Northmount

Sorry I had stamps on my mind instead of dies. There are mallet dies available. I've seen a few posts about them here. If you do a search, you will find them. They are of heavier construction. Tom

A dead blow hammer works better than a mallet, there is no (or less) bounce so you don't get a small shadow impression as well. With a dead blow hammer, if you didn't hit hard enough the first time, you can usually reposition the stamp by feeling where the stamp settles into the impression, then hit it again. If one side is light, you are tilting your stamp. So tilt it the other way and hit it again. Warning, on thin leather, you can cut right through the leather if you hit it too hard or too may times. Do some trial runs on scrap so you can see what it does. Also do a search for arbor presses here. There are lots of threads and good info. Tom

When you bring up the new content page, check the settings on the left side. Check off "forums" and the time period you want. If that doesn't work for you, try this link and see if it works. new content link Tom

Cut some scrap and try it to see if you can get it to behave the way you want it to. Also note that the stiffer the leather (hard temper), the more wrinkles you will get. Softer stretchier leather will fold easier with fewer wrinkles. Tom

Only cut grooves where you want it to fold. Tom

I also find that if I dampen the leather just a little, it tends to reduce the wicking beyond where you want it to stop. Tom

Try to get a thinner piece for the inside. The cover won't lay flat, but will stretch over time and be easier to lay flat. And yes, the inside radius is always shorter on a fold. That is why you see the puckering if it was done totally flat. Try a sample with a fairly wide groove in the flesh side of the cover. Start gluing from the spine and work your way out. Trim the excess after gluing. Tom

Make sure it is properly cased, too wet will do what your bottom line did, especially if you rest your hand on it like Tree Reaper says. Tom

Mop & Glo Triple Action, the UPC is 59631 38032, comes in a blue bottle. Tom

Use thin material, like pigskin, or other choices you have available for the lining in the spine (rings) area. Glue it down solidly. It will still pucker a little. Another option is to groove the spine on the inside where you want it to fold. And again use thin leather for the lining. Make sure you get your glue down into the grooves and use a boning tool or similar to work the lining leather down into the groove. You will have a sharper fold, and less noticeable puckering inside. While gluing, in both cases, fold the cover about half way closed and let the glue set before opening or closing the cover. Yet another option is to use lighter weight leather for both the inside and outside, with a stiffener, like cardboard, between the two. Need the stiffener cut in three pieces, two for the front and back (same size) and one piece for the spine. Leave about 1/4" or more space at the folds. Look at the typical vinyl covered loose leaf binder as an example. Pull an old one apart, might even be able to use the board as your stiffener. Try it out on some small scraps to see what you like the best. Tom

Nice bag. I like the colours too. Tom

Welcome! Your English is doing just fine. In fact better than some where English is their native language. Tom

If you leave the post too long, it is likely to bend so the burr doesn't sit flat. Also while peening, use gentle taps and work in a circle going around the top of the post. It will flare more evenly and helps to pull the burr down tighter. The biggest mistake people usually make is being heavy fisted and pounding too hard. Keep the leather and bottom of the post flat against your anvil. Tilting any of the pieces will make it hard to properly set the rivet. I set my first copper rivet when I was around 12 years old. What a mess. I hadn't trimmed the post at all, I pounded the heck out of it, and of course bent the post over on top of the burr. Then my Dad showed me the right way to do it. Tom

They can be stitched or glued in. If the pocket is tight and you won't be pulling the ID out too often, then no stitching or glue is necessary. You might recover some nice flat pieces of plastic from clamshells that a lot of goods are packaged for sale in Tom

Nice! You have a very steady hand to do all that. I'd have squiggles all over the place! Tom

$350 plus if your market will bear it. Tom

Tandy's little 2# anvil http://www.tandyleatherfactory.ca/en-cad/search/searchresults/3101-00.aspx is adequate but I prefer a larger one that stays where I put it. Needs to be solidly supported as camano says. Tom

Fantastic job. Tom

It's called a slit braid. Did a Google search and found several references. Try this link Also some examples and photos here. Tom

Pretty good looking bag. Just burnish all the raw edges will make it an over-the-top bag. Tom

Depending on the antique paste, some of it may be waterproof too. Tom

Really nice job. Your backgrounding is really consistent and smooth. The mockups often take more time than the real thing, except for tooling time. Which tools did you use for the geometric pattern on the back? Tom

Nice, and as others have commented, burnish the straps, get rid of the fuzzies. Tom

Ordinary disposable paper masks don't do any good for volatile chemicals. And the leakage around the "seal" at the nose severely reduces their effectiveness for dust. For dust, at least get the type with an exhale valve. Get a proper respirator type mask with cartridges labeled for organic vapors, or just dust if you are sanding or such. Note that the cartridges for organics must be kept in a sealed container when not in use, else the activated charcoal will be used up next time you want to use it. As soon as you start to smell the vapors through your mask, it is time to change cartridges. For exhaust fans, look at where the motor is in relation to the stream of flammable vapors your are disposing of. If the motor is in open "fresh" air, any type of motor is suitable. If the motor is in the exhaust stream, or in the spray booth, make sure it doesn't have any arcing contacts like most motors with a starting winding. Or use an explosion proof motor if it does. Shaded pole induction motors don't have a starting winding, and no internal arcing contacts. Most bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans are shaded pole motors. Tom

I was thinking of a case for a single harmonica when I read the title! Looks great. Good layout. Tom