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Found 171 results
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Does anyone know the best way to tool fish scales for a largemouth bass? My best idea was using a mule's foot, but I'm hoping that there is a better way of doing this.
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Hi Guys, I'm a newbie here and have just bought a very old Singer 111w155 machine which I have a few questions about. Im hoping that some of you have this machine or one like it and can give me some advice. This machine does a nice stitch so far (Ive had it for 2 days) but I noticed that the the belt on the lower safety clutch pulley walks off the pulley about 1/4 of an inch. How can I get this back on center and keep it there? Upon looking over the machine and watching videos on line I noticed that I'm missing a cog next to the lower safety clutch pulley... OR maybe it is an older model? Well anyway, I tried to just move the lower safety clutch pulley over a bit, but when I did - I got a lot of slop (back and forth on the shaft). Also I need some advice on if I should move my bobbin case up a bit. It looks like it might be a bit low. The little tab the goes under the feed dog just catches. Should it be more firmly up in that slot? AND - If I do move it; will I have to re-time the bobbin and needle? Also, about that bobbin area... Is the little finger that comes out and points at the bobbin case supposed to be closer to the case? I seem to have a good size gap. Lastly, having to lift out the bobbin with a needle or screw driver seems wrong, is there a right way or at least a better way? I cant wait to get to work and use this machine! I hope to hear from you.
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Not sure if this topic is in the right place. What I would like to do is to get a moderator to 'Pin It' in the most suitable section in the Forums. When I read posts about almost any subject on here, I seem to spend ages trying to hunt down the easily obtainable equivalents to those mentioned in the post. Even if items are obtainable they tend to be very expensive if UK stocked and dispatched and generally out of the question if sent from the States. There are one or two examples of the reverse problem, I'm thinking of Dixon Tools and Tiger thread which you who live in USA find difficulties with. So what I am hoping for are lists of equivalents, suppliers posting with the items they supply at normal UK post rates and so on. So who wants to start? Claire
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Good morning, ive been trying to wrap my head around the maths for figuring out my string size for a braided bosal core. I’m used to working in mm rather than inches and fractions, so it’s taking more brain power than expected! im wondering if it’s as simple as taking the core size I want to achieve, and dividing that by the number of strings I want to use to find out what size strings I should use. this is what I usually do for kangaroo lacing, but this is my first time messing with rawhide so not too sure if it’s a different story. thanks again !
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I'm new to leatherworking. I recently purchased a 2-3oz half cowhide from Tandy but the leather arrived with a lot of cracks on the back. I had previously purchased a 5-6oz half cowhide that was stiff/dry but didn't have this cracking issue. Is this amount of cracking just in the nature of the lighter leather or should I message Tandy and file a complaint? If it is just in the nature of the product, what can I do to fix the cracking so that my projects aren't filled with these ugly lines? Here's a photo of the cracking:
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Hi, I'm new to this forum but this seems like the right place to get some help and opinions on my new machine. I picked up this machine using fb marketplace for $250 Canadian after searching for a few weeks. The seller mentioned her sister worked in the apparel industry and used the machine for her personal non-work projects, it was not a company machine. When the seller came into possession of the machine she found it overkill for her projects and preferred her singer domestic machine instead. It seems like its in very good shape mechanically, the paint has seen better days. It has a clutch motor but I plan on replacing it with a servo. The insides have a fair amount of built up lint, I suspect from using excessive oil and infrequent cleanings. I'm planning on using it for some projects I have in mind - canvas tent, backpacks and anything else that pops up. I'm hoping you all can help me answer the following: - is this as good of a deal as I think it is? - any good videos of the teardown and rebuilt would be much appreciated, youtube wasn't so helpful it seemed - any recommendations of needle, thread suppliers (preferably a member of this forum) in the Greater Toronto Area or in Ontario, Canada in general - what is the best way to clean the machine, I'm guessing isopropyl and a cloth/toothbrush? - should I clean the machine first, re-oil everything and then test it? or should I test it, troubleshoot and then tear it down, clean, and replace any parts at that stage? - the reverse paddle doesn't seem to go all the way back up when its depressed, could this mean the spring needs to be replaced or is that normal? - a good resource on how to tell the best thread size and needle combinations, and what thread size to use in my various projects - it came with U size bobbins but the owner had it set up with a pre-loaded 'bobbin' made of cardboard, see pictures of bobbin case - what's that about? - I read somewhere the walking foot could be removed, some parts replaced and it would function as a quasi-needle feed machine, is this true? - would a servo motor with needle positioning be helpful enough to warrant the upgrade cost? My main Brother machine has needle position, auto beginning/end lock stitching and thread cutter, its the bee's knees. Yes I am aware I have a bike addiction, apparently its spread to sewing machines now too. Thank you,
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Hi folks! I have recently aquired a brother DB2 B755-3 for sewing some pretty pliable leather. I think I'm using the correct needle size - 16 x 231 (DB x 1) NM 110 Size 18 ... I find sewing machine needle systems a bit mindbending... but I'm concerned the thread I'm using is incorrect and not going to be strong enough with normal wear and tear. I've got Coats Nylbond, in size Tkt 040. it also says Tex 070 but not sure what that means! Any tips? Thanks so much! -
Hey guys, Im looking to get some new geometric stamps and bevelers as the ones i acquired a while are of poor quality and im just not getting a defined stamp out of them now. Ideally looking for some geometric stamps that are a bit "different" as well. Are there any suggestions on where i could purchase stamps that will send to Australia or New Zealand? have had a look on Tandy Thanks
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Hello Everyone! Brand new newbie here. I'm a firefighter and I'm trying to get into making the helmet shields for those retiring or leaving to go somewhere else. They make awesome gifts. Which brings me to my request, is there anybody out there that has a template that I can print out in order to get a 100% symmetrical and accurate shield? The ones my department lent me are old and pretty misshapen. Also open to any and all advice from anyone willing to help out. If you made it this far, thank you for reading and I hope to hear from you all.
