DieselTech

Yeah I was going to say I use the Fiebings antique gel. I like it. Don Gonzales has a good tutorial video on using the Fiebings antique gel & the application process he uses. This is what I adopted to use & usually turns out good.

1/8" lace testing successful! Works good. Not that I need 1/8" lace all the time. But at least now I can make it if needed. Few pics of the success.

Ok I got the final profile on my fingers. I also cut a slot in them so they can straddle the cutter blade. I am going to try & cut some 1/8" lace for a practice/testing round. I have cut 3/8" lace & it worked good. This finger modification is the ticket for this machine.

Ok this is crude as heck & redneck at its finest. Will the small letters stand up on there own? Like this 1st picture? If No. Then we will go to picture 2,3,&4 I'm using double sided router/pattern tape to hold the letters to the paint sticks. Granted they are too wide, only need to be about 3/8" width. So I laid out the letters, then double sided taped the paint sticks. Then I sandwiched the letters between the paint sticks to hold all the letters at once. I think 3/8" popsicle sticks would be perfect for this.

@billybopp recommended what I was going to say/recommend. You may have to build a jig to hold the dies. I been wanting 1 of their presses myself & when I do get 1 I will build a jig for my letter stamps. Give me a second & I'll get a pic posted that may or may not be of help. I mainly use the 1" stamps, so I'm not sure if this technique will work for the small letters.

What does your stamp style look like? Do they have the 3/8" socket that a stamping handle snaps into them? Also can we get a pic of the press you are using? Thanks.

@RockyAussie I'm hoping these pics show a bit better at what I'm going for. I made the fingers extra long in the back so they always hold themselves against the cutter bar shaft. I am still going to mill/cut a 1/8" slot in the finger so it will then straddle each side of the blade, that way I can cut/make lace. Heck maybe the way I'm doing it won't work? Idk till I try some cutting I guess.

The reason I had you try a piece to see if the spots would disappear from the dye job. & if the spots did not disappear after the dye job, I was going to say as others have mentioned. Iron contamination within the leather.

Well got the fingers dished out. Now I need to slot them. Not sure if I should use my router with a mortise jig. Or drag out the table saw to cut my slots.

Thanks for the pictures & the vote of confidence. I much appreciate it. Thanks. Lmao I think there must be $25-$30 worth of washers they used. I take it you got more than 1 strap cutter. I think I seen some pics of 1 you might have restored.

@RockyAussie do you think this will be OK. I kinda took your advice on making the fingers longer. I did not see or think they needed to be made out of stainless steel or aluminum. What's your thoughts? Lmao did I waste my time & material? Thanks.

Next I want to dish out the cutter fingers so they pass by the cutter blades. Also going to put a 1/8" slot in them so you can put the cutter finger over the blade for cutting/making lace. I added a couple more pics. To kinda help show what I'm shooting for.

Guys & gals I bought the TandyPro strap cutter machine. It is a nice machine, cuts 14-16oz saddle skirting like butter. But what sucks a big fat egg is the cutter blade separating plates. They used a 140 washers to separate them & to hold them in place when the jam nut is tightened. Needless to say it is stupid. So decided to do some mods. I was going make the separation plates out of stainless or aluminum bar stock. But changed my mind, & decided to use UHMW bar stock. I think this will be sufficient. Started with 3/4" x 3/8" milled UHMW bar stock & cut 8 4" long pieces. Then traced the separation plate tapered end profile on the 4" long uhmw bars I cut. Then I drilled a 10mm hole at 2¼" so they would be top or bottom heavy depending on how you install them. I want the heavy end at the top so the cutter separation plates/bars always swing towards the cutter blades/bar. I will have a few more pics tomorrow on the final product/modifications. Here a couple pics of what I'm doing.

@olbar70 you got a potential buyer for some of your leather tools.

@Yukonrookie dye a test piece with the spots on it to see if it aggrevates the spots/makes them stand out.

Nice looking knife! Glad to see it arrived. Gives me more confidence to order from them now. Keep us updated on how well it wears/ holds a edge.

Thanks. @Leather2 let me see if my wallet will allow it. Give me a day or 2 & I'll get back to you thru a private message. Thanks.

@Leather2 in the 3rd picture, what would you take for both pairs of dividers? Shipped to Kansas? Can you show me what you mean by the large dividers not being straight? Actually I might want the Spain dividers too. Thanks.

Should work good. Also deer & elk antler works for burnishing & folding/creasing.

Nice work on the thread winder. It looks industrial for sure!

Good silver solder has a lot of good uses. Expensive as heck. But a good supply to have around. Make sure to get flux too when you get silver solder. A lot of times for me the flux is the key to good solder job.

Toxo can I ask, does a magnet stick to your feed dog? High percentage silver solder will adhere to most metals. If a magnet don't stick it is probably stainless & will require a good flux for stainless & a high percentage silver solder. Thanks.

On my class 441 machine I bought narrow feed dogs & needle throat plates for it, because of this problem. I do not know if they are offered for the class 341 machines. The narrow feed dog & throat plate fixed/solved a lot of my problems I was having. I'm sure you can modify them to your needs if careful.

I have a friend who has a Rottweiler & it is a Big dog. She walks it everyday. I made a dog collar for her, out of a single layer of 10-12oz veg-tan. Over a years time, that collar stretched a bunch. Like way worse than I thought it would. IDK maybe it was a bad side of leather I got or what. I made a new collar for her, out of 2 layers of 8-9oz veg-tan & put velodon no stretch fabric in between the 2 layers & sewn it with 346 thread. It has not stretched any in over a year now.

Nice work. They look great!