JLSleather

Exactly. I rest my case.

I've seen some of those videos for various reasons in the past. As a rule, I don't recommend u-tub for instruction. Browse those when you have hours to kill for no legitimate reason. Disagree? Try this... Decide what you want to know, what you'd like to see, whatever. When you see a video, write down what you know, that you didn't know before the video. I could go on, but do this and you'll soon figure it out yourself.

This. Up my way, I don't think insurance would be much use (even in a flood, you'd need to have specific flood insurance). But the neighbor's actions (or lack of action) could certainly be grounds for 'relief'. But it would require civil action. Around here, for amounts under $1000, just wouldn't be worth a civil case (unless it was habitual)

What about a manual? Any of them come with one? Or, are you comfortable having someone explain setting the timing over the phone -- no pictures? These things might cause a guy to think about a machine from someone in the area you will have and use it. If you are unsure of the machine you need, stew on it a bit more. Ask the opinions of someone NOT trying to sell you one. Art has offered some pretty good advice. Only thing I might add -- if you aren't sure you'll need to sew more than 1/2", then it helps to decide. But if you KNOW that 1/2" is the limit for what you sew, then buying 'more' machine is not a good idea. I mean, say I'm outta milk and need to get to the store. I could go buy a Porsche, which would do the job, but I'd be spending far more than I need to - unnecessary. Well, maybe that's not quite the example. Perhaps the cowboy and artisan are more like Chevy, and the "Porsche" would say Adler?

It's possible you've missed my point. Perhaps it's more accurate (or at least more 'social') to say that I've failed to answer your original question. Well, it happens .....

Oh, about the social muck ... opened the fridge one day, first thing i see is the CHEESE says 'follow us on faqbook'. Anybody can tell me WHY I might wanna do that?$@#FG@!$!

Truth is, I don't know why some things sell well, while others not so much. Neither does anyone else, if they're honest. You mention Etsy, which I hadn't even heard of until I saw it here. By simple searches, I have seen some things sold for good money that I wouldn't take if they were free. Go figger... It's not a quality issue - I see shoddy materials assembled poorly selling everywhere. People use "walmart quality" and "made in China" as if they were "bad" - almost with contempt. But Walmart and China - as we think of them - sell a HUGE amount of goods (more $'s than I could list). Not a question of unique, either. Those "minimalist" wallets are sold by thousands of people. They'll harp about "hand made" or go on about the 'type' of leather used, but in the end they're pretty much the same. Doesn't even need to be a useful product, or an attractive one. Pet rocks sold by the MILLIONS. Then there were "imitation" pet rocks copying them. A few years went by, and there was a "re-release" of the "original" pet rock. Remember those? It was a rock. Put in a box. With "air holes" in the box so the rock could breathe. Not enough example? How about the 'mood ring'. Spongebob. The Kardashians (yes, they're cute, but so are a couple BILLION other girls). Shifting gears a bit.. here's my personal take on goods in general. When I see someone making a point of "hand made" or "hand crafted", then I expect to see something that required so skill. Or at very least some attention to detail. It USED TO BE that "handmade" meant it was more expensive, but people are figuring out that if the product isn't BETTER than I get at walmart (crap, did i use that analogy) the WHY PAY MORE? Looking for example at your first page belts.. I dont see anything I couldn't teach someone to do in under half an hour. Machines will cut an entire hide into belt strips in seconds. And seriously.. if it's the same leather, what does anybody care HOW it was cut? Which brings us to the "social" thing people are on about (and on and on). It's ridiculous to call it "social", when it's clearly just one more avenue of marketing refuse. My wife uses it to talk with her family on the other side of the planet - THAT is social. Many people using it - quite simply - because they are terrified of NOT doing what (they perceive) 'everybody" is doing. Personally, 'minimalist' says to me 'look how little i did'. This does not cause me to admire it or want one. But, I'm just one person, so maybe doesn't matter what I think.

Yep, that's what I'm talking about. Sometimes happens right on the spool -- and usually with the darker color threads. I had one spool of black -- I ended up just ordered a new spool. Pulled thread off the spool a few feet at a time as needed until the new batch arrived, then pitched the other. $20 spool of thread just not worth aggravation. Just a side note ... not all threads and needles are equal. We might both have a "24", but the hole for the thread is different. Or the thread is not the same brand (yes, it can make a difference). And to further complicate (maybe) I use nylon. The same size thread in a poly may measure the same size, but act differently. Not better or worse, necessarily, just different. Pattern? What pattern?

