Northmount

You need to buff off all the "loose" pigment on the top of the leather after it dries. That's the stuff that didn't soak in. That will reduce the amount that gets spread around when applying a finish on top of it. Water based dyes dissolve easily with water based or alcohol/acetone or other strong solvents. So as you say, air brushing is you best answer to avoid mixing it up again. But really buffing the surface stuff off will help reduce the spread. A waxy finish is really a conditioner, not necessarily a sealer. But might be adequate for what you want. Mop n Glow is just an acrylic floor wax/polish used for vinyl tiles and such. Should find many other brands that you could use. There are some additives in the acrylic floor wax that helps to clean the floor. So rubbing it around on your dyed surface will lift the dye as well. You may be able to find an atomizer spray bottle that will work for you to spray the finish on with. It needs to emit a fine mist. Any droplets will leave marks on the leather. Windex window cleaner spray bottles are supposed to be good. The misting type for plants or ironing that I picked up are not fine enough. Tom

Read post number 127! Tom

Look at post 18 in this thread. http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=46554&st=15 Rest of the thread has some good and interesting discussion about saddle fit. Tom

8 oz leather needs at least 1/4" additional for each bend. Cut a strap and test it. Tom

Here is another option I just found http://www.allimageprinting.com/corner_cutter.html corner cutting press and pliers type with dies. Tom

Another source for small bearings is the guide bearings for router bits. Go to your local power tool store. Tom

Can also use wood carving tools ... sweep, gouge, etc. available in various curves. Tom

This is the only one I see http://calgary.kijiji.ca/c-ViewAdLargeImage?AdId=503460943&Keyword=industrial%20sewing%20machines I wouldn't waste my time on this one, unless you are a collector and want to fix it up. Tom

And there are many threads on this subject, some recently from the UK and Europe. So a few searches may be in order too. Helps to broaden your exposure and to answer many of the questions you should have. Tom

Barry King and other Sheridan bevellers are steeper and easier to bevel neatly with than what the Tandy kit tools and current Tandy standard tools are. Good tools do make a difference. Tom

Lookin pretty good! I see you are getting along fine with you new machine. Did you purposely put the top side stitching on the inside? I'd put it on the show side to show off a bit. You should be able to make a lot of sales through the vet's office. Good going! Tom

Cut oversize to start, do your tooling, check the fit and line up all joints, mark start and end points of stitching on both sides of the seam, trim to fit perfectly on at least 1 end, mark out your stitches, trim the other end to match if you haven't already. Pay attention to any twists or stretched parts as you are trying to line up the joins before you do any trimming so you can get the best fit with no strange twists. I have had to place a weight (not heavy, just enough to keep it flat) on top of some thin items to ensure they dry flat after tooling before proceeding further with assembly. Just leaving the item laying on your bench to dry, it can still warp. Keeping it flat helps a lot. Always test fits before gluing, punching, marking stitches, etc. That is the time where you can easily fix small miss-matches. Tom

Depends on the thickness and quality of the leather. Light weight low quality leather will definitely need doubling up. 8-9 oz minimum should be adequate for a single layer. With the type of attachment to the legs that is shown in the tutorials, I would double up the corners to improve the durability, resist stretching if it gets damp, etc. Have you done a search here for photos and examples? There have been a number of camp stool threads here. Tom

You have a couple options, one is to purchase from one of the suppliers listed in the top of this page banners. I purchased from Ron at http://shop.raphaelsewing.com/ in Montreal and had it dropped at the curb in front of my house. If you locate the machine you want, the cart will estimate shipping for you. The machine will be set up for the type of sewing you want to do if you work with him. Another is to check http://www.leightons.ca/catalog-general.html located east of Red Deer. John has new and used machines. Also check out WIz's post to see a number of modifications that are made to machines to make them suitable for leather. This post http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=49955&hl=+leather%20+machine#entry317799 is specific to a 441, but gives you some idea of what needs to be done to a machine. Tom

Cut oversize, glue the seams together, trim to size, then do your stitching. Tom

There have been posts about tooling rough out. Do a search and see what you find. Most contact cements soften when heated. (That's how you remove laminates without damaging the surface they are glued to.) You should do a test to see how it behaves. Glue a couple pieces together, flesh side to flesh side, press it down tight so you get good adhesion all across. I use a roller. Leave an edge unglued so you can get some leverage to try pulling it apart. Leave sit after gluing for a few days. The cement continues to cure for a few days and adhesion improves. Then try heating with a heat gun and see how much it softens and if you can pull it apart. Don't need to heat so hot that the leather shrivels up. By testing, you will know how it is going to behave. (If you have an oven with a low enough minimum temperature setting, you can use it and have a better idea of the temperatures you are dealing with.) Tom

Do a search here for burnisher and adapter and motor and see what you get. There was a thread running here for a while on building or converting a motor to a burnisher. Parts and sources were listed. Tom

Read post number 127 Tom

Lots of great work! I think your wallets would look nicer with some thin lining leather on the inside of the wallet back instead of the flesh side showing. Just an added finishing touch. Very interesting goggles. Tom

Try badger air brush bottles. Also, for most bottles or jars, cover with plastic wrap before putting the lid on. You can also push the wrap down into the bottle to displace air and reduce evaporation. The wrap also helps keep lids from freezing to the bottle. Tom

Thicker thread takes more space so is harder to pull up, unless you go to a larger needle size. Scott is on the right track. Typically, thread balling up on the bottom is not enough top tension. But there can be other causes. And it is easy to try out. Keep track of your adjustments and you can go back to the original settings with your original needle and thread combination. Tom

Increase your top tension to pull the knot higher into the leather. Tom

Read up some of the threads here about the Tippmann. Some hate it, some have learned its quirks and do well with it. As production demand increased, they have moved up the powered machines. Another thing I notice is the older cast iron frame is much preferred over the aluminum version. So check it out so you are aware of what you are getting into before you purchase. Good luck with which ever direction you go. Tom

A v gouge see http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/en-usd/search/site-search-results.aspx?sectionpath=3&processor=content&p_keyword=Gouge Tom

Applying, rubbing with the dauber is dissolving the previous layer(s) of satin sheen. It's not allowing it to build up in layers. Try spraying the finish on in light layers using either an airbrush or the prevo stuff from Tandy. You can do two or three layers a few minutes apart. Then let dry for overnight and do some more layers. We are going to have to get used to water based stuff since alcohol and other solvents are rated hazardous products and require special shipping. I was told that a 4 oz bottle of Fiebings dye will have a $35 hazardous shipping surcharge. So the Tandy manager here says in 18 months, they will no longer carry Fiebings products! So stock up now or buy larger sizes/quantities to reduce the unit cost for the surcharge. Not good news. Tom