ThisIsMyFirstRodeo

Hey all, question for those smarter than me… Is there a way to adjust the color of the edge paint to a more desirable shade? I’m stuck somewhat housebound for the time being, so I’m trying to work with what I have… (Insert “first rodeo” line here…) AZR

Mask off the edges with tape, making sure that the edge being painted/glued is pressed down tightly. If you get an overbrush, give it a quick wipe with a damp rag. Take the tape off quickly before it dries to keep the edge line sharp. If it dries, it may pull some of the paint away. It might as well still be my first rodeo, but it’s what has worked for me so far… AZR

So I did the dollar tree run, but the scrubbies I grabbed were SS not steel wool. Finally got some wool today to start over, but lo and behold the vinegar was tinting! Yellow, not black, but hey. So I’ll let that go and see what happens while I start another jar with wool clearly my first rodeo, AZR

Back to the drill press… Troubleshooting 101: Grab a level and square to test the surface geometry… Sure enough, the press plate has a 4”crack visible, and although the area at the post is square, the rest is off-kilter, and therefore is currently impossible to give a vertical drive in relation to the plate. So yet another waste of a sheath… EXCEPT I was able to cut the welt loose along the glue line (and who says you can’t separate Barge lol…), and perhaps I can salvage the body with a fresh welt, though at this point, the stitch lines may be purely decorative and the body secured with more Barge and some rivets… We shall see…

Thank you all for the input. I wound up dying when it was just shy of damp, still cool to the touch. I dyed what I guess is becoming my “signature” finish, but in a different method than usual. Didn’t turn out bad, by any means, but not exactly how I was intending. I don’t know if it was moisture, method, or a combo of the two. I think I nailed it down pretty close to my others though. Thank you again, AZR

Hey all, I have a somewhat hypothetical question about dying leather… Has anyone attempted to dye while the leather is still damp from casing? What were your results? I imagine it would be different results for water-based than oil-based, and while I have used water-based (Eco Flo), I usually work with Fiebing’s Pro. Right now, I’m staring at a sheath I just finished tooling, and I’m getting antsy to keep working, but it’s still relatively saturated (rookie move, still learning). Which is where my question comes. I’m still going to wait until it’s dry, but I was hoping to hear (and learn from) other people’s successes and failures on the subject. Still feels like my first rodeo, AZR

Will edge paint do the trick to seal the flesh? (I use Fiebings leather sheen or eco Flo super shene for a top coat on the grain…) -AZR

Where did you find the reverse irons? Inquiring minds are blown! I had been thinking about why reverse irons weren’t a thing, and this is literally the first time I’ve heard of their existence. As far as your process, I had been using a similar method (I think). On my next piece, I’ll try your method. As far as my stitching itself, it’s adequate enough to be acceptable, but I’m not going to focus on it until I can get the holes right. Baby steps… Just tossing out the method variation that I used on my current piece, last night I marked/drilled the stitch line on the welt first, and used it as a template to mark the holes from the grain on both sides before I punched. This particular piece I am only riveting, and so far they line up, but rivets don’t need the accuracy of stitching. Still need to dye it, so I haven’t actually set the rivets yet, but so far I’m feeling positive about it. Just a continuation for Dwight and Dikman, I was playing with the press punches again last night. It does seem that the torque from the rotation can pull on the leather closer to the edge and give a more oval hole. On that basis, I do prefer normal drill bits. I’ll play with using a maul punch (probably not the correct terminology, but just to quickly differentiate from the press punches) in the chuck. I question if I’m going to beat the press up, as I’m not in a position to replace it. (cheap benchtop model from harbor freight, definitely not the best engineered, but it usually gets the job done…) Thank you to everyone for their input, AZR

The flesh side of the leather, not suede specifically. Am I mistaken with terminology? Real question, no sarcasm from me. Please do educate me if I’m out in left field.

