JLSleather

Looking for Ruger NM Blackhawk .357 model Yes, I did 'search', and if someone has one, they didn't admit it yet

I design in a few programs (dependin'). Once it's a 'deal', I put it in Quicken, which creates an invoice, a 'start' date, a "tentative done" and a "actual done". Then a note in the Outlook calendar ,which comes up first thing in the morning. DUE date on the calendar, and any details i need are on the invoice. That works well for about a 6-7 week cycle. Then I'll have like a whole day where I'm standing in the kitchen, cup in one hand, sugar spoon in the other, at the coffee pot counter, thinkiing .. "Okay, what was I gonna do in here again?"...

Everybody saying the same thing, just different words. It MAKES ME MONEY. Machines are used for SPEED to be PRICE COMPETITIVE. Always somebody with a 'spin'. Tina's pic is what I was talking about.. NOT the same thing.

Nah.. you kin turn the wheel, hit the turn signal, and use the brake at the same time. With a little practice, it got where yo don't even think about it.

I picked up some chrome leather last week at a Tandy. Not bad stuff, not bad money. Sold by the skin ,and the gal workin there said they're ALL going to that. Leather not sold by the foot any more, but by the PIECE, whether that's a side, shoulder, whatever. Everything. This is neither good or bad to me, just putting out that info.

There's always a thread about airbrushing somewehre around here. I personally use a siphon feed dual action airbrush. Can't rememebr exactly why at the moment Use what you are comfortable with. Here's the thing... it does depend on what you want to do with it. I have several brushes, with different size tips. I 'paint' wallets with Fiebings with the wallet in one hand and the brush in the other, smallest tip and needle (see the bird in the avatar). When I go to do a portfolio or photo album, that little 1" (ish) spray will drive you NUTS, and you'll be there forever (ish). I set the small one aside and grab the next one, which is the same except for the tip size. Simple enough. I sometimes think about switching to a gravity fed brush, but likely will just end up usiing both. If all you want to do is color a piece of leather and put that "halo" around the edges, an aerosol can from Walmart might be fine (plus, it gives the 7 year old something to do). But you'll find it's more about talent and tenacity than tooling. Don't think so? Check out this site full of art, all of it done with an inexpensive SINGLE action airbrush. Wow. http://www.lizardco.com/murals62.1.html

Forget the paint . I'd like to know how you take 50¢ worth of old leather and snaps, throw some LOUD paint at it, and sell 1600 of em at $50 per!

Yeah, most don't know the difference, and some of the ones who know don't care. I'm with you .. saddle stitched is better where stress and strain is involved. If you're making flat goods - wallets, notebooks, etc - run 'em through the machine for the speed, whatever. I actually saw one guys' 'marketing pitch' that machine sewed was better because the stitches are more even and consistent. HUH? BUT, not all 'handmade' is better. I mean, if I need a belt, and have to choose between a beat-down, poorly cut, badly tooled, blotchy dye piece of crap somebody destroyed with their own hands, then give me the cheap crap from Walmart that I'll have to replace in a few months. The hand made crap is NOT worth more than the mass produced crap. IF you can get a machine that does what the "handmade" does, faster and/or for less money, then do it. If you make hundreds of wallets (for example) then by all means get a die to cut them out. Makes sense. But the stichers you see around here are NOT makig the same thing as a saddle stitch.

Nothing wrong with that! I personally like the first one most, but then I've always liked natural leather. Even the fat wrinkles look good Now, somebody tone down that car interior ...

Well, yeah, two thicknesses of the 4 oz should be "about" as thick as the 8 oz. It wasn't. And the 7/8 oz was pretty close (light 1/8"), which was fine. And the 4 oz was a little under, but useable. Not sure why seemed like the 6/7 was noticeably light. Twice. FIgure 6/7 should be about .100, give 'er take .007. It aint -- more like .09 (which is a 5/6, no?). So, the 6/7 was pretty "6-ish" (twice) and teh 7/8 was "8-ish", so a bit of a gap there. Any rate, it's useable leather. Just now I need to buy ANOTHER side to do the projects I need done. I'll use these others, just not for this. I'm just thinking if this is going to be a trend, then I could be doing something more constructive than "cowhide roullette". Then, I made a point for a good while of NOT buying multiple sides (at a time) from HO, but if that's what I end up with anyway, then I might well do that and save some time...

Really? JUST ME? Ah, well, I've been meaning to call Goliger anyway ...

