barra

I use a mix of materials. I have access to large offcuts of a heavy vinyl that has a backing of about 1/8th of an inch of foam. It is used for aircraft panels/flooring. It is very hardwaring and has properties similar to the printers mats Bruce has discribed. Cuts easily with shears, holds it's shape, can be sewn together. I also use other forms of vinyl and heavy vinyl flooring. Carpet/flooring stores will give away large offcuts. For smaller patterns I find pictures I like and enlarge in a photocopier until it is the size I want and then run it thru an office laminator. I then run the pattern under my stitcher with no thread. When I want to use it I lay it on the leather and rub it with a bit of shearling that is in a tin of talcum powder. Little bits of powder fall thru the holes. I then tidy it up with a tickler and wipe off the talc. attached is a Pic showing the Aircraft flooring vinyl and examples of laminated patterns. Barra

Slight side track question. How is that done. Is the diamond pattern cut with something like a swivel knife, then the stop put into the points of the diamond and finally the stamp done in the centre or is it an all in one process. Barra

http://www.iultcs.org/leather_terms/index.asp http://www.leatherchemists.org/ http://www.sltc.org/ Just for starters. Barra

I'm with Ray on the lead block. lead is cheap or even free to get hold of and it is definately solid but soft enough to protect your punches. I then take to the block with a ball pein hammer to re smooth out the bunch holes every now and then (I re melt every now and then). I have a few of various sizes and use tins of various sizes as molds to melt the lead in. They then double up as weights to hold leather projects steady. Barra.

Kathy. If you use David's second pic in the left column you more or less have your pic 3 after he has cut the stitches holding the front of the panel up. On your pic 3. Have a look at the thin strip of brown rolled leather. This is called the front facing. Just on top of that I can make out the white stitches that need to be cut (and pick out). If you cut these stitches you will be able to push the front of the panel up and out of the way like David's pic 2, left column. When the billet strap is replaced you re stitch in the same holes you have at the front. Barra The brass (ish) hardware you have on the top of the saddle are from front to rear 1. D probably to attach a breastplate 2. Saddle staple. A duster or wallets/pommel bags can be attached here 3. The saddle nail. This should be simply holding the flap and skirt down to the tree 4. Drop down saddle staple. Just a different type of staple and is used like the first version

I have been listening to streamed internet radio of late. Other than that my tastes are rather diverse and range from 40's big band, Blues, Motown, Country which I tend to listen to mostly as I age and can no longer tolerate most (but not all) modern stuff. I must agree with David as I have a lot of American chopper on DVD and love SR and Jr going hammer and tongs with a bit of Mikey for Dufus factor comic relief. Also add. Adrian (aka Buckaroogirl). Do yourselves a favour and check this kid out for something refreshingly different. Riders of the purple sage Bev Mitchell (played Lucy on 7th heaven and is now branching out into music) When I need a little saddler type motivational music I put on full bore Jethro Tull's heavy horses AC DC or Acca Dacca Little bit of Reba Terri Clark Alison Krauss Clannad Sunny Cowgirls (a couple of young Aussie sisters who sing country but with an Aussie flavour.

A friend could only get a 1" thick marble slab and wanted it thicker. He then embedded the thin marble in a thick slab of concrete that is mounted in his bench. He says it is very solid and works fine. Barra

http://www.proleptic.net/products/view/6 This might be of assistance. Please be aware any measurements in the Hasluck book are for 1904 era horses

Aart. What sort of tree do you have. Wooden or metal?

Oh and I use one of these but disregard the artsy fartsy paint scheme (it's just the only example pic I could find). They are really handy and easy to come by. You will find them in bric a brac stores and get used for door stops. They have multiple surfaces for different applications. Barra

I have a length of railway track about a foot long as well as the base from an old fashioned iron. Barra

I put most of my dyes into plastic bottles with screw on caps. Some of the caps are like you find on some shampoo bottles. Push on the top of the cap and it flips open enough to let the dye run out. Sometimes the bottle has a cap like on dishwashing liquid bottles. I then pour a small amount of the dye into a seperate container to apply. I then instantly close the cap to avoid spillage. The seperate application container also has minimal dye at any one time again to avoid "mass" spillage. You can always pour in a little more. I keep the bottles in one of those plastic tote boxes which is open and has the handle in the middle. Barra

Wouldn't suede on the inside become a grit trap and then abrade the gun blue-ing? Barra

