Ferg

Andy, Not knowing what you are working with for a Site Builder I will shoot in the dark. If you are using CSS you should have a setting for how many pixels wide your format is. Seventy two pixels per inch in most cases so 15" would equal 1080 pixels wide. If you aren't using CSS you should be able to shrink the width in whatever program you used. ferg

Andy, Get that "Under Construction" sign off your website. That is one of the biggest "Turn-Offs" for visitors. Nice Site ferg

I have had a number of websites that I wrote since 1996. Search engine listers were and are coming out of the woodwork as soon as you get on. We spent thousands of dollars with Google and YaHoo, none of the sites were ever above #40. Junked all of that garbage and let it ride. I don't think any of our sites are listed lower than 13th. That will give you good sales. Get a chunk of reality though, there are many sites touting just what you have to sell, word of mouth just about winds up being the best advertisement. Johanna gave some excellent ideas. BTW: I looked at your site. It is a "Plain Jane". You need some nice photos of your work on the front page with concise information. I hate sites with all the Flash and sounds that provide nothing. Read some books and look around the Net at some sites that are similar to yours. You can also access Templates for most anything you can imagine, don't buy them, there are too many free. I must ask, what are you using for a Site Builder? PS: I wrote this site for my Son-in-Law. May give you some ideas as well as looking at an interesting subject for a lot of folks on this Forum. http://www.classiccarvedgrips.com/ ferg

Hi Doc, Thank you. Pretty much what I thought. Useful in doing Roses as well as Oak leaves I suppose. ferg

Dave, It is a pricking iron, definitely not a thonging chisel. According to Gary, the #10 iron would be thinner in thickness of the tool. Gary, I have four or five different size awls, two of which are Bob Douglas, fantastic tools. ferg

I would like to know who uses a Design Lifter. Does it actually add to the carving? What is the proper way to use them? ferg

I have used carnauba wax for many things. It is a great product and is considered a hard wax I believe. Not sure it would wear as well on, say a holster as a topcoat. My preference would be to use the wax "after" applying the topcoat. You would want to allow the topcoat to become very well cured. ferg

My explanation was way too far off obviously. I am enclosing a photo of the end of the iron I have, maybe that will clarify a little.

Yes, I am aware of their moving situation. No excuse for this kind of hassle. UPDATE: The gentleman called back about 15 minutes ago. Said they found my order, part had been shipped, remainder on back order. Wonder how long I could have waited if I didn't tell him to forget the whole thing. We run a fairly large business, everything we do is by Drop-Ship. Most orders get shipped next day and there is no inventory for our personalized items. We deal with some of the largest companies in the US. ferg

Probably 2 1/2 weeks ago I ordered through the net from Siegel. The order never did get acknowledged, no response from them. Last week I ordered again on the net. Called last Friday to see if they could tell me anything about a delivery date or at least a shipping date. Never received a return call. Called today. A gentleman answered the call, looked around I guess but couldn't find the order. I asked if they ever check their net orders or if they just ignore them. I thought it was a good question since I never received a confirmation of any kind. Answer? Which is really beginning to get my goat, "Why don't you just order over the phone, that way we know we have your order." I take that to mean you really do not pay much attention to your web orders. "Oh know, we check and print them out every morning." Well you obviously missed printing the two orders I gave you. "Let me help you with your order right now." I told him I wanted 2 Double shoulders, #1 grade in 6/7 oz. We are out of that right now, probably have some next week. Okay, Sir, let's just forget I called you. I can buy somewhere else I am sure without your hassle I will never attempt an order from them again. ferg

Did you wet form? ferg

Epilog Laser Engravers are some of the best. They have a series they call Epilog Zing, comes in several sizes cheapest has an engraving area of 16" x 12". They consider this their Entry Level unit. I personally stay away from the cheapest of anything. Access the Epilog Laser web-site. They have a link to take you to your nearest Distributor. That is the only way you can get a price. Get ready for sticker shock. ferg Epilog Laser Engravers are some of the best. They have a series they call Epilog Zing, comes in several sizes cheapest has an engraving area of 16" x 12". They consider this their Entry Level unit. I personally stay away from the cheapest of anything. Access the Epilog Laser web-site. They have a link to take you to your nearest Distributor. That is the only way you can get a price. Get ready for sticker shock. ferg

