MikeCahill

You might like to look at the the link below. He develops patterns and then sells them, I've got this pattern download, it is inspirational, well worth the cost, It unlocks your mind, and you can see dozens of ways of using his method for all sorts of things, he also does lots of other patterns http://www.bighousedaddy.com/camping_boot_patterns.htm Cheers Mike

I was hoping someone might have a scrapper machine or a second hand one knocking around for a couple of quid rather than paying new price, it is for a "project" that I will get rid of once it's complete and working. I am a Lancastrian living in Yorkshire, some of their meanness has rubbed off. cheers Mike Shake a bridle over a Yorkshireman's grave, and he'll get up and steal the horse (old Lancastrian saying)

does anyone have a spare foot for a patcher? fair price paid, and postage refunded. I'm in the UK, but it wouldn't be expensive to ship from overseas. Cheers Mike

looks like a hand skiver to me with the cutter mounting missing (should be behind the feed wheel on the left of the picture, and hand crank wheel on the right hand end) cheers mike

I've got a friend who has a sweet shop I get the plastic boxes that penny sweets come in they go through about 5 a week, you need to wash the sugar out of them, and they break down quite quickly if they are in direct sunlight, but they stack, 5 or more high and are fine for things that are too big, or too many for the smaller draw units, however, I am one of the most disorganised people you will ever meet, and so as well as tools and fittings stuffed into my shed, I also have a stack of empty boxes waiting for me to get round to sorting and filling. as my dad used to always tell me, "do as I say, not as I do" Cheers Mike

A few months ago I bought a Merkle skiver, almost identical to a fortuna, it was a bit bent and bashed up, with bits missing, It is now running again, but I'm having problems setting it up, can't seem to get a consistant cut, what power motor should it have? the current one seems under powered, any suggestions greatfully received, I'll post a couple of photos tomorrow,

this is a blakes? stitcher, a tredle single thread machine that creates a loop stitch, just like the machines that they sew potato sacks up with, and you pull one end and it all unravels (if you don't know what I'm talking about you haven't lived) it was seized solid, and the tredle casting was broken, but it works now (not sure what I'm going to do with it!) but a great piece of engineering

need a bit of guidance on postin pictures, but here is an outsole stitcher, as a bit of a machine freek I've got lots of old machines, I'll post them a bit at a time cheers mike

you have probably made the belt by now, but heres my two penny worth. The loss in length will depend on the tanage of the leather, how thick the leather is and how wide the belt will be, a 1 1/2" belt will reduce more than you would expect, but with use the belt will settle and stretch and get most of it's length back, in the end I guess it will lose about 1/2" in 6" or 8" Cheers Mike

you have probably made the belt by now, but heres my two penny worth. The loss in length will depend on the tanage of the leather, how thick the leather is and how wide the belt will be, a 1 1/2" belt will reduce more than you would expect, but with use the belt will settle and stretch and get most of it's length back, in the end I guess it will lose about 1/2" in 6" or 8" Cheers Mike

The one on the left is stocked by le prevo leather supplies, Newcastle, England. see attached link :- http://www.leprevo.co.uk/d%27s_o%27s_steel.htm they work out about $15-$17 per hundred plus post and packing, and you might get stung for import duty. Cheers Mike

very few animals are killed for their skins, leather is a by product of the meat industry, the animal has died, I don't think it is rational not to use the skin would the animal be bothered?

try bookbinders suppliers, or go direct to a tannery, they might sell you the top split, cheers mike

if all else fails, get a piece of small dia steel tube something like brake pipe square the end off sharpen it and then drive the tang of a file into it, use the end grain of a block of wood so you don't damage the edge a new end can be made very quickly when it becomes blunt, use an awl to push the wad's out regularly so they don't pack the tube 'cos the end your hitting will distort. cheers Mike

Lincoln isn't far from Chesterfield where you will be able to buy leather direct from "Claytons" one of only two proper (veg tan) tanneries left in the country (I think I'm right) the other is in Dorset or somewhere like that. If you are into leather armour, you can get leather upto 8mm thick, they are very helpful, and you might get to see round the works, it's very interesting, tell them what you want it for, they will advise you what to buy. take lots of cash, they aren't cheap . cheers mike

I posted the above without thinking it through, If you know someone who has a bandsaw with a 5 in. or larger throat it would be easy enough to design and make your own soles out of a light white wood such as beech, poplar (aspen) or sycamore. I could give you some advice, it is fairly standard woodwork

It's not quite that simple, what size (english, american european sizes?), what style shoe style, slip on (Dansko style) round toe,common toe, how many pairs, obviously the more you buy, the cheaper they are. are you in the US? will you have to pay import duty? if so this would add to the cost. cheers Mike Cahill http//.www.clogger.eu

If the soles were flat, it would make walking very uncomfortable, and put a lot of pressure on the top of the foot as you stepped forward, the curved sole allows you to roll forward, a very natural way of walking. generally speaking the more the sole curves the more comfortable the clogs are especially in hilly places, walking up a hill in flat clogs is hard work the wooden sole also insulates the foot in winter, and wicks sweat away in summer. I use 3mm veg tan for the uppers (2.5mm for small sizes), because there is minimal flexing of the leather, they quickly mould themselves to the shape of your foot, you hardly know you've got them on Cheers Mike

I make the English version of these, "Clogs" see my website www.clogger.eu cheers Mike