Tkleather1

Thanks for the input, so what you are saying basically is I need a needle feed machine to be happy? I think you are probably correct. I just thought that( and you are right ) the price was a little better on this machine. The 2020 is a 5000.00 machine and as bad as I would like to I cant pull the trigger on that. other than the feed dawgs is that "weight" of machine capable of what I want to do. or in other words would the toro 3k be heavy enough for what I want to do? I know that they are different but that is next onmy list Again.

Hi there I am looking for a good cylinder bed machine and I had my sights set on a Toro 3k but since some of the recent questions are going unanswered I thought about a Ferdco pro 440r. My dilema is I dont know a whole lot about these machines. I am interested in starting to do some saddle work but have not started that venture yet and dont know when I will be able to. I currently do alot of chap work as well as books and planners, Some tack, spur straps and other smaller projects. For my Chap and Chink work I use a Singer 31-15 and it works well until you start trying to go through two or three layers of chap leather and a peice of 8/9 oz. IT CAN BE DONE. but you really have to go slow and work at it. My main question I geuss is the 440 a big enough machine to do the ocasional saddle work. I know it will handle everything else I need, and I will not be doing Saddle work all day everyday. But hopefull on ocasion. Thanks in advance.

That is all gonna depend on the size of your hand and what feels good to you. For me just for example I have small hands but prefer a little larger knife. the 3/8 makes my hand cramp up so bad. and the 1/2 is a little better. I bought a 1/2 for most of my work and wrapped it in athletic tape so the knurling didnt chew up my fingers and it gave it a little more bulk so my hand dosent caramp near as bad. But I use a smaller knife and a smaller blade for finer curves and whatnot.

Thanks guys, I jsut really want to get started and right now I dont know if a saddle school is in the near future. So I thought that this might be a way for me to get goin. I do plan on getting to a school some day however. I was thinking that Since theis kit looked pretty complete with instruction I could use some patterns and the information and Learn how I have learned everything else I have done in leather, The Hard way. I have had no formal training, So when the time comes that I can get to a school then on one hand I might have a little better knowledge but on the other hand might be doing it all worng. Thanks for the input and I might look into a worn out wade as well.

I was curious if you guys "the true profesionals" and I do mean that, could give me any advice. I was searching around and found a complete saddle kit. I found this at www.jjmaxwell.com it sells for 1295.00. I have never built a saddle before and I really want to get to a school but at the current time things will not allow that. Would this be worth it or not. I currently do some saddle repair and alot of chap and chink work as well as the small day planner books and what not that people order. I just want to know if this would be a waste of time and energy as well as of course money? I hoped that the profesionals here could give me some insight and either save me from a mistake or help me along the way. I do have a general knowledge of the leather industry and tack builing and repair but by no means a pro. P.S. I am looking at Jesse Smiths Saddle school what would the general consensus be on that. Thanks for any advise that you can give.

I agree I would like to know if this is a legit deal. I have called as well and they act like I am an idiot, and dont have a clue what I am talking about.

That is some good looking workin gear

I also believe she should get what is comfortable in her hand and some thing she feels comfortable shooting I was merely sharing the choice of my wife as she is a very small handed woman and she has no trouble with the taurus.

Aint that the truth

I jsut bought the wife a Taurus 357 Model 66 I think. I like the 357 because you can shoot 3 loads through it .38 spl, .38 spl +p, and 357. The taurus is a lower end gun but very nice and the prices are aheck of alot lower than a smith or Glock or ruger, well you get my point.

I still cant get ahold of artisan to verify the 1650 any way When I called they said it was still 2350.00. So about this Cowboy machine where do you get them and how much I didnt see a price list on the webpage.

prefer found skirts but other than that I like it you did a great job, Where did you learn?

I have a 3115 singer and I am in need of a roller foot. My wife bought me one a while back but the thing is Way too long and I am having trouble finding one that is shorter. The one I have now I cant even flip down with nothing under the foot. Please help me.

man where do you guys find all these great old tools I look andlook and I cant ever find any leather tools. I am thinking about trading some of my Snap On tools for some leather tools. LOL

Wow look at hide pounders and not mine. I should scrap mine and try again that thing is beautiful. But it sounds like we have all come to the same way of doing things. I obviously still need to work on it but I do it the same way now in my revamped version again this one is the first one and very experimental.

I take the metal part only out of the binder (be careful when pulling the rivets they use) if you damage the holes or bend the binder it wont open and close properly. then when you make the new binder and line it with w/ something you can measure and line up where you need to punch your holes and I either use decorative chicago screws or nice conchos to attatch the binder. this is a Horrible Lining job but it is my own and still functional. Normally I would line the entire thing with no space in the center but I ran out of chap leather. So sorry the overall project looks like crap but I have done many others CORRECT ane they turned out real nice.

the only way that I have covered one was measure your binder and all the hinge points and make the cover roughly the same size but a little bigger. and then stitch pockets that the binder itself can slip into. But my personal favorite way to do it is cut the binder portion (ring part) out of the book and then build a new cover out of leather and line it with light chap leather. then use either decorative chicago screws or nice conchos to attatch the binder.

Wow that is real nice!! I would like to learn how to figure carve someday, and I think that your stuff is well worth being my model to try to create. I love it. What do you use for the coloring is it a dye or a paint or both??

Where would one get this acid???

This is my process. 1. tool 2.oil 3. dye 4. neatlac 5. stain(antique) 6. more neat lac or tan kote possible oil between 3 and 4.

the only thing I could even try to suggest is make sure all the alcohol is dry but I dont know. What are you using to apply the dye?

Well first off thank you very much. Well I might do things a little different than some but I dont know the praying cowboy one I put two light coats of neatsfoot oil and let it dry or close to anyway, then the backgrounds and the cowboy were dyed a medium brown feibings using a small paintbrush and alot of time and patience, then a light coat of neet lac, and then a fiebings antique stain (Icant remember wich color I used now) and once all that is dry I coat it pretty heavy with neet lac or tan kote. That might be the same as everyone or way off I am not sure I was self taught so alot of trial and error was involved in my early projects. TK-leather

does this come with the usual stand and motor or is this just the head? and how do I get one at this price because the websit still says 2350

I just read my last two posts and realized I sound pretty arrogant and that is not at all the case I jsut want to help and I know that there is lots of people more qualified than myself, so I am very sorry about that I did not mean to come off that way at all.