Spinner

Back in November I was requested to make a special pair of wedding rings for a very nice couple. They were looking for a local artist to make them a pair of rings for their upcoming wedding that incorporated metal but needed something that wasn't a hard band as the soon-to-be-groom has serious carpal tunnel syndrome. They had found a ring online that was a sterling silver plate with a brown chrome tan leather band but the ones available were only made in a half dozen small women's sizes. Aside from the size issue, the metal was a concern as well since these would be worn everyday and Sterling Silver is rather soft. I discussed their needs with them and after a few conversations they honored me with the job of creating their wedding rings from Titanium & black oil tanned buffalo. So now the task was to figure out the titanium part of the puzzle. I had never worked with the stuff and didn't even know where to buy it. My first thought was to sub out that part of the job but in the end it was very cost prohibitive to have just 2 pieces machined. A quick internet search and I found Halpern Titanium in Three Rivers, MA. Marianne Halpern was a great help, pointing me in the right direction with info and they had just opened up an ebay store to sell their smaller off-cuts for those folks not needing full sheets. (I also purchased some from other sources but none went out of their way to help like Halpern did.) Long story short, in 3 short weeks I found the titanium, read a ton about it and then bought the bits and such for my TurboCarver II to machine the plates myself by hand. The plates are 1/32" thick titanium with a "brushed" top finish and the underside is mirror polished with the wedding date hand engraved into the center width. Two 1/32" wide channels were cut into the ends of the plates to accomodate the oil tanned buffalo bands. I also made a special jig for my arbor press to curve the titanium plates just slightly so they would lay on the fingers more naturally than a flat plate would. The bands are one piece and looped in such a way as to create a solid inner band with the join at the outer band to make them stronger (rather than two pieces stitched together) they were then hand sewn through both bands with black waxed linen thread to blend the join as much as possible. We met once during the process to size the bands and then again to deliver them before the big day. Below are pictures from the wedding, taken by Donald Norris Photography. Congratulations Eugenia & Richard and thank you for the honor!

I don't make holsters, but on my large wet formed tank bibs I do oil after using the Pro Oil dye for the same reasons as above. The dye doesn't have enough true oils to bring a hide back to where it should be so an application of your favorite oil, mine is Mink Oil currently, after dying and/or forming is a good idea.

Hey Roo, glad you like them and the tutorial. For the velcro, I use Velcro brand Industrial Strength Stick Back Velcro. I buy the 2" wide x 15' rolls as most pieces used are about 2" long and 1" wide. This gives me about 180 pieces per roll or enough to do 60 bibs. It works very well for fastening under the tank and to the bib itself. It's so strong that it generally doesn't need to be stitched to the bib but I do anyway for peace of mind. If the tank is cleaned underneath where the velcro will be stuck prior to placing the velcro down the stuff doesn't come off easily. It's actually a bugger to get off which is why I make it to where it will be under the tank and out of sight should someone decide to ride without their bib later. Lesser velcro will come off due to engine heat under the tank but this stuff doesn't let go. 2 years and umpteen bibs later and not one comment of it failing. Side tip, I usually attach the loop side (softer side) of the velcro to the bib and the hook side to the gas tank. The hooks are much more durable in regards to heat & dirt so if the bib is off they don't get messed up whereas the softer loop side can melt or collect dirt making them not hold as well. Cheers, Chris

Thanks McJeep. As for pricing, that's the tough part with this stuff. A lot of it has to do with what the market will bear. Not many bikers would or are able to pay $300+ for a custom tank bib. Hell, most guys know a friend or a friend of a friend that will custom paint the tank for that much so I have that to deal with. Luckily, 80% of my clients ask for pieces that are "just like that one I saw..." or something like that and once I've done one, the kinks are worked out and each one becomes faster & easier. I can now tool a complete VTX logo in about 20 minutes and the POW/MIA symbol in about 45 so part of it is simply getting faster at it. I won't get rich at the prices I charge, but it keeps me working and I get to see my work on a lot of bikes and that's always fun. I'm working on securing a large corporate client right now though that may end up changing the whole landscape of what I do and how I do it or at least cause me to introduce a "production line" of similar products. AKA bread & butter work.

