TomG

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

You can dilute the dye with denatured alcohol. I have few Fiebigns dyes that I don't have to dilute to some degree. they all seem to come out darker than what I feel the bottle label says. For example, with browns....What I have done is taken a small plastic (Nalgene) bottle and put a measured amount of DA in it. Say 100 ml. than I add 10 ml of Medium Brown dye. I took a long strap of leather and marked it off on the back with the percentage of dye. I just apply some to that section. Then add 10 ml and dye the next section.. and so on. Of course, you will probably want to use smaller amounts... I just used the 100ml as an example. You can use 10ml of DA and 1ml of dye increments depending on how carefully you measure. But you get the idea. Then just mark your bottles with the color anf mixture to remake it every time. Now, I'm sure there are limits to the amount of dilution you can do and still have a durable dye job, but I have some stuff I've made for my dogs that get daily wear, and at 50/50 mix, they have held up well for years.

Did you hand stitch or machine stitch? Tom

Agreed... Dilute red with alcohol,,,,,,, LOTS of alcohol... Start at 50 parts alcohol to 1 part red spirit dye.

Tandy also carries them in limited sizes and only in nickle I believe Tom

I sent photos of one with and one without the ripples and they liked the rippled one. Personally, I did as well. Gave it character. Tom

Here's one I can't explain but would like to know other's opinions. I made a couple of straps (collars) the other day. One of them developed a ton of fat ripples along almost the entire length after I applied my mink oil paste to the back side. The other strap had no issues. I am 99% sure it is just this piece of leather, but would like opinions. I applied Tandy professional water dye. 2 light coats of neutral leather balm with atom wax on top. A good coating of mink oil paste on the flesh side. The other strap was made exactly the same except I used Fiebings spirit dye, diluted with denatured alcohol, dip died. Again, I am not 100% sure they were from the same side, . My assumption is that the mink paste made the fat deposits in the leather swell. Would that be accurate or a possibility? Tom

I have some Superior Suede Lace from Tandy/Tejas (biege color) and want to dye it in a variety of colors. I did a sample using Fiebings oil dye (green) and let it dry 24 hours. I cannot get it to stop rubbing off as I pull it through a cloth. I've tried sealing it with neutral leather balm/atom wax, mink oil paste and Resolene. All seem to make it rub off more. Anyone have tips, or answers on how to do this? I really don't need a dozen spools of lace if I can dye it in the small amounts I need right now. Thanks Tom

One of the reasons for the 6 foot leash in many cases, is AKC regulations for some events.. Just as an example, Rally Excellent does (or did) require an extended sit, at the end of a 6 foot leash, in a marked area, while the competitor who follows you completes their course. Also, I have seen instructions somewhere on how to take a side, round the 4 corners and use a hand held strap cutter to cut a continuous strip around the perimeter to produce 30+ foot straps. I think it was for Latigo and veg-tan. If I can find the instructions, I'll post them here. Tom

I'm looking for the 3/4" Tandy Script set and the Leather Art set. I don't see me using them a whole lot, but would like to have them to work with. If you have a set to sell for a decent price, I'd be interesated in it. Thanks Tom

Hi All, I have really not done much braiding so consider me a dumb as a rock. I need to make a key fob for a lady's service dog to pick up. She is asking for a braided fob about 5 inches long and the diameter of a nickle or quarter. I'm really not sure how to proceed. I was thinking of trying to get or make some 1/4" round lace and doing a 4 strand braid. Will this make it the diameter I need? Also, I'm not sure how to end it and tie off the bottom end. If I use a core, I'm not sure how to tie off both ends so that the top holds the key ring. Any suggestions, tips or ideas? Thanks Tom