William Spanagel
Published by Rachel Fogerty on Dec 20th 2016
Name: William Spanagel
Address: 2373 Judd Drive, Lawrenceburg, IN 47025
Company: Home work shop
Phone: 513-543-5012
How did you first get started in leather crafting?
It all started with Traditional Archery. My wife and I needed leather equipment to shoot, so I decided to make everything. I have always had artistic talent (before retiring I was a mechanical engineer) which helped in the process. I got into Cowboy Single Action Shooting and realized that there was a lot of leather equipment required to shoot and knew that I would be retiring soon and needed something to fill my time. I decided to practice leather crafting until I retired. The Tippmann Boss was a perfect fit to pursue making leather goods. I will make anything that my customers request, including belts, knife sheaths, holsters, archery goods and wallets. I have not turned anyone down no matter what the request so far.
What are some of your stories on leather crafting?
I love creating and love to make my customers happy with my products. I made a wallet (which was a copy of an existing one) for a retired army veteran of 42 years. He had purchased the original wallet twenty-plus years ago and was not able to find another one like it. The local Tandy Leather store recommended me to him. I ended up giving the wallet to him as a gift for his military service. It was wonderful to see his reaction and joy when i gave it to him.
What Tippmann machines do you own, and how long have you had them?
I have had two Tippmann machines, the second one (which is the one I am using now) I have owned for going on three years and I would not own anything else.
What made you decide to purchase these machines?
The Boss Machine allows for total control on speed and position of material.
Do you recommend any accessories?
I recommend the light kit and flat bed attachment. The cobbler bench is also a nice addition that I have. If you do a lot of sewing like I do it makes for more comfort while operating the Boss.
Any Tips / Tricks: I am really excited about the foot operated device to raise the presser foot I designed. I have arthritis in my hands and was having difficulty using the hand operated one that is standard on the machine (I could not squeeze it hard enough to raise the presser foot to move the leather.) Now when raising the presser foot I push the foot pedal on the floor. This also gives me both hands to position material especially when sewing bullet loops on a belt.