MarlinDave

Here is one example. Supposed to be fat wrinkles or dyed veg tan due to overfed cattle.

Merry Christmas everybody. Thanks for keeping me company all year.

Anybody got power rationing/rolling power blackouts this week? TVA said all 153 Tennessee utilities had to cut back 10% today. At this time yesterday ours said it would not happen. 6 AM, this morning, 5 degrees, no power or heat, no notice. texted the media guy at the utility. They put it on radio and Facebook. Radio not on at 6 AM, especially with no power, and I want no facebook. Came back on in 30 minutes, off again at 8 AM, supposedly over now. Did not know whether to sit tight, pull out generator, boil water in camper for coffee, etc. They said they could not post a schedule because it was happening too fast. Sounds kinda random. I have a bunch of emergency heat and cooking stuff, just nice to have some notice. Sounds like gasoline, toilet paper, potatoes, etc. Hide it and run the price up. If 2 days of cold did this, glad it is warming up soon.

There is a popular weed ID app. Correct maybe 30 % of the time. People were always sticking this in my face. When I told them it was correct they would say “but the phone says so”.

I bought a number of styles and lengths of Ready Rivets recently. When I used them none would crimp,latch, whatever the action is. All would easily pull off. Used Chicago screws and went on. Would love a quality source. Don’t know till you get them.

I know everybody is sick of valet trays, but that is all I can sell right now. And no stitching.

My one inch circle was $62. I had a 3 inch one done for $152 maybe. To me it’s a nostalgic touch like the old makers added.

I have worn Herman Survivor boots for years. Nobody has called me Herman. The makers mark has helped me because in a small town I know a lot of people but they don’t know I do leather. I made something for a neighbor. I know his wife really well and she could not believe I made that. I told her to look at the makers mark. Also shows it is locally made. I have the Leatherstsmpmaker.com stamps. With the heater they work on wood items as well. I have a one inch circle. It’s a bit small but so is my talent. A lot of the oval makers marks are 1 inch by 1 1/2.

That’s the start of your brand of products. I imagine when Monet and Rembrandt started out somebody said “why did they sign that”? I make stuff for people and they sometimes are surprised that I have a makers mark as they know me from another career. Just now got some stuff good enough to put a mark on.

On thick leather I sometimes use a thumb tack on the back side. Also painters tape on the back but this messes up the knap.

Don’t use this style of valve. I ordered it off Amazon a year or so back. Would not seal well in my homemade bag. I made an inner tube gasket, put Vaseline on it, no luck. I cut up a commercial sweater vacuum bag and put the valve in it. It sucked down good one time, then wrung off. I have a smaller brass one but I need to drill some bigger washers to make it work. At least I know my new pump is OK. Even Snoopy Santa was disappointed.

Sew or glue 2, 10 oz together.

Donate some stuff to charity auctions. Christmas is a good time for his.

Try an airbrush or a mini paint gun.

I buy things from Ohio Travel Bag that nobody else has. Weaver is one of those who don’t.

Here is one over on Bunkhouse tools. Not hardly that big. https://www.shop.bunkhousetools.com/Fleur-de-Lis-P0453.htm

Got too many leaks in my homemade vacuum bag, mostly around the valve. Gotta find an inner tube to cut a gasket.

That is a very beautiful and well executed holster. More importantly very solid and usable. A lot of what leatherwork means to the user is their fantasy, nostalgia, etc. The customer is always right in their historical mind and let them have this. Lots of quick draw western holsters for those who don’t rob stagecoaches. I put a CS Confederate oval on a cell phone case for a friend last week. Nothing like the original Civil War issue cell phone pouches.

Bought this big ol Robinair vacuum pump off Craigslist today. Hope it can handle some vacuum wetforming.

I use upholstery vinyl. Only thing it is probably thinner than the leather you use and when you make it out of thicker leather it will be too small.

I punch a bunch of my larger holes with fired .223, .243 and 30 cal. cartridge cases. So as these are disposable I don’t guess I need a soft punching area for these.

Thanks everybody. Eventually I will get a permanent HDPE sheet for the table. I think in the meantime I will get a small hard plastic food cutting board for punching and ask my wife for the big cutting mat for Christmas. She makes the Joann’s/Hobby Lobby circuit and can find one on sale. Got plenty of wood scrap too but I seem to punch twice on the same slot.

Good idea. What’s the best base for punching?

I wonder if this Uline product is the same stuff. No grid lines! But I don’t use that much anyway. https://www.uline.com/BL_2820/Workbench-Mats

Not sure if this a tool or an accessory. My sewing-type green cutting mat is shot. Punched through it too many times. Is there a permanent building material type cutting surfacev I can use? The table has a 2 x 6 top and I take the cutting mat to another table sometimes to cut.