LNLeather

I started thinking about how Donating might be a good thing to do when the site went down and I am Soooo glad I found this post... & What Good Timing to explain different ways to join and get involved... Soooo.... I just became a Contributing Member. Everything I have learned in just the short time I have been here is sooo well worth it! So ----> for Everything you All Did and Do to keep this Leatherworker.net up and running! . . I was also looking at the total number of members 572 and was thinking if every one gave just one or two.... . . .

Howdy RunningRoan Oh Yeah! Most of my searches have been looking for silver conchos with real turquoise - but now I will do a search for turquoise cabochons. I had not thought of that! It just seems like someone out there would have what I am looking for - conchos with turquoise - of All Sizes with out it being so hard to find... I did find 1/2 inch spots with turquoise (or black stone) at Siegel of California I know what you mean about the "to do" list which is getting pretty long.... I have so many ideas... I guess that is why I am having so much fun doing this... So much to learn! Thanks again for your ideas and help!

Hi Bronc Thanks so much for the tips on what glue to use AND the Trigg Leather suggestion. Mostly what I am looking for is a (3/4 in.) silver concho with real Turquoise or small rivets with real Turquoise. I did find a concho at Trigg with real Turquoise, not round, but maybe I can make it work - so I really thank you for that. TURQUOISE STONE CONCHO - $4.49 11/4" X 2" ANTIQUE SILVER AND TURQUOISE CONCHO Most of my google - searches have only turned up finished silver and turquoise Western jewlery... but I am not giving up! I will keep looking and if I find anything I will post it here. Thanks again for your suggestions and help!

Do you get a choice of shipping methods with Weaver? If that had been sent by US Postal Service Priority Mail in a Small Flat Rate Box, that would have cost $4.95... Too bad all shippers are not aware of the Flat rate box - used when possible is a great deal.

I have been making bracelets and using conchos with crystals in the center from Tandy's. I am wondering if anyone out there has a good source for Silver conchos or conchos with Real Turquoise with screw backs, or rivets with Real Turquoise? Your help or any suggestions or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for your help!

Oh Yeah, You Said It! I just wish I had found LEATHERWORKER.NET sooner... OK, I have a Tippmann Clicker 700, They advertise right up there at the top of the page... and right now it costs less than it did when I bought mine! and to run it I have a Craftsman Air Compressor BTW - I was able to buy the Clicker at the time - with my severance pay when I was layed off because the company I worked for on Vashon... moved all the "Production line" to China.... .....and then I figured it would probably be a good thing to learn a new trade... I love the Clicker because you can use it for so many things. and it is very user friendly and fast. I use it for empress plates and cutting dies. Tippmann also has a die making service and they will make any die for you - with your specifications. I think, it just depends on what you want to do with your leather. Cutting perfect circles is not my idea of fun and with the Clicker I can cut hundreds of coasters out of 9-10 oz leather and have the least bit of waste possible out of a hide... I just don't have the (cutting) skills down like a lot of the incredibly talented folks here... so much to learn... Now If I just waned a Press for Emboss Plates, I would ask the folks at Duckcreektraders what Shop Press they use or recommend. They are happy to answer questions and are Really Super folks. Yup, You can tell I am a Happy Customer of theirs.... I also just got my new catalog and noticed that Harbor Freight has different Shop Presses at reasonable prices. Each step taken to call your project done, is so much more than most people will ever know... Oh well, even if I didn't make any money at it, I am having more fun than I ever would have imagined...

Hi Luke Just from my (limited) experience, using the Arbor press (and any emboss plate that is bigger than the 3-D stamps) will surely not make your leather look like you expect it to. You will not get a good impression. I have a 700 Clicker, and using an emboss plate on cased leather - I hold the press in the down position and count from 15 to 30 before I let it up. It would be nearly impossible to get that kind of pressure from an Arbor press. I learned how to use the emboss plates when I bought them... The emboss plates that are sold by Duckcreektraders on ebay (Bunkhouse Leather), and are larger than about 1 1/2 inches in diameter, come with instructions that say something like this....... "This sample was made using a 12 ton hydraulic shop press. This plate measures about 2 1/4" x 3 1/8". It is not a hammer stamp and should be pressed in using a hydraulic press, clicker press, or a shop press like we do and the pressure plate should cover the entire top of the plate ." I think you might want something larger than an Arbor Press - if your emboss plates are larger than the 3-D stamps. My Arbor Press sits unused on the bench....... so far a waste of my money.... Best of luck

Hi Luke I have tried and wasn't too thrilled with the results... The best impressions I ever got were after holding the handle down and hitting it with a rubber mallet about 25 - 30 times. <------Pretend that is an Arbor Press under the hammer I have a clicker now, and that solved my problems...... If didn't have a clicker, I think I would look into getting a small shop press that run's on air pressure. How about you? Do you have any tricks to make it work for small 3-D stamps?

bex DK Posted Yesterday, 11:55 AM I know that letting the leather dry more definitely made a difference for me. Also some bevelers I have are worse than others for it - the narrow undercutter is the worst. I keep working to get better but have decided that if I do start managing to sell any leather work, I will invest in a higher quality set of bevelers so the edges are more rounded. bex DK bex DK - or anyone..... I wonder, who would you recommend for a Higher Quality Set of Bevelers? Thanks Fredo - great thread for us (me) beginners - I'm having the same problem...