Thanks guys, appreciate the comments. For those wanting to make a whaletail bib for themselves, I did write up an article about a year ago to explain the process. It can been found at BareAss Choppers website: http://tech.bareassc...herworking-101/ HB4L: I'm actually a member of a ton of forums including ShadowRiders. I don't get over there much as the VTX guys have kept me pretty busy the last year or so but I do swing by and see what's happening. Currently I'm a registered member of these forums: ShadowRiders.net, HondaShadow.net, ShadowAero750.com, All Aero Forum, SpiritWorld, VTXOA, VTXCafe, VTCafe, Bareasschoppers.com and visit about a half dozen others when I have time and that doesn't include my Facebook pages or my blog.

I haven't posted many pics lately as it was a mad rush just to keep up with orders. Here are a couple of new ones I did as the result of Christmas orders, haven't gotten pics of them on the bikes back yet as folks are still getting back to their homes & bikes so shop pics will have to do for most of them. The first one is a Florida Gators themed tank & fender bib set I did. Starting with the tank bib, it’s Hermann Oak 5/6 oz veg tan leather with a custom “fierce Albert” relief tooled into the center, surrounded by a tooled Gator belly pattern. An inlay wouldn’t have worked but we wanted to continue the theme of the gator hide throughout so I tooled it in instead. Royal Blue kangaroo lace in a triple loop pattern for the edges round it out. The color is done using Golden Fluid Acrylic paints. For the fender bib, we started out simply looking at the “Gators” lettering and again one conversation led to another which led me to looking at alligator hide prices. The inlay is real alligator tail (had to use the tail for the back of the bike!) inlayed into the same 5/6 oz. Hermann Oak leather and lacing & paint as the tank bib. This one was even more challenging as I didn’t have the pattern for the 1800N yet so Jim and I coordinated measurements & photos via email, decided on a shape (pennant style) and then the client crossed his fingers and hoped I’d get it right. I think it worked out pretty well… Next up is a bib a client ordered for her husband to memorialize his brother who died of cancer earlier this year. Celtic triad cross in Ultramarine blue with the memorial text below. There was so much text in such a small space that I decided to literally carve it in with my TurboCarver II and the bone cutter bit instead of tooling it. It worked out pretty well, a very slight fuzz on the edges and the flesh was a bit soft underneath. Using my finger to remove the fuzz and lightly burnish around the lettering and then I used a small modeling tool to press/dig out the soft flesh and then dyed the piece. Once dyed, I sprayed on the top coat and used a small pointed brush to saturate the inside of the letters to stiff the flesh inside so it wouldn't fuzz up or come loose. Made for a great flat contrast against the satin bib. Following that was a set of bibs and lever wraps for a couple with similar bikes. The first one (hers) has a tooled feather and cell phone pocket. The second one (his) has a 4.5" x 10" vinyl map pocket. The vinyl is edged with black chrome tan and the bottom and right sides have velcro to allow easy opening of the pocket to insert maps, cards, etc. The chrome tan edging and velcro attachment give the pocket just enough lift to make is easy to get a semi-thick map in there without having to 'squeeze' it in. The lever wraps are map out of the same 2 oz. black chrome tan. I deviated from the normal design of eyelets & lacing and instead skived & doubled the chrome tan and then punched the holes to work the same as a shoe laces up and then used 5 cord waxed hand stitching thread. The client simply slips them over (I prestitched them over a 1/2" dowel) and tightens the stitching so it lays nice & tight similar to how a wrapped steering wheel looks & feels. Last but certainly not least was a two-tone bib that a client requested. He had procured the plum purple chrome tan from a local large name brand shoe factory and it matched the accents on his bike "Purple Haze" pretty well. I tried a couple of variations of how to make it work but in the end we were both happiest with this result. The bib was formed, dyed & finished as normal and then the purple chrome tan cut & glued on top of it. To highlight the color change and hide the join of the two pieces I did a line of applique braiding down both sides, reversing the run down the right side so they both 'run' in the same direction. Then a black chrome tan maltese cross was glued & stitched over the top of the purple to finish it off. Enjoy! Chris

The Angelus products should be fine. I've actually had good luck with the Tandy Super Sheen as well oddly enough. I do spray mine and build up 3-4 light coats. I've used resolene with success as well but I'm not fond of the longer drying time and the tackiness that it has while drying. All three are acrylic based top coats and should do the job just fine. If you're in a state that allows you to buy it though, give Fiebing's Saddle-Lac a try. It's a lacquer based hardening top coat (piece still remains flexible) and is very water resistant. Being a lacquer though, you definitely want to spray it on as the heavier solvent in it will pull up and smear acrylic colors if you try to wipe or brush it on.

