Tools of the Trade

[dw]

Alexander,

What kind of tool/wheel did you get?

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

[romango]

Alexander,

Were you able to use a credit card to order from Arford or did you have to do something complicated to make payment?

- Rick

[kemosabi]

I am also wondering how they handle payment.
Great catalog and it arrived much sooner than I expected. Prices seem reasonable, although international shipping may be a whole different story.

-Nat

[fishball]

DW,
I ordered the Stitch Wheel.

Pals,
I just add my wheel order to my friend order , so it is sort of group buy, I really don't know how he pay.
I will ask my friend and report it later.
But why don't just send Arfold an email to ask?
I emailed them last year to ask for some custom made tools, but they said they are very busy and so and so. The wheel was ordered before Christmas.

[kemosabi]

Just ran across this at the local outdoor store and it looked like it might work well for certain skiving chores, so I bought one.

Link:
http://www.buckknives.com/index.cfm?event=product.detail&ProductID=3768

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May be a good option for those just starting out, since it's widely available and inexpensive. ($20).

We'll see how well it takes/holds an edge.

-Nat

[kemosabi]

Just realized;
Maybe it's not OK to quote the price here.

If so: Admin, please delete. No harm intended.

Regards,
-Nat

[lludvig]

I found this company http://www.unitedglobalsupply.com/shoemaking/tools.html
They have allot of things.

Ludvig
www.Ludvigs.nu

[janne_melkersson]

Hej ludvig
The United site was really something, just wonder if they have all that stuff available to order. I would have need for some of it.
Thanks for posting.
Janne

[antons]

Good Morning,
I bought some old shoemakingmachines. One is a weltsewingmachine wich produces a chainstitch with one thread. It was used for GoodYear weltsewing with the original leather rib.

Does anyone know something about this machine, how to use and how to adjust. I can't find anything on Internet.

The machine is in working order, but the thread curled around the needle.

It is a Textima 164 from 1952 of Eastern Germany.

I'll post photo's later.

Thanks,
Anton

(Message edited by antons on May 02, 2011)

(Message edited by antons on May 02, 2011)

[antons]

Here are some photographs from this "Machine from Hell". It makes great noise and shatters heavy.

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[antons]

I also bought a "ribcutting" machine. It is a Moenus with 2 knives. Has somebody any idea where I can find information? Can I use this machine to cut the rib for the insole?

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13642.jpg

13643.jpg

Thanks,

Anton

[janne_melkersson]

Anton,
the machine is not the traditional goodyear welted inseaming machine it is a machine that does Norwegian welted shoes but maybe you can sew trad Good Year on it too. It might depend on how you cut the channel.

Here is a link to a Spang Brand which makes the same inseam as the Textima.

http://www.alibaba.com/product-free/105484646/INVERTED_NORWEGIAN_WELT_INSEAM_SEW ING_MACHINE.html

[antons]

Thank you Jan-Erik,

Did you work with this machine?
Is the inverted Norwegian welt the same as the Veltschoen or flexible welt?

Anton

[janne_melkersson]

Anton,
I have not worked with it but I have seen it in action. The Veltschoen is the "poor mans" version of Norwegian welted footwear. Norwegian welted footwear are folded out too but have the inseam that goes through the insole and upper and then the sole will be stitched on as on Veltschoen.

If you google on Norwegian welted footwear you will see that it is a method you can use for mens trad shoes and up to heavy army boots. In Hungary the method is called "goiser" and is used in the bespoke trade.

[antons]

Jan-Erik,

Thank you. I've found some drawings of the Norwegian welt construction, with and without welt. I just don't understand the term "inverted".


On the machine is a guide for a welt. I've found a sale cataloque wich states that there is an option for Goodyear Welt, wich has a curved needle of 50 mm diameter in stead of 60 mm. My needle is 50 mm. So I assume I can only sew Goodyear welts with it.

I like the Norwegian welt, but do I really need a 60 mm curved needle for it?

Does anyone else have more info about this Textima or Spang und Brand machines?

Anton

[janne_melkersson]

Anton,
I know the meaning of the word "inverted" but I don't know why it is used on this kind of seam.

Anyway, Norwegian welted footwear can be made with or without a welt, that is why you have the welt guide. On heavy stuff like army boots there is often no welt but on lighter stuff a welt could be needed to strengthen both the inseam and the seam with the sole stitcher.

50 or 60mm needles is becasue there are different needle systems. I guess your machine is supposed to be operated with the 50's needle

I don't know if it it is possible to make trad Good Year welted footwear on a Textima or Spang and Brand but it might work. Please ask Mr Roberto Petrozzi at the European Shoe Machine company about it and send a photo of the machine to him at info@tesmc.com He will know all about your machine and what it could be used for.