A 25 needle sounds purdy big fer a 207 thread (i like a 23) and What yu descrybe, I'd first check that the thread is coming off the spool freely. I've seen that when everything is set "jus fine" and the top thread binds (if only fer a secind er two) causing.. well.. what you said Might try pulling thread off the spool, let it 'hang' from yer thread stand. Just maybe a few feet (so it comes down 18" and back up). Keep an eye on it, and when it's about back to getting ready to pull from the spool (slack is used up) then pull some more and let it hang. It may be that your problem is gone, and then you know it's a 'sticky' in the spool. Sounds very simple, but I've seen it -- and it can be irritating.

That's a simple rifle sling, done with two shades of brown and an airbrush. Glad you like it, but honestly -- not that difficult

I would agree that a site where anyone can post any opinion about a given subject would be redundant. You need not search many posts to see that a simple question can result in 20 answers ... 2 right, 5 not even ballpark, 5 that have basically nothing to do with the original question, and 10 of those that basically conclude "yeah, what he said" Oh, and dont' forget 1.5 that are outright BS, by someone who wants to appear to know "topic x". Now, that's a light-hearted look at it, but the underlying idea is true. I knew leather BEFORE I found this site. But I could certainly see where the true "newby" could be genuinely confused by conflicting opinions, misinformation, with some outright BS mixed in. Yes, I know it's not politically correct to say... but fact is there are many people who are more interested in APPEARING right than actually BEING right. I'll be adding free informational downloads to my site as I'm able to get them up. There won't be any "discussion" pages, burying the information. Anyone who cares to can view or save these files - free of charge. Anyone else is welcome not to -- each his own. The only purpose for - and difference in - these files is 1). No charge - they aren't designed to sell you anything, and 2.) see #1

True that COULD be done with an airbrush (or a paint brush, for that matter). Still, takes a good while to get much effect, but handy if you just need ONE (not a whole side of it).

'Pulled the trigger' too late to pick up the LC9, but marking the thread to check again.

There certainly are many options for semi-auto pistols. For revolvers, I sometimes also check with Duncan's (aluminun molds) and Bunkhouse tools (some kind of composite plastic). I'll put the links below, so whoever that was going on about a reference "pinned" for the newcomer can copy them easily. duncansoutdoor.com www.shop.bunkhousetools.com

It's done with a machine. On the entire hide. Very much like silk screening t-shirts. When I say 'printed', I did not say embossed. That leather is printed, much like a newspaper is "printed". Apparently leather "suppliers" (standard retail people) have convinced LW folks that "printed" means "3-D) ...

There are a number of ways this could be done, but I think that one is a [relatively cheap] printed leather.

Keep in mind that if you run one speed all the time, the larger end will create more friction and heat than the smaller speed - though the "speed" is the same. No long speech -- try it, you'll see what I mean.

If the copier is good at it, offer him a job. If not, no worry ...

If you already have a motor you want to use, and already have that burnisher, then all you need is a sleeve that fits the 1/2" shaft and the shaft of that toy. Maybe go an inch down each one. Maybe git all smanky fancy and put a set screw through each end. Any machine shop kin make one in half an hour. Or, if a feller had a drill press, proper size reamers, and a small tap (maybe 1/4-20 or 5/16-18) you could make it yourself in that same half hour. Personally, I must be gittin lazy, cuz if I had a drill press I'd probably just stick the burnisher in it and use it like that But, you did say you wanted to use the bench thing .... Say, for instance, yer burnisher had a 3/8" shaft. Then a feller could take a piece of pipe with a hole LESS than 3/8". Drill one end out to just under 1/2", and then ream both ends (.376 and .501). Put a setscrew in each end as shown. Slip the 1/2" end on the motor and snug. If you wanna swap toys, you can slip it off the motor and leave it on the burnisher (wooden end). No slipping. No coming loose. Total investment, $30 at a shop / $2.38 if you do it yerself

