DrGull

Ken, I suspect you are right. I'm not going to get $1500 performance out of a $150 machine.

So no holsters, but about chaps and other clothing? Are they typically over 8oz?

I have my choice of two Singer 15's for $150.00 and was wondering if they would be suitable for leather. My plans include making wallet insides and perhaps clothing (like Chaps). Your opinions are greatly appreciated.

Twin Oaks: OK, I'll buy that and keep stropping. Thanks everyone for your time.

Mike: If that is true, then there's a point to it. Do you have any kind of reference for the "crust" theory?

Every Tandy video by any of their instructors contains a line like: "the ceramic blades never need sharpening, but they should be stropped." Why? The ceramic making up those blades is an order of magnitude harder than white jeweler's rouge. Rubbing the ceramic blade with white rouge can have no impact on the ceramic blade. Is it just some kind of ritualistic thing?

Tom & Medusa: Thank you both for your help! ---Todd

I believe Mop n Glow has a soap component. . . .. .

I wanted to do a resist finish with the flower an scroll work with Fiebings British Tan followed by Eco-Flow Mahogany Antique gel. I figured it would give the carved portion a nice burnished look against a darker background. So I paitnted the flower and scrollwork British Tan followed by Super Sheen as a resist. The results were less than impresive: (see Wrong.jpg). Only the tip of the flower came out as it should. Super Sheen didn't resist anything. So what to do? I went online to Springfield to buy a product specifically for resist dying. I figured the problem with super sheen was that it was water soluable and so is the gel antique which must have simply pushed the super sheen out of the way. I was all ready to purchase the resist product when an idea occured. I make models as well as doing leathercraft. Modelers use Future floor finish for all sorts of things. Turns out a bottle of Future is simply a huge bottle of pure acrylic. Would Future make a good resist? It dries a hard acrylic gloss the gel antique should not be able to get through. So I gave it a try on another practice piece. First the british tan onver the flower and scrollwork, followed by a coat of Future. It worked perfectly (see Right.jpg): It also worked as an overall finish. I bent the leather severly and there was no cracking or "whiteing." So, give future a try. Like I said before, it's just a big bottle of pure acrylic gloss -- no soap or other ingredients. It is a good resist and a good overall coat -- its flexible and strong.

I would like to set some Pyarmid spots - the kind with two prongs. I have the pyramid rivet tool, but I don't know if that will help set the spots. Basically, I've never set spots before, do you have to punch the two holes? If that's the case I give up, no way I could ever punch that many holes at just the right spacing, etc. Thanks for any help on this.

Ken: That's Quite Impressive, I don't know whaere you found the room. Maybe it varies from insert to insert, because the one I ordered didn't have any room for stiching, it would have cut off the cradit card slots. Thanks again for the pictures, ---Todd

JLSLeather: I would Very Much like to have a copy of your pattern Dr.WWGull@GMail.com Thanks Aaron: Alas, I live in Denver. That sounds like a class I would like to attend. ---Todd

I can tool wallet backs for practice for months, but there's nothing to put in them. I don't have a sweing machine so the Chaylor Finielli inserts are not a possibility. Idealy, I'd like to make my own from calfskin. So, does anyone know of a book that covers the making of the insides, or a source for "Tandy-like" insides that have encough room for hand sewing or lacing.