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new leather strip for a Biax BL40

ballen

Diamond
Joined
Sep 25, 2011
Location
Garbsen, Germany
I've finally found a Biax BL40 for a reasonable price and bought it. But it turns out that the leather strap is torn and close to falling off. Has anyone got a spare one for sale? I'm afraid to ask how much Biax would charge for a new one :cryin:.
 
I've finally found a Biax BL40 for a reasonable price and bought it. But it turns out that the leather strap is torn and close to falling off. Has anyone got a spare one for sale? I'm afraid to ask how much Biax would charge for a new one :cryin:.

You don't need to buy a new one. I have a roll of leather meant for rifle slings.
Leather machine-tool belting might serve. "Shoemakers" may be an extinct species, but leather arts and crafts, harness and 'tack' shops, auto and furniture upholsterers still exist.

All you need is the material.

Leather is not hard to work with - you aren't hand-tooling a Mexican riding saddle, just a strap. Not a lot of work, it can be made to fit YOU, specifically, and very comfortably so.

Go for leather, Cowboy!

'coz holster, sheaths, and belt makers - not just for firearms - but even carpenter and linesmans harness and toolbelts deal with it, too!

Tough and durable stuff, leather can be.

Holds an entire damned cow together for mebbe 13 years, dairy business. Don't even THINK about the mess we'd have if it was cheap vinyl!

:)

PS: If no cheap sources? Find a mass-produced item that IS cheap and rob it. Got a pair of boots around here as are missing the "tongue". Old pair of shoes in Hong Kong as donated a jaw-protector, channelocks.

Belt as became a leather washer for a French toilet's back outlet, metric to imperial s**t. Literally!

Other scraps pad jaw-teeth on a pipe-wrench when tire-cord or conveyor belting is not handy.
 
That strap doesn't look too complicated. I'd bet a small leather belt could be reconfigured easily. As thermite said, leather is easy to work and for a one-off you really don't need to buy special tools. Cut it with a utility knife, glue it with contact cement, and then drill 1/16 inch holes for your stitches and then use the 2 needle method to stitch. You do need heavy duty waxed thread and large needles but you can buy most of that in most craft stores and many sewing supplies. All it takes to make waxed thread is heavy duty thread and a cake of beeswax which most sewing stores will have in a little clear plastic holder.

YouTube
 
Contact my friend. Herrn Wolfgang Burger (Tel. 07043-10272, [email protected]). Tell him you attended last years Austrian class and he might give you a discount...

Richard: will do, thanks.

Bill, Scott, Mark: I have too many projects underway and not enough time. I'm not set up for leatherwork and it would take me a few hours to gather suitable material, punches, rivets, needles and thread. And here in Germany a saddler/leather shop would probably charge me 50 Euros just for the quote, let alone the work.

PS: does anyone here have an exploded diagram, parts list, and instruction manual for a green BL40? I want to lubricate it and check the brushes and suppression capacitor.
 
I made my replacement - it took around an hour. got a picture somewhere. Im in the uk - happy to make another for beer tokens.
mat
 
Bruce sent a private message to me....Your welcome Bruce. Biax has a great service department and are glad to help. Also every now and then Biax and USA Dapra will give discounts if you mention my name. Kevin Ward, one of the Rockford students ordered a new Biax and blades from Dapra and he received a 10% discount. Bruce wrote:

Hi Rich,

I was writing to say thank you.

A few days ago, I wrote to your friend Wolfgang Burger at Biax. He sent me the documentation that I asked for (parts list, exploded diagram, users manual) by email for my green BL40, and told me that a new leather strap would cost 70 Euros. But since there minimum order was 150 Euros and I had written that a used strap would be OK, he told me that he would just put one in the mail to me for free!

I thought that this was very nice of him, and wanted to thank you for putting me in touch. I had not expected that response!

Best wishes,
Bruce
 








 
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