TomG

I found that the loose, porous kitchen sponges I've gotten lately, harden when the dye get on them. I now use the large yellow close-cell sponges from Home Depot. They have them in the paint section and the tile flooring section. Cut to the size needed. Tom

Hmm.. I think I noticed that at one time. I now have my servo motor turned down so far, it's almost doing a single stitch mode.

Always punch from the front. Get a beeswax block and stab your punch tip lightly into every time the punch sticks and you shouldn't get stuck - unless it's a super thick piece and/or your punch is one of the very heavy barreled ones.

StudioN - What does it do to the edges? Have you seen or heard anything about those $750 Chinese lasers?

then try Chicago screws with a dab of Loctite or superglue on the threads.. Or copper rivets...Doubt if he'll bust either of those.... I'm jealous of your Tippman <g>... I have an old Singer 111W155 that works well, within it's limits, but I seldom use it cause I haven't had a lot of time to learn to sew straight <G>. I need a "real" guide for it instead of the little "T" shaped thing. But so far the only one I've found comes from Korea, I think, and from what I understand requires drilling and tapping holes to mount it. Haven't wanted to expend the effort right now <g>...

I met a guy today at a Pep Boys and he wants someone to recover his Harley seat and incorporate some Ostrich into it. I don't do seats but figured one of you may want the job. Shoot me a PM and I'll forward the email address to contact him

I'm not 100% sure it is bad for them.. Just recall hearing out digestion issue??? What are you making your collars out of that can't withstand him???

Thanks... We have owned a total of 6 Aussies over the past 13 years. Lost a couple early. These guys range from 4 to 13. My wife does agility with them.. well, only the youngest now. I like your Corgi... I assume you make your own collars? Also, I thought veg tan was bad for dogs... I know they love rawhide... A could be wrong about the VT though.. wouldn't be the first time <g>

Yeah.. After I posted, I wondered if she had a tail. Berners and Aussies do look alike.. Especially when the Berner is a puppy. These guys were my inspiration for doing dog collars <g>.....

It sure will stink!!! Make sure it's vented to outside..... Personally, I've not heard of anyone using lasers commercially to cut. There may be many reasons for this. I'd think the first issue would be the burned edges. I do know the lasers that are in the 40W range are used to cut acrylics and burn wood. Been thinking of buying a cheap Chinese model just to play with, but need to research it first.

But Dad.. She's an Aussie.... It's her job!!!

The edges look airbrushed. The text looks like Antiquing stain

Thanks.. I advised her that with the different leathers, style and finishes possible, that it may not be possible to do. But she insists, so I got a no-harm--no-foul statement from her in writing. I'm going to see how it takes water front and back and do a test under the buckle, so the tongue can hide it if it does not take. I'll probably use my arbor press for this one..

The new Professional Dyes are supposed to have a finish in them. I've tested the Tan and the Bordeaux and I like the Bordeaux. The tan is a little dark for my tastes in Tan... But it may just be me.

I have a customer who wants me to stamp some 3D images into her Carhartt belt. Does anyone know what kind of leather they use? I’ve looked at a few at the local Northern Tool and saw several models. Some are lined and say Italian Leather. Some look like the flesh side is either glued smooth or burnished smooth and saw Genuine Leather. Anyone know anything about them? Thanks

Tandy has some videos on their site showing how to set snaps and you can see the circular motion Chief mentioned. Also, look into a tool called a Press-N-Snap. I've heard nothing but good about it. You can also search here for a couple of good links to how to convert a $50 1-ton arbor press into a leather press.

Like Rivercity said - Thin the hell out of it. This is true with almost ALL Fiebings dyes. Use small containers that you can close up tight. I usually start with 75% alcohol to 25% dye. Take a strip of leather, write the dilution down on the back and dye that short section. If it's too light, add some dye. Write on the back - test dye. Be sure to let it dry well before deciding how the color looks. Be sure to use a fresh applicator for each test. And as always, the particular piece of leather will determine the exact final color. You can use a syringe to make the small batches to test. I've even taken medium brown, broken it up into 3 or 4 bottles of various strengths and just made my own "true" colors. I get light brown, medium brown and dark brown at the very least. Goodluck

I got a couple of tolls from our of our folks here and we are trying to figure out exactly what 2 of them are. I know they are copper rivet setters, but not sure what size and the brand on one of them. One looks like a Tandy item. Marked Taiwan. I THINK it's a #9, but all I have are #12 rivets. The second (larger one) looks like maybe for a #12, but I'm new to copper rivets so I don't know for sure. I did have some issues with getting a good rounding on the end when I tried it. It is pretty heavy and is only marked with a "C" on one side and 2 "C"'s on the other. Any info is appreciated. Thanks

How about wet forming a channel down the scabbard with a square dowel rod. Tom

It looks like Antiquing Gel over a sealed natural or very lightly dyed leather. Search for Antiquing under the Dyes and Finishes section and you'll see a bunch of stuff.

I've used a number of things to apply the 50/50 res. What I like best is an old cotton shirt - not a tee shirt but a dress shirt type material. I used a small square folded in half. I put it on the edge of the bottle, tip the juice onto the cloth. Then I strike a quick stroke on my newsprint that I use to see how much I'll be laying down and then wipe the surface of the leather. Works perfect. Lays down a microthin layer. What area of the country do you live in?

Must be thinking of a different thread. No problem with the tag. Tom

Oh boy -- "...Forest for the trees...". I don't think anyone mentioned this, did they? I think you said you were a woodworker (unless I'm confused, which is totally possible). An edger cuts the edges off the top and bottom edges of the strap. Like rounding a square wood blank before turning it on a lathe. Makes burnishing a WHOLE lot easier!.. Tom

2 things - Dying - LOTS of info under that specific subheading. But in a nutshell, you can try some dark blue under the black. Use Fiebings oil dye or equiv. I use either dip dye or a wool dauber to apply my dyes. For the gluing, you might try dry fitting the top over the bottom and using sharp pencil/mechanical pencil to trace the outlines of the letters on the inside of the liner piece. Then use a small brush to apply the glue to it so you don't get glue inside of the letters on the lining piece.

You use a skiver. Tandy has a couple and other suppliers do as well. Usually around $15 or so. As you get more involved, you might invest in a leather splitter. But then you're talking $300 and up unless you can find a good one used. they key word being "good". Here's photos of the 2 from Tandy...