About the sound thing: this was a battle I had for a while. I found that the more solid the work surface is, the quieter things are. I invested in a marble slab and that helped. The sound compared to just using my work table is *much* better. Also, a more solid surface means you don't have to hit as many times because you get less dissipation from the force you apply. (btw if you don't want to pay for a marble slab then you can get a really thick paving stone from a home improvement store. They're really cheap and work just as well.) Secondly (and this one worked wonders), put a towel under the marble slab. The sound difference is amazing. I took a microfiber cloth and cut it up so that I have about 4 layers. A bath towel would probably be thicker, and maybe better. Lastly, I noticed you're using a lightweight mallet. The heavier the mallet, the fewer times you'll have to hammer, which will also help with sound. Hope this helps!
Hey just came across your page loving it grabbed a few of your templates. I was just wondering, I’m in a small apartment as well and I noticed you referring to using your press to refuse noise, what type of press do you have and does it do the stitching holes as well or just the rivets? Thanks
