AEBL

When I asked about waterproofing hats, I think I remember someone recommending Vaseline. I haven't tried. This was the post, I think:

Saddle Lac? It is a spray-on finish and won't involve mechanically rubbing your painted area. (That's actually a Daniel Reach suggestion from his YouTube channel - but I can't find the video)

For stinky oils - you could try "sparging" it ... get an aquarium bubbler (little pump with a stone at the end that emits tiny bubbles) and run that for a while. I know for less viscous things, say in the olive oil area of viscosity, you can remove smells a bit. Sometimes it takes a day or so, and for shmaltz (chicken fat), you might have to sparge it in a slow cooker. I have only sparged less viscous things like Copper Chloride etchant ... you might also have to worry about foam, so if you try it, don't try it with a full container ... try half full for starters.

Nice work! Good to know about W&C ... sorry to hear that HO has declined ...

@Ferg, I'm interested in your book - I PM'ed you ...

I tried calling Bob Park's number, got an answering machine message that seemed to be his business. I left a message and nobody got back with me. I'm not on Facebook, but the wife is. She said his page looks like it hasn't been posted on since 2022 ...

Yeah - that's the video I was looking for.

Great links, thanks Bruce

Hand stitching took me a while to get mediocre at. I watched a bunch of videos, and the more I watch, the more I realize that I have a lot to learn. One of the earliest videos I was watching was by JH Leather (linked below), it was great, but the one I really wanted to link for you I couldn't find easily was by Nigel Armitage (who occasionally is on here under the nickname Dangerous Beans). He's got awesome videos also. Anyhow, the first video that helped me really get it:

Great, thanks folks! My first project is a tote bag ... and I do need to make sure that I can get my seams absolutely parallel for the straps. I'm probably going to put some miles on the machine getting better at parallel lines, and backstitching that doesn't look awful. I don't have a needle positioning system, but I think it might be possible to get one for my servo controller ... I have a Consew C3000 controller. I like the economy of reusing tooling practice leather as a roughout sheath ... very cool.

I now have a Consew 206RB-3 (driven with a servo). I'm afraid to do much to the leather I bought for a project because I pretty much know how to thread the machine and oil it. I got a couple of pair of blue jeans that I have cut up and run stitches on, topstitched open seams, and it is still sort of rough looking (machine sews great - guy running the machine is the problem). What would you guys recommend for me to try and get better?

(I'm not getting notifications for some reason) Thanks for the tips on cutting lace, @bruce johnson

@FrankHester, I'm really not a carver, but I want to be. I'm a scribbler, and I own a swivel knife ... I'd say that if you have a desire to do it, the mechanics of it can be taught. You'll probably be like the rest of us, sketching other people's work and learning bit by bit, but you absolutely can do it. Plus, this site is amazing. Plenty of people to offer advice and encouragement.

I haven't tried calling yet, I probably will shortly - but the "hidepounder@cox.net" email bounces ... so it's likely not his email anymore. The phone number does appear to be his (his company's) phone though.

I saw a couple of videos from Joe Meling ... he does good videos. I'll check out the other websites. I'm all about downloading what I can get, pattern wise and instruction wise - but like most everyone here, I don't want someone else's style, I want to develop my own.

I was getting a little frustrated looking for copies of out-of-print floral/Sheridan books and I ran across an e-Book (PDF) on the topic by Don Gonzalez. I'm about halfway through it now, and will probably read it about eighteen more times in my excitement to learn how to do this carving stuff. The book is more in the vein of "how you can *also* become a designer of floral patterns" rather than "copy my diagram" - and I love it. He helps me understand why I would use a particular design element in a place, and explains some of his design habits (keeping a sketchbook of potential new flowers, leaves, for instance). He explains "flow" and "balance" in a way that doesn't sound abstract. So, if you're like me, and are looking around for books you can't find - try a book you *can* find: https://shop.dgsaddlery.com/products/introduction-leather-floral-design (not sure if I can link it here, but if it isn't cool to do that, moderators feel free to remove) Oh, Chan Greer's book is also available, I just haven't got it in the mail yet. I bet it is also good.

Any tips on where to get it today?

If I were the holder of the book rights ... not piracy ...

@chuck123wapati no worries, enjoy Am I wrong though? If used books are selling for $700 ... would you not print another round of books to sell?

I have heard people recommend the "Sheridan Leather Carving" book ... but I can't find it anywhere. I see used copies of it being sold for obscene amounts of money. https://www.amazon.com/Sheridan-Style-Carving-Gardner-Clinton/dp/0967964709 Won't Tandy make more? Does anyone have a PDF? Good grief!

I'm not sure how fast that Grizzly tool runs, but on my buffer wheel I have it set up so that it runs up ... so that it throws tools *away* from me ... but my buffer runs pretty fast (1725 RPM). I can't quite make it out on your picture, but yours looks like 90 RPM? Yours is probably a LOT safer than mine.

Necroposting, sorry - but in case someone else was looking for the secret to sticky-backed patterns, this guy uses chloroprene contact cement. Navico leather has a couple of "how to" videos that I found very enlightening. They're in Korean, but they have enough in there that a non-Korean-speaker can get it quite easily. Sticky-backed patterns:

Oh thanks! I didn't see that video when I was looking around. I have a stamp very similar to the one in the video, but my burnishing isn't as good. I think getting a good stamp might be a future purchase - cheaper stamps are very frustrating to line up. I did make a point of marking a reference point on the stamp so that I can line it up the same way each time.

@GingerPowered, There is another thread here on the form showing latex from HobbyLobby being used to mask dyes:

It is possible to turn 70% IPA into 91% IPA using salt. Granted, you'll have *salty* 91% IPA when you're done, but it can be done at home. https://www.instructables.com/How-to-Salt-Out/