The pricking irons have fascinated me since my first time seeing them. I bought an Osborne recently from Mid-Continent. No particular problem with that except there is little info on the web-site as to what you are getting. The tool I got is a number eight, actually thought I was getting a nine. That aside, the prongs on the tool are a full 3/16" wide. If you use this to mark the stitch spacing and angle your thread length between stitch marks will be slightly less that 5/16" which may be well and good for real heavy work but that doesn't happen to be what I want at this time. Does anyone know if the prongs on a #10 are this same size? I have a grinder that is accurate enough to grind the thickness of the tool so it marks a smaller stitch or as I ask above, do the prongs vary with increased number of stitches? I don't wish to screw up this tool which BTW, is very well made. Nice smooth material and is very accurately made. From some of the conversation about the Osborne tools I was expecting something less Abbey Saddelry in UK has Dixon irons that with the shipping isn't going to cost more than this particular one as near as I can tell. Just have to wait longer ferg

Great information!! I have been interested in sewing most anything since a very small child with Mom's treadle singer. Never have convinced my wife that I need an actual leather sewing maching. LOL ferg

I guess I must be the oldest around here. I had my 76th birthday this past January. I continue to work 18 hour days in our business from August through January seven days a week, grow and plant/maintain 2000 to 3000 annuals for our yard, grow a half acre vegetable garden, find time to do some stained glass, build a piece of furniture now and then, maintain our log home and landscape, computer work, photography, image transfer, and cut, carve, and stamp a little leather. We are very proud of our family and our home.

Chris, That is not a pricking wheel. It is a stitch space marking wheel. ferg

Mid-Continent has two different ones. About $100. There is Japanese character that has them on e-bay but they are shipped from Japan. They would probably be over $100. Abbey Leather in UK has Dixon. They are about the same price as Mid-Continent by the time you pay all the shipping. The tools I am referring to are Pricking Irons. You do not punch the leather all the way through with them. They are for marking so you can hold the awl at the exact angle and spacing. Different tools for different spacing. ferg

I am not trying to sell these but thought some of you might just like to see some exceptional grip carving that my son-in-law does. Last I checked he was booked about 3-6 months ahead. Gosh! I almost forgot, I wrote the web site for him. http://www.classiccarvedgrips.com/ ferg

They obviously have great pricing. How is the over all quality? Does it tool and mould well? ferg

Welcome to the site. There is lots of information here for everyone. If that sewing machine you bought is in good working order you got a bargain, I think. ferg

Don't get your shackles up. LOL Read my posting again. Constructive criticism! I told him to keep trying, I guess you didn't read that part. I can relate to your "carpentering". I was a building contractor for 50 years. My teaching made a lot of carpenters and builders into fine men without slobbers. ferg

Folks, this is what I call excellent rendition, design, and selection of stain color. ferg

Please understand, I am not nit-picking. Skippy needs to work on carving, stamping, etc. If everyone told skippy the work was great, what do you think that would accomplish? I have helped many young and old begin their leather crafting, telling someone they are doing fine when they aren't "Just Don't Get It" ferg

I believe you may be trying to transfer your pattern while the leather is either too wet or not cased. Are you casing your leather first? If you need some instruction on casing there are quite a few discussions for that on this board. Be careful when you trace the pattern. Use a small rounded stylus and move your hand in easy, even strokes. when you do your cutting with the swivel knife, follow your lines very closely. Unfortunately, you need more than one background stamp as in, different shapes for instance. You are allowing your stamp to cross the cut lines into another part of your design. Look at the edges, see where you crossed over. Some places you actually didn't stamp the entire background space. The pointed backgrounder you have is great for getting the pattern into pointed areas but it does not do a good job in larger spaces. You need a rectangular backgrounder for the larger areas. Don't "over stamp" your design. I mean you have too many impressions of your mule foot and veiner. Sometimes it looks much better if you don't get too carried away. On the left hand side of your image, you have used a pear shader twice on the pattern that should not be there. The same info applies to any and all of your stamps. Use some scrap leather to practice a design, just a small area is good. Practice holding the stamps vertically and don't squeeze them so hard that your fingers get stiff. Relax! Use good lighting. One more thing: Don't force yourself to do major projects until you have more stamping tools and experience. Practice, practice, practice. You never have enough. I am sure many professional leather crafters will tell you they practice before doing a large new project especially when there are new techniques to be used. There are many folks here to help you with more technical experience than I have, do not hesitate to ask questions. ferg

Constructive criticism has gotten me through a lot of trouble when building commercial cabinets to stamping/working leather. Uneven transferring of your pattern. I see wrong size backgrounding tools Less than great swivel knife use Uneven stitching holes. Four weeks into leather working does not make a craftsman that can readily carve and produce a set of holsters for sale. YOu need instruction. If you do not have someone close to give you instruction grab every book you can find and absorb them cover to cover. Everyone had to start somewhere and I doubt if any had salable product after four weeks. Keep at it, six months down the road you are going to look back and wonder what you were thinking. Been there, done that, believe me. ferg