Northmount

Take a look at http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=40461&hl=starting#entry251728 and follow some of the threads. The advanced search function can be your new best friend too. CTG

Flour and sugar sacks that are sewen closed are done with a chain stitch. As a kid, I used to collect the string from them for other projects. If you start on the right end, you can "unzip" the whole thing with one good pull. So like on boots and shoes, the needle/thread has to be sized tight in the leather, and bees wax, etc. to lock it in place. And layers are usually glued, so if the surface thread is damaged, it doesn't fall apart. Like TwinOaks says, no machine does saddle stitch or anything close to it. CTG

Tools and toys don't make the man! Some tools definitely make the job easier, and that is one of the reasons we buy them, often starting out with the cheap ones until we see their short lifespan or other problems. What makes the man is what you do with them. And as you have done with other work, how you have done work-arounds to get the job done satisfactorily. Some people buy tools and toys just to show them off. Others really use them. CTG

Try Denise http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?showuser=5669 Or their business site http://www.rodnikkel.com/content/index.php/contact-us/ CTG

Divide Korean price by 1000 to get approximate US/CAN $ price. Google translator will do some translation, but you need to sort of read between the lines. Single words translate different than sentences or phrases, but will give you some idea. CTG

Some of the stitching in your examples is pulled way too tight so it is cutting into the leather and causing puckers. Were some of these wet when they were stiched? On others, the taughtness of the thread seems to be random. Practise trying to pull up the same taughtness consistently. Thinner leather has to be treated a little more tenderly than thicker. If holes are too close together on thin leather, it is very easy to cut through the leather when pulling the thread tight. How are you punching your holes? If using an awl, the awl should be angled so the little slots aren't point to point. I can't see from you pictures will enough to be sure what your method is. There have been a number of stitching questions in the past couple weeks and some really good advice given by the Old Grump and others. Do a couple searches to see their comments and instructions. CTG

A piece of 1/4" hardboard will work in place of your marble/granite. (Obviously not as good, but will do for most beginners until they get serious.) You can laminate it to a piece of 3/4" plywood if you want to give it a little more substance and reduce the noise level. And I agree, get the kids to work on the floor. Fewer things to break and push around or tip over. CTG

Keep your bench area clean. Especially oils, dyes ... If your bench area is used for other work where you can also pick up contamination from sawing, filing, working on other stuff, clean the area well before you bring leather back to it. Vacuum up filings, dust, dirt, etc. And as mentioned above, keep your hands clean, use latex gloves, etc. to reduce chances of contamination. Also realize that some marks or what appears to be stains show up after the leather has been cased. If your water has high hardness and minerals, consider using demineralized or distilled water. CTG

Molding also affects the way the dye is absorbed. Forced drying in a cabinet stiffens/hardens the leather and will affect how it accepts dye. As already mentioned, slighly moist leather accepts dye better. From other threads here, if memory serves correct, some people are lightly oiling the leather before applying dye ... but you should search and see if I remember correctly. You can also do some test pieces to see what works the best. For your test pieces, if you are dyeing molded leather, do everything the same with your test pieces, including molding and using a piece from the same hide. CTG

Looks like a gouge used in wood carving. Looks like I didn't need to buy large hole punches for inside corners, should have brought in the carving and lathe tools. I will definitely use the gouge for the outside corners instead of making another similar tool! There are a number of woodworking tools that can be used for leather! Just need to wake up and see the possibilities. CTG

See attached http://leatherworker.net/forum/index.php?app=core&module=attach&section=attach&attach_rel_module=post&attach_id=66250 Very good book by Bob Park on designing your own patterns. CTG

Did a search for orange peel pipe layout and got this result, should be something in it you can use. https://www.google.ca/search?q=orange+peel+pipe+template&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a Was going to scan a page out of a pipe trades handbook, but decided to search instead. CTG

Really great! CTG

I agree with you about lemon juice. There are others here that use it rather than track down oxalic acid, or that seem to be uncomfortable using something with acid in the name. Oxalic acid has always done a nice job for me. If you can't get it in a good paint supply store, then order it through a local pharmacy. Cost less than $20 for about a pound. CTG

It's possible. Maybe a few filings stuck to it past your stroping, or maybe even on your fingers. So yes, wipe down your knife carefully and wash your hands before handling the leather. I was just wondering if some hand creams would do this, but not likely as dots, more likely as finger prints. What about your water source for casing? If you have iron pipes in your area, it could be from some rusty water. Does your tap run muddy red first thing in the morning sometimes when the first flow of water stirs the sediment in the pipes up? I was in an old city (Belfort France) one day when they had done some work on the street water main. After the water was turned back on, it ran muddy red for a couple hours before it got flushed through. Didn't feel like showering in it! Some people will only used distiller water or demineralized water for casing due to there water possibly being contaminated with minerals. Lots of water wells in rural locations have high iron content. CTG

Try with cloth. There should also be examples on the web with segmented spheres or hemispheres, like peeling an orange. Or find a cheap baseball cap and cut it apart for the triangular orange peel shapes. CTG

Glue together before triming the edges and before punching holes for lacing or doing your stitching. Don't glue the liner at the bottom fold, the liner needs to be shorter than the back so it doesn't pucker up when folded. If I use a one piece liner, I cut the edge back to miss the lacing or stiching at the bottom fold. For a one piece liner, the wallet won't open out flat. A 3 piece liner that allows the center piece to float can lay flat and can fold without puckering. See the following threads for some help with wallets. http://leatherworker...let#entry265281 http://leatherworker...60881.  There http://leatherworker...=0 Good luck. Wallets shouldn't be hard to make if you take a look at how the liner and the back have to interact as the wallet is folded. CTG

The dots look like contamination with iron filings. The tannin (tannic acid) in the leather plus iron make these dots. Check out the vinegaroon process used to dye leather black. Need to keep all metal filings away from your leather working area. You can use lemon juice or oxalic acid to bleach the dots out. Some people use a q-tip or paint brush to treat just the spot. You can bleach the whole surface if necessary. Do a search for oxalic acid here and you will find lots of posts. Good luck with your big project. In about 1961 I got into leatherwork because my grandfather gave me an old saddle that needed a lot of repair. The saddle got left behind in one of our moves, so never ever got fixed and I haven't ventured into saddle making or repair. I envy you and compliment you on being brave enough to try on your own. CTG

Yup, when your hands and fingers get sore enough, you'll definitely accelerate your savings! CTG

There is a thickness table here. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.ca/en-cad/home/infoandservices/leatherguide/leatherguide.aspx CTG

Try this link. http://www.tools4leather.com/01_ma_series_III_clicker.htm I think they are expensive, but it is small and can sit on your bench. CTG

I'm finding updates real slow at the moment, whether it is increased site traffic this time of day or something else. I did get a couple SQL errors today, one when loading a picture from a thumbnail, the other when selecting a link from related similar topics. Both worked when retrying the link. CTG

Display is blue. Each post is on a relatively narrow strip. No message # like non-mobile. Thumbnails okay, and open okay. Minimal poster info, which is probably best for mobiles. No signature displayed. Thumbnails line up down the left side. I'm sure you know most of this since you must be picking what you think fits for the template. I viewing from an iPad in landscape mode. I think it is looking pretty good. Don't forget the color! CTG

Seems fine this morning. Keep up the great work. I and many others appreciate it. CTG

Very nice combination. Gives me some new ideas. CTG