TomG

I primarily have used veg-tan for all of my projects. I recent got a bunch of pieces that I an unsure of. I was told one was Kip and one was Deer or Deertan. The deertan - How do I tell if it's deertan cowhide or real deer? It is very soft top and bottom, had a smooth grain side and a suede-like flesh side. Golden in color. Will not accept water or stamps. Oil dyes penetrate but color is variable depending on the dye color. The Kip just looks like a very thin piece of veg-tan. I haven't messed with it yet. It looks like it would be great for linings. Tips and suggestions? Thanks

I have a piece of what I think is deer tan. I've tried to do some test dying with Fiebings Oil Dye and have mixed results with the colors. Green and Purple look OK. the red and 2 blues I used are weak. First question -is Deer Tan cow dyable or like Chrome Tanned? If oil dye is OK, what finish is best to keep it soft, yet prevent dye ruboff? Thanks

I use 50/50 Resolene on most of my dog collars. I also use a thick mink oil paste applied lightly to the back side the night before applying the Resolene. I think it's the Kiwi brand. Some of the oils and thin pastes are too easily applied too heavily and can darken the finish. I have also used Saddle-Lac at a final top coat instead of the Res. It seems to hold up well also... BUT I found that if I applied it first and then applied the mink oil paste to the back, the Saddle-Lac flacked off easily the next morning. Probably something to do with not letting one or the other fully cure. I will say this about the mink oil paste. I apply a light coat, then wrap a rag around the collar and pull it in a curving motion through my hand. It softens that strap up like a noodle most times! Anyone else have experience with oil and Saddle-Lac?

I've used a rubber ink pad and stamp to mark sizes on the backs. It's pretty permanent and doesn't risk compressing the leather from the back and showing through the front.

I got one off of Amazon also. Pretty rough edge, but it does cut. I tried doing some stroppingon it that helped but a strop isn't going to get the rough out of it in any reasonable amount of time. I picked up a 4-pack of fine W/D sandpaper at the auto parts store today. I started with a couple of strokes on the 220, but it was really too coarse, I think. Switched to the 400 for a few dozen strokes, then to the 800 and finally the 1000. Out store has this up to 2000 grit. I probably should have wet it, but did this one dry. I'm not very experienced with sharpening this way and to this degree of sharpness. I don't know if using it wet will make it last longer or what the differences are. Anyone know? But I finished up with the strop. Cuts pretty well, but I'd like it a tad sharper. It goes about 3/4 of the way through a piece of 12oz veg-tan pretty easily, on the first stroke. For under $10, definitely worth a try.

Be careful with that plier setter from Hobby Lobby. They are no longer made as well as they used to be. I actually bent the handles on 2 of them in short order. I then went to West Marine and bought one that was sturdier, as most marine snaps are stainless. I bent the handles on it too. I returned it and the guy said they get lots of returns on them. You are applying a lot of force to roll that post and the pliers are made with cheap, stamped metal.

Dwight, Do you dip dye or use sponge/dauber? I've had to do the same thing with some stuff I've lined with suede or splits

BUMP Johanna - I see the site is still up, but do you know if the DVD/Download is still available?

Billy -- Yes -- that was who I was referring to. If I remember correctly, it's was a fairly involved process in that it had quite a few steps. We also have an embroidery and screen printing biz we do out of our garage. I'm not sure what the ink dryer would do to leather, but I don't think it would be good. the typical plastisol ink has to hit around 320+ degrees throughout to cure. Not to mention that it really needs to "wrap" around the threads of the fabric. So the smooth leather would probably not let it grab on and hold. I suspect it out flake off. The relatively new DTG printers are basically an Epson wide-format printer that lays a deposit of Pigment-based ink down. It would probably do really well on leather. As long as you accepted the fact that the ink is transparent. Sort of like dye. the base color of the leather is going to alter the ink color. Some of the printers will lay down a base coat of white first and give really good color reproduction. That's what I suspect might have been used with these brightly colored wallets. But like Kate said - check out Billy's site.

