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I've been using my Juki 1541 W for gusset sewing, and though I've muscled through, I'd love to start working on a cylinder arm to make corners easier. What are people's favorite machines to look out for? I've been combing through facebook and other formums to find something used. It'll be my first one so I'd rather not pay for something brand new while I get adjusted. I generally use 3-4oz leather and mostly for bags, always veg tanned. Thanks! (or if anyone has tips on making gusset sewing easier on a juki, I'm all ears!)

Guys, I wanted to give a shout out to Nigel at Armitage Leather, aka @Dangerous Beans. I have been at leather work for a bit now and I have to say his teaching channel is Awesome. I thought I knew how to bevel properly, nope. I thought I knew how to do a lot of things. Nigel brings some really forehead smacking techniques to table. His teaching style is wonderful and his voice is just a joy to listen too. I have spent plenty of money on tooling over the years. Now I am learning how to apply them properly. This channel is worth way more than the cost of admission. 4 bucks pays for the whole seat, but you only need the edge. https://www.armitageleather.com/courses Thanks Nigel.

I'm newer to making "3d" projects such as bags and purses. One thing that has been of constant frustration to me is the techniques people like to use to design and sew their gussets together. I can't find many good videos and have searched hi and low. I understand how the concept works, but the trouble I find is that many videos offer a pattern in which the holes are premarked. At this point I am quite capable of copying a pattern, but for my own knowledge I would like to know how people like to sew gussets when they are not following a pre-designed patterned so I can create my own designs. Do you like to pre-punch your holes in both the gusset and the body? Mark the points where the hole should go, either with a wheel or an iron, attach the gusset to the body, and then stitch both pieces, punch the holes in one piece to use as a guide/lessen the thickness the awl must travel through, attach the pieces, and then finish off with an awl? Also, if anyone has any good resources, books, videos, posts, on the subject that they could link me to I would greatly appreciate it. Edit: Also, I find a lot of tutorials are sorely lacking on the design phase and get the gusset to the proper length seems challenging, so if there's any insights to that anyone could offer, I would appreciate that as well.

Hi Guys, I hope someone can answer a question for me. I'm sewing a small 6 X 14 single saddle bag of 8 oz oiled Latigo with a 12 oz flat harness leather back. The front is sewn together first then that is sewn to the back panel. Some come out even and some are an inch or more off when I get to the top on the other side after sewing the front to the back. It has me baffled, is it the rounded corners? I can post pictures if need be. Thanks in advance, George, Unionlevelleather.com