time before sewing and not interfering with burnishing edges. Using Barge cement for most projects.