First off, I just want to clarify that over the LONG term, any coloring of leather whether by dye or paint will fade eventually. Just a matter of how long. That will be determined on how much sun it gets, how often it's cleaned & protected (using a good leather dressing like Pecard will help) and how rough the client is on the piece. Obviously, if the piece is cared for correctly, stored indoors when not in use, etc. it and the color will last longer. Quality paints make a huge difference as well. Angelus is a good one and I do use it for some colors but I prefer Golden Fluid Acrylics as they are formulated to resist heavy UV exposure and when thinned with their mediums have great adhesion. That leads us to the first tip. When thinning paints, use the thinner (aka medium) recommended by the manufacturer. Water is a common thinner for water based/acrylic paints but it adds nothing to the paint itself, it simply thins it. Most mediums will add a binder and something of a finish to help enhance the color as well as it's performance while making it easier to brush on. For the Golden Fluid Acrylics, I like to use their Airbrush Medium but they have others like gel mediums that make the paint stay wet longer (for blending) or crackle mediums, etc. As for process, it's pretty straightforward. Apply the deglazer to the whole thing evenly with light coat(s) as needed. If you plan to have dye & paint combinations this is important as trying to 'spot' deglaze can lead to uneven or blotchy colors with dyes. Let the deglazer dye and/or remove any residue as instructed. Apply a coat of neatsfoot or mink oil, let soak in overnight if possible and then wipe off/buff away any residue. It's important to let the oil soak in/do it's thing otherwise it will sit neat the surface and cause the paints to resist adhesion. Next, if possible a base coat of white (a light dry brush white wash works well) or using a lightening agent like Oxalic Acid or pure lemon juice helps keep the colros true and vibrant. This makes a difference as applying any colors that are 'pearlescent', 'transparent', a 'tint' or 'shade' will all show the underlying color through. If applied to unlightened leather, the colors will pick up the golden/russet color of the leather and tend to have a warm, golden tint to them. This can be an issue when trying to get a deep black, or keep blues blue (versus blue/green). Always thin your colors as discussed above and apply successive light coats versus one thicker coat. The thick coat make be faster but the paint will take longer to dry and will be more susceptible to cracking/peeling. Let each coat dry completely before applying the next coat/color to ensure proper adhesion. Apply a wet coat over a wet or partially dry coat will simply result in the two blending into one thick coat, negating the purpose of thinning in the first place. Once the color is applied, let it dry completely (I like overnight) and then apply your sealer of choice. Spraying sealers on is a good practice if possible as it ensures that everything gets covered and allows you to control the amount of each coat. (again, light coats applied many times is better than one heavy coat). A quick note on sealers...gloss is more water resistant than satin. I'm not sure what the actual explanation is, has something to do with the way the liquid forms the finished surface and having less tooth (microscopic bumps in the surface) making it more difficult for water to penetrate. As with the color, let it penetrate & dry completely before applying the next coat. Once the the top coat/sealer is dry, I generally apply a good quality weather-resistant leather dressing to the piece. Many folks have their favorites but mine is Pecard Motorcycle Leather Dressing. Simply rub it on lightly with a soft cloth, let sit for a few minutes and lightly buff any residue. On areas that aren't painted, the leather accepts the dressing well by buffing a little longer before rubbing off. Helps bring back some of the flexibility. Hope this helps! Chris

Thanks for the compliment, glad to help. I'm typing a reply to your other question here in a minute, hopefully it helps some as well. Chris

Using a good deglazer before painting (or dying for that matter) helps get down to the leather and remove the tanning agents/waxes used by the tannery. Helps the paint adhere a little better to the material itself versus the top coat inbetween.

When you open the .ttf (true type font) file you'll see the repeating text displaying the font style. Along the very top of that screen you should see an "Install" button, just click it and Windows will import it. If you have a really old version of windows, you can manually install it by opening an Windows Explorer window (Start>Programs>Windows Explorer), select My Computer, then open the Fonts folder. You may have to open the C: drive (or your main hard drive) folder to get to the font folder. Drag and drop the .ttf file into the Fonts folder and then restart the computer. The reason for the restart is that not all programs will recognize a new font mid-run, a restart ensures that they'll pick it up.

