TheCyberwolfe

My only thought is to make sure you're not letting the leather spend any time in contact with galvanized metal - I'm pretty sure that risks discoloration of the leather. Aside from that, I'd imagine your plan is sound. 542cfm is darn close to a cubic foot of air per second, so if you're building a booth that's only 10 or 12 cubic feet your fan should do fine.

I think the one without the beveling works better with this style. Nice work on keeping the colors separated.

If you can't burnish, that's where the edge paint comes in. I'd make a recommendation, but I'm still trying to find one I like so I've been sticking with leathers that burnish well

What I really love about threads like these is running into these odball part and tool names. "Winker brace" sounds like some Cockney slang

Honestly, that wooden strap cutter you see in all the "beginner" tool kits is a solid choice. (Springfield sells two models, get the 'original' one.) As long as you remember to adjust for leather thickness, it works great.

these guys have a wide range of fabrics to choose from with different properties. http://www.lessemf.com/fabric.html

They make an actual setter for those? I just turn 'em upside down on the anvil with a layer of leather under 'em and give 'em a whack. Seems to work out pretty good.

I'm a paranoid IT guy who also happens to have a degree in Electronics with an emphasis on radio (my primary instructor was a radar man.) With Euro-style chip-and-PIN cards coming to the States, this is a big question in a number of places. There were a couple of shops that sold small batches at one point, but they have gone by the wayside. What you have available now is a lined Tyvek product that comes as a sleeve for individual cards, or you can buy several different grades of RFID-blocking material by the yard just like fabric at Joanne's. The way I would do it is to buy the fabric and cut out a piece just smaller than the wallet back, glue it to that, and then line it with another leather,. This will protect your cards when the wallet is closed in your pocket without the headache of trying to line the individual pockets. (I purchased a commercial RFID-proof wallet a while back, and this is how it is constructed.) Failing the fabric, two layers of heavy kitchen foil will do the trick but you may get some unwanted wrinkly noises as you open and close the wallet, depending on your glue methods. (That commercial wallet I mentioned does this - that's what led me to testing just heavy kitchen foil.) Your mileage, of course, may vary. i did my testing with a common brand of ID badge at a couple of locations where the building has restricted access. (My clients are paranoid too.)

Very well done! Where are you getting your little leash/chain attachment doohickeys? I've only been able to find them on Japanese shops so far.

With work of this quality, I suspect you're going to find yourself with a lot of new friends once these bags start making the rounds.

I think that dye job is actually going to age out pretty well.

I have just the right pile of scrap in the garage... Thanks!

One of the important factors is the thickness of your tooling slab - I noticed a dramatic decrease in noise when I got a thicker slab. Of course, in an apartment you're likely going to have to move the slab back into the closet come dinnertime, so don't make it too heavy...

So many steps to good leatherworking seem to involve letting it sit overnight

I use sheet vinyl that I bought at the fabric store - i think I spent $6 for a chunk 18" x 60". You'll find it in the upholstery / curtain fabric section.

Great idea for preventing dye spills!

Going to go back and do the jester's cap, or does your friend play the new pig-tailed Harley?

Heh - I knew you at least would appreciate this one, Tinkerton

If you tape before you wet the leather, you just have to watch out for the water penetrating too deeply and dissolving your tape's adhesive. There's a ton of good advice in the pinned topics of this forum.

I would never have thought of the swingarm and the engine guard as places to mount luggage. Gorgeous work!

How'd you manage that long overlapped seam down the back?

Figured I'd give the whole Biker / Long wallet thing a go. Learned that I really suck at block dying (more like 'blotch dyeing') but it didn't turn out too bad after all. Other lessons learned: Bring the stitches a little farther inboard next time, a couple of them almost pulled through. Also, that big chunky zipper really doesn't want to close with the pocket folded over and sewn in - go with something a little less clunky next time.