dirtclod

They look real nice and i'm sure your boys are proud of them to.

Real nice pictures Barra. I noticed that all of the men have ties on.

Great job !!

Check at a lumber yard or hardware store if they don't have them they can get them. Ring shank nails are over kill and hard to get out without breaking them or tearing something up. I use #3 box nails when i need to put skirts and fork covers back on.

It looks real nice. For me personally i wouldn't have done the spots but that's just me. I do like the inlay. You did a nice job.

Hi Ray, just figuering off of the top of my head to replace ever thing with new probley 30 to 35 thousand dollars. Now thats for machines, tools, leather, hardware, nylon, tables, cabinets. Then add another 10 thousand for the building. So about 40 to 45 thousand. Amazing what a person will get over 20 years.

Real nice work on both seats. The skull is my favorite.

You have enough snow to last way into the summer, looks like.

Real nice job on the seat !

The way you have your machine fixed up is NEAT !!! Work and excrise all at the same time.

Hi Old navy i use 2 gooseneck lights with daylight CF bulbs plus the light in the room. The CF bulbs don't get as hot as a regular bulb and have better light i think.

That was real intresting. Don't know if i will need to make one but is sure was handy to see how to do it. Thanks !!

Working man you did a great job on everthing. I'm sure he will be proud of the belt and bill fold when he opens them. I have a question on the belt. Do you use a brush to dye the black around the letters ? I've tried putting a colored rose on a check book cover and then dyeing it back and didn't have much luck. Merry Christmas

Real nice job !! Who ever gets it going to be real proud.

Looking on ebay is your best bet. I have seen some on there.

Ray when i put a gusset in saddle bags i measure where the gusset will go with a dress makers tape and add a couple of inches to measurement. Then i glue the gusset to the back side and use spring clamps to hold it. When i get ready to sew i take the clamps off as i get to them. Personally i sew the back on first. I wouldn't staples or tacks. Their to easy to get out of the stich line then you have holes were you can't hide them. To get the gusset to line up i use a sqaure and make a pencil mark on the inside from where the back was started. Then to know where to start putting in the front piece. I always start at the end and take a couple of back stiches then go forward to the other end and back stich again. That's the way i do. But i'm sure there others ways that will work fine.

If you can draw on the paper ( i've never used transfer paper ) i would use a pencil to trace the pattern and the stylus to trace on my leather. I would polish out the burr on the stylus before i used it. The paper i use it dosen't matter which side you use. It is the traceing film you can get from Hide Crafters and i'm sure other places as well. Trace it on your leather the way you want to be seen.

I use a large cutting board like you can get at Wal Mart or similar store and move it as i cut. I have worked at palces that just used a wood top and they were soon cut up pretty bad. Then it would grab your knife and make cutting hard to do.

That's just pretty durn neat ! Great job !

Hi Ray, i never really have done any inlay work. But i would allow at least a 1/4 to 1/2 inch under lap if theirs room. For sure i would i would line in the exotic. All of the exotic i have used are pretty thin. The snake skins i have used were paper thing lizard not much better. The times i have used snake skin and lizard i sewed them in useing a light machine and 69 thread. Sorry i don't have any pictures. The ones i did were before digital cameras.

Particle if i were you i would get the heaviest sewing cylinder arm machine with the deepest throat i could i could swing. I've been down the road were i never will need anything that will sew anything thicker than what ever and boy was ever sorry. I had to borrow the money to get mine but it was the best money i ever spent.

I'm sure you could sew them by hand if you wanted to. It will take a little while though. All you will need is a awl, stich wheel, needles and thread and you'll be on your way. Or if there is a saddle or shoe repair place close by ask them to sew it for you. Unless you want to do it your self.

When i added wear leathers to them i made the pattern out of poster board in the style i wanted. Cut them out of chap leather. Then used 3M 8080 spay glue, headliner spray glue will work to ( auto parts store is the best place to get it at ) on the wear leather and then on the pad. Let it get tacky stick them togeather and sew.

Treed your album looks real nice. I generally get myself something for Christmas. That way i now it's something i really want..LOL.

She is going to be one happy lady when she opens that present up. Nice job.