Bigfoot

Thanks Tom and hivemiind, All good advice and I will bare it in mind. I guess to make it out of one piece so the "scalloping" can't happen would not work either as it would end up too rounded and would have to be firm padding to shape it?? .....my old man has been drumming for years and I think has got used to a nice squishy seat!!

Hello all, I am thinking of covering my Dads drumming stool with carved leather but have not attempted any seats before so any advice would be appreciated ...... The stool is round so not complicated but is approx 3" deep and very squishy so would i need to remove all the insides and start from scratch with a firmer padding?? Can a "squishy" item be covered at all? I want to lace the edges but are there any tips to ensure that everything is cut to the right size so that once laced, it all pulls up nicely?? Do you leave the leather slightly short or could it then rip if the padding is soft?(one for all you bike seat makers that look so cool when properly laced!!!) What weight of leather would you recommend for this? If you can think of any other tips that i should know about to help with this project then please share the knowledge! Thanks in advance Gary

Plastic or metal is fine. Does anyone out there know where to source these(UK ideally ) but worldwide is good.....any info appreciated as they seem a bit tricky to find???. Many thanks in advance for your help. Happy carving Bigfoot

Thanks Luke......the basket weave was harder than i thought it would be in that design....think I might have started at the wrong point cos i gradually ran out of room for the stamp so it's a good job the piece was not any bigger. Also i seem to have made a mistake in the bottom right and broken the pattern but i didn't notice it till i looked at the picture...DOH

Sorry Fred but i can't really recommend a specific model as i am quite new to airbrushes myself and am using "el cheapo" ones from ebay but they seem good enough for me at the mo.

You could accesorize? with some Lion skin as you seem to have some laying about in the background of the pic!

When you say "Exterior; Elephant" is that code for something else's hide or am i missing something!(I'm sure it must be a nickname for something else but i am a newbie) So far as i know ivory is banned....Elephant leg umbrella stands are out of fashion(TF!) and you can't buy Elephant burgers so what is that all about???? Not trying to hijack your thread but you did ask for any comments! PS. that lacing looks superb....i am young...ish but i will learn!

Shame the pic is so big.....would love to see the affect in real perspective, but it looks very cool to me.

Fred, if your compressor is fixed and your thinking of an air brush then look at the double action type....much better control to get the "faded" look when needed and not much difference in price. And you can just puff air with no dye to help dry the layers quicker too!

My latest bracer carvings. UKray.....i've still not made any bags but did do a quick phone case for myself........from small acorns grow mighty oaks an all that! Forgot to put backing on the leather and it stretched when i stamped it so is a bit fatter than i planned.

I have read so much about the importance of picking your own hides and i have been sent some right old tat through the Internet that i would love to know of any recommended UK suppliers for leather(pref in the west sussex/hampshire area so that i can pick-em. Thanks in advance for any help

So it has been a while....have you scratched your itch and built a bag? If yep, got any pics of the results??

I wouldn't have a clue where to start with that but i do know that it looks top quality and super neat work!! Got any pics of it on the bike??

If i use a paste or wax will it not just get stuck in the carvings when buffed...look orrible and then catch dust n dirt??

Just had a look at your work in the links...Stunning!!....your own design knot work too! What make of dye and finish do you use to get those superb colours?? I see i have plenty to learn yet

Welcome! I would have thought bike seats were a tricky place to start but i have only done carving so far and nothing constructive yet but good on ya...got any pics???

Didn't know so many Brits dabbled with leather Loads of useful info and seriously skilled peoples brains to pick on here...enjoy.

Thanks guys, guess i should just do some testing then on scrap and see what works best for my dye.

Thanks Macrdhu...get some tools an go for it!!

Firstly sorry if this has been asked many times before but i did a search and people seem to want to know specifically what item it is for. Anyhoo, my question is what would you recommend to protect my bracers from the elements, they are sometimes heavily carved and i'd hate to think that they could be quickly ruined. I read somewhere on here about dipping in oil but again, there always seems to be split opinion. At the mo i use mink oil but i think they may need more?? If it makes a difference i use eco flo dyes. Thanks in advance for any advice/opinions.

Fanks

Hi Ray, Thanks for the kind words. I'm in West sussex, near Chichester so not far from Brighton. Small world on this tinternet!

I'm a newbie to leatherwork and a newbie to this excellent site. Always admired carved leatherwork and treated myself to some tools for christmas to give it a go. So far i have only really carved arm guards for archery, as i'm an archer it seemed a good place to start Next project will probably be a saddle bag to try and learn stitching/lacing techniques. Looking forward to learning so much more about this addictive art!! I'll try to post some pics in the critique section so you can see what i've been up to lately.