It may be DTG (Direct To Garment) printing. There is also a method developed by a guy named Shews, I think, that used a liquid to coat the leather and do a transfer of some sort. I think the stuff was purchased at JoAnns fabrics or something. Tom

If you used Veg-Tan, you may be able to wet the inside and force something inside that is slightly larger than the phone. But I'd try it on a piece of scrap of the same leather first.... I've had bad luck with brown dye shifting if I wet from the back, but since this looks black.. you'll probably be OK I don't know if they still make it, but there used to be a product made for stretching shoes. You wet the shoe and wore it. I only tried it once, and it didn't work... Smelled like alcohol and someone told me that was all it was. Tom

Nice, as always, Ed.... Tom

I think so as well. But there is only so much post you can squeeze into that cap before it's gonna bend. I have a pair of flush cutting nippers that I use to cut the post off about 1/16" above the leather before I hammer the cap on. I don't have any problems with the post bending when I do this. But I do have to reform the top of the post when I cut it. It is a little time consuming but not as much as removing a bent rivet and resetting it.. One of my books shows using a nail in the post and running a file around the post to cut it, but that's too much effort and you can't do it with double caps anyway.

Well, I have found a potential solution to my problem. I'm running of at the mouth here as I KNOW I can not be the only person who has had this situation. The issue here is accessing the leather to set the rivets, and pliers solution is ideal, since the thing I'm putting the straps on is big and awkward (a wine rack). A company called Prym makes one but I can only seem to find it overseas. But as is usually the case, simple is often best. I discovered a small, U-shaped plastic "hinge" with what looks like concave anvils used for setting Jeans Rivets. These are almost identical to double caps. I'm gonna go to the craft store tomorrow and eyeball it. If the anvils are both concave as they appear online, I might be in business. I'll let everyone know how it works out. Tom

Most of my snap setting is on the ends of bracelets, belts, flaps, etc. I've been sort of drooling over that tool for a while. But I'm pretty good at doing them by hand and I'm usually only setting a few at a time anyway. The Segma's are the PITA in my life <g>... I'm pretty much changing over to the glove snaps for a lot of my stuff. Especially some of the bracelets and such that I make from 3 oz leather. The Segma's just don't seem to set well on the thin stuff. Now, the customer is thinking double caps. Same issue though. The piece is 3 feet wide and about 5 feet tall, and has about 80 straps that have 3 to 5 rivets each that are strung up to the legs. I was thinking of using open end screws, similar to the Chicago's, but the heads are a bit larger than she wants. The original has the rapid rivets. I think with this project, what I will have to do is lay the piece across a couple of saw horses and rig a set of poles for the "anvil" that will go between the floor and the rivets I am setting. But I can swear I've seen s pliers type of setter before that will set the rivets. I just can't find it on-line. I did find a tool from Pyrm (?) that looks like it might work, but haven't found a source on this side of the ocean yet <g>. Thanks for the input. Tom

I had posted this in the Tools section, but think I should have put it here, so I'm reposting. I'm picking up the project Saturday and will need to get moving on it. I am getting a restoration job in that will require me to set several hundred Rapid Rivets. The problem is that on most of them I won't be able to lay it down to use the typical anvil and setter. I've been considering buying a Press N Snap tool. I use a good bit of Line 20 snaps, Segma snaps and double cap rivets anyway, and think it will do the Rapid Rivets as well. But not sure. Does anyone have any experience with setting these with a pliers type tool or the P-n-S tool? Does anyone have a Press n Snap for sale? Thanks Tom

I am getting a restoration job in that will require me to set several hundred Rapid Rivets. The problem is that on most of them I won't be able to lay it down to use the typical anvil and setter. I've been considering buying a Press N Snap tool. I use a good bit of Line 20 snaps, Segma snaps and double cap rivets anyway, and think it will do the Rapid Rivets as well. But not sure. Does anyone have any experience with setting these with a pliers type tool or the P-n-S tool? Thanks Tom

Raysouth is right about the anvil. The Tandy video shows them driving the spot into a piece of leather, I believe. Then they take the anvil and re-strike the spot into the dish on the anvil and then flip to the flat side of the anvil and strike again to flatten the pins fully. To my way of thinking, 3 strikes and you're out <g>.. The problem with the anvil is just what billymac stated. It's really hard to line the pins of the spot up with the dish in the anvil before you strike it. Especially with the smaller spots. If you're the least little bit off, it will either roll the pin or fold one under the spot and one away from it... Not a good thing. I strike the spot into a piece of scrap, then when I'm finished with all of them, I go back and use a door hinge pin that I mounted into a wooden file handle to fold the pins flat and give them a tap with the heel of my hand on the handle to "set" them. Very fast and works great. Later. Tom