OOPS Yep, 2.4T. Musta fat-fingered the '2' twice? I THOUT that sounded awfully high! Blanking is like cutting out. Generally involves a male and a female die, with some calculated clearance. Substance being "cut" actually fractures, not really "cutting". Think tin can lids being stamped out of sheet metal... The 40% I was talking about was the length of the cut (10" is a guess at his "fob" and safely no more than about 40% of 26", depending on actual meas.). "Shear" is just used to describe stuff being cut at right angle to it's surface. If it was being pulled from the ends, that's tensile strength (yes, I know that's over simplified). To illustrate how much change is involved, take a pair of shears you know to be sharp. Open it, press the blade down on a piece of paper. Now, try cutting as with shears normally. Much ess pressure needed, due to "shearing" action. Actually, this "shearing" action is often used to reduce the pressure when 'blanking', but that's another can o worms... And no, not all leathers have the same shear strength. Some leathers are more dense than others , or more hard than others, or tanned differently than others... but I'm figuring his question was what is "enough". I have a 20-ton press, only because it was the same price as a 10 and a 12 at harbor frieght when they had a local sale, so I had one picked up.

OH OH OH Had to dig a bit, but found this old one from about 5 years ago. This is a STohlman design (inverted leather carving book) that is NOT TOOLED at all. Airbrushed only. Red on the rose, and the leaves were green (not kelly green). The stems were the same green, with a bit of dark brown added directly to the green dye. Oh, and do let us know what you're going to paint, and I can recmmend a TYPE of brush (syphon / gravity, internal / external mix, cup or bottle, etc.) JUST CLICK THE PIC

This is good, common-sense, no-nonsense, actually USEFUL information (perhaps you meant to post it on some OTHER site?). My 2 cents, before i now must fish rest of the day ... I use mostly Paasche airbrushes. Parts are everywhere (including bottom of the hill at the hobby lobby). Easy to clean, and nearly indestructible. Plus, they're not high-dollar. I'll spend money when i need to, but I don't like spending money just so I can say I did. With leather dye, you'll want somewhere between 15 and 30 pounds of pressure (yeah, that's all you need). I have a separate one I use for finishes - which are a bit heavier - and there I often use more like 40 pounds. I second the thing about the compressors. I don't care for the little table-top things often called "airbrush compressors". They run MUCH too continuously, trying to keep up. The one I use is intended for nail guns - goes up to about 120 pounds, which would explode that airbrush. Set at about 22-25, it kicks on. Loud for a couple minutes, but then only kick on maybe every 20-30 minutes for a few seconds. Whichever you use, get yourself ... air regulator (pretty common they'll come with it) moisture trap (may be included with compressor) cleaner tips solvent for what you're spraying I din't watch al teh vids above, but at a glance, you can see that 1) he don't say much a bout airbrushing, for how long the video is and 2.) a few minutes after he starts, that litle air joke is kicking on again (meaning, it's trying to keep up enough pressure in the line). As for practice, I recommend using the dyes you use on the leather, to get used to them But, you can practice on like bristol paper, or even cardstock. I'm going to do some video stuff shortly (promised some others). And I'll show, and what you should do, try spraying frm 3 inches away, then same thing at 10 inches back. Try 15 pressure, then same thing but with 35 pounds pressure. Sorry, Iowa boy don't really know what that is in kg/cm3 Try spraying yellow , like even coat. Then darken it at the top with the same yellow. Then put in some red, do the same thing, but allow it to overlap. Where the colors blend, do it again on a piece of scrap leather, noting the difference in shades between the leather and the white paper.... Okay, I quit.. gone fishin' ......... Oh, the videos I'll try to add USEABLE info, instead of the standard U-tube FILLER you see these days 'cause they get paid to keep you watching longer.

Short answer -- yes. Those people telling stories about 12 and 20-ton presses perhaps are not understanding the meaning of TONS Officially, the pressure required to BLANK a die-cut part is calculated .. length of the cut times the shear strength of the material times the thickness of the material. So, cut a 9" x 4" rectangle. Perimeter (cut length) is 26". Thickness of say 6 oz (.093). S=~2000lb That's pounds, so divide by 2000 to get tons. Then (26 x .093 x 2000)/2000 = 4.8 tons FOR BLANKING But, you're not blanking - you're cutting. So "guestimate" roughly 1/3 the pressure. In the case of your "fob", your perimeter is more like 10", so you'd need like 40% of the pressure ...

Strange. Since that CAME from etsy.