Here is how I do loops. As best I can I will work out how many loops are required for a job and have one continuous peice of leather. I find it is then easier to stain the edges and burnish rather than try and burnish each tiny little loop. I will usually run the strap thru the splitter if required before staining and burnishing. For a fixed keeper I will wrap the loop leather around the buckle end and the strap that it is going to hold in place (or a scrap of equal thickness). I then mark it by running my thumb nail across the loop to get the length of each loop. I then set my compass divider to the length of the loop I have just marked and walk the compass divider up the strap to mark the required amount of loops and cut them. Place the now cut loop on the strap with flesh side uppermost until it is in the middle of the straps width and mark with the thumbnail, pencil or even a little jab of the awl. This is so that when you are stitching in the loop you place it so the mark is on the edge of the strap and the loop will be half way. This will ensure equal amounts of the loop are stitched into the strap and you aren't left with one side caught by the skin of a bees poverbials. Stitch down one side and before you get to the loop on the return run, place the other side of the loop in the strap and test the loop will be neither too tight nor loose with the strap that will eventually be held in place ( I make mine a tad tight to allow for a firm loop after I have blocked it out). When stitching the loop in once it has been tucked in you carefully come in from a slight angle a couple of stitches and pass the thread in your right hand under the loop to the other side. Continue the angle stitches until the loop is fully stitched in. With practice there will be no difference with the stitching quality or length from either side. Blocking the loop I used to have a complete set of metal loop sticks. Long story short they are gone. I have never bothered to make or procure new ones. Some people use hardwood sticks but I just had the metal ones. What I do now is I have a series of really firm and hard (almost sole leather) straps cut for the various width straps I would make. 3/8, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, 7/8, 1" 1 1/8, 1 1/4, 1/ 1/2, 1 5/8, 1 3/4 1 7/8 and 2" The ends are pointed and skived slightly. I pick the appropriate strap, thread it into the newly stitched loop and dunk the whole thing in warm water. Then I tap the loop on my anvil or other suitable hard surface to block it out and while still damp I redo the creasing or I will wait til dry and hot crease. The end result is a nicely blocked loop that sits up square like a house brick. Slide loops Much the same but instead of marking the loop to accomodate the strap thickness and end up meeting in the middle you have to mark from one edge of the strap then allow for thickness and continue to the other edge (this allows for sewing). Mark again using thumbnail or similar method. Mark for stitches and skive the flesh side underneath where you just marked the stitches and the grain on the other end. Do not skive beyond the width of the strap either on the flesh or grain side. To make stitching slide loops easy you need a little device called loop clams/clamp. They can be commercially bought or you can fashion your own. Mive is made out of an old wooden ruler. This little device is used to hold the little loop for stitching and the loop clam is then placed in the jaws of your full size clam/stitching horse for stitching. Block as you would for a fixed keeper. For those making tack eg: headstalls.English bridles, there is a correct way to position a slide loop. If you have made two loops and one turns out even the slightest bit better than the other, the good one is for the near side of the bridle. Also position the keeper so the the join is facing to the rear (as viewed like the item was on the horse). I guess the same principal can be applied to other forms of leatherwork. To me it is the little finessing details that can really set off an item. Barra

Roo. You can be justifiably proud of your young Airman. You can tell him that an RAAF MSI said He looks a million dollars in his Service dress and Slouch hat. It warms this old RAAFies heart to see your son attend a Dawn Service and spend a few moments to reflect on the sacrifice of others. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Barra

Maybe this might be useful for all sorts of foam http://www.foamorder.com/

I'm a fan of electrolytic rust removal. All you need is a large plastic tub 1 car battery charger 1 lump of sacrificial iron scrap One terminal is connected to the rusty tool, 1 is connected to the sacrificial iron scrap. I'm sure someone will chime in with what terminal goes to what. I can't remember off hand. Turn on the battery charger and walk away. After a while a brown scum will form on the water. This is the rust coming off. No effort required rust removal. Other methods are soaking in vinegar or a solution of tartaric acid. Barra

For those wondering. Methylated Spirits is Denatured Alcohol on the other side of the pond. Barra

Welcome aboard Chris. Always good to see another Aussie. Barra.

Something else you can try is to temporarily hold it all in place with a few small gauge blued cut tacks. Before the foot of the machine gets too near the tack, pull it out with a pair of pliers or side cutters (watch the eyes). Alternatively if time is not a major issue you can tie a few strategically place tack ties. Tie the knot over the edge of all layers of leather and when the job is done the tack ties can be cut off. Barra

A former Infantryman's view on breaking in boots. Bruces idea of filling the boots with water and then wearing them is probably the most common. I would add make it warm water until the leather is good and soaked then wear them wet with the same sized socks you would normally wear. Yes it feels squishy at first but the boots will mold you your feet. Another variation is to stuff the boots with wet paper. As for the rubbing alcohol. I would use that on your feet to toughen them up and not the boot leather. With our boots we would sometimes give the new and wet boots a few whacks of a mallet on the back spine (we would call this breaking the spine). This went a long way toward minimising blisters. Barra

No you just need to un stitch the panel at the front (pommel end). Using David's photo's. In pic one he has un stitched the panel at the front and is using the stuffing stick to hold up the panel out of the way while he replaces the billet straps. The rear end of the panel is still attached. There is no need to un stitch the rear if all you need to do is get access to the billet straps Pic 2 shows the billet strap stitched to the webbing. Note on the far billet you can see one method of stitching. It shows a criss cross pattern and this is acheived by alternating the stitches from the left to right side. Pic 3 is another good example of only the front of the pannel being unstitched to gain access. Again the rear is still attached hence the stuffing stick being used to hold the still attached panel at the rear up and out of the way. Barra

That sounds like a binding attachment to guide bias binding.Barra.That sounds like a binding attachment to guide bias binding.Barra.

Cut little nicks or V's in the welting at regular intervals to assist the welting follow the curve. Barra

What are your cut lengths for a weymouth bridle Pony Cob and Full? Barra