Bob Blea

Hi Tom, Barry King Tools would be who I recommend: http://www.barrykingtools.com/ That's primarily what I use. The SLC tools are very similar and I hear are good, but I don't have experience with them. Tandy also has some Sheridan style tools now with their Pro tool line, but they seem a little overpriced when compared to Barry King. Bob

Cyber, that sounds like a great system. Well thought out. I have similar documents on my computer but not nearly as sophisticated as what you have. I'm not all that busy so I don't have to track lots of inquiries and work in progress, but I've been meaning to create a work order sheet to keep with each item I'm working on. The sheet will have details on it so I know exactly what steps the items has been through (applying resist, apply neatsfoot oil, etc.) so if I have to put it away for a while, I'll have notes as to where I was in the project when I pick it back up. It would also be helpful for filing away for later reference so I can remember what I did to a project as far as finishing, coloring, etc., if I need to go back and make something like it. Right now all my enquiries about projects come through email or Etsy, so I keep track of those discussions electronically and archive them on the computer. Bob

Really nice work Mike! The eyes really work on this. Bob

Very nice work on the fine details of the Celtic knot work and the lettering. And I think the backgrounding you used looks excellent. Very nice work!

Good questions, I would like to know the answer too. Bob

Have you tried posting these pictures in the Leather Tools section of this forum? There is more traffic in that group and there are some pretty expert people there. Bob

I agree, Bob Park's book has really helped me out too. Bob

Beautiful work! Bob

Nice design and really nice looking leather. Great work. Bob

That's exactly the idea of a tap off. Sounds like the baking worked out really well. You will still want to coat the baked leather with something like Clear Lac or Resolene just to keep it from absorbing moisture from the cased leather, otherwise it will eventually ruin the impression. But it looks good! Bob

Hi Rayban, I don't know of a process where you bake the leather. There is a common technique in floral carving of making a 'tap off'. You would carve the pattern you wanted (say a section of a belt design) in cased leather, and then let that dry. You only do the swivel knife cuts, no tooling needed. After it dries, give it several coats of Neat Lac and let it dry. This gives you a reversed image of the final design you want to carve. Then, you case a belt and place this carving on top of it and 'tap' (actually you have to hit is pretty hard in my experience) the design into the cased leather. The carved lines create a raised image on the cased belt that you carve with a swivel knife, kind of like a Craftaid. It's a great technique for reproducing belt patterns or other things you will use again and again, but you can do the same thing with a floral pattern. In the Sheridan Style carving book they show using this same technique with flower elements to lay out a pattern on wet leather. In this case you are tapping the flower designs into the leather and then drawing the vinework for everything else. This probably isn't exactly what you were thinking of, but maybe it helps. Bob

Hello and welcome! I've seen some of your work in other postings, you've got some great color in those carvings! Nice work. Bob

I'm looking forward to taking some classes there. I think I'll even have an entry for the contest. Bob

That looks great!

Good morning, How big of a piece is it? I'm guessing you want to burnish something the size of a motorcycle seat? I've seen saddle makers use a tool (I believe it's usually called a bouncer) that is a round knob on the end of a stick. They use it like a bone folder to work the seat of a saddle down into the tree and into the shape they need. When I've seen it done the leather is very wet, just like wet forming, and it doesn't seem to burnish much. However, I think if the leather was very dry, like for tooling, I think it mightburnish it. The key will be applying a lot of pressure when you do it. When tooling I can burnish a small area with the rounded end of my stylus though it's not a really dark burnish like you get when tooling. I don't think it will be easy to do a large area that way. If you can find a small smooth round knob and rub that over the leather with a lot of pressure it might work. Or, do you have a press? A smooth flat plate might work if the leather was cased but pretty dry. for what its worth, Bob

Hi Dave, welcome to the forum! You're off to a good start. Just keep trying things on scraps and decide what you like and don't like. Trying things is the best way to learn this stuff! And as you have questions feel free to post them here. Someone will help you out. Bob

Hi Robert, I do put the Neatsfoot on before anything else, and then I let it set for at least 8 hours, usually overnight. I just oiled a couple of notebooks and they will probably sit for a couple of days before I do anything else with them. As you let the oil set it spreads out through the leather. When you first put it on it will look blotchy but it evens out over time. You only put on a light coat and once things even out the leather doesn't feel oily at all and it doesn't seem to effect dye or antique penetration at all that I've seen. In my experience the finish coat has always been the last thing you put on. The super sheen or any other sheen products will resist the oil or other product too. Bob

Hi Robert, I use Tandy Eco-Flo antiques and I haven't (yet) had a problem with them rubbing off even when I didn't put a sealing top coat on them. I tried using Satin Sheen as a resist before and never got consistent resisting, so I was never happy with it. I'm suspicious the Satin Sheen isn't keeping your dye in place. Once thing I can recommend that you didn't mention in your process is adding Neatsfoot oil. I normally oil after tooling before doing any finishes, and if I dye the background I go back and add a little more oil to those areas. I've been told the solvents in the dye can destroy the natural oils in leather so going back and restoring them with Neatsfoot not only helps with that, it also helps to better set the dye. Maybe that additional step can help make sure you don't get rub off? Just a thought, Bob

I can understand your problem. I too don't have the close up eyesight I used to, and black leather would make it that much harder. I found that just to be able to do a good job sewing, I needed really good lighting and I had to buy my first pair of reading glasses. It was the only way I could make sure I had everything lined up right. Bob

Love the artwork!

Those look great! Bob

Love it Mike! That border that goes around the stool is great, and the lacing looks fantastic too. Great work!

Stunning work, just stunning! Your work is definitely an inspiration. Bob

Congratulations Aaron! And that is a good idea too about entering our local fairs. I'll try for next year. Bob