looking for a beginner machine

[bikermutt07]

1 hour ago, JerseyFirefighter said:

I went through these same mental hoops. Posted here with a $500 budget looking for a machine to sew a 12oz of leather, begrudgingly upped my budget to over $1000, then went big instead of going home and dropped almost 3x that on my machine. It is a little different because I had been selling products for a few months already, but i'm sure budget will slowly start creeping upwards (not to my extreme I gather). I'm guessing although it's a hobby you sell some of your work..I dedicated a few month or so of profit to offset the hit. Couldnt be happier with not settling. 

that's great. i haven't sold anything as of yet. right now I'm just doing one project at a time. They are all firsts for me. I have made a fixed knife sheath, a folder knife sheath, a cell holster, and a tote. I'm currently working on a wallet. My next project will be maybe a belt. I once loved motorcycles till I had a motorcycle magazine. Now, it's just two wheel transportation without ac. I won't let that be the fate of this hobby. I'm really more concerned with a burnishing machine for now. Burnishing seems to suck big time by hand. Yesterday I secured a pump motor from a whirlpool tub. I'm hoping to find a burnisher that will bolt up straight away. I have a line on some but have to see what the shaft on the pump is. Hand stitching on the other hand I find pretty relaxing.

[mikesc]

Front, back, whelp.

whelp ?.. a young dog ?
"predictive text" for "welt" ( the edge , where it appears really thick there, the 7/8" part ) I presume ?
Don't get much call for handgun holsters here..and I can't find much about the technical names for the various parts, but I know that on shoes the edge area "sandwich" is the "welt"..

Edited July 12, 2016 by mikesc

[JLSleather]

Yes, "whelp" was an attempt at hillbilly humor, a personal rendition of a "redneck joke", farce.  Officially, it's a welt (in this case, single layer of heavy(ish) leather stitched between the back 'n' front to open the form without making it wider side to side.

 

[TheITMan]

Welt that answers that. lol TY for the clarification JLS. 

[mikesc]

Indeed, thanks for clearing that up JLS :) ( I remember when I was last in the USA , a lot of the jokes went right over my head, as they required a knowledge of the cultural references of the moment and area, which even as a visitor of a few times, I did not always have )..the urban dictionary helps sometimes ( when I hear or read a word that I'm not expecting in particular context ), but they seem to have a one track mind..or ..every word has at least one xxx meaning.. ;)

I do know someone in the US who begins many of his sentences with "whelp"..

When I was a kid in Ireland, it was something the neighbours used to call me when I was less than good..as in "you young whelp".. ;)

Edited July 12, 2016 by mikesc

[JerseyFirefighter]

7 hours ago, bikermutt07 said:

that's great. i haven't sold anything as of yet. right now I'm just doing one project at a time. They are all firsts for me. I have made a fixed knife sheath, a folder knife sheath, a cell holster, and a tote. I'm currently working on a wallet. My next project will be maybe a belt. I once loved motorcycles till I had a motorcycle magazine. Now, it's just two wheel transportation without ac. I won't let that be the fate of this hobby. I'm really more concerned with a burnishing machine for now. Burnishing seems to suck big time by hand. Yesterday I secured a pump motor from a whirlpool tub. I'm hoping to find a burnisher that will bolt up straight away. I have a line on some but have to see what the shaft on the pump is. Hand stitching on the other hand I find pretty relaxing.

Harbor freight for a $65 drill press and a cocobolo burnisher attachment found on ebay and the like. Makes life AMAZINGLY easier for edges.. until you are doing 10-15 straps at once.. then you wonder where the next best tool is.

[bikermutt07]

38 minutes ago, JerseyFirefighter said:

Harbor freight for a $65 drill press and a cocobolo burnisher attachment found on ebay and the like. Makes life AMAZINGLY easier for edges.. until you are doing 10-15 straps at once.. then you wonder where the next best tool is.

Ha! I'll be getting the burnisher for sure. This pump motor already has mounting brackets and runs 3300 rpm. Should be perfect. It's probably at least a 2 speed motor if not variable. I shouldn't have any problems getting it going.

Back on topic: if I was in the market it looks like I would be buying the cowboy 32,35, or 4500. I think anyone of those machines would solve all the sewing needs. But I'm just a researching newbie. Take it with a grain of salt.