My current/recent projects that I’ve considered have been: dog collar, a couple sheaths, and a dangler. I’m attempting to make them as environment-resistant as I can, as the pieces will be subject to a fair bit of use and abuse. -AZR

Dwight and Dikman, I actually found a set of drill press punches at harbor freight. The first thing I noticed was that you have to have the drill running, which bothers me for some reason, but as it punches, the friction does burnish the hole at the same time. Jury is out on if I prefer drill bits or the punches… For my work surface, I actually have a scrap of 10oz that I cased and hardened, and put another piece (not cased) on top of it, and that it what I put my working piece on. So far, the punches/bits haven’t gone through and hit my table (yet). I also use it when I’m stamping. Dwight, you mentioned putting a needle in the press… are you using glover’s needles? My diamond-point needle doesn’t seem to be long enough to fit in the chuck and still have enough travel to punch through. And Dikman, of everything that I have, I don’t actually have any awl bits. Are you referring to the little interchangeable ones? Thank you for your input guys, I’ll play around. -AZR WHAT is THAT?!?! Whatever it is, I want one!

Ok supposedly there are no stupid questions, so let’s test the theory… I’ll take for granted that you aren’t supposed to use gum trag on suede. Why? What happens? If I’m burnishing the flesh side anyway, wouldn’t it help? In the meantime, I’ll be using edge paint and hope for the best. Still feels like my first rodeo, AZR

Chuck, thank you for the advice. I’ll definitely be giving those techniques a try. Al, I’ve noticed the same with the chisels. Makes me wonder though where I’m going wrong with my drill press…

Okay, so I know this is a basic technique, but I seem to have regressed back down the learning curve. Or I just had early luck. (Working with basic foldover knife sheaths), I cant seem to get the holes for my stitch lines to match up on either side. To be clear, I have successfully made several in the past, which is why I’m even more frustrated. I’ve made templates from multiple kinds of paper and from EVA foam, and I’ve tried directly on the leather as well (sometimes I get brave). I’ve used edge-guided groovers, rotary spacers (the little wheel that pricks the leather as it rolls), wing dividers, punching the welt and using it as a template, overlapping the prongs of my punches, and even my drill press, and I’m still failing. I’ve tried punching them flat, punching them folded, even punching with the welt glued in place. It really does feel like my first rodeo again. Please help. Thanks, AZR

Wow that is a beautiful and well-considered holster! Love the hockey game idea! Anyone know if a kendo stick would work?

You have given me the idea of caning it with some rebar or a mesquite branch, and if I had access to the leather to try it, I totally would just in the name of research. My biggest hesitance at the moment is that I don’t have any scrap big enough to test. I’d go for an econo belly from Tandy, but they’ve been out for about 3wks now

I guess I should mention that, outside of the rivets, there is no decoration or ornamentation for the breastplate, just the patina and wear.

So it’s for cosplay, not LARP. (The difference I’m not sure. Maybe watching, not playing?) But, who wants to show up in brand new armor without a single knick on it? Which begs the question: how do I mimic battle damage/wear without swinging an actual weapon at it? I had been using my test swatch for the dye to try different methods of abuse, but the marks left even the spine of my heaviest cleaver just look like I got into a fight with a box cutter. All help appreciated

Dusting off a long-dead thread, but yeah, those look incredibly well done! I salute you, sir!

Do these offer any wrist support, or are they just forearm protection?

Thank you for that, it is probably the answer I was looking for.

It seems likely that that’s what he was referring to, and that I likely misheard

Didn’t want to risk any odors impregnating the leather, so I just left it to air dry on the counter overnight. Molded the sheath as tightly as I could to give it some structure, but not necessarily happy with the results. Perhaps it is the best I could reasonably hope for with the weight. Think I might just have to fabricate another layer for better rigidity. I know better than to change direction on the fly, but it is what it is… Suppose I should mention that this is a different project than the 12oz sheath I was originally talking about. THAT project I haven’t touched since I cut the stitches…

It was from one of the Tandy guys, so I would think it was at least a real technique. I believe it was in regards to dyeing or forming, rather than tooling, but I also have the short term memory of a springer spaniel chasing squirrels under a disco ball. From my own logic, I don’t think it would have great tooling value unless you were pounding the crap out of it.

Thank you both for the input