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Hello all, I have a customer that dropped a belt off for me to extend 6-8". The question is, he doesn't want it to bulky. Is it best to do a straight cut and skive the ends of the belt and extension pieces to glue together? The belt is pretty plain and has no stitching or tooling. Also, is there a good method to try and match the dye? The belt is old and has some scuffs and scrapes on it. (He doesn't mind that it'll have a new piece inserted, I just want it to match dye) Thank you, Aspen. Whispering Sage Leather
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Hi, I am looking for someone to recreate my boyfriends wallet that was his grandfathers. I have been told it was made by someone who used handmade stamps so it will be hard to recreate. Im just trying to find someone who can recreate it as close as possible! I can email pictures but it won’t let me upload them here
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Looking for a nice, used cobra 4 sewing machine! Does anyone know of someone who could help? I live in Columbus Ohio. if you have one you want to sell, please let me know!
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Hi guys, Been going crazy trying to find a solution to printing on leather. I have a leather jacket I am interested in putting a graphic on the front and on the back. I've been reading some forums on here saying to use either the screen printing method or sublimation in order to get the image onto a leather jacket but is there another way thats possible? My graphics are very detailed images so I don't think screen printing would give me the result I'm looking for. I know it's possible though, as I've seen a lot more designers use some sort of method to transfer images onto their leather. I have been getting a lot of "no's" from companies saying the only real way is to have the print made before the jacket is, but is there another way to transfer an image? Would love your feedback and if anyone knows any companies that may be able to help!
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LOOKING FOR SOME HELP! I have been asked to create a leather fire bucket as a gift. I would like to keep it close to how it would have originally been constructed and i think i have a good idea of how i would like to do it. Any thoughts and ideas are greatly appreciated! I am most curious about what type of waterproofing / hardening mixture can be made/ bought that was used in the production of these buckets. I am doing as much research as possible and hope to get some ideas from you guys. Thanks, Kael
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Can someone please help me solve a problem with the knee lifter lifting lever on a Juki Lu563? I am not able to lift the presser foot with the knee lifter as the stopper at the bottom of the connecting rod with spring makes contact with the machine after about 4 mm. of travel. If I pull up the knee lifter lifting lever by hand it works perfectly but I cannot do this with the knee lifter. Thanks in advance. Benny.
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I was given a bag full of hardware. While sorting it, I ran across two W shaped things. Does anyone know what they are and how to use them? Thanks. Bob
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Hello everyone I'm brand spanking new to leatherwork, having only ever made stuff (bags & tool rolls) out of canvas up until now. I'd like to progress into leather; making tool rolls and ditty bags to compliment my canvas ones. I'd also like to start making belts too. As with every other newbie I'm totally confused about the tools out there and what I need / don't need. I've read forum posts here, checked out websites and watched YouTube and have a rough idea of the basics. However, I also have a lot of questions and hope to find answer here. I understand the opinion of 'Buy The Best Tools You Can Afford', but I'm not 100% committed to the cause yet, so feel that shopping at Tandy here in the UK could be a good place to start. I read both good and bad things regarding Tandy, but to me the prices are affordable and the convenience of using one shop instead of sourcing tools from all over the world is preferable at this time. Am I making an error with this idea? I'm favouring the use of Tandy's Craftool Pro Stitching Chisels. I like the idea of punching neat, clean holes straight through the leather ready for stitching (and using a stitching awl for single holes in the corners). They had a favourable review from Armitage Leather so think they'll suit me just fine. My questions here are: If I use wing dividers to score a line in the leather do I really need a dedicated adjustable groover as well? Is it a handy enough tool to use elsewhere in projects? If I use a smooth-faced hammer / cobbler's hammer on the stitches afterwards do I need an overstitch wheel? Should I get a diamond awl as well? Just in case? I can't quite justify spending money of strap end punches, even though I can really see the benefit of them; quick, clean cuts every time! I'm thinking of using templates, just for now, instead. Would a head knife be the best choice in cutting the leather, or could I get away with a Stanley knife / box cutter? I think that's the main questions I have for now. Thanks for taking your time to read this far. All the best. Pic attached in the kind of thing I make now and would like to try in leather.
