joet

The "remember me" box is checked and I have not cleaned cookies in a long time. When I leave the site I just click on the next website that I want to go to. I do not log out, but once in a while I will use the X to go off line. I am on broadband. I did find out that if I just leave the forum for a bit and go somewhere else, I can get back in without re-logging in. It just seems to do it when I shut down for the night. This just started happening a couple of days ago and I don't know what is going on.

For the last couple of days I have to log in every time I go to Leatherworker.net. Before, I was always logged in and it was no problem to get into the different areas. Now I have to supply my log in name and password. Is it just me, or does everyone have to do this? :

I have a bad habit of antiquing everything. My thoughts on this would be to Neat-Lac the burro and miner (a resist), then antique the rest of the picture. I would (again my favorite) use Fiebings Tan paste after the Neat-Lac has dried. But the sun tan method sounds good too.

Loved the video's. I remember when I was in Spain back about 1983 all the leather shops that abounded. They were everywhere. Thanks for posting these neat pictures.

If I remember the Blackjack article it was very discriptive with a several pictures. It covered about as much detail as any article in the LCSJ, which can be quite a lot in such a short space. I don't really remember the other article but from the discription in the index it was mostly covering an already existing container, but I'm not sure of that. I didn't look up the leather bucket one, but I think it also went into some detail on construction. Sorry I can't help more, it would take several days to locate the actual magazine to find the article as it is burried in my basement/workshop which I haven't seen in some time.

Digging around in my indexes for all the leather magazines I have looked up information on mugs. There are at least two articles mentioned. A Blackjack mug by David Frantz is located in the Jun/Jul 1976 issue of Make It With Leather. A second article is by Russ Holzer in the Oct/Nov 1978 issue of the same magazine. I think there was an article for leather buckets used by firemen, but not sure which issue that one is in. Make it With Leather has been replaced by Leather Crafters and Saddlers Journal (for those that don't know), which is the best (and only) magazine out there for us leather crafters.

It depends on the show managers. In the past couple of years there has been early classes at the IFoLG show. At last years show in Butler there were two classes that were held for two days before the actual show started. Frank Z. did a class on the Billy 2shews method and there was a class on how to make leather boxes. I don't know about this years show as the class list is not out, but keep checking the IFoLG web site for it.

I really like the design. Do you use something to keep your parallel lines on your knots evenly spaced?

Once you get the cap off, take a q-tip and put some vasoline around the inside of the cap as well as the threads around the top of the container. This tip also works for rubber cement. Joe

There was a time that I used Lexol mixed with water to case my leather. Then I heard about ProCarve and gave it a try. Now I use nothing else. Not only does it help the tooling and cutting, but it is also an anti-fungal inhibitor. I have also heard other people use soap with water mixed and have had good results. Each craftsman must try things out and use what works for them.

I am not familiar with the videos you mentioned, but I did take a class at the IFoLG show in Denver a couple of years ago, where we did reverse molding. We used plastic candy molds and cookie molds with a ball modler to press the leather into shape. 3-4 ounce leather was used and they came out reall nice; let them dry and paint and we had instant Christmas decorations. I hope this helped. Joet

The pattern I furnished for the guild project came from a book I bought at Barnes & Nobel called "Wood Spirits and Green Men". This book is a design source for woodcarvers and other artists, and I thought it would lend its self well to leather. I just wish that I could partake in the workshop, but weather and health does not allow me to work on it like I would like. This last storm (if you could call it that) will allow me to catch up with the rest of the group. Joet

They are really turning out nice. I hope you get a picture posted before he gets them.

When I have a needle threading problem I give it to my wife. She can thread anything and she has worse eyesight than I do.

Silva Fox has an excellent lesson on doing eyes. Most of it is coloring, but look for the lessons and tips section on her web site. The site is located at: http://wdstudio.net/foxart/main.htm and is well worth looking into. Her video on coloring leather is very good also.