Hope this helps

[jsroberts]

Hello,

I was hoping for some identification of these machines. See next post for pics.

These are the only pictures I can get my hands on at the moment.

Cheers from Melbourne, Australia

James

Roberts & Hassett

(Message edited by jsroberts on July 05, 2011)

[jsroberts]

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[frank_jones]

James Roberts

Your machines from the top are :-

1) Blake - looks like a 1960’s period model, from Italy I suspect
2) Outsole Stitcher from Standard Engineering in Leicester UK. In the USA most hand shoemakers call this type of machine a “Curve Needle Machine”.
3) A Shoe Repairer’s Rough Rounder and Channeler/Groover

These three are exactly the type of equipment a busy repair shop would have had between 1955 and 1990. Things changed after that.

Frank Jones
frank.jones@noblefootwear.com

[frank_jones]

James Roberts

I have now had a chance to look at an enlarged version of picture three and I still think it probably is a rough rounder but I am not really sure. If it came from a shoe repair shop then it almost certainly is.

Frank Jones
frank.jones@noblefootwear.com

[bdadamovicz]

Hello all, I'm currently a hobby leather worker and am getting into shoe and boot making. Right now it is a bit of a slow and painful process as I'm in the military and stationed in Europe. I'm trying to put together some more kit and am curious if any of you know items I should be looking out for specifically.

I've seen RODI Universal machines that look nearly like every 5 in 1 I've ever seen but it seems the adds don't tell exactly what they are. Some of these I've seen go for rather cheap. Any how any items that may be easier to get my mitts on over here as apposed to back home I'd be grateful for the direction.

Thanks,
BD Adams

[jon_g]

Well after a good bit of searching I found a splitter, and at a reasonable price. It seems that as these get more and more rare the price is going up.

I found a digital copy of a manual (it's a Landis 30) and have read it, but I would like any tips for using it that anyone can offer. Such as, how often does the blade need attention? How thin can I reasonably expect to split and get good results? And anything else someone might think a new splitter owner should know.

Thanks

[bjohnsonleather]

Jon,
You can adjust them somewhat to match what you want. I don't have a Landis anymore, but on the Americans and Champions there are two adusting/leveling screws on top. If you are splitting to thin weights more you can turn the two adjusting screws down some to lower that top roller and give you more range in that direction for your settings. If you are mostly leveling heavier leathers, then go up with them maybe. On the American I just sold I mostly used it in the 6-10 oz finished range. I ran a piece of 16 oz skirting through yesterday and it split it to 2 oz at the thinnest reach of the setting.
As far as how often to dress the blade it depends on how sharp it is to start with, what you are running through it and how much. I usually strop mine when I start to hear a change when it is cutting. Might be a day or two weeks.
Otherwise for care - a little oil in the ports and moving parts, grease the gears every so often. Clean the leather dust off when you are done, especially after chrome tans. They tend to catch in the feed roller and can surface rust pretty quick sometimes.

[jon_g]

Thanks Bruce. I've got a new blade that seems sharp, and I'll be careful to brush the dust out of the rollers.

I'm assuming that I split leather dry, am I correct? Most of what I'm using this for is to split soling leather to make something suitable for midsoles, 2mm or so.

[dw]

Jon,

I no longer have a Landis either, but I did for many years. I had the manual, as well, but I can't say that it is very helpful.

I used it for much the same purposes as you are talking about.

The blade comes from the factory sharpened one only one side and I think that works the best. But if you are splitting very good quality outsoling you may need to re-sharpen fairly often.

Whenever you see tiny ridges or striations in the split surfaces, the blade has been nicked. What could possibly do that on good leather I don't know but considering the fineness of an extremely sharp blade...and it needs to be "scarey sharp"...and the resistance of outsoling to being split, nicking seems relatively common.

One thing I always found helpful was to cut an outsole oversize so that it had a "point" or feed a precut outsole into the blade at an angle so that the leather is not being forced against the blade all along one edge--too much surface resistance. If nothing else the feed rollers will not chew up the flesh side of the leather trying to get started.

I like the Landis 30. One of the best features is that both the top and bottom rollers feed the material.

[hr][/hr]
Without "good," there is no "better," without "better," no "best."
And without the recognition that there is a hierarchy of excellence in all things, nothing rises above the level of mundane.

Tight Stitches
DWFII--HCC Member

[center]Little Jack Dandiprat in a white petticoat,
The longer he lives, the shorter he grows.[/center]