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Hello all - I have a Durkopp Adler 767-FAS-573 equipped with a Mitsubishi Limiservo X B series control and motor. It has a Mitsubishi XC-CL-2 foot lever unit. Here’s what’s happening: i went to change the auto backtack from two stitches to three. The machine was working fine. I made the backtack change and the presser foot no longer lifts at the end of the stitch or with partial backtreadle (programmed to go needle down, presser up). Troubleshooting: At full back treadle it does the end backtack and the thread trim cycle and the presser foot lifts momentarily when the thread trims. Therefore I know the pneumatic valve for the presser foot lift is getting signal and actuating. I reassigned the partial back treadle to the backtack cycle and forward treadle to foot lift. Partial back treadle worked properly on the backtack cycle, full forward did nothing. So I know the foot switch isn’t faulty. I reassigned the functions to as before and they work with the exception of foot lift. I looked at the locked out functions. Foot lift is turned on. Should work. Doesn’t. I did a factory reset of the control. Foot lift still isn’t functioning. Everything else works. I sent the control to a company who specializes in Mitsubishi controls out of NC with this info. I think they just did a factory reset and shipped it back, but they confirmed that the control is functional, no burnouts on the board. Still no foot lift. clearly the backtack pattern is the issue... changed it back, still no presser foot lift. help...
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I have a 241-11 and some how the stitch length changed on me. It is on the smallest length and I need more of the longest. I’ve read previous post which said to push the plug down and force the wheel but it’s not moving for me. Could someone explain what I may be doing wrong.
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So I want to start getting into leather working. I don't know if this is the right place but I thought my questions had to do with this thread and a others so I got bit confused. I need an opinion on whether this is a good starter set to get? I plan on making a variety of stuff mainly armor: https://www.amazon.com/Caydo-Pieces-Leather-Stitching-Stamping/dp/B01NBN3UZQ What kind of thickness of leather are used for various things? I got a lot of different answers so I don't have any specifics, stuff like 3.6mm for armor and some thinner for straps and the like. I don't need help on templates and stuff but I found a few different leather hardening and came to baking it to be the best choice for armor. How do you go about shaping leather? I can't find anything specific enough on how to keep a shape so that I can bake it without losing the form. Is there more important pros and cons about these techniques like hardness or flexibility: https://www.wikihow.com/Stiffen-Leather I know it'll be expensive to buy leather but is there popular online stores or should I look locally? Is there tips or stuff you can off that i absolutely should know? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'm doing this as a hobby since it aligns a lot with my other hobbies.
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Hey guys! My name is Jon. I own a small leather shop in Castroville, Texas called Spartan Custom Leather. Right now we have a 2.5 - 3 year wait list on new custom orders and need a little help catching up. If you would like to get paid to do some leatherwork, please text me and send a few pics of your work to 210-381-1299. Thank you.
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I have some leather armor that I got online cause I thought it would be easy to match the colors by dyeing it or what not, but I have no idea how to go about it. Is there a way to match the colors on finished leather armor? The colors vary from different browns. https://imgur.com/EOcshSk https://imgur.com/2InTees
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I am wanting to get into carving and tooling to spice up my holsters. I did a spruce tree today at our leather working breakfast and decided to go ahead and buy a few swivel knives and some stamping tools and what not. What are some good tooling sets to buy? Craft tool? Or is there something better? Please don’t ask to see my tree...
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Any ideas on how to fix this issue on a singer 7-34? We just replaced the needle and adjusted the tension but it seems like maybe something is going on with the bobbin? Thanks in advance!
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Hello- We recently purchased a used Singer 7-34 and we are having a tough time finding the type of needles to purchase for replacements. We also haven't had any luck tracking down a manual. Does anyone know what needle size this machine might take or where a person could track down a manual? thanks!
