TTcustom

Wow I look forward to pics of your Rawhide hammer. I think there are a couple of blacksmiths/knifesmiths here that can answer your metal tempering question. There are several websites that explain better than I could. Wikipedia article on Metal TemperInstructional on tempering metal click here.

Ah yes, Thanks! I have some of those ProCrafter's and they are really nice. I like the meander border tool and the basketweaves. I have used the heck out of the Pebblers too. I know you are going to say I wallop them too hard, but I don't, one of my basketweaves shaft started to bend and the same deal with a friends too. But that doesn't change how nice the defined stamp is.

Does anyone have the Tandy Aristocrat Hat pattern? I would like a copy of it or would purchase . Send me a message. Thanks.

This is going to sound really dense but I could only find Craft tools and the HideCrafter "Pro Crafter's" tools. What are these Craft Japan tools? Can you post a link? S & D Trading Company Stamps

Thanks a lot I haven't done a lot of the fancy decorating stuff. I started off just making unadorned practical working pieces for myself and just started making them purty too. I have sooooo much to learn from y'all in that department! :grin:

Thanks! It really is the result of being cheap and or poor!

Thanks Tim. I liked the looks of beveling the quilting rather than cutting it. It is my favourite design right now.

Here are some projects that I made for myself recently. A case for my jewelers files. A cover to go over my Target water bottle. A sheath for my speed square. (I also do framing on the weekends)

Dangnabit now I have to make two meanders stamps! :grin: I really like the pattern on the top belt. It would make a nice border detail on a saddle.

Here are just some of the tools I have made for myself. First I wanted to dome my copper rivets and the Tandy store didn't have these in stock. I wasn't so hep to the interwebs and I have the resources to make a lot of "metally" things so how hard could these domers be? I used round bar stock cut-offs and an appropriate ball end mill in a metal lathe and turned these. Then I saw all the cool kids using these awesome and beautiful mauls. So I went to a local supplier and got a chunk of nylon (??? whatever it was it may be too soft) that was also a cut-off. I used some large round bar stock cut-offs for the cap and base and then bought some 1/2" all thread and an acorn nut at Ace Hardware. I used the largest punch I could find and also cut out the larger leather washers. I mounted these on the left over all thread and clamped them tight as I could turn the nut. Then in the lathe I turned the handle using files and a shureform ("cheesegrate") rasp to get the contour I wanted. Using progressive grits of sandpaper down to about 220 I smoothed it out. After seeing here the leatherworker from Kazakhstan's work I noted his use of drift punches in the borders. So I thought that it would be cool to have a "bullseye" stamp to use in this manner. I tried it out on a scrap piece and I think I like it. So that is some of what I made so far. Right now I am fooling around making other stamps from the inspiration I have been getting from y'all. I forgot to add that over time the leather washers in my maul have compressed and I had to add on. I never figured on them compressing any further.

Really love this hat. The design/pattern you did is amazing! I also would like the pattern so that I can give it a try when you get settled in. Cheers, Tim

Welcome! It sounds like we had similar paths to here. My other interest led to a Tandy store and before I knew it I was hooked and amassing a whole 'nother collection of foofaraw of gadgets for yet another hobby.

Ваша работа совершенна. Я люблю штемпеля вы используете. Некоторые сделали от бумаги гравируют штемпеля? От что вы делающ я воодушевьте. I have learned a lot seeing your stamps. My mind has limited me on what the possibilities are out there. Thank you.

I thought I read somewhere that Al Stohlman made his own stamps from nails and such. That gave me a start to try making my own I only have one design I made that I like. I use the big timber spikes from Home Depot and they are only ~$0.50 so learning and experimentation has been fun. but now I want to make my own "mongo" beveller for those long gun and kilt belts. I will try to remember to post some pictures of the goofy lil stamps I have done so far. On the staining; I have not seen too much of that but I only have just started making and using stamps of my own manufacture. Oxalic acid works well in removing stains, but that may have already been mentioned.

Where do you get your stainless steel large nails?

Hi My name is Tim and I have been fooling around with leather crafting about 9-10 years. Mostly making things for myself and occasional gifts and requests. I have a lot of varied interests so I suffer from Hobbist ADD. I look forward to learning, sharing and grinning with y'all.

Ray since they have gone bust getting anything new is not possible. Have you looked on Ebay and the like? I am assuming you are in the UK. If there is a small job shop machine shop they might be happy to make what you need. POst a picture of the punch that came with your machine so I can see if it is a easy enough job to turn out what you require.

Thanks for your inspiration. I made my burnisher after looking at pictures of yours. First one was out of cocobola and the last one I made was ebony I haven't finished profiling it yet.

Ed I forgot to add that I just buy square blanks and draw a line from corner to corner. I drill down at the "X" and then horse rasp the corners off before turning it down. I glue a drill blank in to the wood with two part epoxy. I have been getting the drill blanks from Grainger's.com But I think even the hardware section at Home depot has them. I must admit that for the last one I didn't have a drill blank so I glued the drill I used to make the hole into the slicker. It needed sharpening or replacing anyway. hahaha

I made my edge slickers from cocobola but now seeing a picture of one I think it is time to make another one and incorporate some improvements into it! If I was smart enough to figure out how to correct my error I would show you a picture of it. Well here goes nothing