It just so happens that there are a couple of places that have on-line tutorials. The first one that comes to mind is by Silva Fox at http://wdstudio.net/foxart/main.htm and the other is by Ron Ross at http://www.rosaddlery.com/. The first one is mostly how to color with some tooling of animals. The second one by Ron Ross is mainly the Sheridan style that is in vogue now; but I don't see why some of it couldn't work for the standard floral design. There are a couple of more places that have tutorials, but I'm not sure what they are, and if you don't mind spending a little money there are DVD's and videos that cover all aspects of leather work. These can be picked up at Hide Crafters Leather Company and they have an on-line catalog at http://hidecrafter.com/. The cost of these videos run about $20 to $50 and are well worth getting, even for the professional. As far as covering up mistakes, the antique paste does wonders to hide them.

Good point. What I like is knowing that, at this time, the leather industry is going great. Or maybe it's just that I am finding more and more people every day who are doing it. I look at all the web sites that are out there and find a warm glow in my stomach; gee it is almost like Christmas to open a web page and see all the good things that are being done. Your right though, 200 years from now people will see all that has been done by us and wonder how it was finished. Places like Williamsburg and other living history museums keep the interest going as well as all the people that are presently at work pounding leather. There are many items that are not normally found in leather, like the 30 Christmas decorations I am currently working on. We need to educate the public more so they will see that motor cycle seat with the naket lady long before it gets put into a museum case. Got any pictures?

I felt the class could have been an hour longer as there was still a lot of things to do when it came time to close. Yes, I got my monies worth and then some and she is a great person. Informative, funny and full of knowledge. I'll be going back (didn't make it this year) and when you go, bring a list of things you want and a lot of money or plastic. A lot of the vendors take plastic. The battlefield was very stirring. I have heard a lot about how, it being wide open that Custer should have been aware of what was to happen, but one has to know the history and be aware of the feelings of the time. Also, we are looking at the event from hindsight and we were not there at the time to get a true feeling of what was going on. And things happened rather quickly. Some people put estimates of the battle at a little over 30 minutes from beginning to end while others say that it took most of a day for the battle to be fought and won/lost depend on which side you are rooting for. While I was there I ran into Tony Laier, so a lot of leather people go there to see the battlefield. What does this have to do with leather? Nothing, just that I have a wide interest in not just leather, but history also. Check out the leather shops at Williamsburg, VA sometime.

Verlane is located in Cody, Wyoming where she has her saddle shop, just a short drive to Sheridan. She is one smart lady. I had the opprotunity to take a class she gave in Sheridan last year on the headknife and it was worth the trip and the money spent.

Out here where I'm at they call that tool a "thingamabob". Of course that could be a regional name and be called something else where you are.

For those of you who will be going to the IFoLG show in Butler, PA, Dale's picture can be seen at the Pikes Peak Pounders leather guilds display table. It's worth it to stop and see.

I think you will find that if you use a damp sponge you will get a different result than if you used a dry sponge to dye. You should experiment on a piece of scrap leather to see the different results that can be achieved, then pick the one you like the best. You can use the same sponge over and over again with the same dye. I have found that wool is best for antique paste than dye as the dye could be repelled by the wool; at least that is what I have found when using wool with different finishes. Which is odd, as you can use the wool daubers with dye and get wonderful results. I have made up several charts using 2x2" squares of leather and applied the different colors of dyes, antiques and finishes. I use these to get an idea of what I am looking for. Keep in mind that dye will come out differently on different leather lots. Some will be darker than others. You can ask 5 different craftsmen a question and get 8 different answers. Take what you learn and then try all the methods and see what works for you. Hope this helps.

I can recommend two books (there may be others). The first is "The Main Technique of Coloring Leather" by Peter Main. The second book is "Coloring Leather" by Al Stohlman. Both of these books can be purchased at Hide Crafters. The book by Stohlman is also available at Tandy. Wish you luck.

Someone, I wish I could remember who, recommended the Dakota Prairie Treasures website to me. This website carries books on CD on almost every craft/topic that is from around the turn of the century. I ordered one of the CD's that had purses from the 1920's and was very impressed. The price is right also. The website is http://www.dakotaprairietreasures.com/ and is well worth looking into.

I bought the first e-book they put out. It is great for teaching leathercraft to other people. I declined the second two as I bought them when they first came out. Great books by the way. I can hardly wait for others to come out. Have you tried getting some of the older leathercraft books from Dakota Prairie Treasures? They have on CD, copies of leathercraft books that date back to the 1920's. Got one in the mail today and drooled all over myself.