I saw this topic elsewhere and had a couple of questions. Can I use some sort of glue on the tapered seam to add strength and to bond the edges together to make it look better? Barge, Contact? Something else? Thanks Tom

After you taper them, can you use any sort of glue or adhesive before you sew them together? I need to make some 15' latigo leads, 1/4" wide, and would like the splice to be as invisible as possible. I'm just not sure whether contact cement or Barge cement or something else will stick to the Latigo. Thanks Tom Sorry for the dupe question - I posted this as a new topic and planned on deleting this one, but can't figure out how.

Why not go on his thread and asking HOW he does it. It may be the way he does it that is different

Never thought of the natural sponge. I'll pick one up today. I don't use a dauber because it just holds so much dye, that I found it hard to get a light coat without bleeding off a bunch of the dye it holds onto a piece of paper or a piece of scrap... too wasteful. Yes, I'm really familiar with the lightening effect of the dyes. I think it might be one of the hardest things for newbies to learn... patience.... Saddle Tan oil dye is one of my favorites. I can finish it with either brown or neutral leather balm depending on if I want to keep it light or darken it slightly. I have an airbrush, but only use it when I have a larger piece to dye.

And I just tried it with full strength spirit dye and it did the same thing. Are there different types of "kitchen" sponge? Tom

I ran into a weird problem recently and wondered if anyone can explain it. When I was taught to dye my projects, the old time leatherworker i learned from used Fiebings spirit dyes and water to dilute to the shade he wanted. Worked well. He used as damp regular kitchen sponge (cellulose?).to apply it in a circular motion. So this is basically how I did my dying for a long time. As I experimented and learned, I switched to denatured alcohol for diluting and really liked the better color control I get. I have recently begun switching over to Fiebings oil dyes and am very happy with them. I also began doing either dip dying or using some foam sponge material I get from my day job... it's actually foam packing material..It works well for these small jobs. Just this week, I picked up a couple of the cellulose sponges. I rinsed them in clear water and put them away until I needed them. I used them a couple of times this week. The minute the oil dye hits them, they turn hard. I pre-dampend one with denatured alcohol and it turned hard. I never noticed this with the spirit dyes and they are supposed to be alcohol based as well. I dampened one with water and it was nice and soft. Until I put the oil dye on.... then hard. Has anyone run into this? Other than airbrush or daubers, what do you folks use to apply your dye? Tom

I do the following: Case Stamp Dry Resist if needed Dye Dry Leather Balm with Atom Wax - apply and buff it dry andglossy. Antiquing if needed Dry Finish Dry Mink oil paste to the flesh side. I get good results with this. As for finishes - I've used Super Sheen, Resolene ande Saddle Lac Super Sheen (100%) and Resolene (50/50) give me about the same results. I apply them LIGHTLY with a piece of trimmed wool. If you apply them too heavily, a couple of things happen. You pull the antiquing out of the recesses and smear it onto the leather. Plus, you can get cracking and crazing when you bend the leather. If I have more than 3 or 4 items to do at a time, I might use the airbrush to apply them.... just have to justify the cleanup time. These will all clog an airbrush if not thoroughly purged. If the item is going outdoors - dog collar, leash etc, I use the Saddle Lac spray. 1 or 2 LIGHT coats is sufficient. Mink Oil Paste will turn a stiff price of leather into a limp piece of spaghetti <g>.... But if you use too much, it's just like too much of any other oil and will darken the leather. I use the Kiwi that you can get at grocery stores, hardware or camping stores. I've tried the Feibings but it is too soft and is too easy to put on too much. The reaso I put the mink oil on last - after the finish -is that I've had a couple of times that if I oil paste the back first, and them spray on the saddle lac, when everything dries, the saddle lac flakes off. Try a bunch of combos. and go light. You can always add stuff. You can't easily take away too much... One last thing... One of the coloring leather books from Tandy has a cross referecne chart showing which products can be used with which and the effects. Good luck Tom