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Bob Blea

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Everything posted by Bob Blea

  1. Bob Blea
    Hello Leila, I've been playing around with some finishes for the flesh side of leather. I've made a key fob that I tried sealing with three different types of sealant to see how they wear. It has Wyosheen, Tan Kote and Resolene in three different test swatches on the back. So far it seems like the Tan Kote is holding up the best, and probably the one I like least is the Wyosheen. It and the Resolene may have needed thicker coats to do well, but rubbing in the Tan Kote seemed to smooth down the fibers and leave a finish that is holding up in my pocket. Bob
  2. Bob Blea
    Do you make anything that you wet mold into a shape? This stretchy leather might be very useful for molding. Also, molded items are sometimes 'baked' on very low heat to dry them out and harden them. The belly of a hide can be very stretchy and useful for any application where the leather needs to be formed (like say a mask) but there are areas right around where the leg meets the cow that are so loose they really aren't worth anything.
  3. Bob Blea

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    Bob Blea commented on tatehunt's gallery image in Our Leatherwork Galleries

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    That looks amazing, I really like it!
  4. Bob Blea
    It looks great, they will certainly treasure it.
  5. Bob Blea
    Thanks Shtoink, that is a nice cover!
  6. Bob Blea
    Thanks all for the very kind words!
  7. Bob Blea
    Plan on some practice time with them. They definitely have a learning curve and some people just hate them. You have to be really consistent with the force you strike the tool with and keep the rows lined up for it to look even.
  8. Bob Blea
    Love the dragon carving and the finish. Looks great!
  9. Bob Blea
    Yes, bargrounders really do a good job of darkening the background inside the knots, and they pick up antique very well. You can kind of get that effect with a checkered backgrounder, but it doesn't work as well. It makes the knot work really stand out..
  10. Bob Blea
    Thanks all! I don't know why I don't spend more time making Celtic things versus western floral. I always like how they turn out and they always generate a lot of interest in my shop.
  11. Bob Blea
    I haven't posted anything that I've made here in a while, so here is a notebook I finished recently. It's designed to hold a 5x8 notepad and has a large Celtic knot design on the front and a smaller version of the same knot on the back. It has double loop lacing all around the edges, and one internal pocket. Any comments or questions are welcome. Bob
  12. Bob Blea
    I like Dwight's idea. You might also check out some of the book type cases on the market. They often use plastic clips at the corners that are imbedded (somehow) inside the layers of the cover. If they aren't secured too permanently you might be able to take a cheap case and remove those clips and then install them in your case. I once tried to search for a source of the plastic clips just by themselves, but without much luck.
  13. Bob Blea
    That saddle looks great! Nice work!
  14. Bob Blea
    Chief, I'm with you, I enjoy lacing. And I don't think it's a dying art. Most of my customers specifically want lacing on their items which is good because I don't have a sewing machine and my hand sewing leaves a lot to be desired. Keep up the good work! Bob
  15. Bob Blea
    I think it looks great Rohn, you're going to get many good years of use out of that. Bob
  16. Bob Blea
    Good to know Colt!
  17. Bob Blea
    That's a cool idea! I had thought about making something long like that for sewing leather except it would clamp to the edge of my bench and be open on the bottom to allow something to hang down. I was thinking of lining it with something like suede or chore tan leather but I think the neoprene would work OK too. I don't think there is anything that would react in the neoprene though it could potentially absorb oils it could transfer to the leather. Suede/leather would have that risk too. Can't say for sure but I think you would be OK with Neoprene. Maybe someone else here would have different ideas though.
  18. Bob Blea
    I suggest trying to make a mock up of the pieces from paper or card stock. Once you have the parts and start assembling the mock up purse it might become clear, or you might find where you need to modify the pattern to make it work.
  19. Bob Blea
    Oxalic Acid shouldn't affect the antiquing, but I'm not sure it will remove that stain either. It would be worth a try. Another useful agent for removing stains is lemon juice. It's particularly effective at removing any blackening on leather caused by contact with steel. I don't think that's what caused your stain here, but it might be worth trying too.
  20. Bob Blea
    You're off to a good start. It does look like your leather may be too wet when you are tooling it. Also, I see in a few places where you didn't stamp your veiner on the leaves the same way on the same leaf. For the petal lifter, looking at the flower in the second picture I think your using it correctly. I tap mine into the curves I want to lift and then tilt it back on it's heel slightly as I pull it out. This causes the flower petal to rise up more and give more relief. Hope this helps, Bob
  21. Bob Blea
    The phone number is correct. I bought some stamps from him this spring and that was the number on the latest catalog I got then. I'm a big fan of his stamps. Here's the back of a notebook I did with a couple of his box stamps. The stamps are small, about a 1/4 of an inch square.
  22. Bob Blea
    Two people who are currently inspiring me are the late Don Butler (on the left) and Bob Park.
  23. Bob Blea
    That one looks pretty good! With all of the resists making sure you have a good covering layer can be tough sometimes, but I did have lots of trouble with the super and satin sheen products, and always needed multiple layers. It is easier with a product like Wyosheen or Clear-Lac, but I still go over each project with a damp sponge to make sure water isn't getting through the resist layer before applying antique. If I get any discoloration from the water it needs another thin coat. I've had projects go south this way so I'm super careful.
  24. Bob Blea
    Raven, that is awesome!
  25. Bob Blea
    A couple of things I would suggest. First it looks like the edges of the notebook are rough. It really improves the overall look to burnish the edges and make them smooth. I would recommend rounding the corners too. Second, and this is more personal opinion on my part, but I don't like leaving flesh side areas visible inside the notebook like you have at the fold. I think it looks better to have that area lined too, but that's just my two cents.
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