Nobody else notices a DISTINCT difference in thickness of the leather at SLC? I ordered a 6/7 side but when it got here I was surprised at how thin in was (HO "B" grade). They took it back, and even paid the return shipping. Sent me a 7/8 hide instead, which worked for what I was workng on, and in fact wasn't a bad piece of leather. I ordered a piece of 4/5, and thought it was a "tad" thin, but useable. So today I got another piece of 6/7 which is MUCH thinner than the 7/8 I had left over, and NOT MUCH thicker than the 4/5 left over. All of it supposed to be HO "B" hides (and in all fairness, it tools and dyes fine - just a WEIRD thickness difference with the 6/7 - more than once). Oh, yeah .. if you give this leather to a chubby girl, along with some lining leather a bit heavier than you were gonna use to account for the thinner veggie leather, she MIGHT make ona these ...

Yikes .. I didn't know you were using the same leather for the inside! I meant about 1.5mm for the OUTside, maybe HALF of that inside.

Those are okay in a pinch, I've used a few of them. Still, they aren't up to all the rage about them, or maybe I heard so much hype I was expecting too much??? Lot of 'to do" for some sheepskin wrapped around some cardboard...

Yeah, been there. I have purchased some worth while stuff at Tandy (I actually like their Royal Meadow tooling leather - bit of a different tannage, just a tad more supple and very bleached color). On teh other hand, I've called Springfield more than once to chew someone. Last time I called for an order the wife put in. I was pretty much fuming, and calmed a bit before I would even call. Lady was polite, so I explained that while I'd like to have that "one place" to get stuff, I dont have time for a 'crap shoot' and returning orders (customers like it when you stick to the time line). Whoever that gal was cleaned it up pretty well (she should be in PR full time), so we'll see how it goes. Leather coming from them again on Thursday, but only one side. Man,wouldn't it be nice to just have ONE place where you could tell 'em what ya need, and actually get what you asked for. Doesn't seem to be limited to leather though ... I was spending $10k a month at Menard's for a while til they 'stuck it to me'. Now if I go there it's to flirt with that cashier ...

Oddly, I got better service from the Leather Factory BEFORE it was Tandy (TLF). There's one a little over an hour from here that I first purchased from in '85. Never a bad order, never needed to return ANYthing. Tell 'em what I want, and in a couple of days there it is. Call me if they don't have it (which was rare). Give me the choice of a credit or a refund. Now, I don't buy much there, and when I do, I go pick it out. Just don't have time for returning orders and waiting for replacements, etc.... Yep, things aint what they usedta be ...

You can try it - each his own and all that. Thickest I use is 4 oz (or about 1.5mm) and a little less than that is better. Some have posted on the forums about using 4/5 oz and heavier, but I'm not one of them.

This is positively refreshing. Simple question, followed by a detailed, but on topic, answer filled with relevant information. Irks me sometimes when you see a guy with a question, some ass tells him use the search function (seriously, if you aren't going to answer, then why reply?). Or, you ask what time it is, only to get a long winded speech about the 'invention' of time zones and the Roman calender ... often (I suspect) by a guy who really has no idea what time it is. So, just one guy popping on to say THANKS for some actual USEABLE information.

Looks like it stitches just fine. And, call me cheap, but I personally think $1500 is too much for the Consew anyway.

Oh, and I guess I'm not the only one thought it looked okay ... his Etsy store sold 10 of them this week

This is NOT one of mine, but the guy has bold enough color that he 'shows up' .. on Etsy, and Ebay, and a couple others here n there. Still, this looks pretty good. Whatcha think, stain or dye? Guy stamps pretty straight. Too bad, it doesn't look like he does anything else. https://www.etsy.com/listing/57494727/hand-tooled-leather-guitar-strap-hot?ref=related-3

That's a nice, even tone - makin' fer a nice lookin rig. Gonna dissent on yer opinion about the double action being harder OR wanted "later on". The single action and the double action will both get to the same place. Rather like a manual transmission vs an automatic transmission in yer car (fer anyone south of me, I mean yer truck). The manual (single action) will be a bit more involved in the use of it, but works very well and some folks wouldn't have it any other way. The double action will let you change a bit (shift) without stopping, and thus it's a bit easier to use in many situations. But I don't recommend buying a piece of junk "to start" and maybe upgrading later. Purchase the best brush you can reasonably afford (don't get me wrong, more expensive is not necessarily better). Smooth action is what you want, and a brush that you can get replacement parts for if you need. I have a brush that costs about $75, but I've replaced that $4 needle in it a dozen times. Years later, still works like new.

Those double line blades are available in a number of places. Simple Google search for swivel knife double blade gets you more than you want to read. I don't have any of these. Simply not going to spend money on something that I'm stuck with the size of. I mean, the distance between the blades is always the same, which is the point. On the other hand, the distance between the blades is always the same, so if I want it a little wider , too bad, buy another tool. These are for "fish". Save your money, and your sanity, and learn to control a single blade twice. Not that tough.

So, it's a cultural thing then? In MI, talkin on the phone about someone wanting leather stuff is called takin ODERS? AL-rightey then..

How many people do you have taking Oders? (see line 5 down on the left side)