Yeah, it did for me at first as well. Part of their issue is simply the fraud protection. It's a lot harder for them to verify transactions that are manually entered versus swiped so the limit/hold is to protect them and the consumer since "anyone" can get an account and swiper. I raised my limit pretty easliy, simply sent the email to raise and they asked a few questions asking me to explaining my business model, average transaction, how often I plan to use it and if I had any business credentials like wholesale number, business license, website, etc. Once I answered the questions the limit was raised in 24 hours. Not sure how high they will go, but getting it raised to $3000 wasn't that difficult.

Square (http://www.squareup.com) works very nicely. I started using it as an option for those clients that don't like Paypal and haven't adopted Dwolla yet. The Fee is 2.75% for swiped transactions. You also have the option of inputting the number, exp. date, etc. in manually and they charge an extra 1% for those types of payments simply due to the increased fraud liability. Makes it nice when folks want to fax or call an order in though, no more "I'll send you an invoice" and hoping they don't change their mind in the meantime. Forget the Apple store or RadioShack, etc. that are charging for the swipers. Go directly to Square's website and they send you one for free when you sign up. Actually, the longest I have waited for money to go from Square to my bank account is 22 hours so far even on transactions of a couple hundred dollars. Their transfer system initiates transfers from Square to your bank every evening, the delay is how long it takes your bank to claim it from the Banking ACH system. For most banks that is every 24-48 hours but some small local only banks may go 72.

Hey Casey, With just one week left to enter, how about an update on the counts?

Definitely understandable Casey. Makes one wonder why so few people would enter...could be the fear of competition (i.e. possibility of losing) amongst the company of talent that has appeared in years past, could be the economy/justifying the fee, etc. I look at it this way, win, lose or draw I'm stepping up to face some of the best if nothing else comes of it, it's a personal milestone reached and some of my peers or the public may generate enough quality feedback that I learn how to improve. As for the fee, it's relatively cheap advertising, comparatively speaking, especially when you consider the audience is target market specific (artistic leather goods) and just a single sale would cover the fee plus generate even more word of mouth. Here's hoping the carving (and all the others) category finds enough entrants to go on...expect my app & deposit this evening! Chris

Absolutely amazing. I know next to nothing about braiding whips and can only image what it took to plan & execute this.

Looks like they overlooked/lost my order. I checked my account history on their website (glad I registered now) and my order was shipped this morning. No reply to the email I sent but at least the item is on the way.

Glad to help & share folks. I hope to come back to this in the next few days after I have recovered from the Christmas rush!

Looks great Tina, love the bright colors and the design is pretty cool. Glad my posts helped, always nice to hear. Chris

Damn, that's what I was afraid of...I'll keep trying them, thanks.

Anyone else order one of the Viridian demonstrator guns? I ordered on around the 1st of December and haven't received it yet. Email to customer service has gone unanswered for going on two days now...

Just to clear up some terminology so the confusion in regards to Sylvia's great response to the OP can be cleared up. The picture you posted is of a belt that shows physical wear due to use. It's abraded, scuffed, faded, etc. Only way to achieve that is through use or one of the creative methods Sylvia outlined. Based on your response, you're looking to faux distress with a dying method to achieve a similar look without actually harming the belt. Rickybobby gave a good process for this. Just make sure to consider the responses you get before dismissing them...it could be that they are seriously answering the question asked, not the question intended.

White paint has a heavier pigment than any other color simply due to the need to reflect more light and cover more of the spectrum, especially pure whites like Zinc and Titanium. This pigment is what sits on the surface of the leather and builds up as you work towards even coverage. Unfortunately due to this it has a tendancy to create a shell like structure whereas other colors don't need to be applied as thick (as many coats) to achieve the same brilliance or depth. This shell is what is cracking...long story short, the paint is too thick in that area. Best solution is to thin it 50/50 or 30/70 and apply dry brush or white wash coats. They will still build to a bright white but won't build it as thick as quickly. Another thing to do is to allow a little more time between coats to ensure they are totally dry. If a coat is left wet at all under the next coat, they essentially combine into one thicker coat. Letting each one dry completely ensure that each layer is separate and will help with the flexibility. Cheers, Chris

Just a thought, but have you thought about instead of canceling a category, simply reducing the fee and losing the cash prize/belt buckle part so it's a ribbon only event for the category? I know I'd still show. Something like $25+/- to cover the table space and ribbon/admin costs?

Now I just need to figure out how to make a purse! Good thing we've got almost 6 months to go!