Northmount

Definitely. I like to tryout patterns or make new patterns using paper or light weight cardboard. I staple the edges together to check shape and fit. Adjust as necessary, then go for the leather. Sometimes will do a second prototype on cheap leather to see how it really turns out. Tom

Using Adobe's measure function, the widest part of the pattern is about 8.75 inches. Check your printout and see if it matches. Tom

Your PDF viewer should have some options in the print dialog box. Depending on your viewer, it could be under "zoom" or "print handling" or similar description. Select tile pages or split pages to multiple sheets. It will split the drawing up into multiple sheets, you trim and tape them together. Print at 100% scale. Play with it a bit and you will find the right settings for printing tiled images. Tom

Only if you are too heavy handed. Peening should be done with light taps, not slams like trying to ring the bell at the circus. Work in a circular pattern to evenly peen the stud. Don't hit the washer. Tom

Doing the beveling like you did, inside versus outside, is called inverted beveling. There are various inverted carving patterns around. It can be advantageous to use for a different effect. Tom

A Canadian source for Angelus paints is http://www.longviewleather.com/angelus-paints/ Located in Longview, AB, about 30 minutes or so south of Calgary on hwy 22. They have a web store. Tom

Use right twist for the outside thread. I recall reading a couple threads on this subject if you want to search for more information. Tom

Here are links to a few threads here on LW. http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/74742-ever-seen-this-vacuum-setup/?tab=comments#comment-491611 http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/27904-leather-holster-forming-vacuum-versus-press/?tab=comments#comment-175367 http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/72326-wet-molding-pressing-in-hydraulic-press-etc-holsters/?tab=comments#comment-473131 http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/22164-cheap-holster-press/ If you want to do a search here, you will find more threads with good information and photos. Tom

As soon as you get a the gel antique on, you have to start scrubbing it off with a wet sponge. If you don't it stays on thick, darker, over the whole item. As an example, saddle tan turns the whole item a dark red. George Hurst has a short video showing how to use it. It would be really nice if Tandy would actually put some instructions on the bottle! Then I might have half a chance of not ruining my project. Don't use gel antique and antique paste on the same project. Tom

Calgary, AB

Moore Leather --- Can you update this thread with photos that have gone missing due to being linked to a sharing site? Seems they have been deleted, moved or otherwise changed permissions. Please add them to a new post here, or to a gallery here. If you need help to do so, PM me so I can help. I can even stuff them into the original posts if you make them available to me. Tom

Good stuff! Sandpaper works for roughing up the grain side before gluing. Also, use a contact cement. Water based or solvent based. Tom

For many machines, reverse after the needle has started to rise. So the hook has caught the loop. Tom

To create a new Album, go to the Top menu bar, Browse, and click on Gallery. This will show a a number of gallery areas. Click the "Add Images" button. Then select a category. A couple of them are "More Leatherwork" and "Tutorials and Lessons" that might be what you are looking for. Select the category. On the left portion of the screen, there is an area to Create a new Album. (On the right side is an area to pick an existing album. You can access existing albums from there later, or from your profile.) Name the album ---- Add a description ----- Set the ownership (place your screen name here "RockyAussie"), privacy and album features you wish. Click the "Create New Album" button. Now you can drag and drop photos (files) from Windows Explorer (if you are using MS Windows, can't tell you for a Mac) or click the "Chose Files" button, which will open a dialog box where you navigate to the folder location and files you wish to load. There is a limit of 100 files. For each photo that is loaded, select the photo and add a name, tags if any, and comments.. Then click the "Save" button. I have just created a new album for test purposed so I could step through this procedure. I'm away from home so do not have access to my photos, so have loaded a few samples off the web. You can navigate to your photos through either the main Gallery, or through your Profile. Since you have created an album, you will now see the album in your profile where you can manage your photos and add more photos. Click on your photo so it displays larger. Right click on the photo and pick "Copy image location" and paste it into the post. It gives you two options. Display as a URL or embed. Pick embed to have the photo displayed rather than just the URL. (It worked!) Tom

You can email Matt and arrange purchase and delivery through Houston TX if you wish. Both books are well worth while. If you have Australian connections, you will find them especially interesting. Tom

Create an album, name it, load your photos into it. Then copy the URL of the photo you have in your album, and paste into your post. You may have to reduce photo size, but I have noticed that the system allows larger photos in your album than when you post in a thread. Tom

Please read and abide by the market place rules http://leatherworker.net/forum/forum/70-announcements/ Tom

" I usually round over the point at the top. I never cut with it and that is what has bit me when I have reached across. " See this thread http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/38698-tips-on-how-to-use-a-draw-gauge/?do=findComment&comment=240356 I've never clipped myself, but figure Bruce's comment is quite wise. Voice of experience. I like to reduce risk where I can. I'm a little adverse to slashing my wrist. And you really don't use that top 1/4" as it's not accessible to cut with, other than your wrist! Tom

Round off the top end of the blade, helps to avoid accidental injuries. The top end of the blade is of no use when cutting, so no harm to the functionality of your drawgauge. Tom

have you done a search here? Take a look at this post http://leatherworker.net/forum/topic/36137-leather-lifts-up-with-needle-need-help-at-wits-end/#comment-223429 You can find more like this. Posts by Wizcrafts and Gottaknow have a lot of good information on thread lubrication as well as many other sewing machine helps and problems. Tom

Looks like your casing is improving. Too wet and the leather is mushy. The swivel knife drags. Stamping gets sort of blob like instead of burnishing and turning a deeper brown. You need a hard surface behind your leather while you are stamping. When I started 55 years ago, I had no option of getting a piece of granite or marble. I used 1/4" Masonite hardboard on a solid table with pipe frame and legs. For up to 8/9 oz leather it worked okay. Wood itself, depending on species is not likely hard enough. Some proponents of sharpening your swivel knife will tell you that you should strop on a hard surface rather than the backside of leather, since the leather deforms and tends to round over the sharp edge you are trying for. I use a piece of 3/4" MDF. Have one for red rouge and one for white stropping compound. I use a diamond sharpening plate labeled as extra fine if I need to remove any scratches from rougher stones or whatever, then of course follow that with red, then white stropping. Whether you use paints or dyes, make sure you allow adequate time for drying between coats. Also before applying any finish or layers of finish. No less than 4 hours, some behave better at 8 hours. When using dye, I sometimes dampen the leather slightly first as it helps stop the dye from suddenly seeping beyond the brush. Tom

Needle system size 135/16 is a leather point, 135/17 is a conical point. Both are the same size/length. Leather point doesn't blow out the back of the leather as badly as a conical point. This version of leather point is like a chisel. Anyone that is somewhat mechanically inclined should be able to help you switch motors. Get a servo with the smallest pulley you can so the machine can run slower. Tom

If you drop out the music, you could add some instructions to turn it into a small tutorial. Tom