HI I am no expert, but I know what I like - and I Really like the way that lacing looks. I also think it is good to follow your intuition...

Hi Mooshi You can find a real nice selection of leather emboss plates (and emboss rolls) on ebay. Just go to ebay and do a search for leather emboss plates. You should find a lot of choices of emboss plates that are made by duckcreektraders. They cycle through a large selection of emboss plates, including one that has US in an oval that is 2 3/4" x 1 5/8". They usually sell this one as a pair, with one that says CS with an oval border Both seem to be the perfect size for a holster. You could also go to their website at bunkhousetools.com and look at what they have available, and email them directly about the plates you are interested in.

Howdy terrahyd & King's X Thanks for the kind greetings and even birthday wishes too. I wasn't sure where to put this info, so I am putting it here. As I mentioned above, while I am learning the leather working skills, I am also trying to make some money along the way. Well, the gal that runs the 'Made on Vashon' shop I am selling some things in, mentioned that a lot of people/tourists come in wanting something that says 'Vashon Island'. Something to remember their visit here. Well I have been working on some coaster designs, and I remembered seeing a gizmo that someone 'here' had made - to attach to a coaster with a pin in the center, that would swivel around the coaster so you could stamp letters in a circle. Well I didn't want to have to put a pin in each coaster. And I have never seen anything else written about how to do this. Soooooo, I figured something else out... Some of the coasters I am making have no border, some have a straight line edge, some have a straight line edge and a camouflage stamp etc. So I have made a special tooling coaster to line up the letter stamps with to use with each different border design, because the distance from the edge will be different with each different design - and also for your different sized stamps... So for the coaster with just a single line border, make 2 coasters (with just a single line border) and one will be the tool to line the stamps up on all the other coasters with the single line border. Take the coaster and place the stamp on the coaster where you want the letter to be - in the position you want the letters to be in... Cut out the leather under the stamp - straight up the left side of the stamp and straight out along the bottom of the stamp. I am not an engineer, so this might sound confusing, but the pictures should clear up any questions you might have... heheheh. Take the coaster you have cut out and just put it over the coaster you want to put letters on in a circle, and just stamp a letter and turn the tooling coaster in a circle as you go. An easy fix to circular stamping on your coasters! I hope this is as helpful to someone else as all of the tips I have found here You will have to pre-plan what you want to say, where you want it, if it will read from straight on or if you'll have to turn the coaster around to read it... I know this sounds simple, but I can honestly say it is Real Easy to make scrap leather pieces out of your leather cut in perfect circles... Has anyoe noticed that you just naturally get more patience, while you are doing this leatherworking? Thanks again for everyone being so helpful & sharing your experience! I love this place!

Here's a couple more. I am sure you can tell what is embossed and what is tooled...

New Member introduction What a Great Group of folks here at Leatherworker.net. I am amazed at how helpful everyone is, and willing to share experience and knowledge. I have been learning soooo much here for the last couple of weeks and I guess it is time to say hello. Since I am not a harness or saddle maker, I have been hesitant to introduce myself. So far I have been making things with a combination of emboss plates and tooling. So, while I am learning, I am also trying to make a little $ too. I have been making some small things that might interest others and not hurt their pocket book. I have been making coasters, bracelets, watches, dog collars and some original items… And, I just found a New Store right in the middle of Vashon that sells only Local Hand Made items. I am having so much fun learning leather work… and it will be real nice if I can sell some things too. I like to color some things with antique, and also use a little diluted dye, and I picked up some Very important tips here in the forums… So Far the Best tips I have learned here are *the natural way of deepening the color by letting the leather get a Sun tan, *adding a coat of Neatsfoot oil, *and now I am so happy to be using the Leather Balm with Atom Wax for a finish. (I really didn't like the way the satin sheen makes the leather look like plastic.) I Love the color I can get now, with these additions. I have much more reading to do on the tutorials – So, thank you all for being so helpful, and Please - feel free to critique or comment at any time. I am totally open to learning new and different or better ways to do things. ~ AHH, you can critique or comment at any time... as soon as I can figure out how to get my photos small enough to upload * I think I got it figured out Thanks again for all of your help! Cheryl

I don't know if it would work for "joining delrin pieces" but I found a great new glue that has worked in many circumstances for me... it is called Gorilla Glue. You just have to use a tiny bit and it holds Like New. Just watch out and don''t use too much, because it foams up a bit Hope this helps