Landis Line Finisher

[drb9298]

Hello,

I have this large green Landis Line finisher that I inherited from my father. He used to own a tack shop and made saddles and other various items. I am trying to find out what this machine is worth and maybe what model it is. Any information would be greatly appreciated. I also have an USMC Clicking machine model C and about 10 or so saddle dies. Any ideas about the worth of the machine and dies. Thanks again for any info.

[Art]

That is a really, I mean really old Finisher. I have never seen one with all the leather drive belts so it is earlier than you would see now. Because of the size and the fact that it uses cut sheets instead of grinding belts, I would think $200-$300 would be the most you might get. I have seen newer models sell for around $500, but that sale had a spare parts machine included. I can't help with the clicker as I am not familiar with the USMC clickers.

Art

[billymac814]

Unfortunately its probably worth the weight of scrap. There was once somewhere in the neighborhood of 75,000 shoe repair shops in the US, now there are 5,000. This means that 70,000 finishers got displaced and almost no one wants them unless they are a more modern version with sanding belts and a better vacuum system. I recently seen one sell at an auction and it didn't even go for scrap price, it was in perfect working order, had good blades for the trimmer and was fairly clean and had been in use up until a month or so prior.

Check on Craigslist, there are finishers that have been there for months and months, this really applies to a lot of shoe repair equipment, you can get a Landis 12 stitcher for pennies if you want one, the same with a McKay. The more modern stuff gets higher prices because its still used and there's not as much of it out there. Also other things that can be used in the leatherworking trade sells higher like the splitters, 5-1s patchers etc.

You could always just set it up and use it, they work pretty good for sanding edges as long as the drums are in good shape and don't bounce around too much.

I know nothing about the clicker machine, does it work? I'm sure quite a few of the folks here would be interested in a working or maybe non working clicker.

Edited January 29, 2013 by billymac814

[drb9298]

thanks a bunch guys! very useful information. much appreciated

[billymac814]

One other thing too, you may try to part it out if you're dedicated to selling it. The naumkeg may sell on its own or the motor as well as the drums and any other small pieces that come off. Some of them will fit newer machines(newer as in still old as dirt but newer than yours). You may even find someone to buy the leg pieces to make a table or something out of. Its hard to say really but you never know. Scraping it is alot easier for sure.

[Creativecritter]

Were are you located

[Creativecritter]

can you email me I have a question about the line finisher crittercraft@live.com

[Logans Leather]

I can't tell you what model of finisher that is, but I can tell you that I have the same one! It is a fairly simple matter to modernize it a bit by changing out the flat drive belt wheels for v belt wheels. There are lots of attachments for these machines that make them very valuable in a modern leather shop. I use mine for polishing, buffing and both edge burnishing and flesh side burnishing to flatten and smooth out the leather fibers giving a very finished look. I am even having a multi-grooved edge burnishing cylinder made for mine, and I will be producing more for sale, specifically designed to fit on 1 5/16" finisher shafts.

So don't lose heart, it's a great machine with lots of potential if you make the right changes.

The clicker, I would run screaming away from. Mechanical clickers which draw their cutting force from a spinning fly wheel like this one are potentially dangerous, and there is a good reason they are all made to use hydraulics or pneumatics now.

I might be interested in the clicker dies if you want to sell them. Send me pics.

[billymac814]

I may be interested in the burnishing wheel setup, are you planning to make them work with the thing that heats them up just like the edge irons? I have thought about making a rounded groove in some of my edge irons and using them but never got around to it since I already had a decent burnisher setup.

I have a more modern one although its still old. Mine has seperate motors for each section. I'm going to be replacing it this year for a more modern one with sanding belts.

I can't tell you what model of finisher that is, but I can tell you that I have the same one! It is a fairly simple matter to modernize it a bit by changing out the flat drive belt wheels for v belt wheels. There are lots of attachments for these machines that make them very valuable in a modern leather shop. I use mine for polishing, buffing and both edge burnishing and flesh side burnishing to flatten and smooth out the leather fibers giving a very finished look. I am even having a multi-grooved edge burnishing cylinder made for mine, and I will be producing more for sale, specifically designed to fit on 1 5/16" finisher shafts.

So don't lose heart, it's a great machine with lots of potential if you make the right changes.

The clicker, I would run screaming away from. Mechanical clickers which draw their cutting force from a spinning fly wheel like this one are potentially dangerous, and there is a good reason they are all made to use hydraulics or pneumatics now.

I might be interested in the clicker dies if you want to sell them. Send me pics.

[Logans Leather]

I'm having the burnishing cylinder turned out of steel. I plan to cover mine with canvas as per Hidepounder's set up. It occurred to me that if they are wrapped with canvas, then there is no need to make them out of wood. This way I can make them not too much bigger than the shaft itself I think my outside diameter is 2 1/8". I think I will also mount an adapter for the end of the shaft so I can mount a small diameter wood burnished for very tight inside curves.